I shut my eyes at the thought. Three wishes didn’t send him off, but four might. I have no idea how these new genie rules work. My stomach aches as I think about him leaving me forever. But I can’t be selfish. If I don’t wish, Sebastian is going to die.
“This might…pass,” he continues. “The last wish…to heal your mother….took up a lot of…energy. I just need rest.”
“No. You’re dying. I have to wish.”
“Maybe…maybe not. I’d rather…” He moans. “Suffer.”
“No way.”
I scramble to my feet. Wish. Wish. I need to wish. But for what? I blurt the first thing that comes to my mind. “I wish to have the set of pots and pans I’ve been drooling over.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to hit myself for wishing for something so petty.
Sebastian’s eyes open and he shoots to his feet. He spins around and swings his arms. “Your wish is my command.”
Like the last time, strong winds wrap around me before filling up the entire kitchen. When it’s completely gone, I find the pots on the counter and Mom on the floor. I help her to her feet. “Are you okay?” I ask.
She nods as she dusts herself off. “What just happened?”
“I made a wish and…” My voice trails off as I catch sight of Sebastian standing a few feet away from us. He’s still gold, but he looks well. The sweat is gone, as is his heavy breathing.
I jump into his arms. “You’re okay!” I kiss him, then gaze into his deep blue eyes. I kiss him again, pull off, then kiss him again. This goes on for what feels like hours. He’s here and he’s alive and well. He’s still mine.
Mom clears her throat. My face heats up as I slowly retract myself from him.
“Is he okay?” Mom asks.
I nod, then face him. “You’re still here.”
His lips form a tight line. “I don’t understand this.” His eyes light up as his fingers roam over his chest. “I feel something inside.” He taps his heart.
“Something like what?”
He cups my face in his hands. “I’ve been feeling it for a little while now, but couldn’t figure out what it was. Now I understand. I’m a genie, and you’re my master.”
“Right…”
“I mean, you’re my master. My permanent master.”
I gape at him. Is that why he’s still here? “But how is that possible?”
He holds out his hands like he has no idea. “When I came back from Ortarus, I thought I came back as a human, but I was wrong. I was destined to transform into a genie again, but I must have been destined to be your genie.”
“But why?”
“I don’t know.” He kisses me softly. “Maybe because we’re meant to be together.”
“Then why aren’t you human?”
He shrugs. “Perhaps I can’t be human. Lily, wish again.”
“What?”
“So we can make sure I really am your personal genie.”
I back away from him. “No way. Not unless I have to. What if you’re wrong? What if you leave?”
“Lily?” Mom says. I completely forgot that she’s still here. “I’ll leave you two alone. Call me if you need me.” She turns on her heels and heads to my bedroom.
Sebastian rubs his hands down my arms. “Please wish, Lily.”
“I don’t have anything to wish for.” I’m looking for excuses.
“A raise at your job.”
“Isn’t that like asking for money?”
He tilts his head to the side. “Not directly. The wish will only give you some more money, it won’t make you rich.”
I nod and make the wish. After the winds disappear, I find Sebastian standing before me, staring into my eyes. I fling my arms around his neck. “It’s true, then,” I say, wonder in my voice. “You’re my personal genie and you’re here to stay.”
He nods, his nose digging into the side of my neck. “I’m going to be with you, Lily. Forever.”
My phone buzzes.
“That must be your boss calling to tell you you got a raise.” Sebastian smiles. “You deserve it.”
I lightly slap his arm. “I wished for it, which means I cheated.” I’m about to answer the phone, but stop. “No, this isn’t fair. If I’m to get a raise, I want to earn it.”
“Lily, please. Why don’t you let me do something for you? Why does it always have to be others before you?” He tucks me close to his chest. “It’s my gift to you. Because you’re such a kind and amazing and wonderful person.”
I want to argue, but his warm lips moving against mine make that impossible.
Chapter Thirty-One
The next morning, Mom tells me she needs to catch the next plane to California. One of her good friends was in a car accident and Mom wants to be there for her.
“There are no planes until later this afternoon.” Mom runs her hands through her hair.
When Sebastian walks into the kitchen and hears us discussing it, his ears perk up. “I can take your mother,” he says.
I stop talking and turn to him.
“I can take her to California,” he continues. “She’ll be there within minutes and can see her friend.”
“But she’s not your master. I am. Are you able to take her?”
His eyebrows knit. “No, I’d probably have to take you along.”
“What’s going on?” Mom asks. I explain it to her and her eyes fill with intrigue. “Can he really do that?”
“Mom, can you please stop talking about him as though he’s not in the room? He’s standing right in front of you. You can ask him and I’ll pass it on to him.”
Mom looks like she doesn’t like this at all. I know she doesn’t approve of my decision to date Sebastian, but he’s the right guy for me. I know he is.
“Sebastian can take us to California, but I need to wish for it and I need to come along,” I tell her.
Mom nods slowly, as though everything is gradually making sense in her head. “Okay….that’s very…interesting.” She gets to her feet. “I’ll go pack my bag.” She leaves the room. Call me crazy, but it seems like she’s running away from us, like she’s saving herself from getting contaminated.
Sebastian sits down next to me. “She’s not comfortable around me.”
“All this genie stuff freaks her out. She doesn’t believe in anything she can’t see, hear, or feel.” She’s even not one hundred percent sure she believes she’s completely healed, and can’t wait to see her doctor next week, but I don’t tell Sebastian that.
“But I revealed myself to her.” The hurt is evident in his voice. I know how much he wants my mother to like him. She’s a big part of my life.
I place my hand on his. “All she saw was a golden guy. Once she goes to the doctor and he tells her the good news, she’ll believe in you. Assuming the cancer is gone.”
His face falls. “You, too? Why won’t you believe me?”
“I do believe you. It’s just that illnesses aren’t that simple. And you told me wishes can get screwed up sometimes. I’m just worried.”
He wraps his arms around me and tugs me to his chest, resting his chin on my head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you.”
I reach up and kiss his lips. “You don’t have to apologize. I have no idea what you’re going through, wanting to be seen and heard, wanting to live like a regular guy but being stuck in a genie body. I really wish I could help cure you.”
He moves his hands to the back of my head and tilts it up so I’m gazing into his eyes. “Thank you, but I don’t think there’s a cure.” He laughs bitterly. “When King Sorenten banished me to be a genie, he must have known what he was doing. He has very strong magic, and the elder who tried to help me is no match.”
I can see how much this topic pains him. “Let’s not talk about it.” I press my face in his chest, inhaling his genie smell. Sebastian lowers his mouth to my cheek and kisses it softly. I turn my head and our lips meet. We kiss gently at first, then deeper, harder. I can feel Sebastian
’s heart hammering against his ribcage. My breathing is as heavy as his. We don’t stop until someone clears her throat.
Mom.
She’s standing there with her luggage in one hand and an awkward smile on her face. I almost forgot that Sebastian and I are not alone. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
I get to my feet. “Ready to go?”
She heaves her bag onto the chair near the couch. “Shouldn’t you pack?”
“What for? I’m going to be back home in a few hours.”
Her cheeks flush slightly. “Right. This whole genie and magic thing is going to take a while to get used to.”
We stand there quietly.
“How do we do this?” Mom asks.
Sebastian stands in the center of the living room. I face him. “I wish for my mother and me to go to her home in California.”
The winds gust all around us and less than thirty seconds later, we’re standing outside the home I grew up in. Mom’s face is sheet white.
“Are you okay?” I ask her.
“I think so. One minute we’re in your apartment in New York and the next we’re all the way across the country.”
I laugh. “That’s genie magic for you.”
Mom faces the house. “Thank you, Sebastian.”
“Uh, he’s over there.” I point to the right.
“Oh. Well thanks, wherever you are.” She laughs awkwardly before climbing the stairs and sticking her key into the lock. Sebastian and I follow her inside, where she places her bag on the floor. Then we head to the hospital.
***
I’m in the hospital waiting room. Mom’s friend Silvia is in surgery right now. I asked Sebastian if I could wish to heal her, but he told me I don’t have a personal connection to her. Therefore she can’t benefit from my wish. I’m worried, but I have confidence in the doctors trying to save her life.
Mom’s sitting at the other end of the room with Silvia’s husband and family.
Sebastian is seated next to me as we flip through a magazine. He wanted to browse it on his own, but since it’ll look very weird to have a floating magazine, I suggested I turn the pages. From the expression on his face, I see how hard this is for him. Just a few days ago, he was part of this world. He was getting used to being human, of having an ordinary life where he had to worry about school and work. He was working on getting his GED. He had a job interview.
But all that went to hell.
I wish I could kiss his cheek, but there are many people around. Instead, I press my finger to my mouth and tap it on his hand. He gives me a curious look. “It’s a kiss,” I whisper. “Because you’re feeling down.”
He shakes his head. “I’m okay.” He turns another page.
“Sebastian, you’d tell me if something was bothering you, right? I don’t want to be the kind of couple who hides things from one another.”
A middle-aged woman, who’s sitting two chairs away from us, raises her eyebrows. I shift in my seat, trying not to let her stares bother me.
Sebastian kisses my temple. “I don’t want to hide anything from you.” He takes my hands. I look down at how they must look to other people, floating in the air. Sebastian must realize, too, because he drops them. “Please don’t worry about me. If I’m sad or feeling hopeless about everything that’s happened to me, I don’t want you to take my problems upon yourself. I’ll try not to feel defeated every time I’m reminded that I can’t be human, but I can’t promise it won’t bother me.”
“I’m sorry I can’t do anything to help. But I want you to talk to me. About everything. I don’t care what I’m doing, if I’m busy or even sleeping. If something’s on your mind, I want you to feel like you can pour your heart out to me.”
He nods. “I already feel that way.” He gives me a small smile. “It’s harder than I thought it’d be.”
“Being with me?”
“No, being around all these humans.” He scans around. “I’ve never been to a doctor.”
I laugh lightly. “Believe me, you’re not missing out. Some people don’t find going to the doctor to be a pleasant experience.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’d still like to see what it’s like. I’d like to see what it’s like to go to school, to have a job. To be a nurse, like I wanted.” His eyes meet mine. “To be passionate about something.”
“You have a lot of passion inside you, Sebastian. I see it every time I gaze into your eyes.”
He’s quiet, his eyes on the floor, before he says, “I don’t want to constantly be negative around you. I need to accept the fact that I’m destined to be like this.”
“You need time to process.”
“I’ve had time to process for hundreds of years.”
“But it’s different now. Before you became a human, you didn’t know what you were missing. Now that you’ve tasted it and enjoyed it, it’s hard for you to accept that you won’t be that way again.”
A man enters the waiting room and heads for Sebastian’s seat. It’s the only vacant one in the room. Sebastian shoots to his feet before the man sits down on him.
I stand and motion for my genie to sit in my seat. Once he does, I make myself comfortable on his lap. I probably look strange sitting on top of air, but I don’t care anymore. This is just the beginning. We’ll encounter many more obstacles in the future.
Twenty minutes pass before a doctor emerges. He talks to Silvia’s family and they almost collapse with relief. A smile captures my face. She’s going to be okay.
After talking a bit more with Silvia’s family, Mom heads over to us.
“She’s going to be okay?” I ask.
“Yes. It was a terrible car accident and she was so close to death…” Her eyes seem to go somewhere else. She must be thinking about Daisy.
I place my hand on hers. “Mom—”
She blinks. “Silvia is in recovery now and it’ll be a while before she wakes up. I’ll come back later. Let’s go out for lunch. George is going to meet us at the restaurant.”
“George? Wait, I’m going to meet your boyfriend?” I don’t mean to freak out like this. I’ve just never been in such a situation, since Mom has never had a boyfriend before. She told me she really likes this guy. I can’t screw anything up for her. That means no talking to my invisible genie, not even smiling at him.
Mom pats my shoulder. “George is a nice man. You have nothing to worry about.”
“What if I embarrass you?”
She chuckles. “Lily, you can never embarrass me. Let’s go.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
The familiar floral smell enters my nose. Opening my eyes, I find myself in the meadow with flowers surrounding me.
I walk around the area, searching for any signs of life. There doesn’t seem to be anyone around. Not even Sebastian. I call for him, but he doesn’t respond. The only sound is from the breeze whistling through the trees.
Stepping deeper in the meadow, I notice the grass is taller and it’s difficult for me to weave my way through.
I don’t know where I’m headed, but it seems like this grass leads to nowhere. I must have been trudging through for half an hour.
Laughter sounds on my left. I whip around, but no one’s there. Next, I hear the laughter on my right. When I turn there, I don’t see anything.
“Hello?”
Nothing. Even the laugher has died down.
“Is anyone there?” I ask.
Again, complete silence except for the wind. A chill runs down my spine, but I ignore it and continue on. My legs are starting to burn, but I plow on, determined to get back to civilization.
Something wraps around my waist and hauls me to the ground. Lips press into my temple. A smell, a different one, enters my nose. Spices.
Sebastian.
I look up and find him beside me. He closes his arms around me. “Boo.”
I lightly slap his chest. “You scared me!”
“Sorry.” He nuzzles my nose. “I was looking for you. The g
rass is crazy tall. It’s so easy to get lost here.”
“Where exactly is here?”
He gives me a look like I’m asking him how to solve an easy math problem. “What do you mean? Don’t you know?”
I shake my head as a feeling of dread nestles in the pit of my stomach. “Where are we? What’s going on?”
He laughs and kisses my cheek. “You’re so cute.”
I try to push him away, but he’s very strong. “I’m serious. Where are we?”
His smile vanishes and his eyebrows furrow. He opens his mouth to say something, but a black cloud swoops down on us. I can’t see a thing and can hardly breathe. The cloud is so thick, entering my lungs and causing me to choke. I’m lifted in the air and spin around as though I’m in a tornado.
I don’t see Sebastian anywhere. I try to call for him, but no sound leaves my mouth. Smoke enters instead, and I feel like I’m suffocating.
Help, my mind yells. Someone help me!
The smoke isn’t lessening. I feel like I’m moments away from death.
“It’s time, Lily,” a cold, hard voice says. “It’s time.”
My eyes fly open and I shoot to a sitting position. Taking in my surroundings, I realize I’m no longer in the meadow, but at Mom’s house. She and Sebastian are sitting on either side of me on the couch. A movie is playing on TV. Did I fall asleep watching?
Mom and Sebastian stare at me with alarmed expressions on their faces.
“Lily?” Mom asks.
Sebastian reaches for me, but Mom’s quicker and clutches my shoulders. My body is covered in sweat and is trembling.
That dream. It started off like the others, but ended completely different. A shudder goes down my back. What was that black cloud? And what did that voice mean when he said it’s time?
I wipe some sweat off my forehead with the hem of my T-shirt. I’ve never been so wet before in my life. “I’m okay,” I tell them. “It was just a dream. I don’t even remember it.” Sebastian’s eyes pierce mine. I know what he’s thinking, that I’ve had another nightmare. He doesn’t know about the others, and I wish he wouldn’t have heard this one. I don’t want him to worry about me. I know he and I just talked about being completely honest and open with each other, but this is different. I’m fine and don’t want him to think otherwise. I don’t know why I’m having these dreams, but they don’t mean anything. At least, I hope they don’t.
Loving the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 2) Page 17
