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, God, 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 the Steel world 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 making a plan of 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.