“No.” He shook his head. “You can’t just switch it off.”
“I’m not switching anything off. You’ve done too much damage to me.” Her eyes filled with tears now as all her old insecurities flooded back at her, compounded now by her dad’s last words. “I don’t want to lose your friendship — I don’t. I’m just saying that romantically — I could never trust you with my feelings.”
The devastation on his face echoed into the harsh silence of the room. At least five tense and cold minutes passed before he nodded tightly at her. “Too much has happened to you. The Jinn. Your dad. And me — I’m not saying what you said isn’t true. I’ll have to live with that. I will give you all the space you need. And I will still be here as your friend as you go through all this crap.” He took a deliberate step forward, his voice lowering to a husky purr that knotted her stomach, “But I’m not giving up. One day, maybe next week, maybe next year… maybe ten years from now… you’ll be ready to let me in again. And I’ll be waiting, Ari. I’ll wait forever to make it right with you.” He nodded once more and brushed past her, his touch making her shiver. Her bedroom door closed behind him and she was left in the dim, lonely silence, her heart pounding hard against her ribs.
I’ll wait forever to make it right with you.
“Forever is an awfully long time.”
10 - Loyalty’s Betrayal
“Brother, what a splendid surprise.” The Gleaming King smirked at Red as he approached the small dais.
The Red King glanced around the dark, small throne room with mock hauteur, knowing his condescension would annoy him. He eyed the half-naked dancing girls at his brother’s feet and sneered. “I see your plebian tastes have not improved.”
A whoosh of violent air rushed around The Red King as his brother flew from his throne to land noiselessly and inches from him. His brutal dark eyes bore into his and he felt a surge of excitement at the thought of fighting Gleaming — as he was called among his brothers. “Have you just come here to insult me, Red?” He spat, his muscles bulging in warning as he gripped his hands into readied fists.
“No, Brother. I came here to question you about your son’s whereabouts.”
Gleaming took a step back, his expression turning thoughtful. Which son? And why does he concern you? he telepathed for privacy.
Dalí.
The Red King was not surprised when his brother’s features softened at the mention of his son. In this realm and all the others, it was well known Gleaming was fond of only five people, and they were all his children. What has my brilliant boy been up to now?
Not fooled by his placid smile, The Red King crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance. I think you know, he growled, the anger he felt over Ari’s attack feeding into every word.
Gleaming shrugged. I may have told him about the Seal. I didn’t know it was a secret.
Do you like making yourself sound like a fool?
Red… be careful. You are in my house now.
Your son has attacked the Seal.
Ah, Gleaming nodded, his eyes glittering with humor, I thought that was why he left here in such an excited rush. My boy thinks he can wield the Seal? Ha, he is splendid isn’t he?
Fighting the impulse to eviscerate his brother, The Red King put his hands behind his back, missing the jeans he’d swapped for leather trousers when he entered Mount Qaf. He could have just slammed his hands into his jean’s pockets instead of physically having to restrain them from wrapping around Gleaming’s throat. This particular brother had always rubbed him the wrong way. All he had to do was smile and The Red King wanted to kill him. They’d had many fights in their younger years and The Red King was almost certain that Gleaming was the one who started interfering in days that were not his jurisdiction first.
Where is he?
I don’t know. He won’t answer my calls. He frowned now. That’s not like him. You’ll have a difficult time finding Dalí; he’s more powerful than even he knows, and like all half-breeds very elusive. He laughed. Little shit didn’t give me his correct address. Doesn’t even trust his own father. Could a father be any prouder than I?
The Red King rolled his eyes. You’re so twisted.
Thank you. Gleaming chuckled at his expression. Oh please, you know all about twisted, Red. If I didn’t know you for the cold, heartless, traitorous little bug you are, I would suspect you had grown fond of the Seal. Even if it were true you’d betray her in a second if Father told you to.
Cold violence settled over The Red King and his eyes blazed an unnatural color. He attempted to ignore Gleaming’s chilling truths and decided to try and play on his loyalty. The White King will not be amused by Dalí’s pursuit of Ari.
It didn’t receive the reaction he’d hoped. Instead of cowering at the thought, Gleaming shrugged. I cannot control my son just as White cannot control his daughter.
Realizing Gleaming would be unmoving in this, The Red King stepped back, leaving through the Peripatos without another word. Frustrated and knowing he should discuss this with his Father, The Red King stepped out of the Peripatos and into Azazil’s private receiving rooms. He was surprised to find his father there instead of in the throne room. He was even more surprised to discover that Azazil had turned his cold but elegantly appointed sitting room into a dark dungeon of torture. Blinking against the low candlelight, The Red King gave a low bow to his father as he turned from towering over the human who looked so small next to the seven foot Sultan. In his large hand he gripped a blooded blade. Blood smeared his bare torso and dripped onto the silk of his tailored suit trousers. His long white hair had been tightly roped back into a braid so that it would not get in his way. By his side sat a towering instrument that looked a bit like a bird bath. Sniffing the air, The Red King knew it was hot tar. He only had to look at the small human strapped to a St. Andrews cross to know that it was hot tar. It had burned into the man’s flesh, playing connect the dots with knife cuts and an assortment of abrasions. His face was pale and his eyelashes fluttered against the crest of his cheeks. He’d passed out from the pain. From the torture. The Red King wondered dispassionately what crime the human had committed.
“He killed a lesser Jinn,” Azazil answered, his booming voice echoing around the transformed room. It was bare, the walls rock and dirt, and the floor being loose dirt beneath their feet. Dropping the knife on a bench that held an assortment of torture devices, Azazil strode towards his son. Not many people or Jinn towered over him, but even in his human form, Azazil was a giant. “The lesser Jinn was his neighbor. She killed his daughter for some minor infraction against her vegetable garden and so the human killed the Jinn in retaliation. This,” he gestured behind him to the brutalized man, “Is my retaliation.” When he turned back his smile was pure wickedness.
Confused and a little curious The Red King said, “You usually leave punishment of the tried to the Shaitans, Master.”
“Yes, well, today I was bored.”
“You’re about to be un-bored, Father.”
“Oh?” He grinned at him, a wet towel appearing in his hand from thin air. He wiped the towel over his torso, washing away the blood. “Has this anything to do with my Gleaming son’s greedy little half-breed and my granddaughter?”
Too busy trying to maintain a bland expression to even think about commenting on the fact that his father referred to Gleaming’s child as a half-breed and White’s as his granddaughter, The Red King replied, “You know he is after her then?” without letting his disbelief, and yes anger, show.
“Perhaps.”
“Well, what is to be done?”
“Nothing,” Azazil growled, throwing the towel into the air and turning it to ash that glittered like tiny jet pieces in the low light. “Let it play out as it should.”
“Do you know of this poison as well? This harmal concoction the sorcerer has procured?” From there he explained exactly what had happened to Jai.
Silence ensued once he was done, interrupted only by the whimpers of the awakening human on the cross. Finally, stroking his chin in thought, Azazil sighed. “It is part of the course. Do nothing. I do not harm family, you know that,” he proclaimed silkily.
Well we all know that’s a lie, The Red King thought bitterly before mentally berating himself. Now was not the time to be angry at his father. He worked for Azazil. He was loyal to Azazil and no one else. But then there was Ari…
“By do nothing, Master, can I assume you mean do nothing by my own hands?”
His father smirked at him knowingly. “You wish to aid her?”
Thinking it better to remain silent, The Red King let Azazil draw his own conclusion.
“Fine.” Azazil waved an agitated and heavily jeweled hand at him. “However, I want a personal update.” His eyes glittered dangerously. “We shall talk soon I think, Son.”
11 - She Needs a Constant in those Ever-Changing Eyes
The sitting room seemed tiny, so tiny that there wasn’t enough oxygen to go around. Jai shifted uncomfortably, wondering how he had managed to find himself in such a position. The tension between the three of them, especially between Charlie and Ari, was unbearable. Jai hadn’t been able to help overhearing part of the discussion between the two of them upstairs because Ari had yelled a little.
So… she’d finally come to her senses. He couldn’t help but feel relieved at that but on the other hand he was also worried. Jai eyed her surreptitiously as she picked at a loose thread on the cushion of the chair she was sitting on. Her features were tight and pale, her whole body tense. Her dad’s death had changed her. What Derek had said to her before he died had changed her, and Jai found himself in the uncomfortable position of being angry at a dead man. Why did Derek have to tell her those things? Even if it was the truth, what purpose had there really been in being honest with Ari? Sure, Derek might have felt unburdened by it but he’d left Ari hurt and broken. She deserved better than that. And she deserved better than Charlie, which she finally seemed to have grasped.
In a twisted way Jai couldn’t help wondering if the hurtful truth hadn’t been exactly what Ari needed? Finally she was seeing how destructive Charlie’s need for revenge was, and she saw that she would always play second string to that revenge. Whatever had happened upstairs between those two, Jai could only guess by the strain between them, that Ari had broken whatever romantic chord had held them together. He shouldn’t be happy about that… but he was. Jai scowled, dropping his gaze. He was becoming too undisciplined for his own liking.
Didn’t matter anyway, he flicked Ari another quick look. Ari was still mad at him for ordering her around. He felt that earlier mixture of fear and anger burn in his chest. Well he was mad too. She’d nearly given him a heart attack earlier. She could have been taken, those men could have done anything to her, and Jai would have just sat there under that intense drug not able to do anything but watch. It had been sickening. He’d felt impotent and his terror over losing Ari and how it would have been his fault had made him lash out a little. But he wouldn’t take it back. She had to start learning to obey him in those situations or she’d get hurt. And if she got hurt… Jai clenched his hands into fists, his eyes lifting to her again for reassurance that she was there and in one piece. She was still wearing the black dress she’d worn to her father’s funeral. It was a simple shift dress that came to mid-thigh but with her long, slender legs Ari still somehow managed to distract it from its purpose as a symbol of mourning. Or maybe just distract him. Jai mentally cursed himself even as his gaze lingered on those legs. His blood heated and he swallowed hard, fighting down the want churning low in his gut. She’s only eighteen, she’s only eighteen. Nah… that didn’t help. She’s the Seal, She’s the Seal. Not that either.