Scorched Skies (18 page)

“And this is the sorcerer?” Luca now turned to Charlie, his eyes heavy with suspicion as they ran the length of him. Ari felt uneasiness settle into her stomach. She
’
d forgotten that the human-living Jinn, like the Ginnaye, believed all sorcerers to be dark. When Luca
’
s eyes narrowed and Charlie
’
s fists clenched at being looked upon in such a way, Ari felt her body moving towards Charlie to protect him.

To her and Charlie
’
s surprise, Jai beat her to it. “Charlie is under my protection and guidance and is not to be harmed,” Jai
’
s voice boomed around the hall with authority and while she felt her insides melt at his proclamation (considering he and Charlie didn
’
t like one another), Ari almost missed the glitter in Luca
’
s eyes. That glint surprised her and she had to take a moment. Luca looked proud of Jai. Yes, proud. He cleared the expression from his handsome, rough-hewn face just as quickly as it had appeared but Ari was definitely not mistaken. She threw Jai a quizzical look. By the way his body bristled with tension she knew he hadn
’
t seen the look in his father
’
s eyes. Perhaps he was blind to the positive. Perhaps he misunderstood how Luca really felt about him. As Jai and Luca discussed what was happening and what they needed, Ari mused over this. Despite everything, she felt a need to fix this.

No
, her inner voice snapped at her, telling her to mind her own business. She was looking for a distraction from the grief, and messing with Jai
’
s family was not the way to go.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway bringing Ari out of her thoughts and quieting the discussion between Jai and Luca. A tall woman rounded the wide spiraling staircase and drew to a stop at Luca
’
s side. She looked to be in early to mid-fifties and had masses of dark curling hair and was still very attractive. Her trim figure was wrapped in a tight denim shirt tucked into skinny jeans that looked painted on. Calf-length flat leather boots completed the outfit that screamed,
‘
I
’
m tough but I
’
m hot too
’
. There was arrogance in her eyes as she looked the trio over.

“This is my father
’
s wife, Nicki Bitar,” Jai introduced in a flat voice.

The woman didn
’
t even look at Jai, and Ari felt her fists curl at her sides as she remembered what Jai had told her. What kind of woman could blame a baby for the actions of its parents?

Bitch.

Jai threw her a startled but amused look and Ari blanched realizing she
’
d telepathed that at him.

Sorry
, she apologized quickly.

He smirked at her and looked back at his father.
Don
’
t be.

“The Seal and the Sorcerer,” Nicki murmured, the soft Irish lilt at odds with her demeanor. “It sounds like a fantasy novel. Can
it
be trusted?” she sneered at Charlie before her assessing gaze landed on Ari. She looked her over thoroughly, seeming annoyed by what she found.

“Can you?” Ari snapped back and the woman
’
s eyes widened.

Luca shot Nicki a quelling look and she made a huffing sound. “Fine. We must not upset The Red King
’
s
Importants
, must we?” her saccharine voice set Ari on edge. “I
’
ve had the maids prepare three guest bedrooms on the third floor, east. You know where they are, boy.” She made a vague gesture at Jai before turning on her heel and walking away.

Boy? She called Jai
‘
boy
’
? That now familiar ugliness built inside Ari, that little knot of blackness that seemed to detach itself from her, power crazy and reckless. Ari drew a deep breath, fighting it down. She could not use her powers against people unless it was a life or death situation. The Red King
’
s explanation of the consequences had been enough to scare her out of even thinking about it. Except for in moments like these. Exhaling, Ari tried to relax, letting her gaze flicker back to Luca. He was watching her carefully and his eyes seemed to say he knew exactly what she
’
d been thinking. Instead of flushing with embarrassment like she would have done before, Ari glowered back at him, her eyes saying
‘
how dare you let her treat him like that
’
.

Having got the message, Luca cleared his throat and turned back to his son. “I
’
ve put feelers out with my contacts within The Guilds but they
’
re a paranoid bunch. I hope to have word back within a day or two but they keep cross-checking with one another to make sure I am who I say I am and they are who they say they are and so forth and so on. In fact, a day or two is an optimistic timescale.”

Jai nodded in understanding. “I appreciate your efforts anyway. I
’
ll show Ms. Johnson and Charlie to their rooms. They need to rest after everything that
’
s happened in the last twenty four hours. The Red King wishes them to learn some basic defense. Do I have permission to utilize the training room tomorrow?”

As Luca granted that permission, Ari gaped at Jai like he was an alien from outerspace. She threw Charlie an incredulous look and he shrugged as if to say,
‘
I
’
ve always thought the guy was weird
’
. Mutely, annoyance burning in her gut, Ari followed Jai as he led Charlie and her up the wide staircase. When they reached the third floor he turned left and headed towards the farthest end of the hallway. He stopped at a door and threw it open, revealing a good-sized double room. “Charlie, this is your room. All the rooms have an ensuite.”

Stepping inside, Charlie glanced back at Ari and she squirmed a little at the look in his eyes. He hadn
’
t lied when he said he was going to
‘
stick around
’
. His gaze was smoldering. “You going to be OK?”

“I
’
ll be fine,” she replied hoarsely, untangling her eyes from his as quickly as possible. She heard him sigh as he closed the door. Ari looked up at Jai who watched her carefully. He nodded at the door across the hall. “Mine?”

“Yeah.”

She walked over to it slowly and then whirled around, unable to keep her annoyance at bay. “Ms. Johnson?”

Ignoring her, Jai began backing away. “I
’
ll take you to the training room with Charlie tomorrow morning, so get some sleep.”

“Ms. Johnson?” she asked again, her jaw clenched as she tried to work out whether she was angry or hurt.

“It
’
s how a Ginnaye guardian refers to his or her client. No first names.”

“You
’
ve been calling me Ari since we met,” she argued.

He shrugged uncomfortably. “I
’
m just following protocol.”

Ari wished she didn
’
t understand, but she did. Like Charlie with his whole revenge quest, Jai was obsessed with pleasing his father. She sighed heavily, thinking about her own dad and all the things she kept to herself in an effort to make him love her more. Bitter tears burned her eyes and she shook her head. “He doesn
’
t deserve your protocol.” Leaving him a little stunned, Ari slid inside the guest bedroom and waited for the hum of Ms. Maggie
’
s energy to follow her before she closed the door. She leaned back against it, trying to stem the flood of tears and grief that had been fighting through the numbness all day.

She heard the floor outside her room creak and stilled.

“Goodnight, Ari,” Jai said quietly through the door.

The tears spilled over her lashes and she pressed her cheek against the wood. “Goodnight, Jai.”

As she flopped into bed she felt guilty for the one thing she shouldn
’
t have been worrying about today of all days.

Would she be forced to meet the woman Jai was in love with?

Ari stared at
the leftover breakfast buffet, wondering if her stomach was stable enough to digest food. It felt like she hadn
’
t eaten in days but she still felt shaky and sick inside with grief, even if she did look together on the outside.

“Here.” Jai shoved a plate at her. “Eat.”

Under his eagle eyes Ari put pancakes and some bacon onto her plate, drizzling maple syrup over the top. She grabbed a glass of orange juice and sat down at the large empty dining table. Jai sat beside her, his plate piled high with food.

“Luca leaves for the office early and when I
’
m around, Nicki does a disappearing act. As for my brothers, my father tells me they
’
re all on assignment at the moment so hopefully we won
’
t see much of them over the next few days.”

“You don
’
t get along with them either?” Ari asked before chewing on a piece of bacon.

Jai smirked at the thought. “They live to torment me. My friend Trey is more like a brother than those idiots.”

Ari chewed on her breakfast, thinking that over. Trey seemed really important to Jai. She was intrigued by the one person who had Jai
’
s respect and loyalty. “Will I get to meet Trey?”

“Probably.”

“Morning,” Charlie greeted them as he wandered slowly into the room, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He was wearing his rumpled
Smashing Pumpkins
t-shirt over a long shirt, and except for the short, close-shaven hair he looked more like himself again.

Ari felt a pang of something she didn
’
t want to feel and looked back at her plate. “Morning,” she replied.

“Dude, a
maid
showed me down here,” Charlie gestured with a pastry at Jai as he selected food from the buffet. “No wonder you act the way you do when you grew up in a place like this.” His words hung in the air as he piled his own plate high before sitting down beside Ari. As Charlie dug into his food he was completely oblivious to the venomous look Jai was shooting at him.

There was a warning growl in the back of Jai
’
s throat as he demanded, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Charlie shrugged, waving a piece of bacon around. “I don
’
t know. You
’
re kind of detached.” He stared at him now, his expression serious. “I thought it was something to be admired believe it or not, but seeing this place… how cold it is… nah, I don
’
t think you chose to be the way you are.”