“No.” Panic overwhelmed her and she turned to Jai, her eyes meeting his across the room. “No, Jai, please.”
Jai’s features tightened and Ari felt the crackle of his magic fill the room, as did Michael and the others who tensed and turned to him, realizing he was willing to fight to save Charlie for Ari.
“No, Jai, don’t.” Charlie rose unsteadily, holding his hands out in placation. Ari watched as Jai’s eyes met Charlie’s. “Please. This is how it ends. Please.”
Ari waited on tenterhooks for Jai’s decision. The air suddenly returned to normal as Jai gave into Charlie’s wishes and the Roe Guild Hunter’s relaxed. Ari let out a broken sob. “No.”
She was immediately wrenched into Charlie’s tight grip. “None of this is your fault. You remember that. And remember,” he gave her one last squeeze as he whispered in her ear, “I love you too.”
He walked into Michael Roe’s hold.
As they escorted him out of the basement, past a somber Jai and Trey, it hit Ari that they were taking her oldest friend to his death.
Her knees gave out.
Familiar, strong arms found her and rocked her against his body. “Ssshh.”
“It worked,” she choked against Jai’s shoulder. “It worked. He was himself again. This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening …”
As the sun set on Mount Qaf, the White King stood on one of his many balconies and gazed out over the mountains. Today he’d sat judgment over three disputes among his people, the first a territorial dispute between two of his Hakims—wealthy Lords whose homes were settled in close proximity to one another a few miles from White’s palace. The latest emerald mine had been opened nearby and a fee needed to be paid to the owner of the land. Both Hakims had sworn the land was theirs. White listened to the evidence but in the end, he relied on his own memory to play judge. He granted the fee to the Hakim whose family had settled on the land first.
The following two quarrels had been marriage disputes. Sometimes they could be quite entertaining, but White was too lost in his own maudlin thoughts to pay much attention to either.
Inspiration seemed to have failed him in how to proceed with reawakening Lilif, and it was slowly eating at him.
A knock on his parlor door met his ears and he called to the Shaitan to come in.
“You have a guest, master.”
White turned as the Shaitan bowed and removed himself from the room, leaving Rabir, White’s most trusted servant, behind. His muscles tensed at the expression on Rabir’s face.
Something had happened.
The Jinn strode toward White with purpose. “Your Highness,” he bowed his head reverently.
“What brings you here?”
Rabir smiled as he raised his chin.
“Something I thought may be of interest to you.”
White raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“I’ve been watching the girl’s home as you requested. I just witnessed the Roe Hunters remove Charlie Creagh from it.”
“The boy is coming here to die then?”
Rabir nodded with a smug smile.
“And rumor has it, Azazil owes the girl a favor.”
He let Rabir’s news settle on him and percolate.
A rush of feeling exploded through his veins. He felt himself again for the first time in weeks. Thank all the emeralds on Mount Qaf for his Rabir. The man was smarter than all of his royal brothers put together. What Rabir had just brought him was the game changer. It could deliver him everything he’d wanted.
He gave Rabir a respectful bow of his head. “I think perhaps it’s time we procured you a royal title, my friend.”
It wasn’t fair that someone should suffer so much grief in less than a year, but that was life. And that was definitely Jinn life.
In the end, Ari cried herself to near unconsciousness, barely aware of Jai carrying her up to her room where he tucked her into bed so she could sleep and block out the pain for a while.
Instead of the mind-numbing relief of deep black, Ari dreamed.
Somewhere Ari could feel the dreams like an unnatural pressure in her head, but that feeling was overwhelmed by the images in her mind. She floated from dreamscape to dreamscape—from Sandford and Vicker’s Woods with Charlie, to Cincinnati Zoo with Derek, to Arizona with Fallon. And then Pazuzu was there, splicing her, lashing her, shouting his threats of forever in her face until she fell to the ground, only to have to watch as Pazuzu slashed Jai to ribbons, cut Trey’s throat, and wiped a hand across the sky to reveal the faces of Michael and Caroline and the rest of the Roe Guild Hunters. Her heart literally stopped when Rachel and Staci appeared in the group.
Pazuzu was taunting her. Letting her know that all the people she cared about were going to die for what she’d done to him.
Their faces and voices lambasted her with color and sound and pain.
And just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, they swirled and blurred into a funnel, a vacuum, disappearing into a black that quickly transformed to a scene so vivid, it was like it was happening all over again.
Azazil’s palace. Azazil himself.
Ari glanced up at him before her.
And Asmodeus. He stared at her with a strange intensity.
She was going to die. They were going to take the Seal from her …
She fought to control her breathing and relax the way Jai had taught her. Sacrificing herself meant Lilif would be kept imprisoned. Surely that was worth the sacrifice?
But if she offered to sacrifice herself and there was a chance that she actually made it out on the other side, she was getting something of worth out of it.
“Come any closer and I’ll command Azazil to kill you before you make a move,” Ari told Asmodeus softly.
The room darkened as Azazil’s energy thickened with what Ari assumed was his anger. “What do you want?” he asked shrewdly.
Ari drew in a shuddering breath. “If I die, you save Jai and let him return unharmed to his Tribe.”
“Done.” He nodded, his expression one of utter boredom.
Ari narrowed her eyes. “And—”
“And?” Azazil sat forward, his eyebrow raised in haughty enquiry.
“If I do this willingly … and I live …then I get to call in a favor.”
“I thought that was your favor.”
“No, that was a gesture of good will.”
He smirked. “If your favor then is for the sorcerer … I cannot save him if he kills the Labartu. I am sorry. That is out of my hands.”
Dammit. Ari forced down her helpless tears. They were of no use to her here. “Fine. But I still want a favor if I survive. And I want your oath that you’ll give me whatever it is I ask of you.”
She flicked a gaze at Asmodeus to see his eyes gleaming at her again, as if he almost … respected her in that moment.
And as she turned to find Azazil’s answer, she saw he was smiling, as if enjoying himself immensely. “You have my oath that if you survive, I will grant you a favor, if it is within my power to do so.”
“Done.”
Asmodeus was a blur, his glowing fist crashing down into her chest before Ari had even blinked. Shocked agony tore through Ari as his dark eyes bored into her pleading ones. I am sorry, his voice whispered inside her head. Or had she just imagined it?
It was with relief that his fist withdrew from her, light pulsing between the cracks in his fingers. They uncurled slowly, and the throbbing ball of ember in his palm was the last thing Ari saw before the sweet relief of dying pain swept her away on its tides …
Ari clawed her way through the dark and forced her eyes open.
Her hand automatically searched her chest for the pain.
Just a memory. She closed her eyes in relief until she remembered Michael had arrested Charlie.
Charlie was going to die.
And Pazuzu was still out there, plotting and planning to destroy her and the people she loved. He might not be the only one. Some Jinn still assumed she was the Seal …
No, Ari, her subconscious whispered.
No? She opened her eyes again, her hand still on her chest.
The favor.
Of course. She bolted upright. Azazil owed her a favor. Suddenly, the images from her dreams filtered back to her until the last one danced in front of her eyes, taunting her. It was the one of her dad, Derek, standing outside their home in Sandford Ridge, teaching her how to throw a punch properly.
An idea started forming, an idea that caused her heart to race and her blood to rush. Ari threw back her covers and got out of bed, steadying herself on shaking legs. It was risky. It was possibly impossible … but it might change everything. And Azazil did owe her a favor.
This would be one helluva favor.
But Ari needed to do it.
As Shakespeare once said, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
9
Unravel Me
Ari dressed quickly and quietly. Now that her decision was made, she needed to move fast. Who knew how little time Charlie had left?
Tiptoeing out of her room, Ari froze in the hallway, ears pricked as she listened to the house. It was dark out here and down the stairs, suggesting everyone had gone to bed. Closing her eyes, Ari let her magic push to the fore and she felt outward with her energy, seeking others. It wasn’t long before she encountered the familiar taste of Jai’s extraordinary aura, meaning he was sleeping in his own room tonight to give her some space. A pang of emotion, of heartfelt gratitude and love, echoed in her chest. Ari pulled back her energy from his in case he suddenly sensed her.
Sending her feelers out again, Ari discovered a presence she’d been hoping was hanging out at the house. On silent feet, Ari headed down the hallway to Trey’s room and held her breath, listening for any sound.
Nothing.
Trey? Are you in there?
A beat later … Ari?
His bedroom door swung slowly open to reveal him standing in boxer shorts, his hair a mess, his eyes blinking back sleep. “You—”
Don’t speak!
She held up a hand and glanced down the hall to Jai’s room. When she turned to Trey he was frowning, and he’d crossed his arms over his lean, athletic torso in a “I’m not to be messed with right now” kind of way. Can I speak to my uncle?
Trey’s frown deepened. What’s going on? What don’t you want Jai to hear?
Trey, Glass. I want to speak to Glass.
Before Trey could answer, a large hand appeared above Trey’s on the door and pushed it open. Glass towered above a very tall Trey, his long cerulean hair loose down his bare back. For a moment Ari was distracted by the sight of the two impossibly gorgeous men standing together, and she had to shake her head. Priorities, Ari! Priorities!
Ari, what is it?
Glass telepathed, his tone as grave as his expression.
Ari braced herself. I need you to take me to Azazil.
Glass gave her a sharp, curious look but unlike Red, he didn’t question her. All right. Now?
Please.
Very well. He looked back at Trey and touched his cheek tenderly. Whatever passed between them caused Trey to glower and he turned to Ari.
What the hell is going on?
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. Trust me, okay. And please … don’t wake up Jai. This will all be over soon and I’ll be back.
Trey looked unsure. He’ll kill me if anything happens to you and I didn’t do anything to stop this.
Nothing will happen to me. Glass will take care of me.
Trey shot a look at Glass, clearly wanting to believe her. She could tell by the way the lovers gazed into one another’s eyes that they were having a telepathic conversation. It ended with Glass giving Trey a small, dignified nod of his head, suggesting to Ari he had promised him something. At that, Trey pressed a kiss to the corner of Glass’s mouth and then turned to draw Ari into his strong embrace. Be careful.
“When my son communicated to me that he was on his way with my granddaughter, formerly known as the Seal, I admit to finding myself somewhat surprised.” Azazil smirked at her, the streak of blood on his cheek distracting.