Granted

by Michelle Merrill

Genres: Young Adult; YA Romance

Synopsis

Praise for Granted

"With a new take on genies, Granted is full of great characters, a magical new world and an intriguing mystery, sure to delight fans of all ages. Crossing my fingers for a sequel!" —Chantele Sedgwick, author of Not Your Average Fairy Tale

“Brielle is a genie on a mission—finding her magic and experiencing the mortal world for the first time. Mystery, romance, and plenty of fun, Granted will brighten your afternoon and make you wish for more.” —Jacque Stevens, author of The Stone Bearers

The existence of genies may be the best-kept secret in the history of the world.

After being trapped in the Sahara Desert for her whole life, sixteen-year-old genie Brielle finally gets her first assignment in Tri-Cities, Washington. She eagerly heads out into the human world to grant her first wish so that she can gain her magic. Unfortunately, her assigned human, Addie, stopped believing in wishes years ago and would much rather that everyone just leave her alone.

Complicating everything is Rock, Brielle’s childhood friend turned enemy. Brielle doesn’t need him ruining her first trip out into the human world. Too bad she can’t keep her mind—or her eyes—off him and his annoyingly cute dimples.

To make matters worse, genies in the Tri-Cities area are suspiciously dying. One broken lamp could be an accident, but after three deaths occur, Brielle suspects someone has uncovered the genies’ secret and is slowly killing them off one by one. 

With the Genie Council ignoring the threat, Brielle desperately needs to gain her magic so she can stop the murderer before she—or Rock—is the next genie to die.

Release date: June 30, 2016

Publisher: Future House Publishing

Print pages: 228

Sample

My twelfth birthday party was supposed to be the best day of my life. I’d already danced, eaten cake, and rode a camel in the initiation parade.

Mom pulled me close and whispered in my ear. “You’re going to be a great genie, Brielle. I hope to be at the Smokeroom each time your three weeks is up.”

“But someone has to rub my lamp first,” I said.

“They will.”

Dad nudged my side. “Hey, kid. One wish and you’ll finally get your magic. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

I smiled at him while halfway paying attention to the Council Member reviewing the genie rules. He stood in the middle of the crowd going into detail about not touching assigned lamps and listening for natural wishes—like I hadn’t heard the same thing for the last eight years. I swallowed hard and glanced at Rock, who stood near the back of the crowd. He’d already been on his first assignment and gotten his magic. Hopefully I’d get out in the field as quickly as he had.

The Council Member approached me slowly, his brown hair pushed to one side.

“Remember . . .” He paused.

My heart thumped a steady rhythm.

“Don’t tell anyone what you are.”

A breath of air whooshed out of me. That was it? I knew it was a pretty serious rule, but he made it seem like the end of my life, not the beginning.

“I won’t.”

The knot in my stomach released a flutter. This was the moment I’d waited for. All the preparation, the excitement, the learning . . .

The Council Member pressed his palms together, his long sleeves sliding down to cover his hands completely. His face was solemn as he closed his eyes and chanted a quiet phrase. The air was still, the sun’s rays finally setting in the distance. A child giggled through the silence, which dragged on and on . . . I thought for sure he’d fallen asleep standing there. At last, he reached his hands high over his head and arched them away from each other. Smoke drifted down and settled around me. I didn’t feel any changes, but I knew that was it.

The crowd cheered and the music started up again.

The Council Member moved closer and lowered his voice. “Before you go, there’s something I must tell you.”

His words hung in the air. This was different from all the other initiation ceremonies I’d attended. He wrung his hands together, his lips pressed in a flat line. His gaze narrowed on me. Why wasn’t he saying anything? What was he waiting for?

My parents stepped forward. “What’s wrong?” Mom asked, her voice raised over the clapping beats.

He blinked twice. “Your lamp has recently been put in a storage unit, where it could stay for some time.”

“What?” My heart dropped. This wasn’t happening. Of all the times for a human to save something for later. Why couldn’t they just give it to someone else? “Can’t you change my assignment?” I wanted to go now, leave this town, get my magic, maybe change someone’s life. My head spun as the noise pounded around me.

“I’m sorry.” He touched my arm. “We assigned it last week. Once it’s chosen, there’s nothing we can do.”

With that, he walked off. I watched him until his robes blended with the darkening shadows.

“It’ll be fine,” Mom said. “Be patient. It will happen soon.”

Her voice snapped me from my stare. I had to believe her. After waiting twelve years, a few days—even a month—couldn’t be that much longer. My gaze landed on Rock again. He moved closer but I shook my head. I couldn’t talk to him right then. I couldn’t talk to anyone. The celebration continued but I couldn’t be a part of it. My mind was stuck on the Council Member’s words. They were too new, too fresh. Like a bad knee scrape waiting to heal.

But this time, getting my assignment was the only way I’d really recover.

I stared through the grungy window at the Council Member’s back. The Saharan sun reflected in the glass. Its rays trapped me, hunted me, suffocated me with a constant reminder that I couldn’t leave this city. There was no escape.

Grains of sand pricked my skin as I raised my fist and knocked three times.

The Council Member turned around and nodded as if expecting me. Perhaps he was. This was the fourth time I’d come to the Council to make my request—same day each year. The other two Council Members came into view and an argument broke out—no doubt discussing my problem but never coming to a conclusion.

Same old, same old.

I squeezed my hand tighter and knocked again. Finally, they shuffled apart and filed out the door.

“Happy birthday, Brielle.”

I struggled for an even breath. “No. It’s not happy. But it could be.”

The Council Members exchanged looks.

I pressed my lips together and waited for them to tell me something good.

“You know we can’t help you.”

I rubbed my forehead and cursed the seven dunes. “It’s been four years since my lamp was put into storage by a human. I could be helping someone, getting my magic. You three can’t even figure out who’s in charge.”

The short one rubbed his thick hair. “There should be a vote next week.”

I almost rolled my eyes. They’d been telling everyone that for the past year.

“Please.” My voice cracked. “Can I have a new assignment? The first Genie Council created the rules. You have the power to change them, right? Or maybe someone could get my lamp. Something? Anything? I’ll do whatever you ask. I need to get out of here.”

The tallest Council Member stepped forward, his bald head casting a shadow over me. “Once we decide on a new leader, we’ll process your complaint.”

I balled my fist and looked for someone to kick his genie trash. If I didn’t have magic to do it, I had to rely on others to do it for me. As if on cue, Rock stepped into view. Except he was the last genie I could count on. All he ever gave me was trouble.

I turned to him. “Rock.”

“Brielle.” He raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Council Members.

“We have work to do,” one of them said. They turned to leave.

“Wait.” My legs trembled. “No.” There had to be something. I couldn’t be stuck in this place another week, not even a day.

They paused and I looked to Rock for help. His lip hitched into a lopsided smile.

“Can I at least leave?” I asked.

An invisible pressure scrunched the tall man’s face. “The city?”

Deep breaths. “Yes. I could just visit—”

“Never.”

Rock chuckled.

I cut him a glare and bit my lip. “Please. I won’t be gone long. I just need a break.”

Without warning, my hands were pinned to my sides and I was lifted a few inches off the ground, my lips sealed shut. The Council Member raised his chin. “Like I said, we have work to do.”

A lump filled my throat as my body drifted away, hovering near the Council building while the members shuffled inside. The door shut, the lock turned, and I fell from the air, tumbling to the sandy cement.

I could feel Rock behind me. “What do you want?” I asked him.

“I know life’s rough, Brielle,” he said in his deep voice, “but you don’t have to let it get you down.”

I whipped my head around. “You have no idea what rough means.”

His eyes narrowed. “I—”

“You didn’t do a thing to help me. You never do.” Not when I turned twelve and got assigned to a lamp stuck in storage. Not when I was fourteen, escaping reality for a few days by camping out behind a sand dune only to have him tell everyone where I was. And not last year when I was blamed for camel poaching.

“What was I supposed to do?” he asked. “Challenge the three most powerful genies?”

I gave him a flat laugh. “Right. Powerful.”

“Magic doesn’t give you power.”

“No,” I snapped. “It gives you freedom.”

He offered me a hand, but one thing I learned a while ago was to never take anything he offered. It usually got me on the wrong end of a camel. I got to my feet, the ache in my bruised knee already disappearing.

Rock eyed me with a cool gaze. His long lashes framed a pair of chocolate-colored eyes that slanted up toward his temples. They were inviting, but so were every other genie’s. We all had the same eyes, kind of a genie trademark. That and our dark skin.

Rock’s jaw twitched.

“What do you want, Rockafel?” I asked.

His smile faded. He hated the use of his real name. “I just stopped for the show.”

I glared at him. “Go suck on a camel’s hump.”

“What’s the big deal?” he asked, dropping his hands to his sides. "It can’t be that bad here."

Heat burst through my face. I clenched my teeth and pretended he didn’t just say that to me. Pretended he wasn’t even there. Pretended that someone knew what I was going through. And it wasn’t him.

He brushed sand from his jeans and it blew toward me, adding another layer to the thick coat on my arms. “I hate to tell you this but maybe you’re better off without magic.”

I sucked in a quick breath and tried to shake off his words. “Right. Better. I’m trapped in this town. No magic and no friends. Perfect life for a genie.”

“You also have no idea what it’s like to leave.” He spun around and walked away. Before turning the corner, he said, “By the way, your mom’s back and she’s looking for you.” There was a moment of silence. “Oh, and happy birthday.”

The thought of my mom gave me hope for a better day. I’d forgotten she’d be back in time for my birthday. Still, I couldn’t go home as mad as I was. Instead I ran. Running never felt so good. Even the sand blasting my skin was refreshing—if nothing else, it distracted me from the pain inside.

Each path I took led to somewhere I’d already been. I’d seen every part of Denley, the magical town in the middle of the Sahara. The whole place was etched into the deepest parts of my brain.

Even when I closed my eyes, there was no escape.

I ran harder.

A few hours later, I walked in our front door, hoping mom had had enough time to shower. I didn’t want to gag through her lemony ash smell—ash from traveling by smoke, and lemon from the sour perfume she used to cover the ash. It gave me a headache every single time.

Mom rushed in from the kitchen with a floury apron and dough-covered hands. Of course she was baking. Whenever she got worried, the kitchen filled with rolls and pastries.

I opened my mouth to talk, but nothing came out.

Mom let out a long sigh. “Brielle, where have you been?”

“I ran into trouble and remembered how much I hate this place.” The following sniffle ruined the snarky reply.

She tilted her head. “Oh, honey. It’ll be okay.”

Okay? Without her and dad around, I had to be the strong one. They had no clue what it was like to be alone as long as I had been. I had told myself it would be okay a thousand times. Maybe one more time, okay would be good enough.

I held my breath and blinked away the rising tears. I couldn’t cry. It would only make my face splotchy and my eyes puff up.

“I’m going to catch some sleep,” I told her.

She rubbed my arm and placed a kiss on my forehead. At least tomorrow wasn’t my birthday again. I could only handle one of those a year. The day after always seemed better, which only made sense—things could only go up after being so far down. I trudged to my room and cocooned myself in blankets until the darkness of sleep finally came.

By morning I felt a little better. The smell of cinnamon rolls told me Mom hadn’t slept much. When I stepped into the kitchen and approached her at the stove, a strange feeling came over me—like my stomach sprouted wings that raced through my body up to my head. A tingling sensation pricked my arms and sent a chill down my back.

The smell of ash filled my nose. It seeped into my eyes and burned its way to my ears. I’d been close to Mom when she’d gotten an assignment, but this time her scent was overpowering. I half expected her to dart up the stairs to grab her lemon perfume. Or maybe she kept it in her pocket. Either way, I stumbled back to get away.

When I glanced down, my fluttering stomach froze.

Time froze.

My skin prickled and goose bumps scattered across my arms, but my skin didn’t look like skin. It was the ghostlike see-through look my mom got when her lamp was rubbed. Which could only mean one thing.

I swallowed hard.

Mom gasped and clapped her hands together. I couldn’t tell if it was a forced reaction or real. She had to be happy for me, but we both knew she’d given up hope for me ever leaving this place. Probably to be realistic. Or to make it less painful when she and dad abandoned me to do their jobs. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and led me to the couch. The touch of her body was almost numbing against my sheer arms.

It wasn’t until we settled on the couch that everything hit me. In less than a day I could get my first wish to grant, and then I’d have my magic. Real magic. This couldn’t be real. I’d waited so long.

But if it was . . . I’d get to ride in a real car. Maybe even drive a car. Not maybe, definitely. I wouldn’t have to walk another desert street for three weeks; I’d be free from Denley.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

“Oh, your dad will be so happy,” Mom said, giving my hand a tight squeeze.

Her one comment nearly ruined the moment. Dad couldn’t care less; his genie status had always been more important. He wouldn’t be completely happy until he was dubbed a member of the Council. And since the Council couldn’t even decide which one of them was in charge, that would be, well . . . never.

A knock came from the front door and Mom crossed the room to open it. The tallest Council Member stepped in. I’d had a bad run-in with him less than a year ago and his cool demeanor still rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn’t tell how old he was, since genies aged slower than humans, but he had a wrinkle or two. Wrinkle number one usually came around fifty.

My mom smiled. “Brielle, this is the third Council Member.”

Why the Council members never went by their real name was beyond me, but I was glad that they had figured out which one of them was number three. Now they needed to get number two and one down.

But wait.

I eyed his crooked smile. Maybe they had something to do with me finally getting an assignment. It could’ve been that for the first time they were actually annoyed by my request and decided to grant it.

The Council Member shifted.

Yeah, probably not. My lamp must’ve been rubbed. There’s no way they’d help that quickly. Or ever.

I stepped forward but hesitated to shake his outstretched hand. If he wanted courtesy, he should’ve shown me some earlier that day. His gaze met mine and he pulled his hand back.

“Is she ready?” he asked.

My eye twitched. He knew I was ready. The whole town knew.

“Then go pack. You are to report to the Smokeroom in one hour.”

I nodded once. Mom started crying when he placed a tiny key in my hand. The key that would get me into the Smokeroom where I’d transfer to meet my assignment. My ticket to the outside world.

Closing my hand around the key, I stared at my fist as the Council Member left. The moment he was gone, Mom turned to me, her voice thick. “You’d better go get ready. They don’t like it when you’re late.”

I gave her a smile and raced to the stairs.

“Oh, by the way,” she said, “you might want to use my lemon perfume.”

I tried not to gag at the thought. “Uh . . . thanks.”

It took longer than expected to scrub the dry sand from my ghosty arms. I loaded my duffle bag with a few personal items, threw my long hair into a high pony, and carefully pulled my picture of a Lamborghini from the wall. The retired genie that would be my caretaker might have all the clothes I needed, but that poster was something they’d never get right.

I slung the bag over one shoulder, kissed the rolled up poster for luck, and headed downstairs. Mom stood at the bottom with a fresh baked roll.

“I’m ready.”

The look on my mom’s face was torture—like she couldn’t decide whether to be happy or sad. I would’ve thought she’d be thrilled. No more guilt for leaving me. No more feeling sorry for me that I was stuck here. I would’ve had a harder time leaving her if this had happened four years ago, but now I was ready to finally live.

I touched her shoulder with my free hand, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, “Mom. I love you and I’ll miss you.”

She pulled me into a side hug. “Same back to you. Happy birthday. And be careful.” She brushed a light kiss on my cheek and handed me the roll.

I wheeled around and hurried out the door. Her last words ran through my mind over and over again. Be careful. Of course my mom would say that. Like I had much to be careful of. They were humans. I was a genie.

And with my magic I’d have nothing to worry about at all.

My feet hit the pavement faster than I’d ever run before. This was the day and in a few minutes, I’d have my moment. I would finally be free.

I headed down the street, my shoes leaving a trail in the blanket of sand. Why we even had a road was beyond me. Cars weren’t approved and our car simulator was more like watching someone drive. Boring. I needed to get behind a real wheel; a Lamborghini would do.

I weaved my way through neighborhoods towards the Smokeroom. A breeze blew from behind, speckling my see-through arms with sand. The sweltering heat didn’t bother me since the temperature didn’t affect genies, but the blasting sand got old.

I slowed down when the one-story Smokeroom came into view. For something so important, I always thought it should be more significant, not nestled into a surrounding neighborhood. It didn’t even have a smokestack.

Just as I stepped up to the door, a light chuckle came from the corner and Rock sauntered into view. His gaze lingered on me for a moment. “Lucky Brielle,” he said, dragging my name out. He tossed the twig he’d been holding and moved closer.

I clenched my fist. “Whatever you’re going to say, I don’t have time for it right now.”

He pressed his lips together and buried his gaze into mine, which sent a chill from my neck to my toes. “I guess we probably won’t be seeing much of each other anymore,” he said. “Now that you’re free.” He folded his arms and leaned back on his heels. “Then again, maybe we’ll end up in the same town.”

There was no way we’d end up in the same town.

My eye twitched. I was probably late for my appointment by now. With a steady voice, I tilted my head closer and said, “Right now I’d rather b. . .