“When are you not irritated?” Lilly asked.
“Not now, queenie,” Peri said. “Your general is being tempted to the dark side by djinn cookies. You might want to pay attention.”
“Actually, it’s cotton candy,” Lilly said. “The dark side has apparently traded up from cookies.”
Gerick still stared at Myanin as if she were a mystery, and he wasn’t sure how to solve her. She wasn’t doing much better. In fact, she didn’t know what the hell she was supposed to do. It was becoming a familiar feeling. At one point in her life, she’d known where she stood. She’d known her role. Now, after everything she’d done, after all she’d seen and experienced, she had no clue where she belonged in the world anymore.
“I don’t understand,” Gerick said, his voice deep but gentle.
“Welcome to the ways of the Great
