Scorched Skies (32 page)

“OK.”

He grinned. “We
’
re cool?”

Sighing heavily Ari nodded.

Getting serious, The Red King got right down to business. “I
’
ve spoken with Jai already. The Roe Guild are well-known, have a good reputation. A team from The Guild is hunting Dalí, they have been for months. Apparently he
’
s an excellent bank robber and has a small but growing criminal organization, that
’
s why he had humans so readily available to do his dirty work. Anyway, Jai says Luca has called ahead and the team has given us their address in Phoenix where they last tracked Dalí. Like Luca, Nicki, and Tarik, The Guild has been sworn to secrecy over your real identity. They know the penalty if they break that vow.”

Ari gulped, hating to be the cause of such a threat. “So I meet up with these guys and they lead me to Dalí?”

“They
’
re very good at finding half-breeds, Ari, and once you give them new information I think they
’
ll find him for you.”

“New information?”

“The Roe Guild is unaware that Dalí has changed his M.O. Before, he knocked over banks. Now, he
’
s just gunning for you. This harmal concoction Jai spoke about… I think this is the key. It
’
s the only way Jinn could get near you without you commanding him to your will. Dalí had to have experimented with the harmal on actual Jinn. When you get to Arizona tell the Roe
’
s about the harmal, tell them to check in and see if there have been a bout of missing Jinn recently. If you find a pattern it could lead you to Dalí”

Ari nodded, feeling sick at the thought. “That makes sense. I
’
ll tell them. Thanks.”

Red cocked his head at the way she hesitated over the
‘
thanks
’
. He smiled sadly. “You can trust me you know.”

Ari smiled back at him. “I
’
m getting there.” Kinda…

…
with everything that had happened in the last few days Ari
’
s mind drifted into sleep behind her closed eyes. The plane disappeared, the feel of Charlie
’
s thigh pressing against hers in the tight confines of the plane disappeared, and the exotic smell of Jai sitting so close on her other side melted away. Ari found herself standing in what looked like a large cavern. The smell of wet metal and salted sand was overwhelming and completely disorientating. Ari whirled around, her eyes adjusting to the dark of the cavern, her heart pounding as she tried to find a shaft of light that would lead to the exit. Water lapped somewhere in the distance, an ominous swish that was soon drowned out by the tempo of Ari
’
s heart. Where was she?

Where am I?

The crash of water and a roar of fury had Ari spinning around again, and her eyes widened at the sight of two enflamed beings flying towards her. They crashed with a grunt, and the flames flickered back out and up into the cavern, casting light all around them. Eyes catching the trail of long dark hair in the sand, Ari ran towards the familiar Jinn, who lay sprawled on the ground beneath a massive male Jinn. The full mouth and tip-tilted eyes told Ari it was the woman again. Lilif? But the Jinn holding her down…? Try as Ari might, she couldn
’
t see his face. She saw his strong arms, his long powerful hands encircling the female
’
s neck, his huge thighs straddling her small hips, pinning her to the ground. But anytime Ari tried to make out his features they just blurred together until her eyes nipped with the strain.

Gasping, Ari stumbled back as the male Jinn emitted this awesome pulse of power, like a pocket of air blasting her backwards. Glancing down at the way he flexed his hands, Ari felt fear choke her, inexplicable fear for the woman as blood streamed from her eyes.

“I am sorry,” the male Jinn told her softly. “You are savage in your chaos. It should be glorious but it is not
—
not even to me. Instead you are catastrophic. I cannot chance you to exist as you are any longer.”

She whimpered beneath him, her bloody eyes pleading with him. Ari watched him shake his head.

“I cannot kill you.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You were born to upset the balance of things, Lilif. It is your way. But left within your hands, your destiny would cause such a shift that even Azazil the lover of destruction cannot allow your destiny to remain in your control. You will live your destiny my way.” He lifted a long finger to stroke her smooth cheek. “Forgive me.”

A yell of disbelief escaped Ari before she could stop it as the Jinn removed his hands from around Lilif
’
s neck only to punch a hole below her left breast with his otherworldly fist. He withdrew the bleeding hand with a sickening, squishy wrench that made Lilif
’
s entire body collapse limp and lifeless. Lying in the palm of the male Jinn
’
s hand was a glowing ball of ember, pulsing with power and promise.

“Ari, wake up.”

The ember seemed to pulse at her, knocking her back, pushing at her shoulder.

“Ari.”

It kept coming for her. “No.”

“Ari. Wake. Up.”

Her eyes flew open, her breath coming in gasping pants. She saw a strange man looking down at her with a frown on his face as he lifted his bag down from the overhead luggage compartment. Blinking rapidly, Ari turned to Jai. “We
’
re here?”

Her guardian frowned at her, his eyes seeming even more vivid in the dim light of the plane. “Are you OK?”

“Yeah.” She shrugged off his concern and turned to tell Charlie to let her out. Instead her friend just stared at her. “What?”

“You were having a nightmare,” Charlie said quietly, his dark eyes glittering with worry and love. “You sure you
’
re OK?”

“It was a bad dream, that
’
s all.”

“You want to talk about it?” Charlie shot a look at Jai and she realized they were tag-teaming her. When did this happen?

“Yeah, that
’
d be great.” She sneered, standing up, irritation from the dream and general lack of sleep eating away at her patience. “And then we can all eat ice cream together and take turns doing each other
’
s hair.”

At the sound of two long-suffering sighs, Ari pushed past Charlie, not sure she could restrain herself from clunking their heads together.

~20~

Rumor Told Me Not to Like You

The house in Scottsdale was huge. They
’
d passed similar ones in the sparse, affluent neighborhood, all built with Arizona Stone. Most of them were carefully designed to blend into the surroundings and yet still offer up a feeling of space and laid-back wealth with their palatial arches, pillared columns, fancy pond-like pools and cool flag-stoned flooring running from outside to inside. The Roe
’
s were renting this place while they were out in Arizona. Since there were fifteen of them, they
’
d have to rent something that could accommodate them all. And accommodate them in style apparently.

“We better go in before they mistake us for weirdos,” Charlie said from the backseat of the rental car.

Jai grunted. “Mistake?”

Charlie snorted.

Ari quirked an eyebrow. Charlie
’
s snort was a
‘
laugh with
’
not
‘
laugh at
’
kind of snort. Were Charlie and Jai getting along? Uncomfortable with the two of them getting along when she wasn
’
t getting along with either of them, Ari frowned. “Try not to tell them about Ms. Maggie. I think it
’
ll just freak them out to know she
’
s there and they can
’
t see her.”

“Amen. Why couldn
’
t it have been kept from me?” Charlie asked teasingly, his attempts to brighten her mood obvious and annoying since they only made her feel guilty.

Instead of acknowledging the comment Jai nodded. “Agreed. We keep Ms. Maggie a secret. The less people know we have her as extra protection the better.”

Well, he
’
d certainly changed his tune about her poltergeist. Without looking at him, Ari asked with a slightly antagonistic clip to her words, “How come you never told me you talked to Ms. Maggie through the telepathy?”

“It never came up.”

“Well?”

“Well what?” Jai frowned, impatience eating into his tone. Clearly her bad mood was starting to wear on him.

“What does she sound like?”

“A woman.”

Ari threw him a look of irritation. “You know you
’
re so eloquent and articulate it really makes me feel intellectually inadequate, Jai.”

Charlie snorted again.

Jai ignored them both and got out of the car making Ari feel like a twelve year old. The fact that she was acting like one hadn
’
t escaped her and only made her feel worse. Even Charlie rubbing her shoulder reassuringly and saying, “I thought it was funny,” didn
’
t help any. With an exaggerated sigh she got out of the car and into the thick air outside.

“Why is it hot everywhere we go?” Charlie grumbled as he got out of the car, shrugging out of the check shirt he wore over his red
Silversuns Pickup
t-shirt. “I envy you and your weird lizard-like temperature control right now. Can we go somewhere cold and wet next time?”

Jai pulled the bags out of the trunk of the car, slinging Ari
’
s over his shoulder. He threw Charlie
’
s at him as he said, “I envy you and your lack of awareness,” he threw a pointed look at Ari
’
s drawn features, “Stop talking.”

“You ever think your taciturnity is the reason she
’
s in a bad mood?”

“You ever think it
’
s because you
’
re a dumbass who made a wish.”

“You ever think-”

“You ever think of shutting up?” Ari snapped, grabbing her back pack from Jai and striding away from them up to the front door. In actuality she was glad the two of them were sniping at one another again. At least some things didn
’
t change.