“So where did you go?” Theo asks.
I wave my hands in front of my face, making the water swirl. “Sorry, ocean interference on the mirror line. See you next diurnal.”
I dart to the side and out of view, making the genie smirk at me.
I jab my thumb to the side and whisper, “Are they gone?”
“No,” Malachi says with a chuckle.
Ugh. I fold my arms. “I am not discussing this.”
“See you soon, pretty mouse,” Theo says.
I squeeze my eyes closed, ignoring the pain lancing through my chest.
“Stay alive, Calamity,” Hart adds.
Don’t you dare cry.
“Cause chaos,” Malachi says before a loud slap sounds. “Ow.”
“Stay safe. Genie, stay by her side,” Nash orders.
“Love you, Daphne,” my sister whispers. A tear slips past my defenses as silence descends over the room.
“Now they’re gone,” Genie says.
Gone from the mirror, perhaps, but their love still surrounds me.
Chapter
Seven
Sleep evades me the entire night as I toss and turn on the ocean bed. It doesn’t matter how soft the mattress is. Without my knights, I can’t settle. When did that happen? When did my happiness rest on the shoulders of four brothers? My simple life in Strongfair used to fulfill me. I didn’t live in a castle or have folks who made sure I was shiny and well put together. Lacy undergarments were unheard of, and a good sausage was the dream, not the norm.
Now I’ve tasted them, and they’ve touched my heart with their protectiveness. My sister is the only person who has ever been important to me. She’s genetically wired to love me, so that doesn’t count. It’s basically her job.
“Please quiet your mind,” the genie grumbles from his prone position beside me.
I groan and rub my hands down my face. “I can’t sleep. I miss them.”
“Let’s talk about the simple solution.”
I’m not that stupid. “I’m not wishing for anything.”
“I understand, but let’s pretend.”
“Do pretend wishes count?”
“Only if you say ‘I wish.’”
I sit up. The mirror man left to help the gang in the library. He’ll be back when the sun rises to inform me of any progress they’ve made. Currently, the plan is to beg Poseidon or steal his trident. Neither appeal.
“Okay. What if I decided I no longer wanted to be the Lady of the Lake?”
“You would be compelled to give the sword to one of the knights.”
“Meaning I would die and no longer be her.”
