Tears fill my eyes, no matter how many times I think about her, I can never get over her death. Maybe with time, maybe never. I don’t want to ever forget her, but I don’t want my pain to consume me. Like it’s consuming my father. He’s still sitting there, but slowly, his eyes begin to fill with tears.
He gets to his feet. “Excuse me for a moment.” He swiftly leaves the room, and the three of us look at one another.
A few minutes of silence pass before Renaya gets up and lowers herself next to me. She touches my arm. “I didn’t know you had a sister. Alaric hasn’t spoken much of his family. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks, Renaya.”
She gives me a small smile. Then she rests her head on her brother’s arm. “I’m fortunate to have Sebastian and can’t imagine what it would be like to lose him.”
He smiles sadly as he rubs her arm. The room grows quiet as each one of us is caught in our own thoughts. About fifteen minutes pass before Alaric returns to the room and he and Renaya sit in their seats.
“I’m sorry,” Alaric says. His eyes are red, voice is raspy. “Please, let’s continue.”
I can sense how much pain he’s in and why he’d rather not think or talk about Daisy. He needs to mourn her death on his own time, alone, in privacy.
“How is your mother?” Alaric asks, slowly moving his eyes from the floor to me.
“She’s good. She’s, um, seeing someone.” I don’t know why I said that.
Alaric tilts his head forward. “I’m glad she’s happy. I feel terrible for putting her through so much pain, but I had no choice. If I had been able to send her a message to let her know what happened, I would have. I’m very sorry for everything I put you through, Lily.” He makes a move like he wants to take my hand but changes his mind. “When Sorenten is defeated, I would like to apologize to her in person.” He rubs his hand down his face. “I wish I could do the same for Daisy. Had I known she would…I wish I could have…” He sighs, shaking his head.
I get up and place my hand on his back. “Daisy knows how sorry you are. I know she forgives you.”
“How do you know that?”
“Truthfully, I don’t. I don’t know if there’s an afterworld or anything like that, but I do believe that she’s looking down at us right now.”
His eyes lift to the ceiling as though he expects Daisy to be up there. “We don’t have such a concept here.”
“What do you believe?”
He shrugs. “Ortarians die and that’s it.”
“I believe what Lily believes,” Sebastian says. “I know her sister is looking down on her, on you, too. I know she doesn’t blame you for what happened. She understands.”
Alaric doesn’t say anything and the room is silent yet again. After a bit, I ask, “Is it possible for us to go back to Earth?”
Alaric shakes his head. “My magic isn’t strong enough.”
“But I’m a royal, aren’t I? Can’t I go to Earth the same way you did? Isn’t my magic just as powerful?”
Again, he shakes his head. “You’re needed her.”
“But I need to tell my mom I’m okay. She’s probably worried sick.”
“I understand that, and if I was able to take you back, I would. But it’s not possible. You’re bound here.”
I lift an eyebrow. “Bound? By what? The Ortarian energy, or forces, or whatever you want to call it?”
I mean that as a joke, but he nods. “Ortarus needs you.”
I slump against the bed’s headboard. “I can’t believe this. I’m just supposed to let my mom drive herself crazy with worry?”
He lifts his hands apologetically. “Like I said, if I was able to, I would take you back. Don’t you see, Lily? You’re fulfilling a prophecy.”
“A prophecy?”
“Well, it’s not as though a prophet predicted you’d come to slay the king, but Ortarus expects you to fulfill your task and that’s why you’re not able to return home until Sorenten is killed.”
“And would I be able to return back to Ortarus?” I ask him.
His eyes widen, and that’s when I realize what I said. I made it seem like I would want to return here. Would I? I have no clue. All I know is that I want to kill the damn king and go back to my old life. With Sebastian. I want to spend the rest of my life with him.
“Yes, once you kill Sorenten your task will be complete and you will be able to travel back and forth. Since you’re half human and a royal, you can survive on both worlds.”
“What about Sebastian? He’s not a royal. How would he be able to survive on Earth?” My heart skips a beat. “Don’t tell me he can only live on Earth if he’s a genie.” Sebastian intakes a sharp breath.
“No, Sebastian will be able to live on Earth as a human.” He bends forward. “Because of the love you have for one another. It’s so deep and strong, not like anything I have ever seen. Your bond makes it possible for Sebastian to survive on Earth.”
I sigh in relief.
“In addition, as king I have the ability to use my magic the way I see fit. I can make as many changes as I wish.”
“Does that mean you’ll allow Ortarians to travel to Earth?”
“Years ago, my great grandfather, who was king, decreed that Ortarians were not allowed to go to Earth. He was afraid of mixing in with the humans. Of losing Ortarus. Of the humans discovering our existence. But I don’t want to be as harsh.” He pauses. “If an Ortarian requests it, I may allow them to travel to Earth, but he or she would need a good reason.” His eyes get intense. “I plan on giving my people good, happy lives and hope they won’t feel a need to travel to Earth. The less humans who know of our existence, the better.”
I nod. If humans were to find out that there’s another world out there, they’d want to explore it. Maybe stick their noses where they don’t belong. We’re a curious species and we can’t help it. I don’t blame my dad for wanting to keep Ortarus hidden.
“Back to other matters,” Alaric says. “I’m sure the two of you have many questions. For example, you’re probably wondering why I wear armor and why Renaya is dressed like a palace guard.”
Sebastian and I nod.
He fingers his armor. “I wear this only in here. When I leave, I must take it off and enter the palace in my regular clothes. The reason I wear the armor is for two reasons. One is for training and the second is to show rank. Only the high officers here have armor.”
“Officers?” I ask.
“Officers of the rebellion.”
“Then why isn’t Renaya wearing armor? Isn’t she like your second-in-command?”
Renaya and Alaric exchange a glance. It hits me. “She’s undercover at the palace?” I ask.
“No,” Renaya says. “The king and servants would recognize me in the palace. I wear this because I enter and exit the compound frequently. I circle the palace often and many other important buildings, such as the guard barracks, in search for information. No one suspects me. The guards think I am just another one of them. But I don’t get close and I don’t interact with the other guards. They would sense I’m not one of them.”
“And she wears her uniform in here to remind everyone who she is and what she does,” Alaric explains.
I see. Everyone has their jobs.
“I don’t like the idea of my little sister putting herself at risk like that,” Sebastian says.
Renaya glares at him. “I can take care of myself, Sebastian,” she mutters.
Alaric thumps Sebastian on the back. “Your sister is good at what she does. We don’t have anyone as agile or stealth-like as her. She’s a great asset to this group.”
Sebastian’s jaw clenches. “That may be so, but I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have the right to tell me what to do,” Renaya says, eyes harder than usual.
“You’re my reasonability—”
“I’m not!”
They go back and forth, and Alaric and I just sit here, unable to stop them. They’re not listening to us, and i
t’s as though they’re in an arena and are about to bite each other’s heads off.
“What am I going to wear?” I ask, to change the subject and lighten the mood. Renaya and Sebastian get quiet, but they are still shooting daggers at one another. Well, she is. His eyes are filled with concern. That seems to piss her off even more.
“Armor when you train and you can wear your human clothes at your leisure time,” Alaric says.
I scan their uniforms, specifically Alaric’s. That thing cannot be comfortable. It looks heavier than me. “Where did you get those from? And you never really explained where we are or what this place is.”
He nods. “You’re right. There’s still a lot we need to discuss. I made this place when I was a boy.”
“You made this place?” I ask.
“Yes. There are many caves in Ortarus. One day, I was bored and was exploring the different caves and this one spoke to me. I went inside and used my magic to dig through all the dirt, and I created this compound.”
“For what?” I ask. “You knew you would start a revolution?”
“No, I made this place for me. A place I could escape to, a place I can be alone. My secret place.” He laughs lightly. “I went a little overboard and created many rooms and a kitchen and living room. I made a little house for myself.”
“Or maybe the Ortarian energy controlled you into making this place.”
“Maybe. As for the armor, it used to be the palace guards’ uniform until they switched to the kind Renaya is wearing. The old uniforms were dumped in an abandoned building, and I along with a few others scavenged them. I stole Renaya’s uniform off a palace guard. Suspicion was aroused, but they never found the thief. I don’t think it’d be wise for me to steal another uniform again. Like I said, we must be careful.”
“You said everyone here has a job,” Sebastian says. “What will my job be?”
“You’re going to be going back and forth between the outside and here. You’re to join the others in hunting for whatever we need. I have requested a special uniform for you. It’s not quite finished yet. The others are still putting it together.”
“What is it?” Sebastian asks.
“A camouflage uniform. That way you can blend into the trees, keeping your eyes on your comrades as they scavenge whatever we need.”
Sebastian says, “All I’ll do is watch over the others?”
Alaric thumps him on the back again. “Don’t look so glum. Being the Watcher is one of the most important tasks. Your teammates rely on you to protect them. Their fate is in your hands.”
Sebastian nods. “I apologize for my lack of respect. I’m prepared to do whatever you ask of me, my king.”
Alaric bows his head. “Thank you.”
Sebastian’s eyebrows knit. “But how am I going to be able to attack if I don’t have magic?”
Alaric gets to his feet and motions for us to follow him. Renaya stays behind. Alaric leads us down the hall, down a flight of steps—we must be really deep underground now. We come face to face with a large door. A long wooden board stretches across it. Alaric lifts it and gestures for us to step inside. All around me are weapons. Swords, spears, bows and arrows. The kind of weapons they used in medieval times.
“This,” he tells Sebastian. “Is how you battle without magic.”
Sebastian gapes at everything.
“How did you make all of this?” I ask Alaric.
He raises his hands. “With these. We gather as many resources as we can from outside and forge them into weapons.”
“Amazing,” Sebastian says, his voice filled with wonder as he gazes around.
“I learned about these weapons when I was on Earth. I never imagined there were other ways to attack, without using magic. I suppose it never occurred to me that humans have wars.” Alaric leads us outside. “These weapons are to be used responsibly.”
“Of course,” Sebastian says.
“Come, let’s return to your room.”
Chapter Eight
The four of us are in my room. Alaric said we still have a lot to talk about. I’ve got many questions. “I haven’t thought about it before Salia mentioned it,” I say. “But if you’re the true king, that makes me the princess, right?”
Greif flashes across his face. “Normally, Daisy would be in line for the throne, but yes, technically you would rule.”
He must see the panic on my face because he quickly adds, “Not that you’re going to rule, of course. You want to live on Earth.”
“Well, yeah, my whole life is there. I have dreams. Getting into culinary school and opening my own restaurant.”
“Culinary school? That’s wonderful.”
I nod. “If you would have stuck around, you would have learned that I love to cook. It was something Mom and I did together.” I don’t mean to snap at him. I don’t want to hurt him, but it stings that he wasn’t part of my life. I needed a dad. Every kid needs a dad.
He bends forward and this time I let him take my hand. “You have the right to be upset with me. I’d like to make it up to you, though. Once Sorenten is defeated, I’d like us to get to know each other better.” His eyes fill with pain. “I’d love to hear about Daisy.”
I nod, my throat tight. “I’m sorry I keep exploding on you.”
He pats my hand. “That’s okay. I kind of deserve it. I was only thinking about myself when I went to Earth. I never anticipated falling in love. I should have told your mother the truth from the start.”
I pull my hand away. “Why didn’t you?”
His fingers plow through his hair. “I suppose I wanted to be human. I wanted a future with her. In the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t possible, but I pushed it away.”
It’s like what happened to me and Sebastian. Though he was a genie, we wanted a future together. Can I blame my dad for following his heart? Of course not. I need to let the past go. What’s important is that we can start over fresh. You know, once the rebellion is over.
I force a laugh. “There’s a chance I’ll die, so we should probably squeeze in as much father-daughter bonding as we can.” I’m not trying to make a joke of the situation, I’m just trying to deal with my nerves. My stomach has been in knots ever since I decided to take on the task of killing the king. It’s safe to say I’ll have many restless nights.
Alaric awkwardly kisses the top of my head. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you live.”
“Me, too,” Sebastian says. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Their words reassure me, even though both Sebastian and Alaric hardly have any magic. It’s comforting to know they’ll be watching over me.
“And me,” Renaya adds. I smile at her. It’s weird how things are turning out. My seemingly boring life is getting more interesting by the minute. I wish I could tell someone about it, like Mom. Or Macy. I bet Mom wouldn’t believe me at first. She’s still a skeptic. How would she react when I tell her I found my father? If only there was a way for me to tell her I’m fine. Time moves slower here than it does on Earth, and I have no idea how long I’ve been gone. How long am I going to remain here? What if it’ll be years? Will I return to Earth before I’m, like, thirty?
It’s silly to think about this when there are more important things that should be occupying my mind. Like killing the king, for example.
“Do you have any more questions?” Alaric asks. “You can ask whatever is on your mind.”
“Well, there is something I’ve been wondering about,” I say. “Back on Earth I had dreams. Dreams about a meadow or something. Similar to the one here on Ortarus. But it wasn’t dark, it was sunny and bright and filled with trees and flowers. Sebastian told me that’s how Ortarus used to look like.”
Alaric nods. “Yes, Ortarus used to be a good, beautiful place before Sorenten took the throne.”
“So why did I dream about it? Also, there were shadows.”
“Yes, that was me,” Alaric says. “I was telling you it was time for you t
o come to Ortarus.”
I lift an eyebrow. “The shadows were you? How?”
“I suppose you can think of it as my spirit roaming around Earth. Since I couldn’t go there, my sprit did. Sent by Ortarian energy.”
“And the meadow? Why was I there? Because I was being called to Ortarus, so I went there in my dreams?”
He nods.
“And it got darker because I was getting closer to traveling to Ortarus? And when the shadows engulfed me, they brought me here?” I ask.
“It was Sebastian who brought you here. If not for him, the shadows would have probably killed you.”
I gape at him. “You’d kill me?”
“No! Like I said, that’s why Sebastian was sent back to Earth. To bring you here. He needed to use his magic.”
“And if he hadn’t? Would I be dead?”
“Lily, no one wants you dead. The shadows wouldn’t have gone after you unless they knew Sebastian was able to bring you here.”
This is very weird, but I’m not going to question Ortarian rules and customs. The important thing is that I’m here and I’m ready to do what’s expected of me. I think. I hope.
“If I absolved Sebastian of his crime,” I say. “And that changed everything, then technically he shouldn’t have been a genie anymore. So why did he turn into one?”
“The only way it was possible for Sebastian to return to you was to be a genie. The Ortarian energy made that possible.”
“There’s one thing that confuses me,” Sebastian says. “When I returned to being a genie again, why was I Lily’s personal genie? To bring her here?”
“Yes. We needed you two to be together. We couldn’t afford Lily wishing three times and having Sebastian disappear from her life forever. Also, the love you have for one another made it easier for you to travel.”
“Meaning?” I ask.
“If not for your bond with Sebastian, I would have had to come up with another way to get you here. When Sebastian told me how much he loves you, I knew what I had to do. Send him back so he could bring you here. Now that you’re here, Lily, your training must begin.”
“What kind of training are you talking about, exactly?”
Keeping the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 3) Page 5
