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 upward at my lips.

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 open the front door and listen for any exchange of words Asher, East, and Arrow might be having. 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 would be 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 him 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 had been so hot I thought I was going to start on fire. Then the genie had 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 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. His tongue parts my lips 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 at my eyes, yet the magic of the bargain keeps me talking. “Anyway, after he cursed me, I felt like I was going to start on fire. 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.”