“No, Ari is different. She reminds me of the Ginnaye. She’s a natural protector. It is not at al what I would have expected of her… and yet… it’s exactly what I wanted of her.”
Despite Azazil’s legendary status as the world’s greatest enigma, Red liked to think he knew some things about his own father. The look on his face in that moment was one of them. He was becoming obsessed with an idea. Red didn’t know what that idea was, or what Azazil’s real purpose behind safeguarding Ari was, but he knew that her apparent ‘purity’ had something to do with it.
Best to disabuse him of the notion then.
“Ari herself may be pure but twice now I’ve witnessed the Seal trying to infect her with its power… the darker half of its power.”
The Sultan stiled and Red had to hold in a smug smile. Bingo. The thought of Ari being ‘pure’ meant something to his father. Something important. And the Seal’s infection was a problem. “Realy? Wel… isn’t that… interesting.”
“Master?”
Shaking himself, Azazil smiled nonchalantly and took the glass of wine back from the Shaitan. “Al the more reason to observe her this evening. Asmodeus is
convinced there is something between Ari and her guardian. If this is true, I need to see for myself. It could be useful.”
Trying to ignore a strange feeling he didn’t want to label ‘panic’, Red decided ignoring Asmodeus’ suspicions was the best way to deal with it. Instead he thought about Charlie and discovered that also incited his anger. He unclenched his jaw, so his father wouldn’t see. “And the purpose of Charlie?” he asked softly, furious that Charlie had been used and seemingly for nothing. The games Red played always had a purpose. That’s how he was able to deal with some of the more distasteful things he’d had to do since he’d gotten to know Ari.
“White unexpectedly saved him.” Azazil grinned, completely entertained by how things had panned out. “It doesn’t matter. The point was for him to kil the
Labartu—a ful-blood. There’s no saving him from that. He either dies trying or he succeeds and we kil him for his crime. Either way I stil want him out of the picture.
We didn’t use him needlessly.” His smiled turned sharp and caustic. Knowing. Red shivered, once again wondering for the eight milionth time if his father was a mind reader. “Charlie must die of his own stupidity. Remember, Ari must not have reason to blame us.”
“So you realy are alowing them to leave tomorrow?”
“Of course. Why rush this? It’s the most fun we have al had in quite some time.”
“Well, look at you.” Asmodeus purred, his beautiful dark eyes filed with cold detachment. Ari shuddered, struck mute, as he began to circle her, his gaze running the length of her.
Just as quickly as she’d been struck with fear, the feeling of being trapped ignited the dark coiling heat in her chest. It unfurled at his lengthy perusal and al of sudden Ari’s tensed muscles relaxed. Asmodeus stiled as if he caught the change in her and Ari tilted her head back to meet his gaze. Their eyes locked and that inexplicable feeling of familiarity washed over her again.
An ache coalesced within, squeezing her heart. She felt drawn to Asmodeus. As if…
… as if she knew him somehow.
“You’re different,” Ari whispered, the hush of her words drawing his sharp gaze.
“What do you mean?”
Disorientated and confused by her own behavior, Ari shook her head. “I… I don’t know why I said that.”
Glowering at her, the dangerous Marid stopped inches before her, his height causing her to crane her neck back. The smel of leather and spice enveloped her and Ari hated that it wasn’t an unpleasant scent. “Is the Seal trying to take control of you, Ari Johnson?”
His perceptive question made her choke on a gasp and she took a step back. She wished she knew if it was from his question or his proximity. “It does that when I feel I might be in danger.”
Asmodeus smirked at that and cocked his head to the side, his silken hair faling from his shoulders like a sheet of pure black ice. “You think you have something to fear from me?”
“I think, being what I am, I have something to fear from almost al Jinn.”
He tensed at her response, seeming surprised. “Wise answer.” And then scowled. “But almost? You mean the Ginnaye? You think you have nothing to fear from Jai Bitar? Because… you what? Love him?”
Icy stalactites formed under Ari’s heart and began to drip freezing, frightened drops into her stomach. It churned from the cold and Ari took another step back from the Lieutenant. How did he know that? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His glower turned into a glare so arctic Ari’s breath caught again. “Don’t lie to me.”
This man. This Jinn… Somehow, Ari feared him above al the others, despite the pul of him. Despite his draw. Despite the feeling that above al the others, this was a Jinn she somehow knew. Surely she wasn’t attracted to him? The thought filed her with horror. Sure he was gorgeous… but he was utterly terrifying.
As Ari drew out of her own thoughts and back to Asmodeus, the look in his eyes, the chiling anger began to register, and instead of the fear she’d felt only moments before, a strange sense of melancholy took over her. The awful anger he directed towards her made her feel like she’d lost something. That he’d lost something.
Like he was no longer himself.
Ari took a tentative step forward, not even aware of her own body as she remembered her dreams about Lilif and Asmodeus. In al of them Asmodeus had seemed
rational, wise, and almost… kind. He had been incredibly patient with his sister—with the exception of that first dream Ari had had of the two of them trying to pummel one another. Or more precisely when Lilif had been intent on destroying Asmodeus. Why? And what? What had changed Asmodeus into this… this wicked, cold
Marid like al the others were famed to be?
Ari so wanted to ask him but asking him would mean teling him she’d been dreaming of his past with Lilif—and she was sure it was their past. The dreams felt like memories. But whose memories? Lilif’s or Asmodeus’?
And how the hel had they gotten inside Ari’s head?
Am I some kind of psychic now?
Nowhere in the book that Jai gave her did it say anything about the Seal having prophetic powers or whatever. She was weird enough as it was… she didn’t want to get any weirder.
Shaking herself from her thoughts, Ari realized Asmodeus was just standing there. Glaring at her. She crossed her arms over her chest defensively. “You stil wear the Seal. Wel, you pretend to.” She nodded at the ring hanging from a piece of leather rope around his neck.
Asmodeus touched it without breaking her gaze, his long, masculine fingers brushing the ancient-looking ring. “Azazil wishes it so. He does not want others hunting you.”
Ari immediately thought of Dalí. Had the sorcerer told anyone else about her? “That might be too late.”
Asmodeus’ eyes flashed with violence and his voice lowered into a deep rumble, “Oh it is.”
Fear shot through her, igniting the dark mass in her chest again and Ari felt her skin grow unusualy hot. Growled words tumbled out from between her lips before she could stop them, “Are you threatening me?”
“Advising you.” He shrugged, death in his eyes.
Fury at the threat embraced her entire body and the heat was unbearable. She lashed out, the power of the Seal crackling at her fingertips. The air in the room grew electric and a phantom wind swooped around them, blowing Ari’s hair back from her face. “Your kind of advice is unwanted and unwise, Asmodeus.”
Shock transformed Asdmodeus’ features, his face paling, his eyes widening. “Lilif?” he whispered, a hand reaching out towards her.
As suddenly as the Seal had taken control, the darkness was puled back under, sucked in by the vacuum of Ari’s own control. Her whole body trembled as she
tried to reassert dominance over her own mind and body. She blinked, shuddering and heaving. Asmodeus’ shocked question had brought Ari back in control. “What?”
she breathed in utter confusion.
“Your eyes,” Asmodeus growled and strode towards her threateningly. “They changed.”
Ari stumbled back and held her hands up to ward him off, the darkness already awakening at the new threat. To her surprise he stopped and so did the darkness.
“Changed?”
“They turned dark. Dark brown.” He moved again and Red’s warning took hold of her as Asmodeus crowded her against the wal. His hand wrapped around her
throat to hold her in place, his eyes blazing with furious questions.
Terrified his attack would cause her to use the Seal again, Ari pushed the telepathy, searching for Red. Red, I need you! Asmodeus is in my room!
Asmodeus squeezed her throat, cutting off her air supply. And then just as suddenly he loosened his hold. “Tel me what you know.” He pushed her a little and her head smacked against the wal. “Tel m-”
Fire erupted behind him and Ari sagged in relief as Asmodeus let go of her to turn around and face the intruder. Not intruder. Ari met Red’s angry gaze and she slid along the wal away from Asmodeus only to stil at the sight of Azazil. He towered beside The Red King, eyeing Asmodeus carefuly. His gaze shifted to Ari and he smiled politely. “You look lovely, Ari.” And then he turned back to his Lieutenant. “Come, Asmodeus. You know it’s ungentlemanly to pay a cal to a maiden’s room alone. Let us leave Ari to gather herself before dinner.”
Asmodeus looked down at her like he was considering disobeying the Sultan. Ari stared back at him warily, completely bemused by his aggression towards her.
Finaly he nodded and with one last piercing look, Asmodeus turned and folowed Azazil out of the room.
Ari sagged against the wal as the door closed behind them. “He seriously doesn’t like me.”
Her uncle nodded. “I want to find out why.”
“Can you?”
“Not if my father doesn’t want me to know.”
Ari’s face fel and she gave him a nod of understanding.
Red sighed. “But I can try.”
Thanking the heavens for her uncle, Ari gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
He smiled back at her and held out an elbow for her to take. “You look beautiful by the way. Just like your mother.”
Ari blinked at the mention of Sala. “You knew her?” she asked softly as she took his proffered elbow.
Red’s expression smoothed out to perfect blankness. “A long time ago.”
4 - Feast on these Words Before the Plate is Removed from the Table
Stil shaken from her encounter with Asmodeus, and desperate to keep how unnerved she was under wraps so that Jai and Charlie didn’t suspect she had been
accosted, Ari tried to keep her expression serenely blank as she approached them. They stood together at the end of the halway at the exit to Red’s quarters in the palace. Standing by a window, the air of thick tension around them was obvious; Jai gazed outside at something that had caught his interest while Charlie stared determinedly at the floor.