"Granny. Why does this lamp mean the world to you?"
I held the gold lamp in my hands, my wide eyes staring at it like it was a valuable toy that only I got the chance to touch. I was sitting on Grandma's lap, the two of us enjoying the rocking chair on the porch and watching the stars up in the night sky.
Turning my head to look over my shoulder, my gaze found my grandma’s gentle brown eyes and she smiled brightly at me.
"It has many many memories, my sweet Destiny. When your granny was having a hard time, that was what helped me."
"A lamp? It helped you, Granny?" I asked, unsure how something as simple as a gold lamp helped my tough and brave grandma.
"It did. It gave me a place to call home and allowed me to find where I really belong."
"Granny, will I ever find where I belong? It's not here...is it?"
Grandma's smile widened, and my lips curved up to match her happy expression with my own.
"Not quite. You're too kind for this world.But one day, Destiny, you'll find where you belong and feel right at home. You will have a happy ending."
"Like in fairy tales!"
Grandma laughed sweetly and nodded. "Just like fairy tales," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a tight hug.
I giggled and squeezed her tight too. "You're the best, Granny. I love you."
"And I love you, Destiny. One day, you'll make other’s wishes come true."
"I want out."
"Oh, stop complaining, Mr. Shut The Fuck Up. Admit you're loving this! I should take pictures."
"Take a picture and I'll burn that Givenchy walking closet of yours so fast you'll wish you never pressed that snap button."
"That's just rude."
"That's Vengeance for you. You gotta admit, they do look good together.
"When Cole's asleep and not having his resting asshole face on. Destiny looks adorable when she's asleep."
"She's beautiful when she's awake."
"She's awake now, so can I leave?"
"You always say she's awake when she's not."
"Your instincts suck balls."
"Stop being grumpy. Any normal Jinn would be a happy mother fucker getting to be a cuddle pillow."
"I don't want to be anyone's pillow."
"But you are now."
"I'm burning your house down."
"You always want to burn his house down."
"Because he's an idiot."
"Just admit I grind your gears. You love it though. That's why we're friends."
"We AREN'T friends."
"Alright, Vengeance. We all know you wanna keep that ego of yours."
"Fuck off, Magnificent."
"I wonder what type of Jinn she is."
"Kindness or something. I don't think I'd be able to handle being in this room and watching everything play out the way it did."
"Humbly so."
"She's awake. I'm going away."
"Don't move, stupid Cole. You'll wake her up!"
"Your annoying loud voice is going to wake her up."
"That’s nothing compared to your vibrating chest, which reminds me. Again, why aren't you wearing a shirt?"
"Because it's fucking hot!"
"You two get loud when you argue."
"They're just going to wake poor Destiny up."
"She. Is. Awake."
I tightened my arms around something warm and the voices stopped talking for a moment.
"See? You ALMOST woke her up."
"Oh, for fuck’s sake."
"Don't move, you idiot."
"I wanna go home."
"Stop acting like a baby. She's so comfy cuddling with you."
"Look. I got a picture."
"Oh, fuck no!"
My eyes opened slowly, and as I lifted my head up, I saw a scowl on a man with silver eyes. Galaxy silver eyes.
"Grumpy Galaxy Eyes..." I mumbled, my eyes beginning to close.
"Ugh. My name is Cole. Not Grumpy Galaxy Eyes or Mr. Shut The Fuck Up if you're going to bring that up."
I nodded and laid back down, resting my head on his rather comfortable chest. "Okay. Grumpy Galaxy Cole." The room was silent, and I was already beginning to doze off.
"Guess he lost his chance of running away. I'm gonna get us food, you want anything, Grumpy Galax-FUCK!"
"Cole, don't burn the hotel room."
"Especially with us in it!"
"Or you're paying for it."
"Just shut it and be useful elsewhere."
I smiled a little bit in my half-asleep state. I didn't want to admit it, but whoever these voices were, they were really funny.
With that thought, I fell back to sleep.
"Destiny? Wake up, Pinky."
My eyes slowly opened and found a pair of blue ones staring back at me.
"Luke?" I croaked out. As I glanced around, I wondered what time it was. The room was pretty dark, so it must have either been late at night or super early in the morning. Either way, I didn't feel super refreshed, but I certainly felt better than the last week without sleep.
"At least you remembered." He grinned.
I noticed two important things: I was still in the hotel room, and I was sprawled across a very chiseled chest.
Peeking up at the face that belonged to the chest, my gaze alighted on a sleeping Galaxy Eyes. He's Cole, right? He's asleep. Wait...was I cuddling him this whole time? What time is it?
I turned my focus back on Luke, who still had that wonderful grin on his face, and he nodded. "Let's not wake Mr. Grumpy."
I nodded my understanding and very slowly maneuvered out of Cole's supremely comfortable hold. You wouldn't think from his harsh, cold outlook that he'd be a good cuddler.
When I crawled to the end of the bed, Luke rose from where he had been situated near the lamp, and made his way to where I was, outstretching his hands to help me. With his assistance, I got off the bed and I glanced back at Cole. He mumbled something and rolled over, falling back to sleep with ease.
Luke chuckled quietly. "Thank goodness he's a deep sleeper. Why don't we go downstairs and get you some food? You haven't eaten in a while."
I peered down at my pajamas, which were now gold with pink trimming. I swear I was wearing pink before. "In pajamas?"
"Ah. Close your eyes."
"Are you gonna do some cool magic?" I asked with a hint of excitement.
He smirked and nodded. "A tiny bit, but it only works when you close your eyes."
My eyes closed, and I heard a snap of his fingers. My body felt warm, but it was a comforting sensation that made me want to giggle and be happy for a few seconds.
"Okay."
I opened my eyes and I wore a simple pink dress with white ankle socks and pink slippers. A quiet giggle escaped me. "I haven't dressed up like this since I was a kid."
"But from your joyous expression, you love it." Luke winked, and I nodded quickly.
"Really love it."
"Let's get you some food."
We headed outside the hotel room, which I noticed was super clean compared to what I remembered of it.
As we waited for the elevator, I nervously fidgeted with my hands.
"What's wrong?"
I gave Luke a sheepish smile. "I haven't really been outside of my hotel room for a while, and I'm kinda scared someone will recognize me… you know? The dead me," I whispered, looking at my pink slippers as I tried not to freak out.
I'd always been a confident person, but this whole ordeal had made me both insecure and afraid of being in public. One wrong move and I could be the talk of the town.
Destiny's ghost haunting Hotel 901. I bet they would investigate that for weeks compared to the one hour they spent on my own "death" scene. If they even spent one hour.
Luke nodded and reached out for my hand, enfolding my left hand in a firm grip. The elevator opened, and I was thankful that it was empty.
We walked in and Luke faced me. "Close your eyes again," he instructed.
I did exactly that, knowing he must have thought of something to help me out. I felt the strands of my hair grow warm and begin to move as if I was using a blow dryer.
Not even ten seconds went by before Luke spoke. "You can open them now."
Opening my eyes, I noticed my image in the elevator mirrors and a broad smile formed on my face at my new look. My long hair was the same length, but it was now completely purple. The roots were lavender, and as it flowed down it shifted to a gorgeous pink, almost like a mixture of cotton candy pink to magenta, which automatically gave me unicorn vibes.
Instead of being loose, my hair was braided and had the perfect gold jewelry interwoven in the purple-pink strands, making my smile widen even more. For a long time, I'd never really felt super pretty, even when I dressed up for holiday parties or events, but with my braided hair, simple dress, and white sock slipper combo, I felt beautiful in my own skin.
What was most mesmerizing, was my bright green eyes.
They shifted from a dark emerald green to a lime green with hints of gold and even blue, which would make people think I wore contacts.
My skin was a little less tan than usual, which could have been due to sitting in the hotel with barely any sunshine, but it fit my overall look. Though, it did make me feel like a foreigner.
"Wow. Purple to pink hair? How did you get it braided so nicely? And my eyes! Wait. Don't I stand out more? I do feel really pretty."
Luke smirked and lifted my hand to his lips, shutting me right up when those smooth gorgeous lips pressed against the back of my hand. "You are beautiful, Destiny. Don't let anyone, including yourself, tell you otherwise."
The elevator stopped and the doors opened before I could reply. Luke smiled as he lowered our joined hands, but he didn't let go. As we exited the elevator and turned left, I looked at our clasped hands and smiled as well.
My gaze swept over him and I noticed that Luke was wearing casual clothing, dressed in dark red jeans and a simple white top with red patterned dots. His ginger hair was combed to one side, and I already wanted to take another look at his face to enjoy those beautiful freckles of his.
We reached a room with a table full of food, and I saw the person named Jeremiah in yet another Givenchy jumpsuit. Next to him sat the strawberry blond Owen, who was in the middle of eating a slice of cake. He had donned a pair of simple black shorts and a red top with the words GET AT ME on it.
Their gazes lifted as we entered the room and their facial expressions brightened when they saw me.
"Damn, Pinky. You were hot before, but you're super hot now." Jeremiah grinned.
"You look well rested," Owen added.
"Thanks," I replied and gave them a small smile. "Uh...I didn't really introduce myself properly."
Jeremiah smiled, and Owen had a kind expression on his face, the both of them rising to their feet.
"Well, its bad manners that we didn't introduce ourselves either," Jeremiah noted.
"I did introduce myself, thank you very much, " Luke mumbled, letting go of my hand to grab us some food.
"Aside from Humble over there, we completely forgot. Our apologies." Jeremiah bowed his head.
Owen followed suit and bowed his head before he glanced around the quiet room. "Where's Grumpy Galaxy?"
"Oh, please tell me we're sticking with that nickname?! Pinky did a good job with that one."
"Me?" I didn't remember calling Cole Grumpy Galaxy at all.
"He's sleeping," Luke replied as he came back with a little plate of fruit, crackers, and cheese.
The sight immediately made me realize how hungry I was, and I looked up at Luke as if to ask for permission to take one of the plates.
He nodded and offered me both plates to choose.
I briefly darted my gaze between the two of them and took both without hesitating.
Jeremiah chuckled, and Owen sighed.
"Yup, I like her."
"You like anyone who loves food as much as you," Luke noted with a wide smile.
Owen shrugged. "I won't deny that. Food is life."
"And he'd never gain a damn pound! Watch me eat a damn cake and gain 50lbs within the hour. I wouldn't even fit in my jumpsuits anymore." Jeremiah’s exaggerated and dramatic speech had me giggling.
"How many suits do you have?"
"He has a good thousand in one of his many houses," Owen stressed, and Jeremiah rolled his eyes.
"You're just hating because I bought the jumpsuit YOU wanted. I was thinking of being a good Samaritan and letting you have it, but I changed my mind."
"I don't need your jumpsuits dosed in that nasty Axe cologne."
"I do NOT use Axe fucking BOY spray," Jeremiah snapped, looking insulted. "Don't embarrass me in front of Destiny."
I laughed and sat down in the single chair that faced the sofa Jeremiah and Owen had been sitting on.
"Axe smells horrible. Every teen boy had it and stunk up the high school halls for weeks."
"Exactly! I won't be compared to a teen trend," Jeremiah vowed.
"Uh huh. Can I finish my cake now or you want a slice? Oh wait, that 50lbs may hit you before the sun rises. My bad."
"Fuck you!" Jeremiah punched his shoulder and Owen just laughed.
Watching the two of them interact made me realize they must be really close friends. Luke walked over to stand between them and they reached out to ruffle his hair in greeting.
"You really can't introduce yourself without Cole," Luke pointed out.
"Why not?" I asked.
"He'd get butthurt and feel all lonely and shit." Jeremiah shrugged.
"Then he'd mumble all day long on how he's going to kill us in our sleep. It's totally spooky." Owen shivered just talking about it.
"Stop talking shit behind my back."
I looked over my shoulder and spotted Cole walking towards us wearing a pair of black joggers and a white shirt, which fit him like a glove and ensured everyone could see the lines of his muscles. His navy blue hair was messy in the typical bedhead style, which told me he'd just woken up.
"We weren't talking shit. It's plain fact." Jeremiah’s lips quirked up in a smirk.
"Just woke up?" Luke questioned, amusement lacing his tone.
"You said you wouldn't let me sleep." Cole’s whine caused my face to break out in a grin. His galaxy eyes lowered to see my smile, and he groaned. "Why is she so happy?"
"Because she gets to eat two plates of food." Owen chuckled.
I decided to nod, not wanting to admit that I was smiling at how cute Cole sounded when he complained. It was like seeing a giant whine about being too tall. So cute. Returning my focus to my food, I began to dig in while Cole grumbled something like 'I'm still tired' and moved over to grab some food.
Owen, Jeremiah, and Luke lowered their frames onto the sofa. Owen snatched bits from Luke's plate while Jeremiah relaxed back into the navy-blue cushion, putting his hands to rest behind his head.
By the time Cole had gotten some food, most of it similar to what Luke had chosen, the only option he had was to sit in the seat that was next to mine.
I blinked slowly at the sight of my empty plates before shifting my gaze to Cole's two rather tempting plates.
The others chuckled and snickered, and Cole groaned but offered me one of his plates. I beamed and reached out to take it before I lifted my eyes to meet his.
"Thank you," I said earnestly.
He nodded, but for a second I swore he was an inch away from blushing. Must get him to show more emotions than that resting asshole face.
Focusing once more on my food, I proceeded to finish the third plate with no trouble. Luke got up and got me a bottle of water to wash the food down and then settled between Jeremiah and Owen again. Cole was finished with his food as well, so we decided to just relax in the breakfast lounge.
"What time is it?" I wondered, seeing as no one else had come to the lounge for breakfast.
"About three in the morning?" Owen replied, glancing at his black watch on his wrist for confirmation.
"Three in the morning? Doesn't feel like I slept for a few hours though. Today's Monday?"
The boys stared at me for no longer than thirty seconds before Luke gave me a sympathetic look. "It's Wednesday, my dear. You were knocked out."
"Two days?!" I shrieked.
"48 hours. We had to rotate watching you, but even when we tried to wake you to drink something, it was impossible."
"Hmm. Why don't I feel like I need to pee?" I pondered more to myself.
Jeremiah chuckled. "Magic, Pinky. It's pretty awesome."
"Are you allowed to say that out loud?" I asked. "Actually, what are you guys?"
"Guess that counts as being a part of the introductions, right?" Owen mused.
The others shrugged, and Cole sighed. "We're Jinns, Destiny."
"You're my relatives?" I asked blankly, and the other three guys snickered.
"Oh, I hope not. I think that would make it weird to be cuddle buddies." Jeremiah chuckled.
He did have a point.
"Jinn as in genie? Like the one from Aladdin?" I questioned.
They all groaned.
"You see? I told Dad it was a stupid idea to let Disney go through with that movie. Even after all these years, people still compare us to that blue guy." Jeremiah huffed, putting his head back to rest on the sofa.
"We weren't even Jinns back then, or we so would have opposed of it." Owen shrugged.
"He wouldn't listen to us," Luke pointed out.
"He'd listen to Cole," Jeremiah noted.
The other two nodded. "True."
"Your dad is a genie? So, was your mom a genie and they had genie babies? Wait...that wouldn't work. You guys are all from different backgrounds, so you can't have the same dad. Hmmm."
"I think we should actually introduce ourselves properly for you to understand, Destiny. We'll answer any questions you have after we explain. Does that sound easier?" Luke suggested.
Yes. That would help a lot," I admitted with a sheepish grin.
They nodded and exchanged looks.
Luke sat up and started, followed by the others.
"Luke Jinn the Humble."
"Owen Jinn the Adventurous."
"Jeremiah Jinn the Magnificent."
"Cole Jinn the Vengeance."
I frowned and tilted my head in confusion. "You're all Jinn and you add titles to your name when you introduce yourselves?"
"When you become a Jinn, it will be your surname for the rest of your years serving as a genie," Owen explained.
Luke continued. "Every Jinn will have the same last name and be blessed with a title by our father."
"He isn't our REAL father, but he's the Father of Jinns across Fantasia," Jeremiah clarified.
"Fantasia is where all Jinns reside and receive wishes from across the worlds. Sometimes we grant them, other times we ignore it. Depends." Cole shrugged.
"In summary, the four of you are Jinns, aka genies, from a place called Fantasia. You all have the same last name and the titles were appointed to you by the Father of Jinns and you guys get to decide whether you grant a wish or not. Does an individual need to rub a lamp? Like the one Grandma left me? It was her most prized possession, and she said it gave her a lot of memories."
I really wanted to know more about my grandma’s lamp, but I was also intrigued by all this new information.
"Sometimes yes, other times no. The majority do need a lamp to summon one of us, but if they're an owner of a lamp and don't have it on them at the time they desperately make a wish, we would still be summoned to aid them," Owen elaborated.
"Seeing as your last name is Jinn, it could mean you’re from a line of Jinns and the reason your grandma passed down her lamp to you… but..." Luke trailed off, looking deep in thought.
My eyes drifted between the other two on the couch, noticing their troubled gazes. I turned to peer at Cole, who also looked a bit concerned, though he masked it the moment my focus landed on him.
"Is it bad that my last name is Jinn? Am I a genie?"
Cole crossed his arms over his chest and answered. "We don't know for sure. It's not bad that your last name is Jinn, but there's a huge problem with you being here."
"Here as in..."
"Here as in among humans. You would have been born on Fantasia to have that last name. I'm surprised you made it to adulthood without any other Jinns confronting you about it. We don't live in this world, but we come often enough and scan governmental profiles all the time."
"You said your family recently told you that you're adopted. That means your last name wasn't originally Jinn?" Jeremiah questioned.
"It was Destiny Alexa, but when I got my real birth certificate, it read Destiny Alexa Jinn. I didn't have a chance to tell anyone else about it," I admitted.
They exchanged glances once more and nodded.
"Why? Is that bad?" I pressed.
Luke put his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands as he looked at me. "It's complicated, Pinky. See, there are only two ways of being a Jinn. Either you're born as one, which is what we suspect is what's going on in your case, or you're chosen to be one."
"How are you chosen?" I asked.
No one answered, which made me grimace, and I slowly looked at Cole. He must have anticipated my gaze because he spoke the moment our eyes locked.
"You’re chosen when your soul is at the border of judgment."
"Border of judgment?"
Owen relaxed in his seat and lifted his leg to rest on the other. "Heaven and Hell. The Good Place or Bad Place. The Light Side or Dark Side. Those are the few terms humans categorize it as, but the first one is the most popular."
"That means..." I trailed off and took a moment to look at each of them before I continued. "You guys...all of you have died before?" My voice was low and was the perfect presentation of my shock.
Jeremiah nodded his head but was still able to smile. "Yup. Two years since my death."
"Two for me as well," Luke replied.
"Three for me." Owen raised his hand.
Cole didn't say anything, and I looked over to see his blank expression. If he didn't want to reveal it to me, I didn't mind. His eyes met mine and he lifted his hand, all five fingers remaining up.
"Five years?" I confirmed.
He nodded, lowered his hand, and looked away.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and dropped my gaze.
Just to see the people around me gather and mourn my apparent death hurt to the core. I couldn't imagine waking up as a Jinn and realizing you'd died.
As tempted as I was to ask if they remembered their deaths, I held my tongue. We barely knew each other and that was something you asked when you'd developed a trusting relationship. It would be offensive if I asked now.
"I guess that means I may be the first option, but wouldn't I be in Fantasia then?"
"That's another issue. You should," Owen stressed.
"The fact that you summoned all four of us is also something we need to look into," Luke added.
"Four isn't normal, is it?" I asked hesitantly.
They shook their heads.
"Not even close, Pinky," Jeremiah commented.
"When someone makes a wish that's strong enough, it's always been one," Owen pointed out.
Cole decided to join the conversation. "There have only been a few VERY rare occasions for two Jinns to be summoned at once, but that was decades ago and before our time as Jinns. Summoning us four is unheard of and when we go back to Fantasia, we need to go straight to our father and see why this happened."
"I'm going with you to this Fantasia place?" I asked.
"You could if you want," Owen replied with a smile.
"There aren't many female genies, so we'd have to mask you as a slim male until we get to Father," Jeremiah noted.
"Is it that bad?" I canted my head to the side and waited for the answer.
"Think of a world where the ratio between men and women is 50:1," Cole presented.
"Oh shit..." I swore and tried to calculate in my mind. "Why is that? I mean, if you're chosen during judgment, why wouldn't there be an equal number?"
"Women have fewer regrets than men." Luke shrugged.
"That can't be true. It's sexist." I crossed my arms and frowned.
"It's been researched, Pinky. Women have fewer regrets than men and pass over a lot faster. Could also be the water mass in our bodies weighing us down, but it hasn't been confirmed," Jeremiah replied, trying to lighten the mood.
I grinned and nodded. "I guess I wouldn't mind coming with you guys. Well… that’s if you'd be okay having me travel with you? Not like I have much to bring anyway." I mumbled the last part.
Aside from my backpack with my personal belongings, which included a few chocolate bars and tampons, I had nothing else. Wait.
"Do female genies get periods in Fantasia?"
The four of them were completely silent, causing me to rethink what I'd just asked.
Hmm. Maybe they're not that comfortable with the female body. But...they were fine helping me bathe? What's the big deal about periods?
Cole cleared his throat and replied. "They don't."
"YES"! I fist pumped the air. "Fuck you tampons and taxes!"
They continued to silently stare at me, and Jeremiah leaned over to whisper to the other two. "I really wish I'd dated a girl long enough to see what the big deal is."
"If you were bleeding from your cock every month and craving chocolate all the time, you'd understand," Luke replied and patted Jeremiah's shoulder.
"Don't forget the wine. It's a bonus," Owen added.
"Ah." Jeremiah nodded.
"You guys are a bunch of idiots." Cole sighed and rolled his eyes before looking at me. "Yes, you can leave your feminine products here. You won't need them."
"Does that mean female Jinns can have sex whenever they want without getting pregnant?"
The poor guys were frozen by my over the top questions, but I HAD to know. The realization of a whole new world where periods and cramps didn't exist made me want to go find a hot genie and enjoy good sex. Not like I didn't have options before me, but I bet they’re already taken.
"To get pregnant, there are steps that need to be taken and it's too complicated. That's why born Jinns are rare." Cole answered my question yet again, clearly taking the lead role in the uncomfortable conversation.
"Why does only Cole know these things?" I asked. "Is it because he's been a Jinn the longest?" I asked.
The other three looked at Cole who stood up. "I need to piss."
With that, he was out the door. I frowned and slowly turned back to the others. "Did I fuck up somewhere with the periods and pregnancy questions?" I asked.
"Cole...is complicated. He doesn't like sitting down too long. Don't worry about it." Owen brushed the topic off like it was nothing, but their concerned expressions told me otherwise.
"Also, we wouldn't know. None of us have dated a female Jinn," Luke added.
"Cole is the oldest in the group and most knowledgeable, so I wouldn't be surprised if he knew a lot of things we don’t," Jeremiah confirmed.
"As long as I didn't offend him...I can apologize."
Luke got up and walked over to kneel in front of me. "You don't need to apologize, Destiny. He's fine." He reached out to brush his hand against my cheek.
"I can see why you're called Humble. Though you look like a surfer dude." I paused and studied him. "Minus the ginger hair and freckles."
He chuckled. "I used to surf, and I thought I'd be cool by breaking all the stereotypes by going ginger." He gave his admission before he rose up.
"Have you had enough of an introduction to allow us to take you away to another world, Destiny?" Luke questioned.
"Stop being cheesy. It only suits Jeremiah," Owen snarked.
"It doesn't suit me at all. I'm cool when I say shit like that. Hold on," Jeremiah replied. He stood up and walked over to where I sat, kneeling down before me as he scooped my hand into his. "Destiny Jinn. Are you ready to accept this new fate and journey with four Jinns to a new world of discovery, magic, and wishes?"
"Now THAT was REALLY cheesy." Luke groaned, and Owen laughed.
"Oh goodness, that was horrid."
"Fuck off, the both of you! Destiny hasn't replied yet! Don't ruin the moment," Jeremiah grumbled.
I laughed this time, which caused all three of them to stare at me. My own ears were shocked to hear the sound. I couldn't remember when I'd really laughed out of pure amusement.
"Out of the seven days I've been in the miserable hell hole I was in, I really am happy you guys came. I'm so happy it's hard not to cry," I whispered, blinking back tears.
Jeremiah rose up, tugging my hand gently to prompt me to stand up too. When I did, he wrapped his arms around me and gave me the perfect hug.
"Don't cry, Destiny. As Jinns, that's what we're here for, and your wish was to find where you belong. You're one of us, and if you want to join us, we'll show you both sides of being a Jinn."
I nodded into his shoulder and cried quietly. I pulled back slightly to wipe my tears, feeling a pat on my shoulder. I turned to see Owen and he opened his arms in a hugging gesture. With a tearful grin, I gave him a hug before Luke walked over and gave me one as well.
By the time I was finished hugging Luke, Cole had returned. He noticed my teary appearance, and I worked on stopping the waterworks with my hands.
He strode over to me and reached out to wipe away the tears that fell from my eyes, and I stared into those softened galaxy eyes.
"Your wish will be granted, Destiny. All you have to do is say yes," Cole whispered.
I looked toward the others as I held my breath, thinking about whether they would really be okay with me coming with them. Their supportive expressions helped me make my decision and I turned to gaze directly into Cole's eyes as I answered.
"I want to find where I belong, and I'd be forever grateful if I could take this journey with you all and for me to have my wish granted. I may be a burden and could bring you guys down, but I'll work hard… and do my best to hold my own weight… Just don't… discard me, okay?" I whispered.
The idea of starting a new life was thrilling, but I had to remember I had nothing left here. One wrong move and I'd be homeless in both worlds. I'd be alone, and if these men ended up abandoning me, my purpose of living would be nonexistent.
I was dead to the human eyes. If no one wanted me in the Jinn world, there would be nowhere else but death.
It was a depressing thought, but I had to be realistic. My eyes grew wide when I was pulled into a hug. Cole's huge body wrapped me up in a gentle embrace that melted my insecurities.
"We will never discard one of our own." He spoke quietly in my ear.
I lifted my arms and hugged him back, hoping my returning hug would melt away whatever had been troubling him. Leaving here would be the best, and these four men were the cure I needed to get away from what could have been my real death.
Cole's words continued to echo through my mind and a smile formed on my lips as a thought crossed my mind.
One of their own.