Introduction
Please note:
This is a fairytale-fantasy-romance with an urban undertone. It WILL NOT be realistic. This book tells the story of a Genie and Immortal man falling in love QUICKLY. If you do not like instalove, fairytales, fantasy fiction, or books that have entertaining yet unrealistic things happening, please skip this read. Also, if vulgar language, the use of the N word, and steamy sex scenes offend you, please skip this read.
Write again for you soon,
2015
Hareem Malik Nairobi
Memphis, TN
What was supposed to be the happiest day of my life left me numb. I couldn’t even hold my brand-new baby girl, Lovie, in my arms. A part of me felt like the moment I did, I would die. Literally. That was my fate as a Nairobi man.
Every other man born within our bloodline was born immortal. The only way he could ever die was if he fell in love. Urysha, Queen Mother, had cursed the Nairobi bloodline thousands of years ago. Legend has it, Urysha fell in love with a Nairobi man who didn’t love her back. So she cursed him and his seeds and made it to where he could never love any other woman but her.
For his family, the curse meant that Nairobi men would live forever – unless they fell in love. The moment the woman they loved died they would too.
Every hundred years Nairobi men would shed their current bodies and start life all over again from the womb, but they would always have memories of their previous lives.
Sandy Mills was my first love. We had our issues, but I respected and valued the fuck out of that woman. When I found out she was pregnant with my child, love for her began to grow within me. Truthfully, I didn’t think we would be together forever. Even though I loved her, there were some things about her that I couldn’t really see myself wanting to deal with for all of my life. That way of thinking changed the moment she told me she was pregnant.
Now… Sandy was gone. She died giving birth to Lovie thirteen minutes ago, and I was waiting for my heart to stop as I held her hand. It was confusing to say the least. Typically, Nairobi men died within thirty seconds of their partner. But I was still alive. A part of me wondered if Queen Mother was having some kind of mercy on me, but Urysha was one cold ass bitch. She had mercy upon no one.
The only other explanation I could fathom was that… maybe… I didn’t really love Sandy. But if I didn’t, what had I been feeling for her for the past eight months? Releasing her hand, my heart plummeted at the thought of my feelings for her not being real. She’d given me the greatest gift a woman could ever give a man and my heart still wasn’t capable of giving love.
It wasn’t like I was ready to die or some shit, but a part of me still wanted to know what love felt like – no matter the risk.
Closing my eyes, I stood and inhaled a deep breath. When I opened my eyes, I placed a kiss on Sandy’s cold lips and rested my forehead on hers. As a tear dropped from my eye, a strength enveloped me that I felt depleted of just moments ago. Lifting my body, I poked my chest out and mentally reminded myself of who the fuck I was.
Hareem Malik Nairobi.
Son of Diesel and Meerah Nairobi.
My father had been blessed to avoid the curse and so had my younger brother. After him, we had a sister. So in my household, it was only me. For the longest time it made me feel like an outcast. Made me feel like there was no one who really understood me. Then I met Sandy, and I thought that would change. We had our fights here and there. She used to get so fucking mad when I told her I didn’t want to get married and have kids.
But I was only doing that to protect our children. I didn’t want them to have to grow up without their parents. That seemed selfish as hell to me.
Sandy’s mother asked me if I wanted her to go with me to see Lovie and I told her no.
This was something that I had to do alone.
As I looked at my sleeping beauty through the glass, it was as if time stood still. The only thing that pulled me out of my trance was the nurse standing on the side of me asking me if I wanted to go in and hold her. This time, I said yes. We went inside, and after washing my hands, I walked over to my beautiful baby girl and took her into my arms.
This.
This was what love felt like.
It consumed me the moment Lovie woke up and looked into my eyes.
Something else filled me, too.
The need to always be here to protect my daughter.
No matter what.
It was just us now, so I had to do whatever it took to make sure I was always here for Lovie. If that meant guarding my heart and never risking falling in love again… asé. It will be so.
1820
Panaji, Goa – India
Genevieve “Genie” Yates
My aura was completely off. The pink and purple haze that usually permeated my body and filled the atmosphere was now black and gray. In a sense, I guess it represented the death of my union with Quenton. Or at least what I hoped was the death of my union with Quenton. As a Genie, it was completely against the rules to flee a master, but I didn’t have any other choice!
Crimsen, our eternal Goddess Genie, would probably try to punish me for leaving and I would take it. I needed to be able to cleanse myself of how Quenton loved me. He was a narcissist, a psychopath, and overall terrible person. Somehow, he made enough room in his stone heart to love me, but it never felt like love to me. It felt like obsession, lust, and possession.
Unlike most people, Quenton didn’t make his three wishes immediately; he made one wish every ten years. For the past twenty-nine years and three-hundred and sixty-four days, Quenton had been my master, and that had never happened before. The old pervert was in the middle of a spiel about his last wish, and because I knew what he was about to wish for, I used all my might to poof myself away from him.
All I could do was pray that the rank dust I covered him with had been enough to poison him, otherwise I would be forced to return when he summoned me. Settling into my space in the Genie orb, I crossed my legs, lifted my hands with my fingers spread, and closed my eyes so I could begin to meditate. My incense and herbs had already been lit, so all I had to do was recite my chant and call upon the Queen of Love, Vanzette, to visit me.
As I inhaled a deep breath, I visualized being in a field of sunflowers and roses, skipping merrily with joy in my heart and peace in my soul. Yes, I could fly and float as a genie, but I was also able to take on human form, and surprisingly, I preferred that most. I guess it was one of those instances where you wanted what you couldn’t have or wanted to be what you weren’t originally.
While some would sell their soul to be able to possess the magic and abilities I had, I would give it all up to be free. Unfortunately, the only way for me to be free at this point was if someone wished me to be free – and no one was ever really that selfless.
I’m not exactly sure how much time had passed as I meditated, but when I felt a bit calmer, I tried to call Vanzette to me. She only came to those who had pure hearts or who were suffering and truly in dire need.
“Vanzette,” I whispered softly. I let a few seconds pass before calling out for her again. When she didn’t come, I figured my heart wasn’t pure enough. Opening my eyes, I released a soft, sad sigh. The darkness that once surrounded me within the orb had now turned yellow and orange with flashing stars floating around. Which was good because it signified that I was returning to myself. The moment I smiled, a hole began to form in the orb, and a host of baby genies began to sing the sweetest melody as Vanzette made her entrance.