 
# Chasing Wishes

## (Capturing Magic, Book 1)

## Jessica Sorensen
Chasing Wishes

Jessica Sorensen

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2017 by Jessica Sorensen

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

No part of this book can be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without the permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.

Any trademarks, service marks, product names or names featured are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if we use one of these terms.

For information: jessicasorensen.com

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# Contents

Chapter 1

Eight Years Ago...

Chapter 2

Present...

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

About the Author

Also by Jessica Sorensen

# Chapter 1

## Eight Years Ago...

My parents are fighting. They rarely fight. But tonight is different. The air is toxic with anger and fear. I should go to bed and give them some privacy. Instead, I hunker down near the outside of the doorway and spy on them. Maybe I'm a terrible kid for doing so, but I'm curious. Not about the fight, but about what's perched on the cracked kitchen table.

"What have you done? This is what you've been looking for, for the past month? This is what you've been doing while I've been working fourteen hour shifts at the club? Going off and playing treasure hunter?" my mom yells at my dad as she paces the length of the small kitchen.

They've been arguing since my dad came home this afternoon from a month-long trip, bringing home a silver, emerald-trimmed genie lamp. I can't quite figure out why my mom's so mad. My dad didn't steal the lamp. Plus, it's so pretty, all sparkly and covered with jewels, carrying the power to grant wishes. I've never seen anything so powerful in my life.

My dad lowers his head into his hands. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But I couldn't think of any other way to get out of this magical-damned world."

"Using magic to survive isn't the way to fix this world," my mom seethes. "We aren't any better than _them_ if we use magic to put this broken world back together. And if the legends are true, then we'll still be more damned if we use that stupid thing." She thrusts a finger in the direction of the cracked table where the lamp is perched.

"We don't know if the legends are true." My dad carefully picks up the lamp. "Legends rarely are."

"Tell that to all the humans who were around when the paranormals took over our world," my mom spats. "They all thought the stories and rumors of paranormals wanting to take over were just legends. Now look where we are." She gestures around the narrow, cramped space of the kitchen.

The walls are cracked, the floor is browned and rotting with age, and the ceiling leaks every time a rainstorm passes through the city. But, at least we have a roof over our heads, which is more than most kids my age can say.

My mom also has a job, another rarity in this world known now as Endlessland. Here, humans struggle to live from day to day, starving, poverty-stricken, and homeless. Or the really unlucky ones are forced to be prisoners and servants to the magical creatures.

Life hasn't always been this way. A long, long time ago, paranormals coexisted harmoniously with humans until a group known as the Five Smoke Magic corrupted that disorder and overthrew the human ruler, taking over our world. Then they put the idea into the rest of the paranormals' minds that they were better than humans because they were more powerful. And so began the downfall of human life in this world and the uprising of magical creatures.

We're trapped here, the only species not allowed to world travel. We're also at the bottom of the food chain and are forced by laws to rely on paranormals for almost everything, including jobs. And they don't let humans obtain those very often, at least not the good, decent paying, moral jobs.

My mom has had a job for a while, but I don't know much about what she does, other than she works for paranormals and hates her job. I've heard her crying at night to my dad about how disgusting and ashamed she feels inside. I wish I could help her, but there's hardly any jobs available for human adults in the city, let alone an eleven-year-old human girl.

I do know how to read and write, though, which is another rarity. And, according to my father, the skill will come in handy when I'm old enough to start job searching.

His ability to read is what landed him a job at the Rare Magic Books City Library. Unfortunately, after working there for over a decade, he was accused of stealing a book. Since there was no proof of the alleged thievery, simply accusations, he was only fired and sentenced to one month in the electric cells, instead of being executed.

I know he stole the book. I once found it hidden underneath the floorboards beneath his bed when I was snooping around. That's a secret I'll take to my grave.

"I can't believe this. I can't believe this," my mom chants, her eyes manically wide. "We need to get rid of it. Right now. Throw it in a lake or something."

"Look, I know you're upset, but... but throwing something this valuable away... something that could possibly change our lives and the entire world's..." He shakes his head as he stares at the lamp. "Imagine if I made a wish to return the world to its rightful place. Imagine how many humans I could save from starvation, poverty, and executions. And you wouldn't have to work for them anymore. You could be free. You wouldn't have to... sell yourself anymore. Can you imagine that?"

Sell herself? What exactly does my mom do? When I asked her once, she told me she was a dancer.

One of my friends once told me about how their older sister sometimes made money by doing things for paranormals. Dirty birds and bees sorts of things. Is that what my mom does?

"And think about what this could do for Harlynn," my dad adds. "She could have a real future. One where she won't have to sell herself someday."

"Harlynn knows how to read. She's a smart girl. She can do better without us using that damn thing to make a wish."

"We don't know that for sure. And even if she does manage to land a decent job, anything can happen. This world is too unstable. All she has to do is smart off to the wrong paranormal or get accused of stealing something and her life will be ruined."

"I know that," my mom whispers with confliction. "But if we make a wish and choose the wrong wording, we could end up being even worse off than we are now. Plus, there's always a price in exchange for every wish, and the genie gets to decide that price." She eyes the lamp warily. "There's a reason no human has been able to wish the world back to what it was before. No such wish exists. The genie will twist whatever we say into something else, and then make us pay by cursing us double." She slumps into a chair across from my dad. "I hate that you even brought it into this house. It feels like we're cursed already."

"I know you're worried, but I went through a lot of trouble to get this." My dad rubs his thumb alongside the lamp. "It was sheer luck I was even able to find it without getting myself killed. Some of the men who were with me were less fortunate." He swallows hard. "They didn't make it back."

A beat of silence ticks by.

"I'm sorry, but I'm still not happy you found it." Her anger is softening, her gaze fixed on the lamp.

"The fact is that I did find it, and it'd be a waste not to try to wish the world back." He clasps his hand over my mom's. "Let me try, please. I won't ever be able to forgive myself if I don't at least try." He grips the lamp with his free hand. "Please, dear, let me wish away the corruption in this world and replace it with good."

_Poof!_

A cloud of purple, hazy smoke funnels from the floor and swirls around the kitchen, shaping into the figure of a tall man with heavily tattooed arms and raven black hair. He's dressed in all black, metal cuffs wrapped around his wrists, and thick, buckled boots cover his feet. His eyes are what's most frightening, like a bluish-purple tint, mirroring the bottom of a flame.

I know what he is immediately. A genie.

My heart slams against my chest as I crouch down lower to better hide myself.

At the sight of his smoky presence, my mom gasps and my dad jumps to his feet, toppling the chair over. He reaches for my mom, but the genie snaps his fingers and both my parents freeze, hands outstretched, worried features carved into their faces.

"So, you're the human who stole my lamp?" The genie steps from the smoke and assesses my parents with his head tilted to the side. "I have to say, I expected you to look a bit more... What's the human word I'm looking for...?" He drums his fingers against his silvery lips. "Stronger, perhaps." The genie smacks my dad in the forehead then stares at the lamp in his hand. "And maybe a bit brighter than to utter the word _wish_ while holding my lamp." Magic sizzles from his fingertips. "Then again, if you were brighter, then I wouldn't get to play now, would I?"

Fear lashes through me as he raises his sparking finger toward my dad's forehead. I've heard the stories of genies. How they curse and break humans whenever they get a chance. Heard tales of their cruelty, even against their own kind. I may be terrified out of my mind, but I won't let some wish-granting creature hurt my parents.

"Leave them alone!" I shout as I jump to my feet and storm into the kitchen.

A grin curls across the genie's face. "I was wondering if you were going to be brave enough to come in here. Well, brave might not be the correct word. More like stupid."

"I'm not stupid for saving my parents." I cross my arms and raise my chin, although my legs shake.

He keeps his sparking finger aimed at my dad as he turns his head toward me. "You think you can save them?" He laughs. "Then you must be stupid."

"I'm not stupid. I know he didn't make the wish, so you can't do anything to him."

"Oh, but he did. Maybe not intentionally, but he used the correct wording."

I gulp as I recall what my dad said right before the genie appeared in the kitchen.

_"Please, dear, let me wish away the corruption in this world and replace it with good."_

"He said _dear_ ," I point out in desperation. "Not genie."

He lifts a shoulder. "He could've easily been calling me dear."

I narrow my eyes at him. "You know that's not true."

"What I know and what I want are two entirely different things." As if to prove his point, his fingertip showers sparks across my dad's face.

"You can't just do whatever you want," I snap. "That's not how things work."

"You don't think so, huh?" He nods toward the window, where outside, the street is lined with collapsing homes and shacks. "Take a look around you, little girl. That's exactly how things work for paranormals."

My pulse quickens as I realize how right he is. "But you can't just steal a wish from someone."

"It's not stealing. He made the wish. Now it's time for you to be quiet." With a grin, he snaps his fingers.

I open my mouth, but no words come out. I stomp my foot and soundlessly scream. He only laughs.

"Time to grant a wish." He cracks his knuckles and adjusts the cuffs on his wrists before facing my father. "I think your exact words were 'let me wish away the corruption in this world and replace it with good.' You weren't very specific about what sort of corruption you wanted to replace or what you wanted to replace it with, other than something good, so I'll have to go by my standards." Fizzling magic crackles from his fingertips. "There's nothing more corrupt than a human who steals from a paranormal... twice, if the records are correct. So, since you committed two corrupt violations of the law, I'll be removing you and your wife from this world and replacing both of you with something I deem good."

A wave of maddening anger thrashes through my veins as I rush forward, slamming my fist into his side. He tenses, his jaw ticking. Then, with a flick of his wrist, I'm flying backward into the wall.

"Stay put. You'll get your turn." He places a sparking palm on each of my parents' foreheads and shuts his eyes, his lips moving as he whispers words in a foreign language.

_No. No. No!_

Tears spill from my eyes as I stagger to my feet. But every time I get my feet under me, a spout of dizziness overcomes me and sends me right back to the floor. I keep fighting, though, refusing to let him just take my parents. Refusing to let a paranormal take something else away from this world. In the end, it doesn't matter.

As hard as I fight, as much as I silently beg, my parents still fade into grains of sand that blow away with his whispering exhale.

I open my mouth and silently scream until my lungs ache, until I can't breathe, until I almost die. If I had my way, I would. My body, however, reacts on pure instinct, forcing oxygen into my lungs.

I gasp for air, my rage flaring potently as the genie turns toward me.

"Now, what to do with you." He crouches down in front of me, and I kick at him. He captures my ankle, his eyes flaming and his fingers digging into my skin. "I was going to let you get off easy and send you away with your parents, but I've changed my mind." He tugs hard on my leg, dragging me toward him.

I lift my hand to smack him, but he snags my wrist, too, and grips tightly enough to nearly crack my bones. The cruelest smirk possesses his face.

"You should know better than to try to harm a genie. And now, I'm about to take everything from you."

Tears spill from my eyes. _You already have._

Holding my wrist, he leans into my face. "The first time you fall in love, and I mean, really and truly fall in love with someone, they're going to be taken from this world, just like your parents. And you _will_ fall in love; I promise you." An eerie grin consumes his face. "With someone you hate at first. That way, you won't even know you're falling in love with them until it's too late." He places his electrically charged hand against my forehead.

A cry rips from my lips, my voice returning, as heat violently scorches my brain and rips at my insides. Then, just as swiftly, the pain abruptly stops.

"Fuck, what did you do!" the genie growls as he jerks back, his skin igniting in flames.

I cower back against the wall as flakes of his singed flesh float to the floor, screaming, "I didn't do anything!"

He glares at me through the whirlwind of ash and smoke flooding the kitchen. "You'll pay for this!"

"I didn't even do anything!" I cry, coughing as the smoky air hits my lungs.

Snarling like a rabid beast, he vanishes from the kitchen, taking his lamp with him and leaving me lying on the floor in an empty, rotting house, with nothing but my tears and whimpers to fill up the silence.

That's when I realize I'm truly alone in this world.

That my parents are never coming back.

# Chapter 2

## Present...

In this world, some humans believe history repeats itself. My mom used to ramble on about that theory all the time. Me? I've never been a big believer in it... until now. Because, what I'm about to do just might land me in the same position as the day that fucking soulless genie took everything away from me and cursed my future. Then again, I have no other choice. Not unless I want to lose the only person left in this world I care about.

That's what I remind myself as I stare down at the garbage can in front of me, piled with trash and doused with a bottle of everlasting flame I stole from a witch's car parked in the arena's parking lot near multiple bands' world jumper vehicles, vehicles that can transport to different worlds. My pockets are stuffed with potions, a dagger, and a few magical herbs. Again, stuff I stole.

After years of surviving on the streets, I've learned how to become quite the thief. I used to hate the idea of stealing, but then I became homeless and orphaned, and quickly discovered that, in order to survive, I have to do things I hate. Just like I'm about to do now.

If I get caught, I'll likely be sent to the electric dungeons again... or executed. Or worse, I'll be sentenced to the Human Binding Department where I'll be sold to the highest paranormal bidder.

I've heard horror stories of what happens to humans when they're sold to paranormals. Of how their souls are bound to their masters by magic, and they're forced to obey every command. I'd rather die than become a plaything for a paranormal, so I'm taking a huge risk being in the arena parking lot, surrounded by world jumper vehicles filled with paranormal musicians. But I need to be here so I can pay a debt to the underground mafia, who are human, yet they have enough power over the city to be almost as scary as the paranormals.

Taking a deep breath, I dig my lighter out of my pocket and adjust the staff badge clipped to the front of my jacket. If things go according to plan, I should be able to pay off my debt to the underground mafia by tonight. Well, not my debt, but Jason's, my best friend since we were twelve after we both spent a month in the electric dungeons.

He had been imprisoned for stealing a fey's motorcycle, and I had been thrown in for trying to assault the genie who I thought had been behind the disappearance of my parents—huge emphasis on the _trying_ part. The really sucky part? It wasn't even the right genie. Luckily, I only got my ass fried by magic and my arms covered in magical wish burns that left behind a couple of gnarly scars. My sanity was also a bit shaky due to the temporary chaos wish he blasted into my brain, but that eventually faded.

I'm sort of glad the incident happened, though, because it gave me Jason. Knowing he has my back, that I have someone who's there for me, makes the darkness and sometimes hopeless part of life easier to bear.

But then our friendship hit a rough patch about six months ago when Jason got addicted to faerie euphoric dust. When he could no longer afford to buy the magical drug, he started stealing it from the mafia and got caught. The leader was going to kill him, but I made a deal to save Jason's life.

At first, I tried to entice the mafia leader with a vow that I'd get enough money to pay off Jason's debt. But no, the leader didn't want money. He wanted something way more valuable in exchange for Jason's freedom.

A gods damn genie lamp.

Under any other circumstance, I would've said _hell no_. But Jason is the only person I have left in this world that I care about. If I could without losing him, I might have even fallen in love with him by now. So, I told the mafia leader I'd steal the damn genie lamp, and he gave me a name and a location of where I could find a genie and his lamp.

Ashton Wynterford—aka Asher—lead singer and guitarist for the Ash East Arrow, who is currently in the city as part of a music tour. Only paranormals and some of their human servants are allowed to attend the concert. However, humans are allowed to apply for two job positions. One is to work as a bands' staff team, and the other is to be part of one of the bands' "special aftershow," which means you have to fuck the band members after they perform.

While some human men and women are into having sex with paranormals, I'd rather cut off my right arm than give my virginity to a soulless, evil monster. So, I applied for a staff position, and here I am, about to break all sorts of laws and start a fire in the midst of the bands' vehicles.

I hunker down between the front of one large, metal, world jumper vehicle and the rear end of another, repeatedly flicking the lighter. My heart is a mess inside my chest, and my skin is damp with sweat. If the wrong human or paranormal sees what I'm about to do, I'm beyond screwed.

_You have to do this to save Jason. He's all you have left in this world._

As if sensing where my thoughts are heading, my earpiece begins to ring with an incoming call. I fumble around in my pocket for the receiver the mafia leader gave me and push the answer button.

"Hello?" I whisper, peering around nervously to double-check that no one is watching me.

"Harlynn," the mafia leader, or Lead as he likes to call himself, greets me cheerfully through my earpiece. "So, what's the update? Do you have my lamp yet?"

"Not yet," I whisper, crouching lower to the ground. "I'm about ready to go get it, though. Just setting up a distraction."

"Good, good," he mumbles with less cheerfulness. "I don't need to remind you what's at stake, right?"

"No, I remember pretty clearly," I reply through clenched teeth, my hands fisting into balls.

"Sometimes reminders help motivation, don't you agree?"

"Sure." I really fucking hate this guy. Normally, I'd tell him how moronic he is, but pissing him off right now means risking Jason's life.

"Good. Then let me send out a reminder."

A holographic screen illuminates in front of my face, revealing Jason bound by electric cuffs and surrounded by a group of men dressed in black, hooded uniforms and armed with various weapons.

"Jason?" I reach out like I can touch the screen.

Lead only allowed me to see Jason once when I made the bargain, and I was never allowed to speak to him directly.

Jason lifts his head and peers around with his good eye, the other too swollen to open. His lip is bleeding, and his nose is crooked and bruised. He looks awful, beaten, and sickly. My heart is breaking at seeing him so fractured.

"Harlynn?" he whispers, his eyes finding mine on the screen.

"Hey." I fight back the tears threatening to pour out. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing okay," he promises. "I'm just worried about you."

"I'm fine. I promise. In fact, I'm about to go in and get the lamp so I can get your sorry ass freed." I force a smile.

He hastily shakes his head. "I don't want you to do it, Har. It's too dangerous. And this..." He glances around at the men. "This is my mess, not yours."

"I'm not going to just let them kill you."

"I'll be fine." He flinches as the men begin to close in on him. "In fact, I'm working on a different deal with Lead. One that doesn't involve you... You need to leave. Get away from wherever you are and forget about that lamp—"

The screen vanishes, leaving me staring at the back of a vehicle.

"Hello?" I whisper as tears roll down my cheeks. "Jason, can you hear me?"

"I've cut off the connection," Lead's voice fills my ear again. "Once you get the lamp and send me a visual of it, I'll let you see him again."

I dry my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt. "How do I know he's still okay?"

"You have my word that no harm will come to him as long as you bring me the lamp."

_The word of an underground mafia leader. How reassuring._

"And if your thieving reputation precedes you," he continues, "I have no doubt you'll have no trouble pulling this off."

I want to argue with him, insist that I'm not a very good thief. But the truth is, I am. Even before I lost my parents at eleven years old, I was always able to sneak around and find objects and secrets no one wanted found, like the book my father stole. The trait probably came from him.

While my dad wasn't a thief, he was a tracker, or what some call a treasure hunter. He was the best of his time. That's why he was able to find a genie lamp.

"All right, but just know that, if any more harm comes to Jason, I won't hand over the lamp," I dare say to Lead.

"You're in an awfully vulnerable position to be making such demands," he warns.

"I could very well say the same thing to you, since I'm the one who's about to get this genie lamp you want so badly." Yeah, I'm being a bit bold, but I can't stand the thought of more harm coming to Jason.

He gives a short, unnerving pause. "I can't decide whether you're extremely stupid or completely brilliant."

A slow exhale eases from my lips. "Perhaps a bit of both."

"Perhaps." He pauses. "No more harm will come to Jason, just as long as I have that lamp in my hands within seventy-two hours. That gives you more than enough time to pull this off."

It takes a lot of effort, but I manage to get out a, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Just don't let me down. If you do, Jason dies."

"I won't let you down."

"Good."

The line dies.

I swear to the skies, it feels like a hundred-pound weight drops onto my shoulders.

If I fuck this up, Jason dies. If I succeed, I could still screw everything up because, if there's one thing in this world that I don't trust, it's a genie and his lamp. I have no other choice, though. I'm going to get that lamp, even if it kills me.

Summoning a shaky breath, I glance from left to right, scoping out the parking lot. A handful of staff members are wandering around, along with a few punked-out paranormal band members. Between the world jumper vehicles and the greying darkness of the sky, I'm pretty well hidden.

After double-checking to make sure no one is watching me, I flick the lighter and drop it into the bin of trash and gasoline. Then I run away as the flames swoosh toward the greying sky before pausing to momentarily stare as the fire blazes.

The great part about using everlasting flames is that only a witch can put it out. Since the only witch around is currently performing on stage, the fire won't be easy to extinguish. And while everyone is distracted, I'll sneak onto the genie's vehicle and steal the lamp.

At least, that's the plan.

_Please let this go down smoothly._

Tearing my eyes off the hissing flames, I shuffle a few more steps back as smoke funnels through the air.

"Fire!" I shout, pretending to lose my shit.

A few paranormals and humans glance in my direction, but the panic factor I was anticipating never happens.

I try again, pointing at the flames. "Holy shit, there's an everlasting fire and it won't go out! The bands' vehicles are going to blow up!"

That statement unleashes a wave of panic. Staff and band members rush over to try to put out the flames with human devices and magical spells. Then fire only blazes brighter.

Perfect.

"Someone should probably evacuate these vehicles as a precautionary measure," I tell a younger staff member whose eyes are wide with panic.

His gaze flicks to my staff badge. "Yeah, yeah, you do that," he mumbles as he picks up his radio device.

Fuck, I wasn't planning on being the one to do this part of my plan.

I ball my hands into fists, knowing if I knock on that world jumper vehicle door, I very well may cross paths with the owner of the lamp I'm about to jack.

_Think of Jason, Harlynn. You have to do this. You have to be brave. And the genie on that vehicle didn't kill your family. He's just some genie. He's nothing._

_Yeah, other than a powerful creature who can cast spells and wishes that can shatter your life into pieces._

Lowering my hood, I march over to the world jumper vehicle and pound my fist against the door. I hear cursing on the other side, followed by laughter. Then the door swings open. Standing on the other side is none other than Asher Wynterford.

He looks just like he did in the photo Lead gave me—tall, lean, and around my age. Although, with paranormals, it's hard to say for sure what age they are. He has short, cropped brown hair, pierced lips and brows, and these crazy blue eyes framed by thick eyelashes and smudged eyeliner. He has on the jinn's trademark wrist cuffs, isn't wearing a shirt, and his black jeans hang low on his hips, giving me an eyeful of the intricate tattoos weaving and curving along his scarred flesh.

_Scarred flesh? Since when do genies have scars?_

Ripping my eyes off his scars, I blink up to meet his piercing blue eyes. And when I say piercing, I mean _piercing_. His gaze nearly tears me to shreds as he scrolls over my unlaced boots, torn jeans, black T-shirt, and plaid overshirt. The only makeup I have on is some lip balm and kohl eyeliner, and my long brown hair is swept to the side in a tangled mess of waves. I can see the disapproval in his eyes, but I don't give a shit. I'm not here to dazzle some arrogant, soulless genie.

"Hey." I sound a bit breathless from the adrenaline overload the situation is causing.

His eyes briefly widen in surprise, then a pucker forms at his brow. A strange reaction, even for a paranormal. Then his expression promptly alters to indifference, and yep, that seems about right.

"Nope. Not interested." He slants against the doorway with his arms crossed, a smirk playing at his lips. "A little word of advice, human girl. Next time, put a little more effort into your presentation. This whole flannel shirt, holey jeans, and whatever the hell is going on with your hair"—he pulls a face as he motions at my head—"isn't going to get most paranormals to fuck you, let alone a paranormal like me." He braces his hands on the doorframe, muscles bulging as he stares down at me with a malicious gleam in his stupidly pretty blue eyes. "You could try the band next to us. They're not as picky with their aftershow women. My band likes top-shelf quality."

My blood scalds, along with the scars on my skin.

Before I even know what I'm doing, my lips part. "Thanks for that little speech, but I'm not here looking to get fucked. And if I was, I sure as hell wouldn't have knocked on _your_ door. I just came to tell you that there's an everlasting fire burning at the back of your vehicle and you might want to get off until it's put out, or else you're probably going to get smoke inhalation. But hey, maybe if you do, it'll give your bland, average voice that raspy sound. That will at least bump up your below-average sound to middle-shelf quality, right?" I bite down on my tongue.

_Oh, my hell, what did I just do? He's going to curse me where I stand._

As his eyes darken with smoke, my breath gets lodged in my chest.

"You know what? I think I might want to retra—" His gaze darts to the flood of people gathering around the flaming trash can and billowing smoke. "Fuck." He leans back and shouts, "East, Arrow, get everyone off the vehicle. There's a fucking everlasting fire burning outside the vehicle."

"Oh no! Not an everlasting fire! Wait. Maybe it's me? I am pretty fucking hot!" a male voice amusedly shouts back, followed by a burst of giggles.

Asher sighs heavily. "Just get off the vehicle, okay? You know everlasting fire can spread fast and the smoke can be toxic."

"Yes, boss, sir!" the same voice yells back.

Asher shakes his head in frustration.

His annoyance makes me very happy.

When his gaze lands back on me, his eyes narrow into slits. "Did you need something else?"

I cross my arms and carry his intimidating gaze, even though my pulse is soaring "Yeah, to make sure you get your ass off the vehicle." I tap my badge. "I don't want to lose my job because who I'm assuming is your bandmate thinks his"—I resist an eye roll—"fucking hotness caused the fire."

Instead of getting more agitated, Asher heaves a sigh. "Look, he's not as moronic as he sounds. He's just... drunk?" It sounds more like a question.

"Whatever. All I'm here to do is make sure you guys' dumbasses use the safety exits and get safely off the vehicle." I sound bored, while inside, I'm a nervous wreck.

Why, oh why, did I use the word dumbasses? It's like I have a death wish. And he could very well grant that.

_Please just get off the vehicle so I can sneak inside and steal your lamp._

Asher meticulously eyes me over. "You're awfully brave for a human. Or stupid. I'm trying to decide which."

"Maybe a little bit of both," I joke nervously, trying to ease over the situation.

"Maybe." He continues to intensely study me. "How old are you?"

Why does that matter? "I'll be nineteen in a few weeks."

He gives me another once-over then rubs his pale blue lips together. "After they get the fire put out, come back to our vehicle."

I blink at him. "What?"

He wets his pierced lips with his tongue. "I might need a little entertainment later."

Is he kidding me? After telling me only moments ago that I wasn't good enough, he expects me to come to his vehicle and do what? I don't even want to know the answer, nor do I have any intention of coming back. At least not while he's in the vehicle.

I open my mouth to say who knows what—something that would get me into a lot of trouble—when a fey appears behind Asher and thankfully distracts him.

I know from the records I hacked into, needing to find out more about Asher, that the faerie known as Easton is the bassist of their band and also sings sometimes. I haven't seen much fey in my time, but I have caught glimpses of what most humans refer to as the creatures of trickery and glittery beauty. The nickname seems fitting for him.

Tall, with chin-length blond hair, mischievous emerald green eyes, and full, pierced lips, there's no denying he's gorgeous. He's also not wearing a shirt and has his glittery wings spanned out, all sparkling magic and iridescent light. I find myself wanting to touch his wings, trace my fingertips along the edge and see if it sparkles brighter.

But I also want to keep my fingers, so my hands remain at my sides.

Easton peers over Asher's shoulder and out the front window of the vehicle. "Aw, so there _is_ a fire."

Asher folds his arms. "You thought I, what, made the story up for fun?"

Easton shrugs. "You seemed pretty bored earlier. Thought maybe you were in one of your moods and trying to break up the party."

"Well, I'm not," Asher says flatly.

Easton's lips quirk. "If you say so."

When Asher's jaw ticks, the faerie's grin expands. Then he turns to exit the vehicle, but freezes when he spots me.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" His jewel-colored eyes sparkle with mischief and curiosity.

With what I hope is a disinterested expression, I tap my badge. "I'm just part of the staff."

"Staff, huh?" His gaze devours me as he skims me over from head to toe. "You should've applied for the aftershow."

I roll my tongue in my mouth, willing my lips not to part. Unfortunately, I've never been good at keeping my mouth shut.

"Why? So I can have the privilege of whoring myself out to a bunch of paranormals? Yeah, I think I'm okay with the staffing position. Besides, I'm too low-shelf quality to be part of the aftershow." I don't bother glancing in Asher's direction, but I can feel his fiery gaze burning a hole into the side of my head.

Easton studies me with his head cocked to the side. "You're awfully sassy for a human."

"Most humans are sassy by nature," I point out. "They're just too afraid to show their true character to paranormals."

"Is that so?" His eyes glimmer with amusement.

I fear I might be walking into a trap. A trap I set up for myself when I decided to open my damn mouth and challenge a faerie.

_Time to shut up, Harlynn._

"Look, I didn't come here to argue," I tell them. "I came here because it's my job to get you guys off the vehicle safely."

"Oh, don't try to back out of this now." Easton steps toward me. "Keep going. I was enjoying our little banter."

From my peripheral vision, I note the flames are still blazing in the trash can. Someone could figure out how to extinguish them at any moment, so I need to get them off this vehicle pronto.

"I never should've done it to begin with. It's unprofessional." Any other day, I probably would've gone toe-to-toe with the cocky faerie, which is why I've spent more than a handful of occasions in the electric cells.

"No, you definitely should've." He takes another step toward me. "In fact, I think, after they get the fire out, you should come back here so we can pick up where we started."

I aim for a bored tone. "No thanks. I'm super busy."

He cocks a brow. "With what?"

"With anything besides coming back here." I bite down on my tongue hard.

_Shut up, Harlynn, just shut up._

"What's your name?" His smile is all trickery and wickedness.

Shit. The last thing I needed was is to draw more attention to myself. It'll make me easier to track down after I jack the lamp. "I'd rather not tell you."

"Just your first name," he urges, leaning closer and crowding me.

"Tell me yours first," I quip, even though I already know it.

"Easton. Or, well, most call me East," he says with a flick of his wrist. "Now you go."

I open my mouth, preparing to tell him my mom's name, when the lampposts enclosing the parking lot illuminate with purple, magical flames.

"Attention, paranormals. It has been brought to our attention that an everlasting fire is burning in the west parking lot," a formal, robotic tone echoes through the air. "As a safety precaution, we ask that all paranormals please evacuate their vehicles and proceed to the upper section of the stadium until the fire has been put out. Thank you for your patience." The voice fades, along with the flames.

"Come on; let's get this over with." Asher signals for East to get a move on.

With a sigh, East seizes my wrist and tows me with him into the mob of staff and paranormals making their way toward the stadium.

"Hey, what the heck?" I dig my heels into the asphalt

"You heard what the announcement said." East's eyes sparkle like starlight. "Everyone inside."

"No, it said all paranormals inside," I say. "Not staff."

"Yeah, so what? I'm not about to let you go. It's too dangerous." His eyes glimmer for the tenth time in the last couple minutes. I still can't tell if he's joking or not.

"I have to work." I wiggle my wrist, trying to get free of his grip. "If I don't, then I don't get paid at the end of the night."

He practically drags me with him as he starts walking again. "I'll pay you three times as much as you were going to make with your staffing position."

"I'm not a whore," I growl out.

East eyes me over curiously. "I never said you had to be."

I glance back at his world jumper vehicle as two leggy blondes, along with Asher and a cyborg, wander outside. "Let me guess. You also told those two pretty blondes the same thing."

He shakes his head. "Of course I didn't. They signed up for the aftershow position."

"You're disgusting," I say. "You really are."

"Why?" he questions. "I didn't make them sign up for the job."

"No, but your rulers did by making every human in this world desperate for money." The words pour off my tongue and spill into the air before they actually register in my brain.

_Lovely, Harlynn. You're really on a roll tonight._

East's fingers twitch on my wrists, the glow in his eyes dimming. "They're not my rulers."

Huh? Did he just insult Five Smoke Magic? There's a first.

Heavy silence hangs in the air as he pushes his way through the mob, towing me along with him.

"East, why are you dragging a human girl with you?" Arrow, the cyborg and drummer of Ash East Arrow, steps up beside me.

Like the rest of his bandmates, he's wearing low slung black pants and no shirt—seriously, it must be their signature look or something—so I get a full view of his body. Half-man, half-machine, his arms, neck, and muscular chest are spun of flesh and bronzed gadgets. His fingers are purely mechanical, and his abdomen is inked with small pieces of steel. But his face is human, all full lips, short black hair, and the most beautiful silver eyes. Many cyborgs roam the city, so I know the drill. They rarely show emotion. Rarely speak. Rarely interact with anyone.

"Because I'm keeping her for the night," East replies, hilarity ringing in his tone, his bad mood gone like human civilization itself.

"No, he's not." I jerk my arm, as if that somehow proves a point.

East just chuckles. "Don't pretend you don't like this bantering foreplay."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a whore?" I spat, trying to wrench my arm away from him again.

East throws me a smirk. "And how many times have I told you, maybe I don't want sex from you? Perhaps I just want to keep playing our little bantering game all night long."

I cock my brow at him. "Are you being serious right now? Because I genuinely can't tell."

He nods with a wink. "It's my secret wish."

Asher suddenly materializes by East's side. "Careful throwing around the word wish," he warns. "My lamp's too close by. You might accidentally set it off."

East rolls his eyes. "Like I'm worried."

"I know you're not, but I am." Asher stares up at the sky, his muscles tense. "You know how much I hate granting wishes."

A genie who hates granting wishes? Huh, never heard that before.

"I know." East's voice is soft, no amusement evident.

It makes me wonder what the story is behind Asher's hatred for wish granting. But not enough to ask. No, I need to get the hell away from these guys before we reach the gates.

Asher's gaze strays from the sky and lands on East. "So, you're keeping the girl?"

"No one's keeping me," I huff with exasperation and stomp my foot.

Asher exchanges a look with East, and then the two of them bust up laughing. Even the emotionless cyborg chuckles.

"She's cute, right?" East says to Asher.

The corners of Asher's lips twitch as his gaze collides with mine. "Perhaps just a little bit."

"No, I'm not." I flail my free arm around in a pathetic attempt to escape East's hold. "I'm not cute. I'm just a plain, ordinary human girl who's way less entertaining than those pretty blondes you had in your vehicle. I mean, think about it. Do you really want me over them?" I raise my brows.

Asher rubs his lips together while East laughs and Arrow stares at me with his bronzed brows creased.

"Yep, I'm definitely keeping her," East announces then releases my wrist and drapes an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against him so my arm is wedged against his side.

His skin is warm and smells of spun sugar and strawberries. I subtly breathe in his scent, almost getting lost in his magical scent. Then he chuckles and the sound jerks me back to reality.

_Big mistake letting my wrist go, asshole._

_Time to escape, go find that damn lamp, and save Jason._

Lifting my foot, I kick East in the shin. His arm falls from my shoulders as he cries out in pain. If I ever do get caught, this moment will come back to bite me in the ass. But that's a future worry. Right now, I'm only concerned about the present.

I push my way into the throng of paranormals and run away from the band. I don't look back. Don't want to see if they chase me.

I just focus on the forward.

On getting that damn lamp.

# Chapter 3

Ten minutes and at least fifty panting breaths later, I'm sneaking up to the door to Ash East Arrow's world jumping vehicle. I check the handle but, no surprise, it's locked. Fishing around in the pocket of my jacket, I dig out my lock pick and unpick the lock. When I try the door handle again, the damn thing still won't open.

_Hmmm..._

I trace my fingers around the edge of the doorframe and note a layer of silvery dust.

Fey magic.

"Shit. East must have sealed the door with magic."

A quick check around the area lets me know the everlasting fire is still blazing brightly and the parking lot is now fairly cleared out.

Inching closer to the door and deeper into the shadows, I dig a can of fey magic repellent from my pocket. One spray of this and the door should unlock. The problem is, the repellent only lasts for about five minutes before the fey magic resurfaces. Since there's only enough repellent in the can for one use, if I'm not off the world jumper vehicle by then, I'll be locked in.

But I really don't have another choice.

_I'll have to move fast._

I give the bottle a few quick shakes then tap my finger against the top of the can. A pungent mist spritzes from the nozzle and sprays all over the front of the door, causing the silvery dust to evaporate. I check the door handle again...

"Jackpot," I whisper as the door opens.

I step onto the world jumper vehicle and close the door behind me.

The area inside is far bigger than what the size of the vehicle should hold, more than likely due to magic. To my right is a large sitting room, fully stocked with leather sofas, a fireplace, a hologram television, and an array of guitars, speakers, microphones, and a drum set. To my left is an open kitchen with the biggest fridge I've ever seen, shiny marble flooring, and glass countertops filled with mini water fey.

"Crap, I hope they can't see me." I squint down at the sparkling miniature water fey and cringe when a glowing pink one makes eye contact with me.

It _tsks_ me with its tiny finger before swimming deeper into the counter, urging the rest of the miniature water fey to come over. Once they're all gathered in a circle, they huddle together.

I don't know much about mini water fey, but I have a feeling they're plotting against me right now.

Time to wrap this plan up.

The information Lead gave me about Asher stated that the lamp will probably be hidden in his room in a magically sealed trunk. I cross the living room and head down a wide hallway lined with lanterns and shut doors. Unsure of where to start, I open the first door on my right.

Inside, everything is made of bronzed metals and gadgets, all the way from the orbed chandelier to the gleaming metal floor. If I had to guess, I'd bet the room belongs to the cyborg.

Shutting the door, I move on to the next room. It's also a bedroom, with black hardwood floors, a massive king-sized bed, and winding metal trim covering the ceiling. My first guess is that the room belongs to Asher, but a shimmering coat of fey magic covers almost every piece of furniture and the walls.

No, this has to be East's room.

I back out of the room and open the next shut door. Behind it is the biggest bathroom I've ever seen, with a bathtub large enough to fit ten people.

I grit my teeth. Here, the world is filled with starving, poverty-stricken humans, and these asshole's world jumper vehicle is better than most human's homes.

Suddenly, the idea of stealing the lamp seems way more appealing. I can almost picture Asher fuming when he discovers it gone.

I hurry onward and throw the next door open.

"Yep, this has to be his room," I mutter as I inch inside the largest room I've stumbled across yet.

The area is spacious, the ceiling domed and painted with a white, black, and grey skull mural. The walls are dark grey and nearly mesh with the black hardwood floor. The bed is lavish and covered with a velvet comforter. Perched in front of the bed is a steel trunk engraved with obsidian.

I resist a happy dance, knowing I still have to get the trunk open, and cross the room to the foot of the bed. I kneel in front of the trunk and examine it. The lock on the front appears to open with a key, but I doubt it's going to be that simple. I give it a go anyway, trying to pick the lock. No luck.

Setting my trusty lock pick aside, I search the trunk's sealing for traces of fey magic. The outside is squeaky clean. I can't spot any other locks anywhere. No magical inscriptions. No scanning pad. Nothing other than the damn key lock.

I sit back and rub my hand across my face. "How the hell are you sealed?" My gaze travels to the bottom of the trunk. "Hmm..." I grip the sides and, with a grunt, tip the trunk upward to peer underneath. Nothing besides a smooth, flat surface resides.

"Dammit." I lose my grip as one of the obsidian jewels cuts my fingertip and the trunk crashes to the floor.

"How the hell is that thing so sharp?" I mumble as I press the bleeding wound to the front of my jacket.

I glance at the jewel that split open my skin. The edges are smooth, so how did it cut me? I brush my finger along the jewel—

"Crap." I wrench back as a needle snaps out of it, but not fast enough before the needle embeds into my skin.

Panic sets in as I fumble to dig the needle out, only to realize it's attached to a thin tube filled with green, bubbling liquid.

A green, bubbly liquid now pumping into my fingertip.

_Shit._ I know what that liquid is.

Jinn death poison.

My pulse soars as I yank the needle out of my finger. The tube ravels back into the jewel as blood pools from my skin. My eyes water as pain pulsates from my now green fingertip.

Poison. I've been poisoned by jinn death poison.

_I'm going to die._

Right as the thought crosses my mind, the lid of the trunk pops open, as if to say _ha, ha, go ahead and take the lamp now. You're going to die anyway_.

Gods dammit, I really hate genies.

# Chapter 4

I haven't felt this shocked since the day the genie made my parents vanish, and that's saying a lot, considering how many crazy situations I've put myself in. I have only a handful of hours before my entire body resembles my finger, before the poison completely fills my veins and begins eating away my body. It's going to be a painful death, one that'll hurt like a bitch.

Tears burn the back of my eyes as reality crashes down on me.

I'm going to die.

My life is over.

Just like my parents.

And just like my parents, a genie has taken my life.

Anger, fear, and sadness sweep through me. I almost lose my shit. I want to hurt Asher for doing this to me. I want to scream. Cry. Then I remember I have a friend to save. I'll be damned if I give up now.

Sucking back the tears, pain, and rage, I peer into the trunk. Inside is a polished silver lamp, trimmed with the same obsidian jewels that decorate the exterior of the trunk.

Not bothering to check for more booby traps—it's not like it matters anymore—I scoop up the lamp and tuck it away in my pocket. Then I shut the lid, stumble to my feet, and check the time on my watch.

One more minute until the repellent on the door wears off. If I'm not outside by then, I'll be locked in.

I rush out of the room and down the hallway, doing my best to disregard the wooziness stirring through my mind. The closer I get to the door, the more my adrenaline courses.

_I can't believe I pulled this off._

_I can't believe I'm going to die soon._

_At least Jason will be okay._

_At least my death won't be for nothing._

_At least he'll get to live—_

"What the hell? Why is the door unsealed?" East's voice floats from the other side of the now cracked open door.

_Fuck._

I spin around and hightail it for the living room window. When I throw back the curtains, however, instead of a window, there are a series of holograms showing a fake view of spacious mountains and glistening lakes.

"What do you mean the door is unsealed?" Asher asks as the door creaks open more.

"I mean exactly what I said," Easton says. "The door is unsealed."

A beat of silence ticks by, then the door flies open and smacks against the wall. I duck down to the floor, crawling away from the window and hiding behind the sofa as the sound of stomping footsteps fills the air.

"Where are you?" Asher calls out. "Whoever you are, know that when we find you, you're going to be punished for whatever it is you were trying to take. And the punishment will be cruel and painful. No electric cells for you. No, this punishment is going to be handled by _us_."

He makes it seem like the electric cells are some sort of fantastic punishment. I guess, considering he's a genie, it might be.

"What do you think they're after?" Arrow asks in a much softer voice than Asher's. "Your lamp?"

When the living room floorboards creak, I press myself closer to the back of the sofa and hug my knees to my chest.

"Either that or our little rebellion collection," East replies cautiously.

_Little rebellion collection? What the hell is that?_

"Do you hear that?" East asks from the other side of the sofa.

"Heavy breathing," Asher states. "A scared, little thief is still in this room."

"The water fey said a girl came in here," East states with puzzlement.

"A girl?" Asher asks, sharing his confusion.

I roll my eyes at their surprise. What? Do they think a girl isn't capable of breaking into places or something?

When the room grows unnervingly silent, my heart begins to thunder in my chest. I place my hand over my mouth and hold my breath. Then I wait to be caught, because I know it's going to happen. I have no way out. And while I'm currently on death row, I'm still scared shitless of the torture that awaits me when they find me. Not to mention I won't make it out of here with the lamp.

_Jason, I'm so sorry I failed you. Just like I failed my parents._

My eyes begin to water.

_No, I'm not giving up yet. There has to be a way._

_Think of something, Harlynn! You've gotten this far. Gotten the lamp..._

I reach inside my pocket with my green hand—the poison is spreading more rapidly than I expected—and brush my fingers along the cool steel of the lamp. I made a promise to myself the day my parents were stolen from me to never use a genie lamp for anything. But, since I'm practically a dead woman sitting, that vow really doesn't matter anymore.

Sucking in a breath, I spring to my feet and whirl around, keeping my green hand tucked into my pocket, along with the lamp.

East is standing near the sofa, and his eyes pop wide at my sudden appearance. "What the...?" He gapes at me.

Arrow, who is leaning against the kitchen counter, seems less surprised, but that's a cyborg for you. And Asher is standing in front of the sofa, looking the exact opposite of Arrow. A mixture of emotions crosses his face, ranging from surprise, rage, to something else, something that looks an awful lot like being impressed, but I highly doubt I'm right.

"You're the one who broke in here?" Asher asks in confusion.

I lift a shoulder in a lazy shrug. "You guys told me to come back, right?"

His eyes narrow. "How did you get in here?"

I shrug again. "The door was unlocked."

"It shouldn't have been. I sealed it with my magic." Burning suspicion pierces from East's eyes. "Who are you, human? And how did you get past my magic?"

"I didn't," I lie. "Like I said, the door was already unlocked when I got here."

"And you just let yourself in?" East assesses me with skepticism.

"I didn't want to stand outside with all the everlasting smoke," I say innocently. "It's toxic."

East exchanges a look with Asher, then they both glance at Arrow. Arrow heaves an exhausted and oddly human sigh, then pushes away from the counter and enters the living room. He positions himself in front of the coffee table while Asher moves to the right of the sofa and East to the left, blocking all my escape routes.

"We know you're lying, so you might as well fess up." Asher stalks toward me with his lean arms crossed over his solid chest. "Why are you here? Who sent you?"

"I'm here because you guys invited me." I hold my ground, even when East closes in on me, too. "Sorry if I misinterpreted your invite. I guess I'll leave since I'm clearly not wanted." I step toward East to move around him, but his arms span out, blocking my path. I twist around to swing past Asher, but he wraps his fingers around my arm.

Smoke funnels in his eyes. "You're lying. I can smell it all over you."

I sniff the air out of pure instinct, but only the scent of sugary strawberries kisses my nostrils. "No, I'm pretty sure that's just East's faerie scent."

Asher's lips twitch as he leans in. "You have about ten seconds to fess up before I start blasting you with curses that'll leave your skin scarred and your mind veering toward insanity."

Anger pounds through my veins as his cruel, true genie form shows. "Wouldn't be the first time that's happened."

He blinks, taken aback. "You've been cursed by a genie before?"

"Oh, genies and I go way back," I say bitterly. "All the way back to when one killed my parents."

He blinks again, his hold on me loosening.

Seizing the distraction, I yank my arm away and shove him back. He stumbles only an inch, but it's enough to give me time to launch myself over the sofa and bolt toward the door. But then Arrow zips to the side at an inhuman speed and barricades my path.

I slam to a halt and let out a string of curses. I'm trapped. There's no running away from this. Time for my backup plan, one I was really hoping I didn't have to use.

"Fine, you want to know why I broke in here?" I stick my hand into my pocket and pull out the lamp. "To steal this."

Asher stiffens. "You made it into my trunk?"

I raise my green hand. "Obviously."

Fury flashes in his smoky eyes. "You know that's death poison, right? You're going to die."

"I know." I lower my hand to my side. "But I'm going to get out of here before I do."

Asher glares at me. "You're not leaving with my lamp."

I take a step back then wince as my back crashes into Arrow's metal chest. "You can't take this lamp away from me. I know the rules. I hold all the power here. And if I want to, I can wish myself away."

"You're not going to, though." Asher winds around the sofa toward me, taking lazy, measured steps. "Because if you were, you would've already done it." He stops in front of me, his eyes no longer smoky, but smoldering in a way that makes my stomach do strange things. "You're not like most humans. You understand that, with every wish you make, there will be a consequence, which leaves me wondering why you went through so much trouble to steal the lamp."

My heart lodges in my throat as he extends his hand toward my head. I wince as his fingers brush my hair and start to step to back, but end up crashing back into Arrow.

Asher smirks as he ravels a strand of my hair around his finger. "Now, the question is: how are we going to punish you?"

I snap out of my fear-induced stupor and slap his hand away. "You're going to let me go. If you don't, I'll make the wish. And considering what I heard you say to East earlier, I'm pretty sure you don't like granting wishes." The frown that forms on his face makes me grin. "So, how about we do this the easy way?"

The muscles in Asher's jaw spasm. "I know you won't make the wish. You don't want to deal with the consequences."

I arch my brows. "You think I care about the consequences? I probably have like, what, a couple hours to live? Who gives a shit about the consequences when I'm going to die anyway?"

As Asher assesses me closely, I try to appear neutral and mildly bored, examining my currently green fingernails.

"Well, if that's the case, then I guess you don't care if you have my lamp or not." He nods at East. "Take it from her. I mean, clearly, she doesn't care."

East rounds the sofa toward us. "Then what will we do with her?"

Asher tilts his head to the side as he studies me. "I haven't decided yet."

I hug the lamp to my chest. "No, I won't let you take it."

"You won't let me take it?" East glances at Asher with an amused smile. "Did you hear that, Ash? I think she wants to play a little game of cat and mouse. Or, well, faerie and human."

Asher's lips twist into an almost smile, his challenging gaze remaining fused on me. "I believe she does. Perhaps you should give her a head start. I know how much you love the chase."

East brushes his finger along the side of my neck where my pulse races. "Not as much as after I catch them."

I fight to remain indifferent. "You say that like you're actually going to catch me."

"You're human, of course I'll catch you," East purrs, his fluttering wings brushing against the curve of my shoulder.

"You act like I'm incompetent and helpless." I meet his gaze. "But tell me this, if I'm so incompetent and helpless, then how did I make it past your magic seal?"

East's lips spread into a devious grin. "That is an excellent question. Maybe after I catch you, I'll make you tell me."

I raise my chin with false confidence. " _If_ you catch me."

His grin broadens as his gaze roams back to Asher. "Can we please keep her? Just for a little while?"

"You can't keep me," I huff. "I'm not a pet. I'm a person."

Asher and East ignore me.

"I'm not taking a human on tour with us, East." Asher sighs, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Not only would we be breaking a ton of laws by taking her out of this world, but taking care of a human is a lot of work. They're a lot of trouble, too."

East scrubs his hand across his jawline. "What if I promised to keep an eye on her and keep her out of trouble?"

Asher snorts a laugh. "Yeah, I can only imagine how that would go down."

East dramatically presses his hand to his chest. "Hey, I know how to keep out of trouble."

Arrow chuckles from behind me. "Sure you do."

"You two together would be twice as much trouble than it's worth. And, like I said, we'd be breaking a shit-ton of laws by keeping her." Asher shakes his head. "It's not worth it."

East pouts. "Come on, Ash; I'm sure we could find a way to make her useful."

"Um, hello." I wave a hand in front of me. "No one's keeping me, so this stupid, little argument is pointless."

East's wicked gaze lands on me. "Don't pretend like you don't want to stay with us."

I roll my eyes. "Why the hell would I?"

East nonchalantly shrugs, though an impish smirk plays at his lips. "A lot of humans would love to be in your position right now—stuck on a world jumper vehicle with three very charming, very sexy paranormals who want to play with her. Not to mention we're fucking rock stars."

_Cocky much?_

"Well, then maybe you should go find one of those humans." I dodge to the side, but Asher sidesteps in my way again and I smack right into his bare chest.

He smells lovely, like cupcakes and frosting, neither of which I've tasted in years.

_I'm so hungry I could almost bite him..._

I shake the thought from my head. _Where the hell did that come from?_

"You're not going anywhere." Asher's eyes illuminate fiercely. "Not with my lamp."

"Wanna bet?" Mustering a deep breath, I part my lips. "I wish that I—"

Asher covers his hand over my mouth. "Don't," he hisses. "It's more dangerous than you realize."

I glower at him, mumbling through his hand, "Let me go, and I won't do it."

He lowers his hand. "I'm not letting you out of here with my lamp."

I cradle the lamp tighter to my chest. "Sucks for you since I'm leaving here with your lamp."

Asher grinds his teeth. "Why?"

My brows furrow. "Why what?"

"Why is keeping my lamp so important to you?" He gives a pressing glance at my poisoned hand. The green, icky color has taken over half my arm now. "If you're going to die anyway, why does it matter if you have it?"

I give a small shrug. "Maybe I'm going to wish my death away."

"You can try, but it won't work. Not if I don't want it to," Asher says tightly. "That's the thing about genies and wishes—we always have all the control, even when someone has our lamp."

I know he's right, but admitting that won't help me get out of here.

"Maybe I found a way around that?" I challenge with an arched brow.

"There is no way around it; trust me." His relentless gaze makes me squirm. "So, tell me the truth. Why do you want my lamp so badly?"

I smash my lips together, my heart slamming against my chest. I could make the wish and cross my fingers that it works out in my benefit. More than likely, though, it'll end in disaster. Or, I could tell him the truth and maybe, just maybe, find a way to strike a bargain. I hate the thought of doing so—bargaining with a genie—but it might be the only way to save Jason.

"I made a deal with the underground mafia," I say, loathing how my voice slightly trembles. "If I don't bring them this lamp, they'll kill my best friend."

Asher's expression is blank as his gaze briefly flicks in East's direction before landing back on me. "How did your friend get in trouble with the underground mafia?"

"He became addicted to faerie euphoric dust and started stealing it from them," I explain. "He's a good guy. He just messed up."

Asher's gaze travels to my hand. "And yet, you're the one who's going to end up dying."

I raise my chin. "Yeah, so? I'd rather die than let another person I care about die."

"Another person?" he questions, a pierced brow curving upward. "You mean your parents?"

I press my lips together, refusing to answer. I've already told him too much about me.

The three of them remain silent, exchanging indecipherable looks. I hide my unease and tuck it away with my fear. The last thing I want is for them to know how nervous I am.

Finally, Asher tears his gaze away from Arrow and East and focuses on me. "So, were you the one who started the everlasting fire?" When I make no effort to answer him, not wanting to divulge my secrets, a half-smile appears on his lips. "And you got past our sealed door." It's not a question. "Seems like you've done this sort of thing before."

"What? Steal a genie lamp?" I laugh hollowly. "Yeah, no. I try to stay away from genies as much as possible."

The smile on his lips fades ever so slightly. "You said one killed your parents. What did you mean by that, exactly?"

I grind my teeth until my jaw aches. "I mean exactly that—one killed my parents."

"How, though?" he inquires carefully.

I shake my head. "I'm not going to talk about this with you."

His jaw muscles spasm again, a hint of internal agony flashing in his eyes. "Fair enough. I won't make you talk about something that upsets you this much."

I can't conceal my surprise at his easiness to let the subject drop. "How very un-genie-like of you."

"Asher isn't like most genies," East chimes in. "You'll soon learn that."

"No, I won't," I say, partly relieved by that fact and partly sad, but only because... "I'm going to be dead soon, remember?"

Asher trades a quick look with Arrow and East. "Maybe you won't."

Confusion swirls inside me. "Are you saying the poison isn't deadly?"

Asher shakes his head. "No, it is. But I could use magic to kill off the poison and let you live."

I open and flex my hand, trying to keep my anxiousness under control. "And what would I have to do in return?"

His eyes glint with vibrant blue flames. "Who says I'm not going to do this out of the kindness of my heart?"

I fight back a laugh. "I really doubt you are."

The flames in his eyes dim as he heaves a sigh. "All right, I'm not. But only because we need your help."

My gaze skims across the faerie, the cyborg, then lands back on the genie. "The three of you need help from _me_?"

Asher nods. "With stealing a few items."

"That's it?" I question. "That's all you want from me in exchange for my life?"

Asher nods again. "That's it."

I shiver as East's wing tickles the side of my arm.

"And to let me play with you occasionally," he adds, earning him a glare from Asher.

"We'll have to bind the deal in magic," Asher tells me. "It will make sure that, if I give you your life back, you will retrieve the items we need. If you don't, you'll die."

I inch away from East as his wing continues to stroke my arm. "That still doesn't help me save my friend from the underground mafia."

Asher rubs his jawline, seeming to consider something. "I'm not going to give my lamp to the underground mafia leader. But I can add your friend's freedom to the binding spell, which means, if you break our deal, not only will you die, so will your friend."

I swallow hard, feeling less sure about this deal. I mean, I don't plan on trying to double-cross Asher or anything, but...

"These objects you want me to steal, what are they? And why can't you steal them your—" Pain abruptly sears up my arm as the poison rises to my shoulder and neck, making me dizzy. I bite down on my tongue to stop myself from crying out, not wanting to look weak in front of them.

East must notice, though, because his wing begins soothingly stroking my arm. "Just make the deal with him... Wait. You never told us your name."

"And I'm not going to." The quiver in my voice reveals my discomfort and vulnerability.

"Make that part of the deal, too," East tells Asher. "I want to know this lovely human's name."

I put my green hand on my hip and twist to face him. "What's your fascination with me? You know I'm just like every other human, right?"

East's petal-thin wings glint against the chandelier's lighting. "No, you're not. You're a human who started an everlasting fire, turned my advances down, got past my seal, and broke into Asher's trunk. If I didn't know any better, I'd assume you were a very clever elf, but you're way too pretty."

I resist an eye roll. "You know, I've heard rumors that faeries were flirts. Those rumors didn't do the truth justice."

He winks at me. "We can be quite charming when we want to be. You'll see."

"I haven't agreed to the bargain yet," I remind him, turning back to a now frowning and confused-looking Asher. "And I'm not going to until you tell me what objects you want me to steal and why you can't steal them yourself."

"I can't tell you what the objects are yet," Asher replies. When I open my mouth to argue, he adds, "Not because I don't want to. I just can't while we're here in this world."

My brows knit. "Wait... Are you saying I have to leave this world to do this?"

Asher nods. "This is our last day on tour in this world, and the objects aren't here."

Both nervousness and excitement rush through me. I've always dreamt of seeing other places, of getting away from the rulers and the poverty that plagues every inch of this hellhole of a sphere I live on. Before, there was never a possibility of it being possible.

Wait.

"Humans aren't allowed outside this world," I inform them. "It's against the law."

"We'll just have to make sure we don't get caught smuggling you out." Asher steps toward me, invading my personal space.

I start to step to the side, but my arm bumps into East's chest. With Arrow standing right behind me, I'm left wedged between the three of them with barely any breathing room. Their scents overwhelm me, all sugary, strawberry cupcakes and frosting mixed with Arrow's cinnamon and vanilla. The scent is mouthwatering and kind of making me hungry.

I swallow down the urge to breathe in deeper. "And what happens if we get caught?"

"We won't," Asher assures me, raveling a strand of my hair around his finger. "We promise we won't."

"I don't trust genies." A shiver courses through me as East's velvety soft wing strokes the arch of my neck.

"Trust me, then," East whispers in my ear.

I want to push them all away, but my arms remain frozen at my sides.

While I'm usually a badass, the combination of their yummy scents, soft touches, the magic most paranormals emit, along with the poison in my body is making me lightheaded and weak.

"I don't trust faeries, either," I manage to get out.

"Then trust me." Arrow places his hands on my shoulders, his metal fingers cool against my overly warm, poisoned skin. "Cyborgs don't lie."

"I know." I let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, I want to make the deal. Or, well, want might be a strong word. More like, I'm considering. But I need to at least know a little bit about why I'm going to be your own little personal thief. I mean, why can't you just steal these objects on your own? You're paranormals who I'm sure are very powerful."

"These objects are protected with all sorts of curses and spells to keep paranormals away." Asher lightly tugs on a strand of my hair, drawing my attention to him. "They aren't protected against humans. And since you clearly know your way around thievery, you should be able to get the objects we need."

"Oh." My lips part to fire more questions when the pain of the poison suddenly amplifies.

A cry rips from my throat as I collapse to the floor, tears stinging my eyes. As I claw at the hardwood flooring, I realize both my hands and arms are now green. Further observation reveals my legs are, too.

Has my time come to an end? Is this death I taste in my mouth?

"Make the bargain," Asher says as he crouches beside me, stroking his fingers up and down my back. "Make the bargain, and the pain will go away and your friend will be free."

Gasping breaths rip from my chest as I look into his eyes.

While most genies' gazes carry coldness, Asher's conveys a drop of remorse mixed with guilt. Does he feel bad about what he's doing to me? Would he save me anyway, if I didn't make the bargain?

I'll probably never know the answers because, as the stabbing pain beneath my flesh begins to increase, I surrender to the inevitable and nod.

"Fine," I grit out. "Let's make a bargain."

# Chapter 5

As soon as I utter the words, Asher scoops me up into his arms, carries me across the room, and lays me on the sofa. Then he sinks down onto the edge of the cushion and rests his hands beside my head.

"I'm going to verbalize the terms of our deal." He stares into my eyes. "If you have any objections, let me know, okay?"

With great effort, I nod.

_I can't believe I'm about to do this. I can't believe I'm about to make a deal with a genie. One day, this is going to come back and bite me in the ass._

"Good." His chest rises and crashes as he takes a deep breath. For a flicker of a moment, he seems nervous, but the look promptly fizzles as he cups my face between his hands. "I vow to free your body from the poison and let you live a long life, just as long as you're able to retrieve three stolen objects of my choosing. I will also free your friend..." He pauses. "What's your friend's name?"

"Jason," I croak out as my veins scorch with agonizing heat.

He nods with a curious look on his face. "And yours?"

I consider lying, but worry that might ruin the bargain. "Harlynn."

He rubs his pale blue lips together. "That's an... interesting name."

"Are you insulting my name?"

"No, I just said it was interesting." Confusion floods his eyes.

"Not a top-quality shelf-worthy name, right?" Why the hell am I arguing with him when I'm on the brink of death? Usually, I'm not this stupid. He just seems to bring the stupidity out of me.

"Hmmm..." is all he says. "What's your last name?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because it does."

I sigh, too tired to argue with him anymore. "Merringten."

When he swallows audibly, I whisper, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Blinking away his puzzlement, he leans closer and wets his lips with his tongue. "I will also free your friend Jason from the underground mafia and remove his debt to them. Your debt will be removed, as well. But, if you do not retrieve the objects by the end of the month, or if you try to break the bargain, all will be erased and yours and Jason's lives will return to how they are at this precise moment." He traces his tongue along his lip piercing. "Do we have a bargain?"

I blow out a deafening breath. My heart rate's insanely fast, and not just because of the poison. No, I'm more freaked out about making a bargain with a genie than anything else. But, as death continues to chew up my insides, I have no choice but to nod and utter, "Yes, we have a bargain."

Hesitancy flickers in his eyes, then he nods and crashes his lips against mine. Heat courses through my body before I have time to react. A heartbeat of an instant later, though, I return to my senses and place my hands on his chest to shove him away. He only presses closer, delving his tongue into my mouth. I gasp as effervescent magic spills from his lips and pours down my throat.

The longer he kisses me, the more the warm, tingly sensation spreads, starting at my lips and working down my chest, all the way to my thighs. As my toes curl, I start to worry that perhaps my reaction isn't solely from the magic.

_I like this way too much._

Inhaling through my nose, I wedge my hands between us and shove him back.

"What the hell was that?" I ask as I gasp for air.

Asher blinks dazedly. "That was..." He blinks again, his heated gaze slowly turning cold. "I had to do that to make the bargain." He rises to his feet without looking at me. "We're done here," he tells East then strides past him. "Make sure no one else knows she's in our vehicle." He storms down the hallway and slams a door.

Uncomfortable silence stretches between East, Arrow, and me.

Seriously, what the hell is Asher's problem? He's the one who kissed me, yet he acts like it was _my_ fault? Besides, it had to be done to make the bargain, right? I mean, why else would he do it?

"Okay, then." East breaks the silence with a clap of his hands as he turns toward me. "Let's go get you set up in a room, shall we?" He winks. "Preferably next to mine, right?"

I shrug, too confused to care. "Sounds good."

East's expression plummets. "Aw, come on now, sweetheart. There's no need to get all upset over Asher's mood swings."

"I'm not upset," I lie, pushing to my feet. A quick assessment of my arms and legs causes me to sigh in relief. _Well, at least the poison's gone_. "I'm confused as to why he freaked out. I mean, I know he thinks I'm repulsive, but—"

East snorts a laugh. "He doesn't think you're repulsive. That's not what that was about at all."

"Oh, trust me; he does. He made that perfectly clear when I knocked on you guys' door." I frown, more at myself. No, I'm not going to worry about Asher and his genie tizzy tantrums. I couldn't care less if he hates me or not. "That doesn't even matter. None of this does. He can be pissed off all he wants. I just want to know if Jason's okay."

East eyes me over before turning toward Arrow. "Get the Eyes All Mirror, would you?"

Arrow nods, his gaze skimming over me before he vanishes down the hallway.

"What's the Eyes All Mirror?" I lift my hand to fiddle with my earpiece, only to realize it's gone.

So weird. Does that mean the bargain worked?

"It'll show you what you need to see." He plops down on the leather sofa then pats the cushion beside him. "Have a seat. We need to talk."

I keep my feet planted to the floor. "We can talk with me standing right here."

"Yes, but I can't smell your lovely scent from way over there, or stroke your soft skin with my wings." He pats the cushion again with a smile full of trickery. "Now come, have a seat... unless you're too afraid." A dare gleams in his glittering eyes.

I cross my arms. "I'm not afraid of you."

He elevates his brows. "You sure about that?"

"Yes."

"I think you're lying."

"Good for you."

"Yes, good for me. Now come sit down by me. If you don't, I'll talk in circles all night. It's what faeries are best at." He sucks on his bottom lip. "Well, that and making passionate, magical love."

"Oh, for the love of all gods." Shaking my head, I sink down onto the sofa. "Making passionate, magical love? Seriously?"

His lips quirk in mild amusement. "Would you rather me call it fucking?"

Warmth floods my cheeks, one of the worst things a human can do in front of a flirting faerie. East more than notices, too, a grin taking over his face.

"Wait a second." He scoots closer to me. "Is the feisty little Harlynn still a virgin?"

I force myself to meet his gaze. "That's none of your business. And don't call me Harlynn."

"Then what do you propose I call you?" He sweeps my hair away from my shoulder. "Blushing princess? Virgin cheeks? A tasty, little p—"

"Harlynn is fine," I cut him off, holding up my hand, my cheeks on fire. "Look, faerie dude, I'm not here to flirt with you."

"You may not be, but I am," he teases, his wing sliding behind me.

"Can't you just tone it down for a bit?"

"I wish I could, but it's in my nature. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it."

I heave an exasperated sigh. "Well, just know it'll never be reciprocated. I'm not into paranormals."

He radiates glittering amusement and an impish smile. "We'll see." When I frown, his grin widens. "Run away all you want. Eventually, I'll catch you."

Good gods, what the hell was I thinking, making a deal to stay with three paranormals? I should know better. I should've thought of another way. Shouldn't have let the fear of death cloud my judgment.

My remorse in my decision dissipates when Arrow returns to the room with a silver, oval mirror. Black, metal roses frame around the edge, and a magical mist radiates from the reflective glass.

"Just tell it to show you your friend." Arrow carefully hands me the mirror.

I glance at the mirror, shocked by the lack of a reflection. "How do I know this is real?"

"You'll feel the truth." Arrow takes a seat across from me and props his foot onto his knee, watching me with mild interest.

I trace my finger along one of the roses on the mirror, thinking of my parents. "Will it show me anything I ask for?"

Arrow shakes his head. "It won't show you many things, like the future. Or someone who's dead. But your friend is alive, and as long as you ask to see him in the now, it'll show it to you."

I hide my deflation by peering into the mirror. "Show me my friend Jason—where he is, what he's doing, and if he's okay."

The surface of the mirror ripples, transforming into a scene that makes me smile. Jason is shopping at a bakery we used to always steal from, only he has a basket full of pastries in his hand, along with a wad of money to pay for the items.

"How does he have money to buy pastries?" I glance up at East. "Jason's usually broke."

East smiles musingly. "Asher must have a soft spot for you, if he gave the boy a better life than he had."

"Asher barely knows me." I watch Jason move about the bakery. "And from the whole whopping hour we've spent with each other, he made it pretty clear he doesn't like me, so why would he do this?"

"Perhaps he's trying to make up for what happened to your parents," East utters quietly. "If it's true what you said, that a genie killed them."

"Why would it matter to him? He's not the one who killed them." My gaze stays fixed on the mirror, a longing building in my chest as Jason laughs at something the cashier says.

She's pretty, with long, blonde hair, and big blue eyes. I wish I was with him. Laughing with him. Buying cupcakes with him. I wonder where he thinks I am. I wonder if he misses me. I wonder if he knows about the bargain.

East kicks his feet up on the coffee table and leans back into the sofa. "Here's a word of advice that's going to help you out during your lovely and very wanted time with us." He dazzles me with a grin. "Asher isn't what he seems. And if you're lucky, you'll get to know the real him."

I want to argue, tell him he's wrong, that genies aren't good. But the images reflecting back at me in the mirror complicate my argument.

"Does he remember me?" I change the subject. "Jason, I mean."

East shrugs. "You'll have to ask Asher. I'm not the one who cast the magical bargain."

My heart clenches and a bit of jealousy simmers under my skin as Jason gives the cashier girl a lopsided grin. I'm happy he's happy, I really am, but I've always secretly dreamed of him smiling at me like that. Of me being able to _let him_ smile at me like that. However, the curse the genie put on me all those years ago makes it impossible for me to go down that road with anyone. If I do, I'm giving them a death sentence. It means I'll lose them, just like I lost my parents. That they'll end up however my parents did.

"I know you said the mirror won't show me those who are dead, but can I try to ask it about my parents? I've never been quite sure if they are... really gone," I whisper, clutching the handle of the mirror.

A drop of sympathy rises in Arrow's eyes. Again, his human-like mannerisms throw me off. "You can. Just know that, if they are dead, you won't be able to see them."

Nodding, my gaze falls to the mirror. I'm almost afraid to utter the words. If I do, then I'll know for sure they're really gone. And a tiny part of me has always hoped that perhaps the genie just sent them away somewhere.

But the need to know becomes too great.

"Show me my parents," I whisper to the mirror.

The ripples reappear, the images of Jason, the cashier girl, and the bakery fading. I wait for another scene to appear. Wait for the mirror to show me my parents. I wait. And wait. And wait until all I can see is the tears in my eyes.

"Harlynn," East says as a few tears drip onto the empty mirror. He reaches out to place a hand on my arm, but I hurriedly rise to my feet.

"Can you show me to my room now?" I wipe the tears with the back of my hand, passing Arrow the mirror. "I'd really like to lie down. It's been a long day."

East's eyes are soft, full of pity and concern. "Of course."

He gets to his feet, leading me down the hallway, past all the shut doors. "I'd give you a tour, but I'm pretty sure you know where everything is, right?" He tosses a teasing smile at me from over his shoulder, but his eyes still carry pity.

When I only nod, he sighs.

We make the remainder of the journey to my room silently until we come to a stop at the last shut door.

"What are your favorite colors?" he asks, gripping the doorknob.

"Purple and black... Why?"

His lips move as he murmurs something under his breath. Then he twists the knob and shoves the door open.

The bedroom is almost as big as Asher's. The walls are a deep purple that contrast well with the black hardwood floor that matches the massive bed, dressers, and nightstands. The dome ceiling is painted with glittering silver and violet stars, and along the far back wall is a hologram view of a shimmering field of glowing violets and trees.

"It's Shimmerland," East says when he notes me staring at the hologram image. "It's where I was born."

"It's very pretty," I comment. "Are most faeries from there?"

He shakes his head. "And as pretty as the place is, it's just as dangerous." His flirty demeanor has fizzled into sadness, his eyes layered with fear. "Even more dangerous than your world."

"Then, why did you want me to see it?"

"Because it's where we're going first. I want you to get a head start on what you're getting into." With a snap of his fingers, the scene alters into a foggy forest crammed with creatures with glowing yellow eyes. "Also a part of Shimmerland and where you'll be heading."

I shudder at the sight.

"What're the eyes?"

He opens and flexes his hands. "The Banished."

"The what?"

"I'll explain in the morning and give you more details about that world. For now, get some rest." An ominous look crosses his face. "You're going to need it." He leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.

I swear I heard him whisper, "I'm sorry," before he shut the door completely.

I wonder what he could be sorry for. For forcing me to make the bargain, or for having to go to Shimmerland, a place that, if what I'm seeing on the hologram is correct, appears to be haunted by thousands of beastly creatures with the longest fangs I've ever seen?

# Chapter 6

I try to get some sleep, I really do, but I'm wired. Not to mention it feels strange lying in a comfy bed. I can't even remember the last time I slept in a bed, let alone one that feels as though it was created out of clouds.

After tossing and turning for what feels like hours, I give up and climb out of bed. As I pass by a mirror, I notice a streak of glitter across my cheek. Fey magic, but what kind? I'm not sure.

_Just what is that faerie up to?_

I wipe the glitter off with my sleeve then wander around the room. To my surprise, the dressers and the closet are filled with clothes exactly my size and match my grungy style, except for a few fancy dresses I'll never wear.

After searching almost every nook and cranny and not finding anything interesting, I leave the room to see if I can get anything to eat, because I'm starving. Plus, the view on the hologram is psyching me out for what lies ahead.

When I reach the end of the hallway and hear voices, though, I come to a screeching halt.

"She's asleep, then?" Asher asks from the living room.

"She should be," East replies. "I left her in the room and put a little bit of sleeping glitter on her pillow."

That's what the glitter was? Then, why didn't it make me feel tired?

I press my back against the wall to eavesdrop, curious as to why they want me asleep.

"Good. She's going to need a lot of rest," Asher replies in a quiet tone.

"You sound like you feel a bit guilty, Ash," Arrow says. "Do you feel bad for her?"

"Perhaps a little bit." Asher's answer is shocking.

"You have a soft spot for her already," East teases. "In all the years I've known you, I've never seen you warm up to anyone so quickly, let alone a human."

"There's something different about her," Asher mumbles. "I noticed it the moment I opened the door and saw her."

"You think she's not human?" Arrow wonders. "Because, my sensors say she is."

"I'm not sure if that's it," Asher says. "She's definitely different from other humans."

"She's very pretty," East states. "Perhaps she's one of those artificially-created humans."

_What? Someone is creating humans?_

"She's gorgeous," Asher agrees. "But I think she's real. Just has above-average looks."

_Huh?_

East snorts a laugh. "I knew you liked her the minute you told her she wasn't top-shelf. You're so fucked up sometimes."

"I panicked," Asher bites out. "She took me off guard, and I don't like surprises."

"I know you don't," East muses. "Except for maybe this one, right? That's why you kissed her for no reason at all?"

I shake my head. _So, he lied about the kiss being part of the bargain._

Asher doesn't answer him. Instead, he says, "I feel like I know her from somewhere."

"Really?" Arrow wonders. "From where?"

"I'm not sure... But those eyes of hers... and her name... I swear I've met her before. Maybe even talked to her once." Asher gives a brief pause. "I just can't place from where."

The air gets ripped from my chest. Afraid I'll start gasping, I tiptoe back to my room and lock the door. Then I slide to the floor and hug my knees to my chest.

I've only notably crossed paths with two genies before, besides Asher. Once when my parents were taken away from me, and the other incident was when I thought I was seeking revenge for my parents' death, only to be wrong and get blasted by jinn magic. If Asher is right—if we've met before—then it was during one of those two times. Only, he doesn't resemble either of those genies, so perhaps he's thinking I'm someone else.

What if he's right, though? What if he is connected to one of those genies? What if he's changed his looks since then? Paranormals can use magic to alter their appearances, like the fey and their glamour.

I swallow the lump wedged in my throat. I have no idea what's going on, but I need to get to the bottom of it. And if it turns out he had anything to do with my parents' disappearances, I'll make him pay somehow.

# Chapter 7

After overhearing Asher, East, and Arrow's conversation about me, falling to sleep seems impossible. My body is coursing with way too much adrenaline, and my brain is crammed with worried thoughts of why Asher thinks he knows me. Plus, while I hate to admit it, fear is another reason dreamland isn't beckoning me. Yet, somehow between freaking out and bursting with frustration, I must've dozed off because I'm suddenly being shaken awake.

I jolt awake as a cold, steel hand touches my arm. Then I bolt upright with my fists raised, my reaction borne out of instinct. After living on the streets for years, sleeping wherever I can, like behind dumpsters, I've learned that being woken up by someone usually isn't a good sign.

It takes me several blinks to process my surroundings. I'm in the bedroom East created for me, sitting on the floor, and Arrow is standing in front of me with his hands in front of him.

Jeez. After years of dreaming about what it would feel like to sleep in a bed again, I ended up dozing off on the floor.

"I was just trying to wake you up." Arrow eyeballs my raised fists. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you." Despite his mechanical features, his eyes radiate a stream of warmth.

I gradually lower my hands to my lap. "Sorry. You just startled me."

The wheels in his arms turn as he lowers his hands. "That's completely understandable. You're in a strange place with a bunch of strangers. No one can blame you for being on guard."

"You're very understanding for a cyborg." I sweep tangled strands of hair out of my eyes. "Sorry. That was probably rude."

He shakes his head. "Not at all. You've actually been very nice to me."

I start to laugh, then falter at the sight of his serious expression. "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not. You've been very nice to me compared to most humans and paranormals. Neither are fans of cyborgs. I think it's because we don't reveal our feelings very well, so we come off as harsh and cold, which in turn, makes others harsh and cold toward us."

I discreetly eye him over. He's dressed in all black, from the leather necklace around his neck to the clunky boots on his feet. He's also wearing a shirt today, so all the gadgets and bronzed metal in his lean arms aren't on full display. I'll admit, he's very attractive for a cyborg. Maybe even good-looking in general.

"You don't look harsh or cold." I stretch my arms above my head and yawn. "And you actually seem pretty emotional to me."

He offers me a small smile. "That's because I'm not an average cyborg."

My brows pull together. "What are you, then?"

Gadgets hum as he winks at me. "A rock star cyborg."

I smile. I can't help it. With Asher's mood swings and Easton's shameless flirting, Arrow seems like the calmest of the three, which makes me feel more at ease.

Rising to my feet, I stretch out my stiff muscles. "You play the drums, right?"

He nods, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I do."

"Is it fun?"

"Yeah. And relaxing. It's probably the only time I'm ever really relaxed."

"How good are you?" I wave off my question. "Never mind. You wouldn't be in a band if you weren't awesome."

His lips start to spread into a smile, then curve downward as I massage the back of my neck. "Did you not like the bed?" he asks. "If so, East can make you a new one."

I shake my head. "The bed's nice. I'm just not used to having one."

He blinks, looking lost. "A bed?"

I lift a shoulder. "I've lived on the streets for quite a few years, and beds are pretty rare out there."

He slants his head to the side. "Is that normal in your world?"

"For humans, it is." I pause. "Wait. My world? Are you not from here?"

He shakes his head. "Many cyborgs come from the planet Steel." He marches past me and toward the hologram window. The screen is displaying a lavender pool of water stretching between mountains. The scene would be lovely except for the monstrous, fanged beasts looming at the shore. "And we're not in your world anymore. We're in Shimmerland." He lines his palm to the screen. "Show me outside."

The hologram fades and a window pops up on the wall. Beyond the glass, stretching as far as my eyes can see, is a frost-kissed sky. Silver sunlight reflects along a field of shimmering violets and trees. Fortunately, no glowing eyes are peering from the distance, yet I can't help wondering...

"Those fanged beasts on the hologram... are they in those trees?"

"They are. They only come out at night."

I inch toward him. "What do they do, exactly?"

"I... I don't think I should tell you. It may frighten you."

"Am I going into the forest to steal an object for you guys?" As afraid as I am, I've always thought it's better to know what I'm getting into. "Because, if so, I need to know about those beasts so I can at least try to be prepared."

Arrow rubs his lips together, contemplating. "I think maybe I should take you to Asher."

"Can't you just answer me?" I plead.

Wariness creeps into his expression. "I can, but I think it'd be better if Asher tells you."

I frown. "And I think it'd be better if _you_ told me. You're much easier to talk to."

A trace of a smile graces his highlighted bronze lips, a startling yet beautiful sight. "As true as that might be, I think you should give Asher a chance."

I elevate my brows. "And why's that?"

"Because, while he may come off intense sometimes, he's actually a really good paranormal. In fact, he's pretty much the only reason I'm standing here and can function."

"What do you mean by that?" I inquire, curious about Arrow, but also about Asher.

He starts back across the room, and then opens the door. "Another story for another time, okay? Right now, we need to get you ready for your first mission, which does require Asher's help."

I suppress a grimace. "Fine, let's go talk to the genie."

He chuckles, as if I'm hilarious, but I'm not trying to be funny. My enthusiasm about talking to Asher is hovering at about a negative one hundred right now. Plus, talking to him means I'm one step closer to endeavoring on my first mission, into the woods filled with creepy beasts. My only hope is that the mission will take place in daylight. Considering the ideal time to steal something is well into the hours of nightfall, though, I'm probably going to see those beasts whether I want to or not.

# Chapter 8

We find Asher in the kitchen, leaning over the counter and munching on some bacon, eggs, and toast while reading an article on a handheld hologram. East is nowhere to be seen, and Arrow appears eager to leave, shifting his weight as he and Asher stare silently at each other, exchanging a cryptic look.

"I have some stuff to do to prepare for the mission," Arrow announces as he backs toward the door. "When you guys are ready to go, let me know."

I eyeball the two of them. "Can you two speak telepathically or something? Is that what all the silent looks are about?"

"No," Asher says at the same time Arrow tells me, "We can actually—"

Asher cuts him off with a sharp look.

Arrow presses his lips together. "See you guys later." He exits the vehicle in a hurry, the door banging closed behind him.

"What was that about?" I ask, plopping down onto a stool at the kitchen island and discreetly eyeballing Asher over.

He's dressed in all black today, with chains embellishing his jeans, and cuffs adorning his wrists. The metal piercings in his face glint in the low lighting and tattoos peek out from his shirt sleeves. He looks like a rock star. That's all there is to it. A sexy, ridiculously beautiful rock star.

"What do you mean?" Asher stares down at the handheld hologram while popping a piece of bacon into his mouth.

My mouth salivates as I inhale the aroma of freshly cooked eggs. I can't remember the last time I've seen bacon and cooked eggs, let alone tasted them.

"I mean, what's up with you guys and those cryptic looks you keep giving each other? And why did you cut Arrow off when I asked about it?" I rest my elbows on the counter filled with sleeping mini water fey and try not to stare at his plate of yummy food.

"Because I don't want you knowing too much about us." He taps the screen of the handheld hologram.

I crinkle my nose. "Well, that's sort of rude."

His gaze flicks to me. "Why would I want you to know anything about us? You're a thief who already tried to steal from me once." He returns his attention back to the handheld hologram. "The less you know about me and my band, the better."

"That's not really fair. Not when you know..." I sink my teeth into my bottom lip.

I was about to divulge that I overheard him talking about me last night. How he thinks he knows me. But I want to hold on to that secret for now, poke around a bit and gather more information. Announcing that I was eavesdropping on him will only make him put his guard up more.

His curious gaze elevates to me. "When I know what?"

I give a nonchalant shrug. "I don't know. I'm sure you know a lot of things."

He eyes me over dubiously. "You're keeping something from me."

"I'm keeping a lot of things from you."

He sets the handheld hologram down, picks up a fork, and scoops up some eggs, his gaze fixed on me. "You know, I could get every secret out of you if I wanted to."

My back stiffens, yet my voice is smooth and even when I say, "And I'm sure you will at one point or another. You are a genie, after all."

Smoke swirls in his pupils as he sets the fork down and leans forward, his expression as cold as an ice storm. "Are you hungry?"

My lips part to fire a comeback before I realize what he said. "Huh?"

The smoke in his eyes evaporates into sparkling dew. "You've been staring at my food like you're a vampire who hasn't fed in a decade. I'm assuming that means you're hungry."

"No," I lie, my stomach churning in protest. Despite that, I'm not about to take food from a paranormal who already poisoned me once. Or, well, his trunk did. Not to mention I don't want to need anything from him. "I'm not hungry at all."

"Really?" he taunts, bringing a piece of bacon up to his mouth. "That's too bad. It's _really_ good." He slowly licks his lips then takes a bite.

I practically drool all over the countertop, for two very different reasons, one of which really pisses me off.

_Stop drooling over him! He's a genie, for crying out loud!_

"I'm sure it is, but like I said, I'm not hungry."

"Suit yourself." He stuffs the piece of bacon into his mouth.

My stomach growls as a whimper leaves my lips. So much for lying. It's been too long since I've eaten a real meal.

His lips kick up into a smirk, then he devours another piece of bacon. I watch his jaw work as he chews slowly.

"Mmmm..." He presses his lips together and closes his eyes. "It's so damn good."

All my willpower goes right out the hologram window.

"Fine, I might be a little hungry," I pathetically choke out.

His smirk returns as he lifts his eyelids open. "Well, I might be able to get you some breakfast... if you ask nicely."

I grind my teeth from side to side. "May I please have some breakfast?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely..." He snaps his fingers and _poof_ , a plate stacked with pancakes, eggs, and bacon materializes in front of me.

Surprise flickers inside me. Honestly, I expected him to give me something gross, like oatmeal.

I slant forward and sniff the pancakes. "Blueberry. Holy fuck! I haven't had blueberry pancakes since..." I trail off as I notice Asher watching me with a crease between his brow. "What?"

He gives a dismissive shrug. "It's nothing. I swear you just remind me of someone. That's all."

"A human?" Maybe he hasn't met me before and is getting me confused with another human.

He shrugs, avoiding my gaze. "Maybe. I'm not really sure."

I pick up a fork and cut into my pancakes. "Have you met many humans?"

"A few."

"How long ago?"

"The meetings were spread out over the years."

"Just how old are you?"

"Older than you."

I roll my eyes. "Thanks for the vague answer. That only leaves, like, a million different ages you could be."

A trace of a smirk plays at his lips as he glances up at me. "I'm pretty sure the oldest genie still living is only five hundred and thirty-three years old, so that only leaves five hundred and thirty-two different ages."

Smartass.

"Well, based on your looks, I'm betting you're somewhere toward the older end." I smile innocently as his eyes narrow into slits.

"You think I look _old_?"

Not really. Okay, not at all. But it's too fun messing with him.

I thrum my fingers against the counter. "I don't know. Maybe. I mean, it's really hard to tell with paranormals, but you have a little bit of crow's feet right here"—I point at the corner of my eye—"so I'm guessing you have to be older. But hey, I'm sure older paranormals can still be considered top-shelf quality."

He smashes his lips together as vibrant flames ignite in his eyes. "I'm seriously starting to wonder how in the worlds you're still alive."

My smile fizzles. "Is that a threat?"

"No, not at all." He slants toward me. "I'm was just trying to say that, with as much as you smart off, I'm surprised no paranormal has ever tried to kill you. Most don't tolerate smart-mouthed humans very well."

I raise a brow. "But you do?"

He gestures at me. "You're here, aren't you?"

My lips twitch as I recall our bargain. "For now."

"I'm not going to kill you, Harlynn. I want you to be safe." His soft tone and firm gaze shocks me speechless. "Now, please eat your breakfast so we can go. The last thing we want is to go into that forest at nightfall."

"Wait. I'm not going at night? Because, from my experience, that's the best time to steal. It makes it less likely that I'll be seen."

"You don't want to be in that forest at nightfall; trust me. And as long as you do exactly what I tell you, you shouldn't get caught." He nudges the plate of food closer to me. "You need to eat up. You're going to need your strength for where we're going."

"I thought the whole point of the deal we made was because you needed me to steal these objects for you, so why would you go with me?"

"I'm not going the entire way with you. I can't. I am going to escort you as far as I can, though."

I stuff a bite of pancake into my mouth. _Oh, my gods, I forgot how good food w_ as.

"Are East and Arrow going with us, too?"

"Nope. It's just going to be you and me." He surveys my reaction. I'm not sure what sort of face I pull, but a smile graces his lips. "Don't look so scared, little thief. I promise not to bite you while we're in that forest." He turns toward the fridge and opens the door. "All bets are off, though, when we get out."

I flip him the middle finger. His back may be turned to me, but he chuckles as if he has eyes in the back of his head.

"You're blushing," he teases while digging around in the fridge.

"I am not," I lie. The truth is, my skin is flooded with warmth.

Stupid, traitor body.

He chuckles again as he grabs a small, velvet bag from the fridge then bumps the door shut.

"What is that?" I wonder, desperate for a subject change.

He pats the bag. "It's how we're going to break into the forest."

I start to stuff a bite of eggs into my mouth, then freeze. "We're breaking into the forest? You can't just walk in?"

He tucks the velvet bag into the pocket of his black jeans. "Nope. Shimmerland forest is off-limits to all paranormals who haven't been invited in. Since the fey usually only invite their kind inside, Arrow and I can't get in, and East was banished a long time ago."

"So, how am I supposed to get in? I'm not fey, either."

"But you're human."

"Aw, thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot for a second."

He shoots me a playful, dirty look. "You're such a smartass."

"Yeah, so?" I shrug then take a bite of bacon. "Since you already declared you're not going to kill me, I'm going to keep being one."

"Good."

"Huh...? Wait. What?"

He grins. "Because of our band's popularity, most paranormals and humans kiss our asses all the damn time. Everyone acts so fake, and honestly, we've gotten to the point where we don't trust anyone. But with you..." He reclines back against the fridge with his arms crossed. "I've never met anyone more blunt and real."

"Hey, I lied to you, remember?"

"Yeah, so? You also told me the truth... eventually."

The way he's looking at me, as if I'm the most fascinating creature in all the worlds, it makes me squirm.

"I also told you off a ton of times."

"I know." He rounds the island and stops in front of me. His nearness causes me to nearly choke on the bacon in my mouth. "Why do you think East invited you back to our vehicle when we were at the arena?"

I smack my chest as I cough. "Because I'm a smartass?"

He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, a bit of confusion flickering across his face. "Because your truthfulness is a breath of fresh air."

I gulp as he pulls away, tracing his fingers along my jawline.

"So, East wanted me here because I'm a truth-telling smartass?"

He nods. "That and he wanted to play with you a bit."

My fingers tighten around my fork. "I'm not a toy. I've already told you guys that."

He cocks his head to the side, his gaze scrolling over me. "Perhaps not, but you'd definitely be fun to play with."

I work to remain neutral as I shovel a bite of eggs into my mouth. "You're very hot and cold."

He shrugs. "Genies aren't known for their calm demeanor."

"No, they're not." Bitterness creeps into my tone.

The flames in his eyes evaporate. "I'm sorry... about your parents."

"Why would _you_ be sorry? You didn't do it, right?" I measure his reaction, but he closes down, a portrait of indifference.

"No, I didn't. But a genie did, and all genies are connected in one way or another." Before I can even attempt to ask him what that means, he turns on his heels, calling over his shoulder, "Eat your breakfast, then get dressed in something silver and meet me out front."

He disappears down the hallway, leaving me with a dozen questions. Like, why are all genies connected? Why do I have to wear silver? And, what on earth am I stealing?

Mostly importantly, how in the worlds am I going to get into the forest if I'm not fey?

# Chapter 9

After I wolf down my breakfast, I head back to my temporary room to change into something silver. After ransacking the closet and dresser, I manage to find a total of one outfit.

"You have got to be kidding me. _This_ is what Asher wants me to wear into a forest full of beasts? Jeez. He may say he's not trying to kill me, but this dress completely contradicts that. Or maybe he wants a good laugh, because I'm going to look pretty damn stupid in this." I slip the short, velvet, silver dress off the hanger and pull a face at it.

The straps are thin, and the hem reaches me mid-thigh and has a slit up the side. How in the hell does Asher expect me to steal anything in this? I'll stand out from a mile away. Not to mention running in it is going to be practically impossible.

"Wear it with boots."

I whirl around, pressing my hand to my chest.

East is standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb, with his arms crossed and a tricky smile tugging at his lips. His blond hair hangs in his eyes, a pair of worn jeans hang low on his hips, and he has on a shirt, yet his wings somehow poke out from over his shoulders.

"How long have you been standing there?" I ask, lowering my hand to my side.

He straightens and crosses the room toward me. "Not too long." He stops in front of me, his paper-thin, glittery wings spanning out wider. "Asher isn't trying to kill you. The dress will help you blend in."

"In a forest full of beasts?" I doubt.

"In a faerie forest full of beasts," he stresses. "Every fey, even ones wandering through a forest, usually wear extravagant outfits." He fiddles with the hem of the dress I'm holding. "And we're known for loving and collecting sparkly, pretty things." His gaze lifts to mine, his lips quirking. "So, you better be extra careful. If you cross paths with a faerie, they just might try to keep you."

"You mean, like _you_ tried?"

"Not try. _Did_."

I target him with a nasty look that only makes him grin.

For some dumb reason, I almost grin, too.

_Dammit, the faerie is wearing on me._

"I'm not here under my own free will," I remind him. "And once I've gotten you guys your objects, I'll be gone and you'll never see me again."

He smirks. "We'll see."

My insides constrict. "We had a bargain. If I get the objects, then I get to leave."

"Yes, but get and want are two different things."

"I'm going to want to leave; trust me."

"We'll see," he repeats, seeming so sure. "I have a feeling you might just end up falling in love with us, and then you're not going to want to leave."

My stomach clenches at the mention of love. "Not likely."

He twirls a strand of my hair around his finger. "Many humans have, you know—fallen in love with paranormals. They have this fascination with how powerful we are, and it makes us nearly irresistible."

Bitterness stirs inside me. Not toward him, but toward the genie who cursed me.

"Well, for your sake, I hope that doesn't happen."

His forehead creases. "Why would you say that?"

I shrug, grinding my teeth. "Let's just say I've been cursed when it comes to love."

He rubs his free hand across his jawline. "That sounds like a lyric from a cheesy love song."

I latch on to the subject change. "Please don't tell me you're going to put it into one of your songs."

He busts up laughing, his fingers falling from my hair.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

He shakes his head, tears of laughter glimmering in his eyes. "It's nothing. I'm just wondering if you've ever heard any of our music."

"No, but why does that matter?"

He presses his palm to his chest, feigning hurt. "Aw, sweetheart, how you wound my heart."

I stare at him blankly, a smile threatening to turn my lips upward.

I don't want to like him. He's a paranormal. He can't be trusted. Plus, he's the biggest flirt I've ever met. Yet, I'm starting to find him amusing. I don't know how to feel about that.

He grins as he notes the look on my face. "If you listen to our songs, you'd realize we're not really cheesy love songs kind of musicians."

I shrug, trying to pretend like I'm not as curious as I am. "Whatever you say."

"Don't pretend like you're not intrigued." His eyes glitter as he snaps his fingers.

Music begins to filter through the room, a low bass mixed with strums of guitar and passionate drumbeats.

"Enjoy," he singsongs as he backs across the room. "And make sure to wear the thigh-high lace-up boots with that dress. You'll be able to walk easier. Plus, it'll show off those killer legs of yours." He winks at me before stepping out of the doorway, pulling the door closed behind him.

As the door clicks shut, Asher's voice rises into the song, mixing with the instruments. His tone is a mixture of low, sultry, and raspy. The lyrics are anything but cheesy, all pain and darkness, and internal and worldly agony. He sings about torture. He sings about loss. He sings about a world painted in shadows. He sings about a world I know.

It makes me wonder if he understands me.

How could he? He's a genie. Isn't he part of what brought the shadows into the human world to begin with?

As much as I don't want to, I find myself getting lost in the music as I peel off my clothes and slip into the dress. The soft material conforms to my body, almost making me feel naked. Adding the thigh-high boots does make me feel more like myself. I also strap on some leather bracelets to feel more comfortable and leave my hair down in an untamed mess of waves. Still, when I look in the mirror, I hardly recognize myself. Probably because I haven't worn a dress in at least a decade. But... I don't know. There's something else, something about the way my face looks, like my eyes seem a bit bigger and sparkly, my lips fuller, my skin smoother.

_Maybe East did something to me? Like sprinkled faerie magic on me or something?_

I grimace at the thought then head out of the room, scooping up my trusty lock pick on the way. I never do a job without it.

When I reach the living room, instead of walking outside, I crack the door open and listen for any exchange of words that Asher, East, and Arrow might be having. I need something that will help me figure out why Asher thinks he knows me, and why my eyes are sparkling like fireflies right now.

"I'm not so sure about this," East mutters lowly. "Something's not right."

"If we don't send her in, then we won't have the rock, and then we'll never be able to take them down," Asher replies with a sigh. "Is that what you want? For them to continue carrying on with their lives after what they did to our families?"

"No," East utters softly. "But I don't want to put her in danger, either. I mean, what if she's not what we think she is? Then the moment she steps into the forest, chaos is going to break loose."

"She is one," Asher assures him. "It's all she could be."

"Not necessarily. She could be something rare and Arrow's sensors just can't recognize her, so they just associate her with something she resembles."

"That seems like a really big stretch."

"But a possibility." East pauses. "You said you thought you knew her?"

"I don't know..." he murmurs. "Sometimes it feels like I do, but not all the time."

"She said something strange to me while we were in her bedroom," East says. "When I suggested that she could end up falling in love with all of us."

Asher lets out a low laugh. "I really doubt that's going to happen."

"We'll see," East quips. "We're getting off the point. My point is that, when I suggested her imminent falling in love with us, she told me that, for my sake, she hopes that doesn't happen."

"Perhaps she's not amused with your flirting."

"No, it wasn't like that. It was more like a warning."

"A warning for what?"

"I'm not sure. She was pretty vague."

A murmuring breeze fills up the silence that stretches between them.

"Perhaps you should..." Asher starts.

"You think I should?" Hesitancy laces East's voice.

"I don't want you to," Asher mumbles quietly, "but I think it's for the best."

My fingers curl around the door handle. Just what are they up to?

I wait for them to continue, but they grow strangely quiet.

After about five minutes of maddening silence, I give up, push out the door, and step outside into Shimmerland, the first world I've ever been to besides Endlessland.

The pale light glistening from the sky is alarmingly bright, and I instantly squeeze my eyes shut.

"Ow," I gripe.

"Good faerie gods," East mumbles from close by. "That's just ridiculous."

"I'm not used to this brightness, okay?" I defend my reaction. "The sunlight here isn't like in my world."

East chuckles. "That's not what I meant."

I crack an eyelid open and find him standing in front of me with a look of pure wonderment on his face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shrugs, his eyes sparkling like the sky. "Because you're glowing."

I squint down at my hands, and my jaw nearly smacks the iridescent ground.

"Why is my skin shimmering?"

"Because we're in Shimmerland where everything shimmers," he teases, his gaze sweeping up and down my body. "The look suits you, sweetheart."

I rotate my arms over, examining the glassy appearance of my skin. "I'm not sure I agree with you."

Asher moves up beside me, lightly wrapping his fingers around my wrist. He skims his finger along the inside, watching as my flesh swishes like floating glitter. "Pulchra mirantibus."

"What does that mean?" I ask, fighting back a shiver brought on by his touch.

"Yeah, Ash, what does that mean?" East mocks with a smirk.

Asher blasts him with a fiery death glare, his fingers leaving my wrist. "We should get going." He begins hiking away from us and across the flowery field toward the trees.

"Man, genies are moody." Sighing, I start after him, when East captures my elbow.

"Just a second. You're missing one thing." Lifting his hand to his mouth, his cheeks puff as he blows a breath. Glitter appears out of nowhere, sprinkling all over my face and shoulders.

I cough, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand. "What? I wasn't sparkling enough already?"

His lips twitch as he shrugs. "Just thought I'd make you extra sparkly and delicious."

I dust the glitter off my hands. "Are you trying to get The Banished to eat me or something?"

Frowning, he shakes his head. "I'd never wish such a treacherous death on anyone, let alone my new toy." He grins as my eyes narrow. "Don't worry; I can be your toy, too."

"Oh, for the love of faeries." I walk toward Asher, who came to a stop in the middle of the field and is watching us.

"Why did you say that, for my sake, you hope you don't fall in love with me?" East calls out after me.

I smash my lips together as it clicks into place. The glitter must've been some sort of truth magic. That's what Asher and he are up to. They're using magic to force me to tell them the truth.

I mentally curse all paranormals as my lips part. "Who knows? Sometimes I just say stuff. Honestly, you really shouldn't pay much attention to anything I say."

East's brows knit. "Are you sure that's the reason?"

I nod. _Huh. Maybe I was wrong about what the glitter was._

When East trades a perplexed look with Asher, I question if the glitter was exactly what I thought it was and it just didn't work on me. Just like the sleeping glitter Easton put on my pillow.

Why isn't his magic working on me? Magic has worked on me before. What's different about me now?

"Can I go now?" I ask East. "Or do you want to blow more glitter in my face?"

"I don't know..." He nibbles on his bottom lip, his worried gaze straying to Ash. "Maybe she shouldn't go."

With a sigh, Asher backtracks toward us, his boots crushing the glassy flowers. "We already talked about this." His gaze bores into East. "We need that rock."

I dust some glitter off my neck. "This seems like a lot of trouble to get a simple rock."

Asher glances at me. "It's not just a rock. It's the Rock of Forthcoming Magic. And once we get it working, it'll warn us of any magic coming our way."

I adjust the bottom of my dress. "Do you expect a lot of magic to come your way?"

He nods. "We have a plan to take on—"

"What are you doing?" East hisses, glancing around the field nervously. "Don't discuss that shit out here."

"I didn't mean to..." Asher rakes his hand through his hair. "I have no clue why I said that."

East breathes loudly as he scans the trees. "I can't believe you just did that. You're usually so careful."

"I know. I swear it was like my tongue was being controlled or something. Like I had to answer her question..." His gaze zeroes in on me.

So do East's.

I step back. "Why are you guys looking at me? I didn't do anything."

Asher glances at East, who nods with his jaw set tight.

Asher strides toward me, taking long, determined steps. I turn to run, although I'm unsure of where I'm going since I'm in an unfamiliar world full of faeries that East insists are going to want to eat me up.

I make it a whole two steps before Asher loops his arm around my waist.

"Let me go!" I shout as he picks me up and slings me over his shoulder. The cool breeze hits my butt as my dress rides up. My eyes widen as I reach back and tug the hem down.

"No." Asher marches toward the world jumper vehicle. "Not until we talk."

"We can talk without you carrying me," I gripe, smacking his back with my free hand.

"No, we can't." He throws open the door to the vehicle and storms inside.

East trails at our heels with his head angled to the side. "What are you, sweetheart?" he whispers so lowly I barely hear him.

"I'm _human_ ," I annunciate. "Have been since the day I was born."

East's eyes enlarge. "You shouldn't have been able to hear me while I was speaking in that frequency."

I sweep my hair out of my face. "You sounded like you were talking normally to me."

Worry creases his perfect features. "Asher?"

"I heard." Asher sets me down on the sofa then puts his hands on his hips and stares down at me. "Who are you, little thief?"

"I'm Harlynn." My voice drips with sarcasm as I rearrange my dress into place. "We already went over this, remember? While we were doing the bargain."

East plops down on the armrest, his eyes sparkling with fascination. "Is it one of your tricks?"

"Is what one of my tricks?" I literally have no clue what's going on, other than I did something that apparently implied I'm not human. Whatever it was has them spooked.

"You reflected my magic," East tells me, measuring my reaction closely.

"Um, no, I didn't," I deny. "I didn't even know you could do that."

"Most can't." He places his hand on the back of the sofa as he leans in, his wings cocooning around me. "But certain paranormal species can. Most of them are rare and unheard of. But the question is: which one are you?"

I try to recline away from him, but his wings secure me in place. "I'm human. I swear I am."

Asher shakes his head. "There's no way you can be. Humans can't reflect fey magic on other paranormal creatures like you just did to me. It's why I was about to tell you..."

"Tell me what? The truth? Like how you tried to use magic to get me to tell you the truth?" I cross my arms and stare him down.

"Yes," he answers with a drop of shame. "But instead, _I_ almost ended up telling _you_ the truth." He moves closer to me, his eyes darkening. "What did you do to me?"

My mind drifts back to the day I lost my parents and the genie cursed me. My body was so hot I thought I was going to start on fire. Then the genie ignited into flames himself instead and asked me what I'd done, just like Asher is now.

"What is it?" Asher presses, his gaze never wavering from mine.

I shake my head. "It's nothing."

He momentarily searches my eyes then sinks down on the sofa beside me. "If you know something, you can tell us. We won't hurt you."

A hollow laugh escapes my lips. "You guys tried to use magic to trick me into telling you my secret. How the hell does that scream _trust me_?"

"That was a bad decision on our part," Asher agrees with a nod. "But I promise you, you can trust us. In fact, I'll even make a bargain with you."

"To let me go?" I ask with hope. "I mean, if you guys don't think I'm human, then what's the point of keeping me, right?"

Asher shakes his head. "Whatever you are, you're rare enough that you still come off as human, so you should be able to steal the objects we need." He scoots closer to me, and so does East, sliding off the armrest and onto the cushion. "I'll make you a bargain. Whatever you tell us will stay between us. We won't use anything you say against you. We won't get upset. And we won't hurt you in any way."

While I'm human and have virtually nothing important to tell them, making the bargain is enticing. After all, it'd give me security that none of them could hurt me. Although, I'm unsure they would. Well, I'm pretty sure East and Arrow wouldn't. Asher's still a bit iffy.

"I really don't know much," I tell Asher. "But I'll tell you what I do know if you make the bargain."

He nods, wetting his lips with his tongue. "Okay."

"And you have to tell me one of your secrets, too," I add. "A secret of my choosing."

Wariness floods his expression. "What do you want to know?"

I lift a shoulder. "I'll let you know after we strike the bargain."

He deliberates. "All right, in exchange for you telling us what you know about your strange abilities, I'll reveal one secret about me of your choosing. We won't use anything you say against you, we won't get upset, and no harm will come to you. Do we have a bargain, Harlynn?"

I replay his words then nod. "We have a deal."

He nods, too, and then his mouth crashes against mine. He parts my lips with his tongue as I clutch his shoulders, my heart racing like a cracked-out hummingbird. For a moment, I get lost. For a moment, I let him kiss me deeply. For a moment, I like the feel of his warm lips against mine and the way he slides his hand around my back. Then I remember what I overheard. How kissing isn't really part of making a genie bargain.

I shove him away, panting for air, my lips tingling. "Why do you keep doing that?"

His eyelids flutter open, his eyes glazed over. "Doing what?"

"Keep kissing me." I swallow hard, ignoring the fluttering in my chest brought on from the kiss. "I know it isn't part of the deal. I heard East say so."

Asher's lips sink into a frown. "When?"

I take a few measured breaths, my heart continuing to soar like a lunatic. "Last night while you guys thought I was sleeping."

"But my magic..." East stares at me in astonishment. "Fuck, it didn't put you to sleep, did it?"

I shake my head. "No. And I don't appreciate you trying to dope me up."

"I wasn't trying to dope you up, sweetheart," East insists. "I was trying to help you rest. You looked exhausted."

"Well, thanks, I guess." Confusion dances through me. I'm not sure whether to be angry or touched by his gesture. And that uncertainty is even more puzzling. "For the record, I'm not a fan of drugs."

"Because of your friend?" East asks, and I nod. "All right."

I return my attention back to Asher, only to find him staring at my lips as if he wants to devour them. It makes it hard to breathe, and my voice sounds a bit wobbly as I say, "How do you know me? Because I also overheard you say that you thought you did."

He tears his gaze off my lips and focuses on my eyes. "Is that the secret you want to know?"

I nod. "Yes."

His throat muscles work as he swallows hard. "I'm not exactly sure yet, but perhaps, if you tell me what you are, it might strike my memory."

"I don't know what I am," I answer truthfully. Then words start pouring out of my mouth, under no control of my own. Damn genie bargain magic. "There was this one time, right after that genie killed my parents, that something strange happened. He had just cursed me. It was an awful curse, too."

"What was the curse?" Asher asks, looking a bit pale.

"That when I truly fall in love with someone, they're going to end up like my parents, which means they're going to turn into dust and blow away to who knows where." Tears sting my eyes, yet the magic of the bargain keeps me talking. "Anyway, after he cursed me, I felt like I was going to combust. I was so hot, but then I suddenly wasn't. Then the genie burst into flames and asked me what I'd done." I release a deafening breath as I slump back in the sofa. "Holy shit, I've never told anyone about that. Not even Jason."

"What did this genie look like?" Asher asks, placing a hand on my knee.

"He was tall, with heavily tattooed arms and raven black hair," I reply automatically. "And he had these weird bluish-purple tinted eyes, like the color at the bottom of a flame."

Asher squeezes his eyes shuts, now gripping my knee.

"Fuck," East mutters, rubbing his hand across his forehead.

I glance back and forth between them. "What is it?"

Asher presses his fingers to the brim of his nose. "The genie who cursed you and took away your parents... he was—is—my father."

# Chapter 10

If it weren't for the bargain, I'd run. But, since the bargain protects me from any harm, I stay on the sofa, needing answers.

"How do you know that for sure?" I ask, my voice strained.

_His father killed my parents? His father cursed me? His father was the genie who ruined my life?_

"Because my father is the only genie with that color eyes." Asher lowers his hand from his nose and stares out the window, avoiding my gaze. "And it explains how I know you."

"How does that explain how you know me?" My voice trembles with rage.

_His father killed my parents. Oh gods, I feel sick._

Asher's chest rises and crashes as he releases a stressed breath. "About seven or eight years ago, my father put a curse on me."

"I was cursed about eight years ago, too," I say absentmindedly.

He meets my gaze. "I know."

My anger morphs into confusion. "How?"

I see flames rise in Asher's eyes then he looks away, the muscles in his jaw ticking. "Because he cursed me with the same curse."

"You've never been in love before?" I question skeptically.

"Who really knows?" He shrugs, staring at the floor.

"You should know if you have," I say, feeling a twinge of pity for him, knowing what it's like to never have been in love. To know that I never will be without awful repercussions. "From what my parents told me, love isn't the sort of thing you're not sure you've ever felt before."

"Well, then I guess I've never felt it before," he snaps. Then his voice softens. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. This is in no way your fault."

"It's fine." I place a hand on his knee, feeling even more sorry for him. Who would've thought me, the girl who despises genies, would pity a genie? I guess there's a first time and right circumstance for everything. "I get it. That curse has haunted me for eight years. I have to worry about every person I get close to and worry if I'm going to end up killing them."

He stares down at my hand on his knee, then his gaze drags up to my face. "So, my father didn't tell you who you'd fall in love with?"

"No, just that I would." I pause. "Did he tell you?"

Shaking his head, he looks away and rubs his hand across his face. "This is so fucking unbelievable. I mean, I knew my father was fucked up, but this..." He shakes his head again, his gaze welding with mine. "I'm sorry about your parents. I really am. I know that doesn't make it better, but I promise that one day my father will pay for all the wrongs he's done. It's part of the reason we need that rock."

"To get rid of your father?" I like the idea probably way too much. I've wanted to do it myself since the day he took my family away and cursed me with a loveless future.

Asher nods, resting his hand on my knee. "Well, him and a handful of other powerful and corrupt paranormals."

Suddenly, journeying into that forest with the beasts sounds appealing.

"I want to help."

Asher eyes me over. "With killing my father?"

I nod. "I made a vow the day he took my parents away that, if I ever have the chance, I'd make him pay." I push to my feet. "So, how about we get going on stealing that rock thingy?"

East snatches ahold of my hand as I start to walk toward the door, his lips tugging into an amused smile. "As much as I love your enthusiasm to slay Asher's father, we need to find out what you are before we send you out into those trees."

"Why? You said I registered as a human." I try to wiggle my arm from his grip, but he tows me back down onto the sofa. I heave a dramatic sigh. "Come on; quit wasting time."

East chuckles, glancing at Asher. "You're lucky."

"Not if we can't fix it," Asher mutters, staring at the window again.

"We'll fix it," East reassures him, tangling his fingers through mine. "Until then, I'm still going to play."

Asher glares at East. "You seriously love pushing my buttons sometimes."

East's smile is all sorts of wickedness. "Of course I do. But, I'll tell you what, if you just say it aloud, I'll stop."

I attempt to tug my hand from his, to no avail. "Will someone please tell me what in the worlds you two are talking about?"

East smiles at Asher. In return, Asher glares back.

"We're talking about nothing," Asher replies, I think to me, but it's hard to say for sure since he's glaring at East. "Now, can we please talk about how we're going to figure out what Harlynn is?"

"I might know a way." Arrow walks in from outside. "But it'll take a few days."

"Were you standing out there the entire time?" East asks Arrow with his brow curved up.

Arrow shrugs, stuffing his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. "I didn't want to interrupt, so I just listened. Figured I'd save you guys some time filling me in."

East muses over something. "You cyborgs, always thinking ahead."

"You should try it sometime," Arrow jokes with a ghost of a smile.

East dismisses him with a flick of his wrist. "Nah, that's way too boring for my taste." He leans back in the sofa, still holding my hand and pulling me with him.

"So, what's your plan?" Asher asks Arrow, his breath tickling my shoulder.

I turn my head toward him, finding him so close our lips nearly touch. I slant back automatically, only to bump into East. Seriously, these guys have issues with personal space.

"The steel books," Arrow replies with a hint of hesitancy.

Asher quickly shakes his head. "It's too dangerous."

"It might be the only way to find out what she is." Arrow crosses the room and sinks down into a chair across from us.

"And who's supposed to go get it?" Asher asks, sliding his arm across the back of the sofa behind me. "From what I understand, they're nearly impossible to get."

"I'll go get them," Arrow replies, the wheels in his arms craning as he shrugs. "I know some cyborgs who live inside the city. They might be able to get me in."

"What are these steel books?" I interrupt. "And where are they exactly?"

"The steel books contain all the knowledge and history of our worlds, including all the various types of paranormals," Asher explains. "They're also locked up in Planet Steel and, like I said, nearly impossible to get to."

"Nearly, but not impossible," Arrow insists, propping his boot onto his knee.

"It's too dangerous," Asher insists. "Remember the last time you were in your world."

For a flash of an instant, fear sparks in Arrow's eyes.

My heart constricts in my chest. Out of the three of them, Arrow has been the kindest to me.

"If it's dangerous, maybe he shouldn't go," I chime in. "Maybe there's a better, less dangerous way to find out what I am." Although, I'm still not even sure I believe this whole idea that I'm not human. I've never shown any signs of magic. And other than my ability to steal, and apparently, occasionally reflect fey magic, I've never been extraordinary at anything.

"You're worried about him?" Asher asks me, brushing strands of my hair away from my shoulder.

I shrug. "Why wouldn't I be? He seems nice, and I don't want him to die just so we can figure out if I'm some strange creature."

Asher's lips quirk. "The little smartass thief has a kind heart."

"So, I'm kind, a smartass, a thief, and blunt. Good to know you're keeping track of all my lovely traits." I dazzle him with a smirk. "I must be super fascinating."

"Perhaps." He absentmindedly plays with my hair.

I want to duck away from him but, since East is hovering close to my other side, there's nowhere to go. And Arrow is sitting right in front of me. I'm surrounded by them again. Surrounded by paranormals. Yet, for some crazy reason, fear isn't spiking through me.

"I won't die." Arrow holds my gaze. "It takes a lot to kill a cyborg."

I open my mouth to protest, but East talks over me.

"I'll go with him," he says. "Between the two of us, we should be able to pull it off. Although, we're going to be late for our next tour stop."

"You guys are still on tour?" I shiver as Asher's fingers graze my shoulder. _Why in the weirdo genies does he keep touching me?_

"We're almost always on tour." East winks at me. "If you're lucky, maybe we'll let you come see us play. I know how much you love our music."

He doesn't give me a chance to protest, jumping right into planning how they're going to steal the steel books. It doesn't really matter anyway, since the truth is I do like their music. May even like _them_ a little bit, too. But my feelings are conflicted.

Is it wrong to like paranormals? Especially paranormals who know the genie who took my parents away from me? I don't know the answer. Maybe I never will. All I can hope for is that I'll at least get revenge for my parents' deaths.

# Chapter 11

It's not until I've wandered back to my room that a random thought occurs to me.

Asher never explained how he knew me.

Sure, he told me that his father cursed him with the same curse he put on me, but that still doesn't explain why he thought I looked familiar.

_Damn evasive genies._

Needing the answer, I abandon changing and head back to the living room to demand some answers. Again, the sound of voices makes me pause before I reach the end of the hallway.

"So, she's the girl your father showed you?" East asks. A pause drifts by, and then he says, "I can't believe it."

I press my back to the wall and listen, surprised they're talking about me since they're aware of my little eavesdropping habit.

"Actually, I can believe it," East continues over the lovely sound of guitar strings being plucked. "She's sort of perfect for you, in a weird, twisted way."

"My father always did love fucking with me," Asher replies tightly as music flows through the air.

"Aw, don't pout, Ash," East teases. "Deep down, you know you're not disappointed. I saw that look in your eyes. You like our little questionable human."

"No, I don't," he snaps as the guitar strumming stops. "And even if I did, I couldn't admit it. She'll die if I do."

"Only if you fall in love with her."

"According to the curse my father showed me, I will. And then I'll have to hold her in my arms while I watch her die." Asher hastily clears his throat as he starts to choke up. "Just like I watched my mother die."

A wave of pain, sadness, and anger tears through me, nearly ripping the air from my lungs.

Asher's father didn't just curse him? He showed him how the curse was going to play out? That he'd fall in love with me then watch me die? Like he watched his mother die?

"We're going to change the outcome," East promises. "I swear we will."

"I just don't want... to see her die." Asher's voice wavers. "I already feel... different about her."

"But different isn't love, so we still have time," East reminds him. "Although, we should probably be more careful about what we say. She can hear different pitch frequencies. Just another thing that makes me question if she's human."

Silence briefly stretches between them, and then the music begins playing again.

"So, I think we should start working on some new songs," Asher says, and then they jump into a conversation about the band.

I tiptoe back to my room, my legs shaking as I shut the door. My mind races a million-faerie wing flutters a second as I sink to the floor and process what I heard.

_Asher is going to fall in love with me, and then I'm going to die._

_I'm going to die._

_I'm going to fall in love._

I gulp, unsure which one frightens me more.

I can't let that happen. Can't fall in love, with anyone, let alone a genie.

_I'll find a way to stop this_ , I vow to myself. _Somehow._

Deep down, I understand I may not have any control over the outcome. Love isn't always controllable. I may not want to fall in love, and I can fight it with every breath I take, but in the end, I could lose. And then I'll lose everything.

# Chapter 12

Genies are so annoying. Huge pains in the asses. Faeries aren't that fabulous either, at least not as much as they seem to think they are. Cyborgs are cool, but they do like to participate in dirty, little lies that could hurt someone.

I know I sound like a straight-up bitch, but I'm going through some stuff, okay? Like how I just discovered I may not be human. Or a normal human anyway. And that the genie who made my parents vanish and cursed me to never be able to fall in love also cursed his own son with a similar curse. Only, he gave Asher the great pleasure of seeing who his demised lover will be, and apparently, the lucky dead girl walking is moi.

_Le sigh._ I don't understand how me, hater of all genies and most paranormal creatures, is supposedly going to fall in love with a genie then die in his arms.

Sure, Asher isn't as awful as his father or other genies I've crossed paths with, and I feel terrible for what his father has done to him, but he still has a way of working underneath my skin. Like, for instance, right now.

I already woke up in a really bad mood. Then the moment I stepped foot into the kitchen, my irritation grew the instant Asher opened his mouth.

"Are you going to make me do this every time I want to eat?" I huff an exasperated breath. "If so, you seriously have control issues."

He's standing on the opposite side of the kitchen island, wearing a pair of black jeans that hang low on his hips, with chains dangling from the pockets. He may be completely irritating, but I have to admit he's sexy.

Dammit, why do genies have to be so sexy? It'd make my despising him so much easier if I wasn't attracted to him.

Asher slants forward, resting his arms on the glass countertop filled with mini water fey blowing glittery bubbles. "All you have to do is say please. I don't see what the big deal is."

"It's not a big deal. I just wanted to point out that you're a control freak, just in case you weren't aware."

"Oh, I'm well aware." He plucks up a piece of sausage from the plate in front of him, sticks it into his mouth, then licks his lips clean.

My mouth salivates, but I refuse to say please. I refuse to let him win.

Yesterday when he did the same thing to me, I quickly caved. Today, though, I'm feeling pretty stubborn, mostly because of what I found out last night about Asher's curse. Between his curse and mine, I highly doubt I'm going to fall in love anytime soon, which makes me feel super sulky.

Sure, I already knew I couldn't fall in love, but now it seems even more impossible.

"You seem particularly moody this morning." Asher glances down at his handheld device. "Any particular reason?"

"Um, yeah, because an _old_ , douchebag genie refuses to let me eat breakfast."

When his gaze snaps up to mine, I offer him a sugary sweet smile.

His eyes darken as he sets the handheld device down. "You know, that's twice you've called me old. Most genies would've gotten rid of you by now."

"It's a good thing you need me then, isn't it?" I casually slide my arm across the countertop toward his plate in a lame attempt to steal a piece of sausage.

As my fingers graze the edge of the plate, he moves it out of my reach.

"Say the magic words, little thief, and I'll give you the best breakfast that's ever passed across those pretty lips of yours."

I mentally roll my eyes at his cheesiness. Between him and East, I'm on cheesy overload.

"The best breakfast I've ever had?" I draw my hand back to my lap. "That bar isn't too high since most of my breakfasts came from dumpster diving."

Curiosity sparkles in his eyes. "What's dumpster diving?"

"Digging food out of a dumpster."

His face twists in disgust. "You've eaten food out of a trash can before?"

My jaw ticks, but not necessarily because of him. "Starvation sometimes leads to having to take drastic measures. like digging food out of a trash can."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." He _almost_ sounds genuine.

"Why? It wasn't your fault." I eyeball his food again, on the verge of giving in and begging.

_I'm so hungry._

"Perhaps." He wavers his head from side to side. "Maybe it is, though. I mean, my father took your parents away from you, which led to you living on the streets, right?"

My chest constricts at the reminder. "I was dumpster diving when my parents were still around. Not that much, but... Starvation is—was pretty unavoidable. And I'm sure it'll still be after I steal these objects for you and my life goes back to normal." I wait to see if he'll divulge why he's said more than a handful of times that he feels like he knows me. See if he'll admit he's cursed to fall in love with me, only to watch me die.

I doubt it. No, the only way to get the truth around here is to listen in on conversations. And with East and Arrow about to endeavor to the planet Steel, Asher will have no one to chat with, so my resource for getting information will be long gone. Probably doesn't matter anyway. Ever since they discovered I have the ability to hear other pitch frequencies, they've started being careful about what they say.

"When your life goes back to normal, huh?" A pucker forms between his brows.

"What? Is it not going to?" I challenge. "Because we made a deal that after I stole these objects for you, you'll set me free, remember?"

"Of course I remember. In fact, I'm counting down the days until our bargain is completed." He smirks when I glare at him. "However, I wouldn't be surprised if you got so attached to us that you wanted to stay. Humans can be rather clingy."

"Well, according to you guys, I may not be human." I grin haughtily. "So, I guess that doesn't apply to me. It's probably why I had such an easy time turning down you guys' offer to come back to your world jumper vehicle when we were back at the arena."

"Doubtful. I think you just wanted to make sure the vehicle was empty so you could try to steal my lamp." His pierced, pale blue lips kick up into a smirk. "And other creatures can be clingy, too. I'm betting you're one of them." He reclines against the counter behind him, crossing his arms and grinning as I flip him the middle finger. "What? It's true. I can't tell you how many times a groupie has fallen in love with the band and wanted to come on tour with us. It's pretty pathetic, if you ask me."

"I'm not a groupie or a fan of paranormals, so I doubt that's going to be a problem," I quip, sneaking a glance at his plate of food. "Plus, I find you guys super annoying."

He's far enough away that I might be able to snatch the plate and run, if I'm sneaky enough. Well, unless he blasts me with a curse. But from what I've seen, Asher doesn't possess normal genie cruelty. And as far as I can tell, he loathes using his magic.

"If you say so." Doubt twinkles in his smoky eyes. "You've only been with us for a couple days, though."

"Yeah, so?" I arch my brow, carrying his gaze in an attempt to distract him as I discreetly slide my arm across the countertop.

"So, you'll more than likely be with us for at least a couple months, which leaves a lot of time for your feelings to change."

"Ha, I highly doubt that's going to happen. And why the hell would you even want my feelings to change after what you found out about me..." My eyes suddenly pop wide. "Wait. Back the hell up. A couple _months_?" I shake my head, pulling my arm back. "No, no, no, no, no. There's no way I can be stuck on this world jumper vehicle with you guys for a couple months. I'll lose my mind! We have to find a faster way to do this. Like, how can we shave off some time?"

He searches my eyes for worlds knows what. "With all the stops we have to make, including the planet Water, which takes over three weeks of traveling to get there, a couple months will be pushing it already."

My expression sinks. "Isn't there a shortcut?"

"That traveling estimate _is_ with taking shortcuts. The only other way to get through this quicker would be to teleport, and since none of us are witches, that's impossible."

My lips tug into an even deeper frown. "Don't you know any witches?"

He stares at me for an unnerving amount of time before pushing away from the counter. Then he strolls around the kitchen island and comes to a stop unsettlingly close to me. "We do know a few witches, but no one can know what we're up to, Harlynn. Asking for outside help means dealing with questions and leaving tracks behind, which could lead to us getting caught."

I tilt my head up to meet his gaze, my hair cascading down my back. "But you told me about your plan. Well, some of it."

He leans in, his eyes darkening with smoke. "Yes, little thief, but I swore you to secrecy with magic. Plus, you have a lot riding on us succeeding."

True. If I don't succeed, or if I try to double-cross these guys, not only will I die, but so will Jason.

"You know, I really wish you'd just tell me exactly what you guys are up to, instead of feeding me bits and pieces."

He lowers his head, his lips dangerously close to mine. "If I told you, then I'd have to keep you. And from what you just told me, you don't want that... right?"

My heart thunders in my chest, for various reasons. One reason has a lot to do with how delicious he smells, like cupcakes and frosting.

_Dammit, I'm getting so hungry I just might bite him._

A low chuckle reverberates from his chest. "Go ahead."

I blink. "Huh?"

A cocky grin tugs at his lips. "Take a bite out of me. I won't mind."

_Oh, my ditzy unicorns, did I say that aloud?_

"I didn't mean that in, like, a sexual way," I say in an attempt to salvage some dignity. "I meant, bite you aggressively so you'll go away and I can eat."

Rubbing his lips together, he nudges my legs open with his knee.

"Hey, what the hell—"

In the snap of a magical wish, he's positioned himself between my legs and has an arm on each side of me, his lips dipping close to mine. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a terrible liar?"

"No, because I'm not." Like a boss, my voice comes out even. "In fact, back on the streets, my nickname was Miss Perfect Liar."

He cocks a brow, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Is that true?"

I steadily hold his gaze, ignoring the flutters going mad crazy inside my chest.

Stupid flutters. They need to chill the eff out and stop getting all excited over stupid genie touches.

"If I'm such a terrible liar, like you implied," I say evenly, "then you should already know the answer to that."

He presses his lips together, struggling not to smile. "I guess so." His gaze descends to my mouth and, holy crazy troll babies, I think he is considering kissing me.

If he does, I'm for sure going to slap him.

I think so anyway...

Okay, okay, I don't know what I'll do, and I never get to find out, because East and Arrow stroll into the room and ruin the moment.

"Well, well, well, this looks interesting." East scans over the distance—or lack of—between Asher and me. His glittery wings are spanned out, and he's dressed in black pants and a matching shirt, his blond hair a perfectly styled mess.

Asher's gaze flicks to mine, and then he pushes away from me and turns to East. "Harlynn and I were just arguing about breakfast."

"Sure you were." East gives Asher a knowing smile.

Shaking his head, Asher wanders back to the other side of the kitchen and collects his handheld device. "When are you guys taking off?"

East gives me a look that I don't bother trying to decipher, then he strolls over to the fridge. "Pretty soon. We just need to grab some supplies."

"Don't forget to grab some extra faerie dust," Arrow says as he takes a seat on the barstool beside mine. His arms that are spun of flesh and bronzed gadgets flex as he crosses his arms on top of the counter. "Are you hungry?" he whispers lowly to me.

_How did he know?_

I nod. "Starving actually."

"What are you two whispering about?" East asks us as he turns away from the fridge with two small velvet bags in his hand. "And why the hell can't I hear you?"

A small smile pulls at Arrow's lips. "Because we're speaking in a frequency only cyborgs can hear and speak."

Asher's gaze zeroes in on Arrow. "So, not only can she hear other frequencies, she can speak them, too?"

Arrow shrugs. "Apparently."

Asher sets the handheld device down, his gaze flicking between me and Arrow. "How did you know she could do that?"

Arrow gets to his feet, the gadgets covering his body gearing up as he lifts his arms above his head and stretches. "I had a hunch and decided to test out the theory." He rounds to the other side of the island, opens a cupboard, and pulls out a tall, bronzed box.

Asher frowns. "I was going to take care of that. We were just working up a deal first."

"There's no room for deals. She needs to eat about twice as much until her body adjusts to world traveling." Arrow sets the box down in front of me, earning a nasty look from Asher.

Whatever's in this box has got Asher's panties all twisted up in a bunch.

That makes me smile.

East rests his arms against the countertop as he grins at me amusedly. "What's causing those beautiful lips to smile, sweetheart?"

See, cheesy overload again.

"Oh, nothing." My smile grows as Asher's annoyance doubles. Then I turn to Arrow. "So, what's in the weird metal box?"

With a trace of a smile, Arrow twists the knob on top of the box and a ray of light illuminates from inside. "Since I don't possess a lot of magical abilities, I can't just snap my fingers and make food appear, so I use this." He taps the box. "All you have to do is say what you want and it'll make it for you."

"Wow, that's pretty cool." Although, I didn't realize until now that cyborgs ate food. I slant forward in the stool, the light reflecting against my pupils. "I can say anything I want?"

Arrow nods, watching me with intrigue. "Anything at all."

"What do you usually ask for?" I've never had the option of having whatever I want for breakfast, and all the possibilities... it's almost overwhelming. Everything sounds so delicious. My belly grumbles with possibilities.

"French toast is one of my favorites," he tells me with a tiny smile.

"French toast sounds awesome," I tell the box. "With sausage and bacon, and biscuits. Oh, and waffles and eggs and real maple syrup and cupcakes with lots and lots of frosting." I cringe, feeling Asher's gaze boring into me, as if he thinks my request for cupcakes has to do with his scent, which I guess it sort of does. He doesn't need to know that.

"And hot chocolate with marshmallows," I continue with my ordering, my appetite growing by the second. "And coffeecake. And..." I trail off as I note the three of them staring at me with wide eyes. "What?"

East's tongue slips out to wet his lips, then he trades a look with Asher and Arrow. Arrow's lips pull into a smile, and East lets out a chuckle. Even Asher, the grump, looks amused.

"What's so funny?" I demand, crossing my arms.

East simply shakes his head. "You're absolutely adorable. You really are."

"That she is," Asher mumbles, his gaze relentlessly welded to mine.

Since I'm fairly sure they're making fun of me, I shoot East and Asher a glare. "You know what? I think I've decided who my favorite band member is." I lean toward Arrow with my eyes narrowed on East and Asher. "From now on, I only like Arrow, and you two can suck it."

"Suck what exactly?" East muses, his gaze drifting to my chest. As his lips part, I hold up a hand.

"Whatever you're about to say, don't. Just don't." I shake my head as his glinting gaze meets mine.

"You're the one who told me to suck it," he says. "I was just going to tell you what I'd like to suck on."

Asher whacks him in the back of the head. "All right, that's enough. Harlynn needs to eat breakfast, and I'd like to keep mine down."

"Like you didn't think the same thing," East mumbles, rubbing his head.

Asher's gaze strays from East to my chest then to my face. The hue of desire in his eyes makes my skin flush.

I casually scratch my neck, trying to hide the bit of cleavage popping out of my tank top.

When I wandered into the kitchen after barely sleeping, I hadn't bothered to change out of my pajamas. At the time, I didn't care, but now... my tank top seems too thin, the shorts too short, too much of my skin showing so they can see just how flushed I am.

And the longer Asher and East openly check me out, the deeper my blush gets.

"Would you guys stop looking at me like that?" I demand. "In fact, don't look at me at all."

"Are we making you uncomfortable?" Asher asks, sounding strangely concerned.

I waver. "Sort of." Not necessarily in a bad way, though.

No, I sort of like their attention. I'm just not a fan of how obvious it is that I'm blushing because of it.

"We're sorry." Asher collects his handheld device and motions for East to follow him as he heads out of the kitchen. "I need to talk to you privately before you leave."

East offers me an apologetic look then follows Asher down the hallway.

I watch them go, confused as a leprechaun who was cursed with two left feet. "Why did East look at me like that? Like he was sorry for something."

"Because he was." Arrow sits down beside me again. "Asher was, too."

"For what?" I twist on the stool to face him, our knees touching.

"For staring at you like they were, and for making you feel uncomfortable." Arrow reaches for the knob on the top of the box. "I think they're worried they crossed a line."

"They didn't. I just didn't like how they could tell I was blushing," I admit. Talking to Arrow has been easy from the start. I think it's because his gentle demeanor makes him less intimidating. "But I appreciate them backing off."

I'm surprised, though, that a moody, brooding genie, and a flirty, perverted faerie respect me enough to back off when I ask. Too bad all paranormals and humans can't be the same.

"None of us ever want you to feel uncomfortable," Arrow tells me with such genuineness that, if I didn't know any better, I'd wonder if he was human.

But then the gadgets in his fingers crank as he moves to open the top of the box, reminding me that he's part machine. Still, I'm more than certain his heart has to be real, along with his soul.

"Are you ready for the best breakfast you've ever had?" he asks, and I eagerly nod. Smiling, he lifts the top off.

A bright light flashes, and I flinch, lifting my arms to shield my eyes.

"That's so bright."

A beat of silence goes by, and then Arrow utters, "You can look now."

Slowly, I lower my hands. Then excitement bursts through me.

Covering the countertop is every single drop of food I ordered, from the fluffiest French toast I've ever seen to cupcakes covered with mounds and mounds of glittery purple frosting.

I quickly reach for a fork and dive into the French toast. "Oh, my gods, I'm seriously having a foodgasm right now," I moan as I lick a droplet of syrup from my lips.

Arrow's brows knit. "What's a foodgasm?"

"Um..." I mentally curse my big mouth. "It's an expression used when you practically have an... orgasm over food."

"Oh."

Dead silence stretches between us.

That silence gives me too much time to think. About orgasms. And food. And foodgasms. About if cyborgs can have foodgasms. And orgasms...

My gaze unintentionally drifts toward Arrow's crotch area. Wait. Do cyborgs have mechanical penises?

Someone clears their throat, and I jolt, nearly spitting out a mouthful of French toast. Warmth floods my cheeks as East enters the kitchen, a wicked grin curving across his face.

"So, I'm not allowed to stare at the mouthwatering parts of your body, but you can stare at Arrow's junk?" he asks wickedly.

"I wasn't staring at his junk," I hiss, then glance at Arrow. "I wasn't. I swear."

"It's fine." He nervously rubs his hand over his head. "I didn't think you were." Sucking in a breath, his gaze skates to East. "I'm going to send for a world jumper vehicle to pick us up so we can get this mission over with." His gaze fleetingly flicks to mine before he hightails the hell out of the kitchen.

Can't really blame him for acting so skittish after I stared at his man parts, wondering if they were mechanical.

I shake my head at myself. What in the stupid pixies is wrong with me? I swear being with these guys is messing with my ability to think rationally.

"Don't worry. He's probably as embarrassed as you are," Easton says with a lazy smile.

I narrow my eyes at him as I stuff my mouth full of bacon. "I don't know why he'd be embarrassed. I wasn't staring at his guy parts like you implied."

"Sure you weren't. Just like I wasn't staring at your girl parts before Asher made me leave the kitchen so he could lecture me on not ogling your goodies." He slants forward and rests his arms on the counter, his wings shimmering in the light. "You know, it's the first time I've ever seen a female get upset with me for checking her out."

"That you know of."

He laughs, his eyes crinkling around the corners. "Oh, Harlynn, how you amuse me."

"What? You think there's never been a time when you've checked out a female and she felt uncomfortable yet pretended to be fine because she didn't feel comfortable enough showing her vulnerability?" I cock a brow at him as I pop a few chunks of coffee cake into my mouth.

A frown forms on his face. "I've never thought of it that way. It's always been so natural for me to flirt. I guess it might come off as too much to those who aren't my kind."

"Are all faeries as flirty as you?" I ask curiously as I peel the wrapper off a cupcake.

He nods, wisps of his hair falling into his glittery eyes. "Worse even."

I crinkle my nose. "Well, hopefully I don't cross paths with any more faeries."

"Considering we're in Shimmerland, I wouldn't hold your breath." A crooked grin pulls at his lips. "And I highly doubt fey are the only creatures you have to worry about."

I pause mid-bite with frosting on my lips and my mouth glazed with sugary sweetness. "What's that supposed to mean?"

His smile broadens as he ambles around the counter toward me. "It means you're delectably delicious, just like that cupcake, and too tempting not to taste." Then he dips his head and licks a glob of frosting off my lips.

I remain momentarily frozen in shock. But as he moves away, licking his lips, I snap out of my daze and wipe my hand across my mouth, pretending to be deeply disgusted.

"So gross," I murmur, which only elicits a bigger smile from him.

He snatches a piece of sausage off my plate and pops it into his mouth. "It's cute how you pretend."

I smile wickedly at him. "And it's cute how you—" My eyes widen as the floor begins to quake. "What the hell is that?"

A crinkle forms between Easton's brows as his gaze drops to the floor then zips to the hologram window. "Shit." He rushes over to the farthest wall, lines his palm to the hologram, and whispers, "Show me the outside, but keep the blinds up."

The forest and lake currently on the screen morph into the flowery field, lofty trees, and shimmering, iridescent sky that make up the outside. Only, unlike when I was out there yesterday, a clusterfuck of paranormals dressed in black cargo pants and matching boots and shirts fill up the space around the vehicle. In the distance behind them, dogs the size of giants drool on the ground.

"Holy crap, are those, like, super-sized werewolves?" I ask in horror.

"Worse." The fear in Easton's tone causes my fear to soar. "Hellhounds."

My jaw drops. "Like the Devil's dogs?"

Shaking his head, he glances at me. "Any creature can own a hellhound. It's just a pain in the ass to catch and train them. But if you manage, then you can pretty much start a war."

I swallow the bite of eggs I was chewing on. "Why are they outside your vehicle?"

"I think because we broke a law."

I startle at the sound of Asher's voice.

I turn around, then instantly lean back at his nearness. "How did you get in here so quietly?"

"It's a secret." He winks at me, but the playfulness doesn't reach his eyes. Then he strides across the room and peers at the scene outside. A deep frown etches into his face. "We should've assumed that, once we figured out she was different, this would happen."

"But we were careful sneaking her out." East frowns. "How did they find out?"

"My bet is because of whatever she is, she registered on their radar," Asher mutters. "We should've thought of this sooner."

"But she registers as a human to Arrow," East reminds him. "Which means she shouldn't register on their radar."

"You know as well as I do that their radars are far better than any magical creatures' sensors," Asher says with his gaze fixed on the outside.

"Yeah, only because they slaughter paranormals to build their magical supply," East practically spits out.

He seems so irritated, so pissed off. Honestly, up until now, I thought he had only one level and that was super flirty and happy. Guess I was wrong.

Doesn't explain who the hell is outside, though.

I snatch up a cupcake then slide off the stool and pad across the room to them. "So, who are the dudes in the combat uniforms that have you guys all worked up?"

"The Worlds Patrol," Asher tells me with reluctance. "They're in charge of making sure paranormals don't leave their worlds without the proper passes and paperwork."

"I know what the Worlds Patrol is." I nibble on the cupcake, licking off a mouthful of frosting. "But, why are they here?"

Asher and East exchange a wary look, then Asher's smoky eyes settle on me. "They're here for you."

# Chapter 13

A beat ticks by as I process what he said. The Worlds Patrol is here for me? No. I must have heard Asher wrong. The longer the silence ticks by, though, the more painfully aware I become that I heard him as clearly as I see the crazy iridescent sky outside.

"But I'm not a paranormal," I gripe. "I thought they were only allowed to arrest paranormals."

"They are. But only because paranormals are usually the ones jumping around in worlds. Plus, we're easier to track because we leave magical traces behind." East crosses his arms and keeps his gaze trained on the outside. "I hate to break this to you, sweetheart; we may not know what you are, but you're definitely not just a regular human. And I think the patrol may have caught on to that. How, though, I'm not sure."

"So, does that mean they can arrest me for leaving my world?" I put my hand on my hip, fuming mad. "Because the only reason I left to begin with is because you guys made me."

Asher's gaze glides to mine. "You didn't have to make the deal."

My fingers twitch with the urge to smack him, but I take a deep breath, refusing to allow him to get me riled up. "No, I did, or Jason would've died and I wouldn't have been able to live with myself." A shaky breath eases from my lips as I think about Jason. _Man, I miss him._ Part of me really wants to go back to my world, if for nothing else than to see him. "And maybe it's better if the patrol takes me. It'll get me out of this deal and away from the two of you."

"Two?" Asher arches a brow. "There're three of us."

"Yeah, but I like Arrow," I say with a smirk.

Asher's eyes swirl with smoke. "Did you hear that, East? Arrow is Harlynn's favorite."

"I never said favorite," I correct. "I said he's the only one I like."

Asher looks at Easton, who grins slyly in return.

Grinning like the devil himself, Asher returns his attention to me. "After we take care of this little problem, East and I are going to punish you for that."

"You can't do that. We made a deal you wouldn't harm me, remember?" My heart tremors in my chest.

Genies can be tricky little buggers, twisting words around and casting bargains with underlying meanings. What if I messed up when we made the deal that none of them could harm me?

"I said _punish_ ," Asher clarifies with a dark smile that sends shivers across my flesh. He takes a step toward me. "Not harm."

I instinctively step back, only to bump into East's chest.

_What the hell? When did he move behind me?_

I start to skitter to the side to get out from between them, but East folds his fingers around my upper arms, securing me in place.

"What are you two doing?" I cringe at the breathiness of my voice. "Trying to scare me or something?"

The tip of East's wing tickles a path down my arm. "Quite the opposite actually."

I resist the urge to shudder, but faeries, oh faeries, do I want to. "If that's the case, you're going about it all wrong."

Asher reaches out, I think to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear, but instead he drops his hand to my side. I flinch as his fingers brush against mine then wrap around my wrist.

"What're you...?" I trail off as he guides my hand holding the half-eaten cupcake up to his lips. When the treat reaches his mouth, he takes a slow bite.

"Mmm... That is fucking good..." He licks frosting off his lips with his gaze melded to mine.

Between all of Easton's touching and the way Asher keeps licking his lips, I momentarily get lost and forget who I am, my past—I forget everything. Then my gaze travels to the hologram and I pull my head out of my ass.

Stupid, sexy genie and faerie! They're messing with my head.

"Okay. I don't even want to know what you guys are up to, but the Worlds Patrol is closing in on us, so we should probably take care of that problem." I loathe the shakiness in my voice. "That is, unless you guys want to lose your thief."

With another skim of his tongue along his lips, Asher tears his gaze off me and fixes his smoky eyes on East. "What do you think? Plan A or Plan S?"

"Plan A or Plan S?" I stare at them in confusion. "Okay, first of all, you guys never discussed a plan. And second, you skipped about twenty letters."

"We always have plans on hand. And the letters, they stand for something." Asher's gaze sweeps up and down my body, then he nibbles on his bottom lip. "I'm not sure Plan S will work, no matter how much I want to try it."

_Don't do it. Don't ask._

"What does the _S_ stand for?" Why, oh why, can't I keep my mouth shut?

Asher sucks on his lip ring. "As much as I'd love to tell you, I don't think you're ready to hear the answer."

Warmth floods my skin as words that begin with _S_ invade my thoughts. _Sexy, sweltering, suck, scream, sex, sex, sex._

Asher chuckles. "You're ridiculously cute when you blush."

I narrow my eyes at him. "I'm not blushing. I'm pissed off."

"Liar," he starts to tease, but then sighs, his gaze shifting to the hologram window again. "So, Plan A?"

"Unfortunately, I think so," Easton replies with his gaze on me. "She's definitely not ready for Plan S yet." He strokes my upper arm with his wing. "No matter how much I want her to be."

"You guys are so annoying," I scoff, crossing my arms.

"If you say so," Easton whispers in my ear.

Before my body can work up a shiver, Asher claps his hands. "Let's get started then." Wrapping his fingers around my wrist, he guides me toward him with what looks like a hint of jealousy in his eyes. "East, go get Arrow and fill him in."

East salutes Asher then whisks off toward the hallway, laughing to himself.

What he thinks is so funny is beyond me.

"Now, for your part in the plan..." Asher leaves the anticipation hanging as he tugs me toward the hallway.

"Can you please tell me what I'm going to be doing," I plead as I stumble after him, "so I can try to mentally prepare myself?"

"You, little thief, are going to be doing what you do best," he explains as he steers me into my temporary bedroom.

"Which is what? Stealing? Smarting off? Being a pain in your ass?" I grin when he shoots me an unimpressed look. "What? I'm good at all those things."

"That might be true"—he leans toward me, smoke swirling in his eyes—"but as of right now, all I need you to do is sneak around."

"In the vehicle or outside? And where's the end point?"

"Outside. And the end point is..." Hesitancy crosses his features. "I need you to make it to the forest."

I slant away from him, blinking in shock. "The forest? But I thought you guys said I couldn't go in there until we found out what I am?"

"That's the tricky part about this plan. You need to go far enough into the forest to wait for us, but under no circumstances are you to actually cross into the borders of faerie territory. The distance between the edge of the forest and the border into fey territory is very small. So small you won't be able to squeeze in there." He pulls me toward the hologram window that's in my room, which is currently displaying a waterfall cascading into a river. "However, I know of a place on the far east side where there should be enough room for you to hang out for a bit. The problem is, you're going to have to cross a river."

"I can do that. It doesn't actually sound too bad. Although, I don't get why you guys don't just transport away from here."

"The patrol has our vehicle on lockdown right now. We could override it, but that would be part of Plan S, which we already agreed you aren't ready for." Wariness shines in his eyes. "And don't be so relaxed about the river. It's full of sirens."

Chills break out across my skin. "As in, those winged creatures that lure men to wreck their ships?"

"That's more of a myth than truth. The truth is way worse." He presses a few buttons on the hologram and the waterfall scene fades into a massively wide, flowing river that weaves between the towering trees of the Shimmerland forest. Moving up behind me, he reaches over my shoulder and traces his finger along a faint silver line on the hologram. "See that line right there?" he asks, and I nod. "Well, that lines marks where the faerie territory starts, which means, if you cross that line and another creature registers that you're not human, you could be in some serious trouble, depending on what the creature is. It's not nightfall yet, so you shouldn't have to worry about the Banished, but that doesn't mean the forest isn't less dangerous—"

The vehicle suddenly jerks harshly to the right, sending me slamming into the wall. Asher stumbles, too, his body pressing against mine, and my head ends up pinned between his arms.

"Holy shit," he breathes into my hair.

"What the hell was that?" I whisper, moving to push back, but he doesn't budge and my ass ends up grinding against his genie goodies.

He groans into my hair, his hand lowering from the wall to my hip. "Gods, it's been too long." His fingers delve into my waist. "Way, way too long."

My heart thunders in my chest, and those crazy-ass butterflies in my stomach get stupidly excited again. I want to tell them to calm the hell down, but holy freakin' what-the-shit-is-happening right now? Because I can't seem to do anything other than pant. Loudly.

"Are you okay?" Asher whispers, his grip on me tightening.

I'm not even sure what he means. If I'm okay because I was thrown into a wall or because I'm breathing as loudly as an elf participating in a tap dancing competition.

"Yeah," I manage to croak out.

"Harlynn," he groans, sounding pained.

I feel the same way. Pain. An aching deep inside me. A longing perhaps?

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure about anything anymore. Whether these... butterfly feelings are from the magic of the curse his father cast on us, or if the last eighteen years of not getting any has finally caught up with me.

_Get your hormones in check, Harlynn. Right now!_

"Asher." It takes a lot of effort, but my voice comes out steady. "What the hell just shook the vehicle?"

A drop of silence goes by, then...

"Fuck." He pushes away from me, and I turn around, my heart still a mess in my chest.

Our gazes connect for a faltering, breath-stealing moment before the door swings open and the moment poofs away like genie smoke.

"They put a shield around our vehicle," East announces as he rushes into my room with Arrow trailing behind him. "So, it looks like we're going to have to do Plan S."

Asher gives me a strange look that makes my heart rate quicken while East grins, seeming pretty happy. Arrow, on the other hand, offers me a remorseful look.

I sink my teeth into my bottom lip. "All right, will you guys cut the shit and tell me what the hell Plan S is? Your weird, contradicting looks are starting to freak me the crazy genies out."

"Crazy genies?" Asher cocks a brow at me then quickly shakes his head and points a finger at me. "All right, you need to stop talking."

My lips part in surprise. "What the heck did I do?"

"You're distracting," East explains as he rolls up the sleeves of his shirt. "Every time those gorgeous lips of yours part, we end up forgetting our vehicle is surrounded, and we need to deal with the problem."

"I'm not doing it on purpose," I sulk, wrapping my arms around myself.

"I know." East steps toward me. "But you have this way about you. An allure. I'm starting to wonder if perhaps it may have to do with whatever you are."

"You make me sound like I'm a siren." My gaze skates to the hologram. "Like the ones in the river. Which FYI, do I still have to go there?"

East shakes his head. "Nope."

I'd be ecstatic about that, except for the fact that we're about to do Plan S and I still have no clue what the _S_ stands for.

"Don't look so frightened, little mouse." East moves to stand in front of me, crowding my personal space. "No one here is going to hurt you. In fact, what we're about to do..." A grin curls at his lips. "I have a feeling you're going to like it."

I shake my head. "I really doubt that."

East eyes me over. "I guess we'll see then." Then his hands come down against the wall, trapping me between his arms.

I glance worriedly at Arrow, since he's the only one I really trust. Remorse remains in his eyes, but he offers me a tentative smile.

"He's not going to hurt you, I promise." Arrow rubs his lips together. "None of us are."

While I believe him, his words do nothing to alleviate my nerves. It doesn't help that a voice suddenly blares from outside.

"This is the Worlds Patrol," they declare. "Our radar has registered an illegal and potentially dangerous paranormal on your vehicle. You need to turn it over immediately. If you refuse to do so, you will be detained. And don't even think about trying to escape. We have you surrounded, there are hellhounds nearby, and we've put a restriction shield around your vehicle."

"Wow, that's a lot of work they're putting into this," East teases, but nervousness resides in his eyes. "Whatever you are, sweetheart, you must be important."

"Or dangerous," I whisper. "Did you hear what they said?"

East shrugs. "They're just trying to get us worried so we'll toss you out."

Then why does he look a bit uneasy?

I glance in Asher's direction. He appears edgy, as well. Are they afraid of me? Should I be afraid of myself?

"No one's afraid of you," Asher insists, either because he read what I was thinking all over my face, or I accidentally said my thoughts aloud again. "We're just concerned over what's about to happen."

I can't tell if he's being truthful or not, but I guess it doesn't really matter at the moment.

I may have said before that perhaps it'd be better if the Worlds Patrol arrested me, but after what the announcer just said... yeah, I'm thinking it might be better to stay with the cocky genie, flirty faerie, and sweet cyborg.

"What's about to happen?" I dare ask aloud.

East's eyes twinkle with excited glee. "Our lips are about to get reacquainted."

"Reacquainted?" Asher growls at the same time I say, "No freakin' way."

"What do you mean _reacquainted_?" Asher asks more calmly this time.

East pulls a _whoopsie_ face. "I may have licked some frosting off her lips earlier, but only because I was hungry."

"For what exactly?" Asher snaps with raised brows.

"You two are getting off the subject again," Arrow intervenes, giving a pressing glance at the hologram. "And we're running out of time."

I start to turn to see what's happening on the hologram when East's lips come down on mine. I suck in a sharp breath through my nose, then lift my hands to his chest to push him away. However, he captures my hands and parts my lips with his tongue, kissing me deeply while pulling my body against his. Then his wings begin to stroke my shoulders; soft, velvety tickles across my skin.

Somewhere between the kissing and the touching, I forget about everything and end up kissing him back. I blame it on my hormones. After years of trying not to get intimate with anyone, I've finally lost all my self-control. Leave it to a tricky faerie to make that happen.

Damn faeries. They're so annoying and crafty, but really good kissers. And their wings are so soft...

Wait. When did I start fondling his wing?

East's body shudders as I trail a path along the tip of his wing, his teeth dragging across my bottom lip. I moan, traveling from his wing to his side as my knees begin to wobble.

_This feels so good..._

With one last suck on my bottom lip, East pulls away.

"I think someone may have liked that," he teases, the corners of his lips kicking up into a smirk.

I get control over myself and raise my hands to shove him back. "In your dreams, faerie—"

In the snap of a wish, Asher is in front of me and crashing his lips against mine with so much force I swear I'm going to have a bruise. But it feels so good, like heat and sparks and fire. Scorching. Blazing. Powerful.

When I gasp, he slides his tongue into my mouth. The taste of warmth and cupcakes flood my senses, and a groan escapes my lips, embarrassingly loud. I clutch the bottom of his shirt, while he finds my waist, skimming his fingers along my sides as he tugs me closer, devouring me with his mouth.

I have no clue what in the hell of all orgies is going on, but I let him keep kissing me and even bite his lip a few times, basking in the taste of him, basking in the way he touches me, basking in—

He jerks back, smoke funneling in his eyes. Then he spins me around and straight into Arrow's lean, mechanical arms. I gasp as our chests collide, still struggling to catch my breath.

"I'm sorry," Arrow whispers, then slowly lowers his lips to mine, giving me plenty of time to move away.

I don't. Again, I don't have a good reason to blame my stupidity on. I just like being kissed, I guess.

I mentally shake my head at myself. One day, if I make it out of here alive, I'm going to look back at this moment and kick my own ass.

Or maybe I won't. Maybe I won't live very long—with everything going on, it might be a very high possibility—and I'll look back at this moment with relief that I at least got the experience of kissing a handful of times.

_And man, are they good kisses_ , I think to myself as Arrow's lips tentatively touch mine.

Unlike Asher and East, he's much gentler, his kisses carrying a soft spark. And I mean, a literal spark, tiny zaps of electricity flowing from his bronzed lips. The sensation is amazing, like gentle grazes of teeth along the most sensitive spots of flesh. I moan. Gods, do I moan. So does Arrow as he winds his arms around my waist and holds me like I'm something precious, instead of some weird-ass, unknown, possibly dangerous creature who tried to steal from them only days ago.

"Are you okay?" Arrow whispers after he breaks the kiss.

I bob my head up and down, feeling dizzy and lightheaded and sparkly inside...

Wait. _Sparkly?_

"Why did you guys do that?" I direct my question at Arrow.

His lips part, but Asher speaks first.

"We need you to be able to confuse the patrol's radar so you can sneak out and access the lockdown override in the chamber of the vehicle. The only way to confuse their radar so they don't register you immediately is to put a little taste of all our magic inside you. But since you block most of our magic, we had to put it directly inside." He steps toward me, his eyes drifting to Arrow's hands on my waist.

Arrow swiftly pulls away, causing me to frown.

_They kissed me to put their magic in me?_

I wrap my arms around myself, feeling a bit used.

"It's not like we didn't want to kiss you," East says when he notes my offish behavior.

"That's not why I'm upset." A partial lie, but whatever. I stare down at my hand, half-expecting my skin to be glowing. Everything appears normal. "You guys put magic in me without my permission."

"I'm sorry," Arrow apologizes again, raking his fingers through his hair. "If there was another way, we would've done it."

"Yeah, I wouldn't go that far." East gives me a look that makes my pulse speed up. "But maybe we should've asked for your permission first. We just figured you'd say no."

"Yes, you should have," I agree, lowering my hands to my sides. "And if it was necessary... I wouldn't have said no."

"Well then, I'm sorry for kissing you without your permission." East takes my hand and lifts it toward his mouth, kissing my knuckles.

I sigh with exhaustion, struggling not to smile. "Oh, whatever." I slip my hand from his. "Can we just get Plan S over with so I don't have to go with the patrol and their big-ass hellhounds? Although, I'm still a bit confused why I'm the one who has to override the lockdown. And what about the shield?"

"East, Arrow, and I are going to take care of the shield while you override the lockdown." Asher steps closer to me. "The trapdoor that you have to use to get to the chamber is extremely small, and you're the only one who can fit in it. And the only way to get into the chamber is to go through a door on the front right side of the vehicle. And you're going to have to do that without being seen."

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, my brows pulling together. "How am I supposed to do that when the entire vehicle is surrounded?"

"You're going to do one of the things you do best." Asher leans closer, his eyes darkening with smoky magic. "Be sneaky."

I wish I could tell him I got this, but this is entirely new territory for me. Usually when I break in somewhere, I spend weeks planning and scoping out the area. My main rule: never go in blind.

I guess I don't have much of a choice in this matter. Either I succeed at this and stay with Asher, East, and Arrow, or I get arrested and hauled off to who knows where with a bunch of paranormals who think I'm some dangerous creature.

When faced with the two choices...

Yeah, I'm going to override the lockdown no matter what it takes.

# Chapter 14

So, in order for me to get to the chamber to override the lockdown, I'll use a trapdoor that's in the floor of the living room and shimmy my way down a narrow tunnel that will take me outside. Then I'm supposed to crawl underneath the vehicle until I reach the back end. There, on the far right side, is a small chamber that I have to somehow make it into without being seen. Once I'm inside that, if all goes smoothly, the guys should be able to get the shield down and take off the moment I hit the override button.

A lot could go wrong. Plus, I'm going to be stuck in the compartment until they can find a safe place to land.

Awesome, right?

Yeah, not so much. But I've been in worse scenarios before.

Still, I can't help wondering...

"Can't you guys just use your magic to get us out of this?" I ask as I sit down on the floor and lower my legs into the trapdoor.

I've changed into a pair of black pants and a T-shirt made of a stretchy material that will allow me to blend easily, because apparently, the tunnel is going to be a tight fit, even for me.

"One use of magic directed at them, and they'll attack us." Asher crouches in front of me with worry in his eyes. "And if we hurt or kill any of them, we're going to be chased and have a bounty put on our heads."

"But you won't if we just take off?" I question with skepticism.

Asher and East are digging through the fridge for magical supplies, but every so often, they throw a concerned look in my direction.

What I'm about to do is dangerous. I get that, which is why I can't help wondering if there's another way.

"There's less likely of a chance," Asher says, adjusting his cuffs. "Plus, we'll have an easier time ditching them if we just take off."

"Oh. All right then. I guess the trapdoor plan it is." I take a deep breath and start to lower myself in, when Asher wraps his fingers around my wrist, stopping me.

"Be careful, Harlynn," he whispers. "Don't let them see you. And don't get caught."

"I won't." I wink at him. It's all bravado, but I've got to fake it, or else I'm going to lose my shit. "I'm good at this sort of stuff."

"I know." He brushes his knuckles across my cheek, the worry in his eyes increasing. "Still, be careful."

My nod is a bit shakier this time, yet I toss my nervousness aside and drop into the trapdoor before I can chicken out.

The moment I land, I have to lie down flat on my stomach just to fit in the dark tunnel. "All right, here goes nothing." With another inhale and exhale, I army crawl inside.

I immediately tense as darkness encases me, but then my skin illuminates, the light cascading against the walls. From the magic the guys put in me, I assume.

"Holy crap, I look like a glow bug," I mutter as I continue dragging myself down the tunnel.

The journey feels endless, knowing that the moment I reach the end, I'm going to be outside with the patrol and their hellhounds. I still haven't come up with a way not to be seen, but I'll assess the situation when I reach that part of the plan.

A few sprinkles of magic later, I reach the end of the tunnel. Again, I don't give myself time to overthink what I'm about to do; instead, I hurriedly open the door and stick my head out, practically hanging upside down as I scope out the surroundings.

Below me is a strip of glassy grass and about a foot above it is the bottom of the vehicle.

_Crap, it's going to be a tight fit._

Sucking in an exhale, I wiggle out of the tunnel. The glassy grass feels bizarre underneath me as I lie flat on the ground, peering around at all the paranormals just outside the vehicle. None of them appear to be moving toward me, so I take that as a sign that I haven't been spotted...

Yet.

_No negative thoughts. You got this._

Like I did in the tunnel, I army crawl toward the back of the vehicle, stopping at the far right side. Lowering my head, I scan the area then mentally curse myself for not coming up with a plan beforehand.

_There're so many of them. And they're so close._

_Shit._

I roll behind the wheel to avoid being seen then rack my brain for all the information I've ever read about the Worlds Patrol.

Made up of various kinds of paranormals, they're extremely powerful. Knowing that doesn't help me one bit. In fact, it makes me feel even more hopeless.

_Don't give up. You can do this. Think outside the box. You're good at that._

Outside the box. What's outside of the box, though? I mean, I really don't know much about the Worlds Patrol. Hell, I didn't even realize they could own hellhounds.

_Dammit._

I pound my hand against the ground in frustration and the glassy grass shatters, the dirt cracking apart.

_What the hell?_

I pat my palm against the ground again with a bit more force, and the same thing happens, only the cracks in the dirt are a bit bigger. Lifting my hand, I stare at my palm, searching for... well, I'm not sure what. First the glowing and now this? This has to be because of the magic the guys put in me, right?

Gods, I hope so.

Part of me wonders if these wonky gifts have something to do with the Worlds Patrol being here to arrest me. Doesn't really matter right now, though. All that matters is escaping them. And this little gift... curse—whatever the heck it is—could help me.

Lying flat on the ground again, I crawl back toward the front of the bus. My fingers tremble as I prepare to do what I'm about to do. One wrong move, and I'll get caught. Or worse, create a hole in the ground that I'll fall into.

_You've got this. You've got this. You've got this,_ I mentally chant to myself as I smack my palm down on the ground hard.

The glassy grass ripples and tips over like shattering dominos, and the ground begins to splinter, a giant crack zipping out and across the field in front of the bus.

"What in the worlds?" a patrol officer mutters from nearby. Then his voice grows louder. "We have a situation over here."

And... that's my cue.

Twisting around, I hightail it back to the rear end of the bus and peer out at the field. The patrol officers have migrated to where the shattering grass and dirt are carving a path toward the field. A smile starts to break across my face until I realize the dirt and grass have begun shattering in the opposite direction, as well, making a giant path—or should I say massive crack in the ground—straight underneath the vehicle.

The vehicle starts to wobble as the ground crumbles underneath it.

_Shit._ I so did not think this through all the way.

Seeing no other option, I hurry out from under the vehicle, crossing my fingers no one is looking my way. Once I straighten, I yank open the compartment, dive inside, and lock myself in. Darkness smothers me, but again, light glitters from my skin, revealing the override box just in front of me. It consists of a series of buttons, and on the bottom row in the farthest corner is a button labeled _lockdown override_. I push it then sit back and wait for... well, I'm not really sure. The guys never explained what would happen after I pushed the button.

"Come on, come on. Please work," I mutter as the vehicle rocks and sways, sending me bouncing against the walls.

I hug my legs to my chest, breathing loudly, waiting for either the ground to collapse or for the patrol to yank open the compartment door. Neither of those things happen, though. Instead, the vehicle suddenly grows still.

Does that mean it worked? Did the guys get the shield down and transport us away from Shimmerland?

I almost reach over and push open the compartment door to see, but exhaustion suddenly overtakes me and my eyelids lower shut.

# Chapter 15

The softest surface presses against my cheek. My entire body is so relaxed. I feel so comfortable, so content, so at peace. I feel better than I have for a long, long time. Someone is stroking my cheek, the movement almost sending me back to dreamland. Then reality slaps me across the face.

_Someone is stroking my cheek!_

My eyes pop open, and I suck in a sharp inhale as I sit up. It takes several blinks to process the scene around me. The deep purple walls, a black hardwood floor, and a dome ceiling painted with glittering silver and violet stars. I'm in the bedroom East created for me. And not only that, I'm in the bed. A bed I just slept in.

"Oh, my worlds, I actually slept in a bed," I mumble as I rub the sleepiness from my eyes. "Gods, I feel so good."

"Thank gods you're awake. We were getting worried about you."

I startle, whirling around, and find Asher sitting in a chair beside the bed. He still has on the same outfit as he did earlier, but his hair is a mess, strands sticking up everywhere, and dark circles reside under his eyes.

"Hey," he greets me with a nervous smile, his eyes drinking me in. "How are you feeling?"

"Good, I guess." I sweep my hair out of my eyes then lift my hand to my cheek. My skin is warmer than usual. "Were you touching my face while I was asleep?"

"Maybe." He assesses me closely. "Would it bother you if I was?"

"Yes." I'm not even sure if I'm lying or not; my brain is such a confused mess. "Wait. How did I get here, in this bed? The last thing I remember is being in the chamber and the ground cracking apart, and then I fell asleep. Which seems sort of odd, I guess. I mean, I've never fallen asleep on a job before."

"You weren't really working for us." Asher's gaze never wavers from me, as if he's searching for something. "But the reason you fell asleep probably has to do with the fact that you used your power for what I'm guessing is the first time. Unless you were lying to us about not knowing what you are. My guess is you're just as clueless as us."

I start to nod when his words really hit me. "Wait. I used _magic_?" I shake my head. "No, I don't have magical abilities. That stuff I did—the glowing and the ground cracking—that was from the magic you guys put in me."

Asher cautiously shakes his head as he shifts from the chair to the edge of the bed. "The magic we put in you was simply to confuse the patrol's radar. There's no way you could actually have used it. It was your magic that broke the ground and apparently caused some glowing. Although, I didn't know about that until you just said it." He starts to reach for me, but then he pulls away, swallowing hard.

The move spikes fear through my veins.

Is he afraid of me now? Do I care?

I do. I don't even know why.

"Are you afraid of me?" I whisper. "Because of what I am?"

"We still don't know what you are," he clarifies. With a shaky inhale, he scoots closer to me. "And no, I'm not afraid of you. East and Arrow aren't either." He trails his fingers down my cheek, my jawline, the arch of my neck. "We do need to find out what you are, though."

"But with..." I sigh, leaning away as he presses his fingers to my throbbing pulse. Despite how much my body seems to enjoy him touching me, I need some space, need to keep a clear head, need to remember why I've always avoided getting close to anyone. Need to remember he's a genie.

Although, the latter doesn't seem as important anymore. Sure, Asher can annoy the shit out of me, but I'm not certain I hate him as much as I did when we first met. Okay, maybe I don't even hate him at all. Not even a little.

Like. Yes, that's what this is. I like Asher like I like Jason. Like I like Easton and Arrow. That's not a big deal. Like is fine. Love is what's dangerous.

Asher's brows furrow. "What's wrong?"

I waver, wanting to keep my question to myself. But I've never been good at keeping my trap shut.

"It's just that, with all the problems I'm causing you guys, why are you even bothering to find out what I am?" I hug my legs to my chest and rest my chin on my knees. "Wouldn't it be easier to just find a different—real—human to be your thief?"

Asher cocks a brow. "You don't want to be in the bargain anymore?"

I shake my head. "No, I want Jason to stay alive and I want to stay alive, too... It's just that I don't see how I can help you if I have the Worlds Patrol after me."

"The Worlds Patrol isn't going to find you anytime soon—we made sure of that. And you could still help us, depending on what you are."

"But what if I can't? What if I'm useless?" Will he cancel the bargain and strike Jason and me dead?

He drags his teeth along his bottom lip, a smirk playing at his lips. "Well, even if you can't, you're still not completely useless to us."

The wicked gleam in his eyes should make me want to keep my lips zipped, but again, I stress, I'm not very good at that.

"Why?"

His smile breaks through. "Because we could always use a fun little toy to play with while we're traveling for the tour and collecting those objects."

Glad to see we're back to that. Honestly, I'm kind of relieved. The serious demeanor he had when I woke up was sort of throwing me off balance.

"Good to know you're still a mean, _old_ genie." I bat my eyelashes innocently at him.

He leans toward me, his eyes a thunderstorm of smoke. "And it's good to know you're still a smartass." Then he picks me up and flings me over his shoulder as he strides out of the room.

"Hey, I thought we already talked about you not carrying me," I whine. "Put me down."

"And I thought I already made it pretty clear I'll carry you if I want to." He storms down the hallway, taking long, determined strides.

I growl in frustration. "Where are you even taking me?"

"To the living room."

"Then, is it really necessary for you to carry me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"Oh, for the love of gods, you're so annoying."

"So are you." He sets me down on the sofa then steps back, crossing his arms. "I think deep down, though, you like it."

I roll my eyes, but he only grins.

"You know what? You're—" I squeak as a pair of arms loop around me from behind.

I relax a smidgeon—and let me stress the smidgeon part—when East's faerie scent touches my nostrils.

"I'm so glad you're all right." He leans over my shoulder to kiss my cheek then hops over the back of the sofa, landing on the cushion beside me, sitting so close he's practically sitting on my lap.

I start to scoot away, but he slides his wing behind me and holds me in place. I give up, which might be a first for me, but I'm tired, okay?

"You were worried I wasn't going to be okay?" I raise my brows at East.

"We weren't sure. You were pretty out of it when we found you. And to make the ground break like that... it had to have taken a lot of power." He stares at me in awe. "How did you do it, sweetheart?"

"I hit the ground with my palm. The first time was by accident, but when I realized what I could do, I thought it could be a good distraction." I shrug, pretending to be all calm on the outside when really, uneasiness stirs inside my chest.

I have power. I'm not human. I cracked the ground apart with my hand. The Worlds Patrol is after me. And just a few days ago, I thought I was only a human.

_How am I supposed to deal with this?_

"You'll learn to accept it. It'll just take some time." Asher takes a seat on the other side of me. Like Easton, he's sitting way too close.

I grimace. "Did I say my thoughts aloud again?"

Asher grins. "You have a habit of doing that."

"Apparently." I sigh heavily, sinking back into the sofa. "So, what am I supposed to do now until we find out what I am? And where are we even?"

"On my old planet." Arrow wanders out from the hallway with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He offers me a shy smile before lowering himself onto the edge of the coffee table across from me, his knees pressing against mine.

_Trapped_. That's the first word that comes to mind when I take in the situation. With Arrow in front of me, and Asher and East at my sides, it feels like I should be flipping out. Instead, I feel strangely content, as if maybe their issues with invading my personal space have finally started to not bother me so much.

"We're on Steel?" I ask, shock ringing in my tone. "Like, right now?"

"Yes. Or, well, hovering above it." Arrow nods at the hologram.

I turn around and my jaw about smacks my knees at the sight of a giant orb made of gadgets, steel, and liquid bronzed rotating amongst the seemingly endless stars outside.

"It's pretty," I whisper honestly.

"Pretty things can be dangerous," Asher says, slipping an arm behind me. "Don't let the flashy gadgets of Steel give you the false illusion that you're safe, because you're not."

"You say that like I'm going there." I cast a glance at the three of them. "Wait. Am I?"

They trade a wary look at each other, then Asher fixes his gaze on me while twisting a strand of my hair around his finger.

"After what happened in Shimmerland, we decided that it might be best if we stick together until we can figure out if the patrol is going to continue chasing us or put a bounty on us."

"What if they do?" I question. "Won't that ruin you guys' mission to take down Asher's father and those other corrupt paranormals you're going after? And what about Shimmerland? We were supposed to get that rock thingy while we were there."

"If the patrol comes after us, we'll just have to be more careful." East traces circles on my shoulder with the tip of his wing. "We'll worry about that, though, after we find out if they are. For now, we need to get the steel books so we can find out what you are and what you can do. Then we'll loop back to Shimmerland when we're ready. While we're here, the patrol will have a harder time tracking us down because the cyborgs make their radars a bit wonky."

"And," Asher adds, "after seeing you in action, we decided you might be useful if we need to sneak into any small spaces to get the steel books."

"You'll be safe with us." Arrow's bronzed lips tilt upward into a reassuring smile. "We won't let anything happen to you."

Be safe from whom, though? The cyborgs on that planet, or the three of them? Because all this touching and flirting, I'm starting to feel... Well, I'm not sure, but different comes to mine.

"I'll go, but on one condition." I give myself a mental high-five for not sounding breathless.

Asher cocks a brow. "Which is?"

"Stop with all the touching." Even though my body gripes in protest, I slant forward away from him and Easton. That only puts me closer to Arrow. But he seems like the safest bet right now, appearing more nervous about the touching than I am.

Asher and East exchange an amused look while Arrow heaves a tired sigh.

"Fine, that's doable." The smirk on East's face doesn't match his words.

I soon find out why when Asher adds, "For now. But I have a feeling you're going to change your mind about it."

Then the three of them rise to their feet.

"Okay, who's ready to steal some steel books?" East asks, rubbing his hands together as his gaze lands on me.

The question makes me feel more in my element. Stealing. Thievery. I'm good with that sort of stuff. It's all this emotional, touching, confusion that I can't figure out how to deal with. Stealing will offer me a good distraction from that. Plus, with my newfound powers, I might even be a better thief than I was before.

See? A silver lining to this whole being a freak of nature thing.

Pushing to my feet, I crack my knuckles. "All right, let's do this." I throw them a sassy smile.

Asher studies me with his brows creased. "You know what? I have a feeling you might be our salvation or our downfall. I can't figure out which." Then he strides toward the door, leaving me to wonder what he meant.

Leaving me to wonder a lot of things.

Instead of wondering about the answers, I focus on what I'm about to do, because that's much easier.

After Asher pushes a few buttons and the vehicle descends into the planet, Easton takes my hand and guides me to the door.

"Are you ready for this?" he asks me as we reach the door.

I nod with confidence. "Yep."

Sure, I've never been to Steel before, and I've heard rumors of how dangerous it is, but if there's one thing I'm certain of in these worlds, it's that I never fail when it comes to stealing. Except for maybe when I tried to steal Asher's lamp. But I'm starting to wonder if that wasn't necessarily me failing. After all, Jason got to live and I found out I'm not human. Who knows what would've happened if I'd been alone when I made that discovery? I'm not sure what I would've done. I guess that means that, technically, I'm grateful I got stuck on a world jumper vehicle with a genie, a faerie, and a cyborg.

That thought's a little unsettling, but oh well, I guess there's no turning back now.

_Yep, there's definitely no turning back now_ , I think to myself as I follow the guys off the vehicle.

# About the Author

Jessica Sorensen is a _New York Times_ and _USA Today_ bestselling author who lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

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For information: jessicasorensen.com

# Also by Jessica Sorensen

**Capturing Magic:**

Chasing Wishes

Chasing Magic

Title TBD (coming soon)

* * *

**The Illusion Series:**

The Simplicity of Annabella and Luca

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Guardian Academy Series:**

Entranced

Entangled

Enchanted

Entice

Charmed

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Monster Academy for the Magical:**

Monster Academy for the Magical

Monster Academy for the Magical: The Deadly Four

Monster Academy for the Magical: The Monster Trial

Monster Academy for the Magical: The Monster Clique

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Harlynn's Mystery Investigations:**

Sugar Cookies & Zombie Secrets

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**The Sunnyvale Mysteries:**

The Year I Became Isabella Anders

The Year of Falling in Love

The Year of Second Chances

Untitled TBD (coming soon)

* * *

**Signed with a Kiss:**

Reinventing My Heart

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

T **he Unexpected:**

Title TBD (coming soon)

* * *

**My Life with the Band:**

Discovering Benton

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**The Mysteries of Star Grove**

Suspicion

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Rebels & Misfits Detectives:**

Spies, Lies, & Cupcakes

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Lexi Ashford Series:**

The Diary of Lexi Ashford

The Diary of Lexi Ashford: The Agreement

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Enchanted Detectives Series:**

Enchanted Chaos

Charmed Chaos

Entangled Chaos

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**My Cursed Superhero Life:**

Cursed

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**The Honeyton Mysteries:**

Chasing Hadley

The Deal & a Secret

The Mystery & a Kiss

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**The Heartbreaker Society:**

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Tangled Realms:**

Forever Violet

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Curse of the Vampire Queen:**

Tempting Raven

Enchanting Raven

Alluring Raven

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**The Unraveling Mysteries Series:**

The Mysterious Guy Next Door

The Mystery of the Symbol

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**A Pact Between the Forgotten:**

The Art of Being Friends

The Rules of Being Friends (coming soon)

* * *

**The Falling Series:**

The Falling of Raven

The Falling of You and Me

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Shadow Cove Series:**

What Lies in the Darkness

What Lies in the Dark

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Mystic Willow Bay Series:**

The Secret Life of a Witch

Broken Magic

Stolen Kisses

One Wild, Crazy, Zombie Night

Magical Whispers & the Undead

Untitled (coming soon)

* * *

**Standalones:**

The Forgotten Girl

Wreck Me

Ruin Me

* * *

**The Coincidence Series:**

The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden

The Redemption of Callie and Kayden

The Destiny of Violet and Luke

The Probability of Violet and Luke

The Certainty of Violet and Luke

The Resolution of Callie and Kayden

Seth & Greyson

* * *

**The Secret Series:**

The Prelude of Ella and Micha

The Secret of Ella and Micha

The Forever of Ella and Micha

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan

The Ever After of Ella and Micha

Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always

Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always

* * *

**The Shattered Promises Series:**

Shattered Promises

Fractured Souls

Unbroken

Broken Visions

Scattered Ashes

* * *

**Breaking Nova Series:**

Breaking Nova

Saving Quinton

Delilah: The Making of Red

Nova and Quinton: No Regrets

Tristan: Finding Hope

* * *

**The Fallen Star Series:**

The Fallen Star

The Underworld

The Vision

The Promise

The Lost Soul

The Evanescence

The Mist of Stars (untitled)

* * *

**The Darkness Falls Series:**

Darkness Falls

Darkness Breaks

Darkness Fades

* * *

**The Death Collectors Series (NA and YA):**

Ember X and Ember

Cinder X and Cinder

Spark X and Spark

* * *

**Unbeautiful Series:**

Unbeautiful

Untamed
