“Why?”
“We’re not all born equally. Some are born as nobles, others poor. And of course there are those in between.”
“Like any society,” I say.
“Yes, but we’re treated based on our status. The nobles are revered while the poor are looked down upon. They’re treated like they’re lower than dirt. It’s the less fortunate ones who serve the nobles. Many serve in the palace.”
Palace? “You have a king and queen?”
“Yes. The king is a ruthless ruler. He’s the only one with the power to control the magic. He allocates the magic to Ortarians based on their status. Which means the poor don’t have much magic. They’re forced to do many tasks by hand.” He pauses, pushing his hair out of his eyes. “My real name is Sebastian. I didn’t lie about that. I was born in the lowest class.” His voice wobbles a bit.
Even though it might not be a good idea, I move closer to him and place my hand on his. He might be messing with my head, trying to get me to lower my guard, but I don’t care. He glances at my hand that’s on his before looking at the floor.
“When I was five years old, I started working in the palace as a servant boy. I didn’t have a lot of magic and would work very hard to please the royal family. The servants who were above me would beat me when I didn’t do something right, or when they felt like it.”
“I’m sorry, Sebastian. But what happened to your parents?”
He scoffs. “My parents? They gave me and my sister up to the palace so they could get more magic, more status. From the day I left home, I no longer had parents.”
That’s terrible, that his parents would give him up just so they’d have status in their society. That’s crazy! I rub my hand over his. “Sister?”
He nods with a pained smile. “Renaya. She was two years younger than me and started working at the age of three. I watched over her and protected her as much as I could. As she grew older, she became Prince Soren’s personal maid.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “He was just as terrible as his father, though less compassionate. We feared what would happen once he ruled. There were rumors he had dreadful things planned for the lower class.”
Murderer or no murderer, I believe him. Every word. My heart goes out to all these people. “No one can stop it?”
He shakes his head, keeping his eyes on the floor. “It’s not like here, where you have a democracy and things like that. In Ortarus, the king’s word is gold. He has all the magic, all the power.”
I place my hand on his chin and raise his head so our eyes meet. “What happened?”
He sighs, shutting his eyes. His mouth opens and closes. “I can’t.”
“Please.”
He runs his hand over his eyes. I notice they’re a bit glassy. “He liked to…mess around with my sister.”
“The prince?”
He nods. “She was his servant and he did whatever he pleased with her. One day he took it too far and when I found out I…went after him. Confronted him.” He scoffs. “Me, a low-life servant starting up with the prince. He was alone in his room when I barged in and accused him. We started to fight and he was going to use magic to kill me. He came charging at me and I dropped to the floor to avoid him. He tripped over a chair and crashed down onto his glass table. He died instantly.” He slowly brings his eyes to me. “I never meant to kill him.” He rests his hand on my cheek. “Please. Believe me, Lily.”
I take his hand and fit my fingers through his. “I do.”
He smiles a little. “Thank you.”
I lead him to the living room, where we sit down on the couch. I lay my head on his shoulder. “What happened next?”
His hand clenches and unclenches at his sides. “I was accused of murdering the prince and needed to be punished. Most Ortarians demanded I be put to death, but the king thought that was too easy. He wanted me to suffer.” He swallows. “I was sentenced to the human world, to use magic to serve humans as a genie and be bound to the lamp.”
I feel awful for him and wrap my arms around him, hugging him close, and muttering how sorry I am. Sebastian buries his face in the side of my neck. “Thank you for believing me,” he says in a low voice.
“Of course. Can I ask you something?”
He draws back and squeezes my hand. “Yes.”
“What happened to your sister?” My heart aches. He hasn’t seen her for so long. Then it hits me. “Hundreds of years have passed. Oh… she’s….”
He shakes his head. “Time is different on Ortarus. A hundred years here are only a few months there. My sister should still be alive.”
I jump to my feet. “We need to get you back there so you can rescue her.”
He looks at me with grief clouding his face. “There’s no way back. I committed a crime, I’m destined to be a genie and serve humans forever.”
I sit back down. No, there has to be a way. Sebastian accidentally killed the prince. He doesn’t deserve this. He needs to be back home. He needs to be with his sister.
“Even if I were to go back,” he says. “They’d kill me.”
I bite my lip, running my hand through my curls. “There has to be a way to fix this.”
Sebastian puts his hands on either side of my face. “Thank you, but I’ve learned to live like this. Though I miss Renaya more than anything. I worry about her every day and wish I could protect her.” His face contorts in pain.
“There’s got to be a way.”
“No, my freedom was taken from me the day I murdered the prince.” He lowers my head to his chest, playing with my hair.
I don’t know how, but I’m going to get him back home.
Chapter Thirty
The rest of the day goes by…in a weird way. Things are a bit off between Sebastian and me. I make lunch for myself, and he stands at the door. When I watch some TV, he remains in my room. We hardly exchange more than a few words.
I’m not sure how I feel about everything. How I feel about him. On one hand, he killed someone. On the other, he was just protecting his little sister. He didn’t mean to kill the prince. I know how sincere he was, how he truly didn’t intend to murder him. And how much he regrets it. He needs me now. I won’t shut him out.
He’s not the guy I thought he was. He’s from another world, a world I never knew existed. And he’s trapped on the human world, away from everything he’s ever known. I can’t bear to think how hard it was for him the first time he got here. I need to get him back, but how?
I already tried to wish for his freedom. That didn’t work. What if there’s no way? It hurts me that he’s all alone and that he misses Renaya so much. I know he’s going to leave me soon, but I’m determined to get him back to Ortarus. He said he’d be killed there. Is it possible to find a way around it? There’s got to be.
After shutting off the TV, I head for my room and find Sebastian sitting on the floor, leaning back against the wall. He turns his head and looks at me. I don’t want things to be weird between us. “Hey.” I step into the room. “How are you doing?” I sit down next to him. Real close. I don’t want to be distanced from him.
“Lily,” he says, a hint of sadness in his voice. “I never apologized for lying to you.”
“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m not sure. Maybe. I’m worried you think differently of me now.”
“I’m not going to lie. I do, but it’s not, like…I mean, I still love you.”
“But?”
I’m quiet for a few seconds. “You’re like a different person. You’re still you, but you’re not. You understand what I mean?”
“I think so. You feel a little betrayed and hurt that I kept this from you. I didn’t tell you at first because I didn’t know you. You were just my master, but then we got friendly and I suppose I should have told you, but I didn’t want to lose you. I thought the second you’d find out what I did, you’d run.”
Which is almost what I did. “You can’t really blame
me, though.”
“I know. I’m sorry I scared you. I should have chosen my words more carefully.” He shakes his head. “If you can’t forgive me, I understand. I just…I just don’t want us to part on bad terms.”
“Me, either.” I want his last memories of me to be good. I want him to remember how it was like to hold me and kiss me, not this. Smiling, I take his hand. “Of course I forgive you.”
He bends close as if to kiss me, but pulls his head back. I take his face in my hands, and plant a soft kiss on his lips. It’s not the same. He’s a little stiff, and I can tell he has a lot on his mind. As much as he must want to make this kiss perfect, he’s not succeeding. And that’s okay. Because all I want is him with me right now. Although I also want him to go back home, I’m glad we’re together. When I figure out a way to get him back, I’ll miss him like crazy, but it’ll be worth it.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks, his hand stroking my hair.
I can lie, but I don’t want to. He opened his heart to me, without my asking. He didn’t feel comfortable keeping this huge secret from me. I won’t keep mine from his. “How to get you back home.”
He shifts on the floor. “Lily.”
“I know you said they’re going to kill you, but I’m going to find a way to get you back to your sister.”
He places his hand behind my neck and caresses it with his thumb. “I appreciate it, but there’s no way.”
“I won’t accept that.” I stand up and motion for him to do the same. “Sebastian, I wish you free.”
He just stands there, staring at me. Dammit. It didn’t work the first time and it’s not working now. I hoped that since I knew more about him and what brought him here, I’d be able to set him free. But I can’t.
“Lily, it’s okay.”
I gaze at the rug, thinking, thinking, and thinking again. What can I do?
Pacing around the living room, I consider everything that happened. Sebastian committed a crime and because of that he was punished to be a genie. What if that never happened?
I turn to Sebastian and find him watching me, confused. If his crime no longer exists, then he wouldn’t be punished. It’d be forgotten. Maybe the prince would still be dead, but everyone in his world wouldn’t remember Sebastian was involved. That means he could go back home. And see his sister again.
I have one more wish left. And I’m ready to use it. Clearing my throat, I return to Sebastian and bury my face in his chest. His arms come around me. I don’t want to think about how much I’m going to miss him.
“Lily?” He pulls off. “You’re crying. What’s wrong?”
I was too busy thinking about how much I’m going to miss him and didn’t realize. The salt on my lips from the tears are very strong.
I stare up at him, feeling the tears slide down my cheeks. “Sebastian I wish…” I shut my eyes.
His clutch on me tightens. “Lily, no.”
“I wish for you to be absolved of your crime.”
His face pales. Sweat shines on his forehead. He knows what I’ve done. We could have had more time together, but it’s all over now. He lifts his hand to my face and brushes his finger along my cheek. “Lily,” he whispers. Then, as if he’s being controlled by a puppeteer, he steps back and waves his hands around. “Your wish is my command.”
Smoke envelops him, growing thicker with each passing second. I watch it swirl around the room until it vanishes, leaving nothing behind.
Sebastian is gone.
I rush to my room and look around for the lamp. It’s gone, too.
Dropping to the ground, I hold the tears back. This is what I wanted—for him to be back home and be with Renaya. As much as I miss him, it’s for the best.
The room smells like him, as though he’s still in here. Lifting my head, I look around, only to see my old, boring room. A void is growing inside me, getting deeper and deeper with each passing second.
Sebastian. My genie.
Wait a minute. I remember him. Even though he’s gone, I remember him.
I jump to my feet and pace around my room. Why? I was supposed to forget him the second he left.
It must be that because I wished him to be absolved of his crime, he was never sentenced to Earth as a genie. So why do I remember him if I technically never met him? Is it possible the past only changed on his world and not on mine? That’s the only solution I can come up with.
Why did my wish work, though? I couldn’t wish him free. Maybe that was too general. I had to be specific, had to know the truth about him.
Does this mean he forgot about me? Tears gather in my eyes, but I blink them back. It’s better this way. All that matters is that he’s back in his world and is a free man.
Flopping on my bed, I stare at the ceiling. I will never forget him. He’ll always be in my heart, until the day I die.
Chapter Thirty-One
Two days have passed since I wished Sebastian back to his home. I’ve been doing okay, not great, but better than I thought I’d do. Distracting myself with work helps a little, but when I enter my apartment and find it empty, the loneliness suffocates me. There’s no Sebastian sprawled on my couch watching his game shows. There’s no lamp on my night table. No guy kissing me and making me feel things I’ve never felt before.
There’s just…me.
The night after he left, I couldn’t sleep. All I saw before me was my genie’s smiling face. All I felt were his hands roaming over my body. I sat by the window and looked out. I’m not sure what I was hoping to see. Maybe some sort of sign that he got home okay. For all I know, he could have been sentenced to death the moment he set foot on his world.
Everything in this apartment reminds me of him. When I step into the kitchen, all I think about is him tasting my food and loving it. And of course getting sick. Terrible as that was, it broke the wall between us, brought us closer together. When I lie in bed, my hand automatically pats the spot next to me, expecting Sebastian to be there.
I’ll never forget him, but will I find another guy? Do I even want to find another guy? I’m not sure. I’m not sure about anything at the moment.
I sent him home, so I can’t be upset with myself. But I am, no matter how much I try to order my heart to let him go. Hopefully, he’s back with his own kind, with his sister who needs him. It would have been selfish of me to keep him here.
I’ve read my journal countless times, reliving every moment, every touch, every kiss. I don’t know why I torture myself. I just miss him so much.
After working—or trying to work on—dinner, I head to the window and peer out. I can try to convince myself as much as I want, but who am I kidding? I’m not doing okay. I’m a complete mess. How am I going to get over this?
The doorbell rings, forcing me to push my thoughts away. Macy is standing at the other side of the door. “Guess who,” she says.
After inviting her inside, we sit on my couch. “Hey,” she says.
I wring my fingers together in my lap. I haven’t told her about Sebastian yet, but she knows something’s up. She tried to get me to talk these past few days, but I pretended to be busy with work. And I might have been avoiding her texts. It’s not that I’m embarrassed or anything like that. I just…once we talk about it, it makes it more real. That he’s gone and will never come back. In my bubble, he’s on vacation, visiting his world for a bit before returning to me. Stupid, I know.
“I’ve been giving you your space,” she says after about a minute. “But I can’t stand seeing you like this. Please, can we talk about it?”
“Don’t you and Andy have something—”
She grabs my hand. “No, all the wedding prep can wait. I want you to talk to me. Is it your mom? Is it the genie?” She remembers him, too. I guess I was right—the past hasn’t changed on Earth.
I keep my gaze on the rug. “I don’t want to talk about it.” I don’t want to face the reality.
She’s quiet. Her lips are pressed together. I hate shutting her ou
t like this, but maybe the truth is that I’m scared of her telling me I told you so.
Macy turns on the TV to a show none of us are interested in. I paste my eyes on it just so I won’t think about the guy who’s no longer in my life. Tears enter my eyes, and my fingers are too paralyzed to wipe then off.
Ten minutes later, Macy turns to me. She must not have noticed the tears before because her eyes widen. “He left, didn’t he? You made your last wish.”
I nod, blinking and causing the tears to spill down my cheeks. The next second, I’m in Macy’s arms. “I’m so, so sorry. Are you going to be okay?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think I can be okay.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I push some hair behind my ears. “Aren’t you going to say, ‘Told you so?””
“Hell no. I mean, I wish you would have listened to me and spared yourself all this pain, but you needed to do what you felt was right in your heart.”
I sweep my arm across my eyes. “At least I got to spend some time with him before…before…”
She squeezes my arm. “I’m here whenever you need to talk. I’ll spend the night even.”
“But you and Andy are going to that opera—”
“Doesn’t matter. He’ll understand.”
“No, I won’t let you miss the show you’ve been talking about for months. As I recall, you’ve scored awesome seats that you’ll never, ever, give up. Not even for the president and First Lady.”
She laughs. “I did say that. But so what? Things are different now. You just lost the man of your dreams.”
I place my hand on hers. “And I appreciate you wanting to be here for me, but the truth is that I need to learn to move on. He’s not coming back. He’s never going to…” My throat clogs up. “Come back.” I shake my head and cough. “Staying with me won’t really accomplish anything. You’ll upset Andy and you might regret missing this show for the rest of your life. I’m not going to allow that. I’ll be fine.” I force a smile. “I’ll probably lie in bed all evening and watch some action movies.” No more romance. I don’t think I’ll be able to stomach another romance movie or book for a while.
Falling for the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 1) Page 17
