Lamps And Lies: Grimm Academy Series, #8

By Laura Greenwood

Lies always catch up with the ones keeping them, and Alyeesah has several.

 

Caught up in her pretence as a Princess, Alyeesah learns about her prophecy when it's almost too late, and if she's going to stop it and win the heart of her prince, then she'll have to move quickly.

 

With someone else pulling the strings, and the rest of the academy just waiting for her to make a mistake, it might even take Alyeesah's third wish to get herself out of trouble.

 

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Lamps and Lies is part of the Grimm Academy fantasy fairy tale romance series and is a standalone gender-swapped retelling of Aladdin. It includes a fairy tale heroine determined to save herself and a sweet m/f romance. 

 

If you enjoy fairy tale retellings, fantasy academy settings, friendship, prophecies, strong heroines, and sweet romance, start the Grimm Academy series!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Drowlgon Press
• Release date: Nov 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393631316

Laura Greenwood

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy romance. When she's not writing, she drinks a lot of tea, tries to resist French macarons, and works towards a diploma in Egyptology. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set. Laura specialises in quick reads, with healthy relationships and consent positive moments regardless of if she's writing light-hearted romance, mythology-heavy urban fantasy, or anything in between. You can find a full book list and more information on her website, or in The Paranormal Council Facebook Group. Happy Reading!

Book preview

Prologue

18 Months Ago...

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The market is a mess of colour and movement. Nothing stands still here, and it can be heard in the symphony of noise which accompanies it. The clanging of pots and chatting of hundreds of voices does a good job of hiding the seedy underbelly of the city. The one that includes the likes of me, doing my best to get by despite not having a home, or enough to eat. At least I have quick fingers which can pinch a coin or two when I need to. Even if I hate it. I wish I could go about my life the same way the merchants and the shoppers do, with honesty and proper employment. But unless I want to sell myself, it's just not possible.

It only takes me a moment or two to spot the right kind of person to lift some coin off. The woman is weighed down by bags of produce which keep getting tangled in the tails of her headscarf. She's fumbled at least four times in the past five minutes.

That's the kind of person who will never notice a couple of coins missing.

I draw my own scarf tighter around my head, hiding the dirt on my face and hair. The last thing I need is for someone to yell at me for dirtying up their store. It'll only call attention I don't want.

The woman picks up the pace, so I do too. She's too good of a target for me to let go, especially because it'll make the difference between eating and starving.

She stumbles and begins to fall, spilling her belongings all over the ground. A shiny red apple rolls towards me. I check around to make sure no one is looking, then pocket it. Even if I can't get any coins from her, at least there'll be something I can eat.

Are you all right? I ask, rushing forward to help her up. I push away the guilt building up inside me that I'm only doing this because I want to take more from her, but she has plenty and I don't. This is how I have to live.

Yes, yes, I'm fine. She brushes herself off, a harried look on her face. Now I'm closer, I can see she's older than I first thought. But I shouldn't let that bother me.

I have to eat, I have to eat, I have to eat. The more times I think it, the less I feel inclined to go along with my plan.

Apparently, I'm not a very good thief.

Here. I hand her a bag of vegetables, which she takes with a grateful smile.

Her bulging coin bag is only inches away from my fingers, and slightly open. If I want to, I can reach out and take a couple of the golden coins from the top.

But I don't. I have the apple, that's going to have to be enough for today. It should at the very least keep the pangs of hunger at bay.

She flashes me another smile, then disappears into the crowd.

I stand there, dazed. I'm such a fool. Her purse was so full she wouldn't have missed a couple of coins, and yet I let my conscience get the better of me.

I sigh and kick the ground, watching as the sand creates small dust clouds around my feet. Something sparkles in the sunlight. I crouch down and clear away the dirt, finding a beaten gold ring beneath the surface. I close my fingers around it and rise to my feet once more. I glance around for the woman, trying to find where she's gone. If I find her, then I'll give the ring back to her. If I can't, then I suppose it's only right that I keep it.

No matter where I look, I can't find her anywhere.

Something inside me screams that I need to get the ring out of the square and to somewhere private. At least no one will have stolen my sleeping spot this early. The afternoon is only just beginning, anyone who needs a sheltered alcove to sleep in will be out and about trying to work out how they're going to feed themselves today.

I glance over my shoulder as I thread my way out of the market square and back towards the place I slept in last night. It'll give me the right amount of privacy to look at the ring and decide what to do with it. From what I saw when I picked it up, it's not going to be worth much, but perhaps I can upsell its value.

It only takes a couple of minutes for me to arrive there. I check around to make sure no one's following me, and when I'm sure they aren't, I duck under the dirty old sheet which separates this space from the path. Now I'm back here during the day, I should try and take it down. Something like that may be invaluable for me as I move around the city.

I drop down onto a step, then pull the ring out of my pocket. I turn it over a couple of times before noticing a dirt patch. It must be from where it fell on the ground. I'll have to clean it up before I try to sell it.

I lift the hem of my headscarf and begin to rub away the dirt. It's stubborn, so may have been from before it fell after all. The metal warms beneath my fingertips, and my eyes widen. Is it supposed to do that? I can't admit to knowing enough about jewellery to be sure if this is a good or bad thing.

A large purple puff of smoke erupts from the ring, hitting the back of my throat. A violent cough wells up and I burst into a fit. I wish I had some water saved, but I don't have any such luck.

You are the master of the ring, a voice booms.

I whip my head up to find a man standing in front of me, his arms crossed over his chest and his muscles bulging. The purple smoke swirls around him, almost as if it's at one with the man. Which makes no sense.

Who are you? Where did you come from? I have a knife. I slip my hand to my side to get it. I'm no expert with a blade, but I know better than to walk around unarmed. It took me months to scrape together enough coins for the simple rusty blade, but it's been worth it.

I'm the genie of the ring, he announces. Granter of three wishes.

Wishes? I echo, confused by what I'm hearing. Genies aren't real, are they?

Anything you wish is my command. Though I can not raise the dead...

There's no one I'd want back anyway, I mutter.

...make anyone fall in love, or change the way the kingdoms look, he continues without acknowledging my words.

And I can ask for anything?

Except more wishes. He shrugs and unfolds his arms, appearing much less intimidating than before.

Do you like being a genie? I blurt.

Shock crosses his face, as if it isn't a question he's ever been asked.

I've never known any different.

That isn't a yes or a no, I point out.

How can I know if I like something if I have no experience not being it? Do you have any experience not being a woman?

Well, no. But I like being female, I counter. I still know that.

Hmm. He seems genuinely confused by my question. May I think about your question, Mistress? he asks.

Of course. You don't have to answer me if you don't want, either. I glance away from him, not wanting to make things weird between us. Well, weirder than they already are.

Excellent. Then I will be needing your first wish.

You can do anything? I repeat needlessly. I heard him the first time, but it's taking some time to sink in.

What is it you wish?

I don't know, I answer honestly, beginning to pace back and forth as I give it as much thought as I can.

Is there something you don't like about your life? the genie suggests.

A small laugh escapes me. All of it?

Then why don't we start with that? the genie suggests.

You just want me to wish my life to be different? I stop pacing and turn to face him. I'm sure my confusion must show on my face.

I can't tell you what to wish for, Mistress, that would break the rules. But I can advise you that you don't simply wish that your life is different. Perhaps I might suggest you should be more specific in your desires.

Oh. I