Borrowed Ember (3 page)

This was Azazil, the Sultan of al Jinn.

Charlie didn’t need to be told that.

The Sultan smirked cheekily at him and Charlie blinked, not sure whether he saw right or not. The blink shifted his gaze to Azazil’s left and he quickly looked away from the massive, young-looking, dark-haired Jinn who was staring at him as if he were about to eat him.

Footsteps interrupted Charlie’s inward frantic thoughts and he looked down to see Red approach him.

“Charlie. How are you?”

He shrugged, pretending indifference. “I’m dealing.”

“I’l be defending you today against my brother, The Gleaming King.” He gestured to the Jinn with the bald head.

Charlie nodded. “Okay.”

Sighing, as if he were already weary with the trial, Red nodded his head towards the white-haired Jinn and his companion. “That is Sultan Azazil. He is accompanied today by his Lieutenant, Prince Asmodeus.”

Charlie resisted the urge to bite the skin around his thumb like he did when he was sitting in an exam. “Is the Sultan… you know the judge?”

“No. Azazil watches over the trial. The Marid,” Red indicated a tal, slim man who was sitting in a sprawled out, bored position just along from Ari, “His name is Adeel:
the just
,
the wise
.”

“He looks bored.”

“Wel the trial hasn’t started yet.”

“So Azazil has no say in this?”

Red nodded in assurance, and for some reason the knowledge that the mercurial and frankly,
insane
, Sultan had no part in the outcome of his trial made Charlie feel better—insane or not, the guy was al-powerful.

He shot another quick glance at Azazil. “Do I need to bow or anything?”

Red smirked. “Only when you’re acquitted.”

“Ooh I’m liking the confidence.” Charlie rubbed his sweaty hands down his jeans. “Confidence is key.”

Chuckling, Red nodded and retreated.

Sucking in a deep, controled breath, Charlie tried not to let his legs shake again. He was going to make it through this. Today did not feel like the day he was going to die.

Right?

Ari watched as
Charlie was led into the amphitheater by the Shaitans, and her stomach almost bottomed out. Seeming to sense her anxious gaze, Charlie turned and caught her eye. She offered him a reassuring smile and he returned it before giving Jai a sharp nod as he headed towards the center of the floor.

“I feel sick,” she murmured to Jai, pressing her thigh against his in comfort.

Immediately her skin prickled, like little uncomfortable needles al over her face. Her heart literaly skipped a beat as she glanced up to find Azazil smirking at her, and Asmodeus watching her with an emotionless but somehow focused expression. She gulped and fought to restrain herself from digging her hands into Jai’s arm.

Do you think he heard me? Azazil, I mean. Look at the way he’s looking at me.

Probably,
Jai replied softly,
Let’s just stick to telepathy while we’re here, okay.

Yeah. Okay.
She shrugged off Azazil and Asmodeus’ frightening attention and glanced back at Charlie. He was shivering in the winter of the realm and Ari wondered bitterly why, if he was going to make a dumbass wish to be a sorcerer, he couldn’t have gotten the nifty temperate temperature bit of the deal. She should have brought him a sweater or something.

Jai pressed his leg back against hers, drawing her attention.
Have you thought about what we’re going to do if Red doesn’t pull this off?

Loving that he used the word ‘we’, Ari wanted to take hold of his hand in hers, but with Azazil watching on and Red’s warning earlier, she managed to refrain from seeking comfort in Jai’s touch.
I honestly don’t know.

Ari
, he was using his ‘I’m older, wiser and a guardian’ voice,
You’re not thinking of using your power are you? That’s a death wish.

I don’t know, Jai. I just know that I can’t let him die.

She felt his body tense next to her.

Don’t worry
, her words were soft and cajoling,
My power is the last resort. I’ll speak up first. For all their twisted ways, Jinn believe in honor and

upholding their laws. Well, Gleaming’s son attacked me—a full-blood. He was going to kill me
—
a crime punishable by death. Let’s see Gleaming talk

his way out of that.

After a second, she felt Jai relax, his arm brushing hers in a way that sent inappropriate tingles shooting to inappropriate places. Her eyes fel to his hand that was fisted atop his thigh. Slowly, his fingers unfurled as he relaxed, believing her. He had nice hands, she mused, strong but graceful. Just the sight of them gave her tingles too.

Flushing, Ari was glad for the distraction as The Gleaming King spoke out to the arena.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today to bring my son justice.” He strode in front of Charlie, his powerful muscles flexing in a way that made Ari gulp for Charlie’s sake. His eyes driled into her friend with bitter hatred and it took everything she had not to throw herself in front of him and hide him from Gleaming’s view.

“This monster, this half-blood, pretender of Jinn, kiled my son in cold-blood…”

…Unlike any trial Ari had ever witnessed, Gleaming and Red argued back and forth about the events that led to Dalí’s death with no real sense of logic—there was no offering of evidence for a start. It was just assumed that a Jinn King was to be believed.

The argument was difficult for Red because he was trying to keep Ari’s involvement in this whole ugly business as low key as possible.

“The case is not about what my son did, Red!” Gleaming belowed and Ari found herself almost sneering. Red and even her father, White, were so cool and

colected that she couldn’t help admire that about them. Gleaming was a hot-head and he came across as petulant, childish and undignified. Plus, he was trying to nail her best friend to a cross. “This boy, this barely Jinn, half-human murdered my son.” He turned to the crowd. “A knife in the back, if you please.”

The crowd gasped at that, and Ari heard the murmurs of ‘coward’ ripple through the arena.

“He was in the middle of choking to death a Guild hunter. Charlie saved the girl’s life,” Red caled out, trying to draw their attention back, but it seemed to have no effect.

Ari glanced anxiously at the Marid, Adeel, who was judging the trial. Earlier he’d looked half-asleep but now he was sitting up, studying Charlie carefuly. She swalowed hard, noting Charlie flex his hands, seeing the tremble in his fingers.

She felt like crying for him.

“If I may,” a strong, familiar voice rang out around them and al heads turned to where Charlie had entered earlier.

Shock and frightened anticipation froze her in place and she felt Jai press closer to her as The White King garnered everyone’s attention. Blank-faced, he strode towards the center of the amphitheater and addressed Adeel. “I have a testimony to make on the accused’s behalf.”

There were more gasps, including Ari’s.

Adeel bowed his head at The White King. “The White King is of course alowed to provide his side of the events.”

Ari’s eyes locked with Charlie’s as his head whipped around to her, his eyes questioning her silently. She shook her head, letting him know she hadn’t arranged this.

“What are you doing, White?” Gleaming asked quietly, al his posturing deflating under his brother’s gaze.

White didn’t answer him. He looked right through him and then turned to the crowds. “This trial is irrelevant. Had Charlie Creagh not kiled Dalí, son of Gleaming, Dalí himself would be here facing inevitable death for kidnapping and torturing, with the intent to kil, my daughter Ari Johnson.” He eyed her in the crowd and she felt the murmurs rise and the gazes fal on her. “My daughter is a ful-blooded Jinn.”

“Can it be? Is it Sala, the Ifrit’s daughter?”

“Full-blood? She must be Sala’s long lost child.”

Her mother’s name ricocheted around the arena, and Ari’s fearful gaze found Red’s. His expression was grim. Now everyone knew who she was.

This was only the beginning.

“What say you, Wise Adeel?” White continued on and Ari chanced a glance at Azazil. He was watching The White King in amusement. A burning in Ari’s cheeks

drew her gaze to Asmodeus and to her fright she found his gaze was stil upon her, not the proceedings. Shifting anxiously under his attention, Ari quickly looked away and to Adeel.

“You are saying that Dalí was kiled because he was trying to murder your ful-blooded daughter, Your Majesty?”

“The Red King and I had to forcefuly obtain Dalí’s whereabouts from The Gleaming King after learning he had taken her.”

Astonishment rippled through the Jinn audience and Adeel frowned. “The Gleaming King was wilingly alowing the torture of a ful-blood by a half-blood?”

“Yes,” Red and White replied in unison.

At the immediate growl from Gleaming’s direction, Ari felt her stomach flip with relief and her shoulders sagged. Adeel stood to his feet and addressed the Sultan.

“From the testimonies of
two
Jinn Kings, I have no choice but to alow Charlie Creagh to return in freedom to the mortal realm, Your Majesty. One: he kiled a half-blood. There is no law against half-bloods kiling one another. The fact that the half-blood was Royal may certainly have swayed the ruling otherwise, but since that Royal half-blood would have been executed for his crimes against a ful-blood, I am un-swayed. No law was broken on Charlie Creagh’s part. I see no reason to continue the trial, Your Majesty.”

Azazil nodded and with a yel of outrage, Gleaming fled into the
Peripatos
.

Stunned that it was over so abruptly and that The White King had done what he’d said he’d only do if Ari bent to his wil, Ari could only look on as the crowds of Jinn folowed, some more reluctantly than others as they watched Ari, waiting for her to make a move. Yes, there would be gossip now.

Trying to shrug it off, to focus on what mattered, she lifted her eyes to find Charlie. He was standing next to the Red King, grinning over at her in exhaustion and relief.

3 -
Your Kind Wickedness…

Hiss and crackles filed the amphitheater and bright bursts of fire exploded here, there and everywhere, like fireworks on New Year’s Eve as the Jinn emptied from the amphitheater with utter dissatisfaction at the trial being canceled. Ari could stil feel the tingle of the Jinn stares on the back of her neck as they left, their curious speculation causing her heart to race with more worry. The last thing she needed right now was to be hunted by someone else. Trying to shrug off her uneasiness Ari threw Charlie a relieved smile and brushed a hand across Jai’s, teling him silently to folow her as she strode across the strange glass floor that reminded her of the great hal in Azazil’s palace. As soon as she reached Charlie he puled her into a tight hug, tucking his head in the crook of her neck and inhaling her. He shuddered with relief and Ari awkwardly fought the urge to comfort him as wel as the urge to untangle herself from his embrace so Jai wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

“You’re okay?” she asked instead, patting him firmly on the back before puling out of his embrace. She studied Charlie’s face as she took a step back beside Jai.

Charlie looked exhausted.

“I am now.” He grinned shakily and then nodded at Jai.

Jai nodded back warily. “Good result.”

“Yeah.”

A tense silence sprung between the two of them and Ari shot a look at The Red King who was smirking back at her in amusement. Ignoring his teasing, Ari

telepathed to him.
I would seriously hug you right now but I have a feeling Azazil wouldn’t like that.

Her uncle grinned.
Good call.

Another prickle of awareness tingled on the back of Ari’s neck and she turned around to folow the feeling, only to meet The White King’s gaze. She was shocked to see he was looking at her as if he found her a perplexing puzzle. One he was determined to solve.

He nodded at her and then stepped back into the
Peripatos.

Frowning, Ari turned back to her uncle, aware of al three men’s gazes upon her, waiting to see how she’d react to her father’s appearance. “Why did he do that?”

she asked Red quietly. “Why did The White King help after I refused to be blackmailed?”

Red shrugged. “It was a matter of honor. No matter your answer, he was always going to help free Charlie because it would piss off Gleaming. Gleaming betrayed White when he alowed Dalí to go after you. White couldn’t let that pass without seeking justice.”

“You mean revenge.”

“Despite what you may think, sometimes the two are one in the same.”

Charlie smiled at Red. “I tried to tel her that once.”

“Then you’re both wrong,” Ari snapped and sidled even closer to Jai. Charlie narrowed his eyes on them and Ari sighed, crossing her arms over her chest

defensively. “Never mind. What you’re saying is that we shouldn’t be grateful to The White King?”

Her uncle snorted at the thought of it. “Not to his face.”

“Wel, I don’t care why, I’m just glad I’m free,” Charlie replied, rubbing wrists that looked a little tender. Ari frowned. Those shackles must have been heavy. She shuddered at the thought of Charlie in those shackles again. God, there had to be a way to convince him against taking his revenge against the Labartu. Surely, this trip to Mount Qaf must have scared him a little. Enough to make him think twice?

Worried for him, Ari shivered. “Can we go? Can we go back to our world?”

“Technicaly this is your world,” a deep, rumbling, ancient voice answered and they turned to see Azazil standing inches before them, his huge figure casting Ari in shadow. She tried not to feel intimidated, but the Sultan stood so close she could smel the strong scent of citrus and pomegranate that seemed to linger continualy in his hair. She could feel that powerful wave of energy hit her again, the one that seemed determined to sway her off of her feet. Pride forced her not to gulp as her gaze drifted from the massive shoulders of the white-haired sultan to his dark-haired Lieutenant, Asmodeus. As soon as her eyes locked with the Marid a strange need tightened in her chest, a familiarity, a longing. She tried to suppress it, blowing it off as some kind of consequence of the dreams she’d been having about him. The fact that he wouldn’t take those sinfuly dark eyes off of her wasn’t helping.

“Master.” Red bowed his head, and when Jai folowed suit, so did Ari and Charlie. “Did you enjoy the trial?”

“Quite entertaining. But what is this talk of you leaving so soon.” Azazil grinned, a scary flash of teeth that made Charlie flinch beside her. “Let the boy have a night of fun in Mount Qaf. He’l have some fine food and sleep in a fine bed. You’l dine with us tonight, get some rest, and then return to the mortal realm in the morning.”

Even as Ari’s shoulders hunched towards her ears at the unwelcome invitation, she heard Red’s voice pounding into her head.
Don’t even think about saying no.

Defeated but pretending otherwise she grumbled back,
I’m not stupid.

Trying to keep her expression as blank as possible, Ari looked up at the Sultan Azazil and immediately fought the urge to gag at the way he looked at her—as if he could see and understand her very insides. “Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty. We’d be glad to accept your hospitality for the evening.”

Pleased, Azazil smiled and bowed his head before turning on his heel and heading across the amphitheater with his robes bilowing behind him.

Asmodeus hadn’t moved. He gazed at Ari unflinchingly and she felt as if he too were trying to probe his way inside her. Jai shifted his feet, his eyes flicking back and forth between Ari and Asmodeus unsurely. Finaly, just as Jai’s eyes narrowed and his body tensed, Red stepped in front of them al and came face to face with Asmodeus.

“Is there something you need, Lieutenant?” he asked quietly, an unbreakable steel in his words that Ari so admired.

Asmodeus ripped his gaze from Ari long enough to shoot Red a disdainful look. “No. Not need…” and with that enigmatic comment he shot Ari another look before slowly making his way after Azazil.

Red turned and looked back at her, his eyes narrowed in question.

Ari held her hands up in defense. “I don’t know what the hel that was about. I swear.”

Displeased, her uncle swung fuly around to glare at Jai. “Remember what I said. You cal on me if he comes anywhere near her.”

“What does he want with her?” Jai’s voice had gotten scary low and suddenly Ari felt the unusual clamminess of sweat on her palms. She was afraid. God, she

wanted to get the hel out of here.

“I don’t know.”

“Wait, what did I miss?” Charlie asked sharply. “What the hel does that scary-ass dude want with Ari? The way he was looking at her, I wanted to pun—

“Don’t even think about it,” Red snapped. “None of you. None of you are a match for Asmodeus.”

Feeling a little rattled as they al returned to their rooms—Charlie now in a room two doors down from Jai’s—Ari hated to separate from them, but Red had said they needed to get ready for dinner. It wasn’t until she stepped into her room that she realized what he meant. Awaiting her inside was three of Azazil’s female Shaitans.

She scowled as they told her they’d been sent to ready her for the occasion.

Her scowling did nothing to stop them.

Working quietly and in sync, the three beautiful, dark-haired Jinn fluttered around her, puling at her clothes, twisting her hair, and shimmying her into the softest red fabric she’d ever felt against her body. They stopped to work in a semi-circle around her, their own bodies were wrapped in the softest wine leather—tight fitting trousers laced up the sides, and what Ari would consider to be a leather tank top squeezed their ample assets up and out daringly. Ari almost flinched when she made eye contact with the one brushing kohl around the edges of her eyes. The female Shaitans’ own eyes were bright purple. Were they triplets?

The cold look on the face of the Shaitan in front of her stiled Ari from the smal amount of resistance she was making.

Shutting them out, Ari refused to think about the dinner she was invited to this evening. Instead, she put it to one side and concentrated on what would happen once they did leave Mount Qaf. For Ari, her future was uncertain. Okay, so she knew her father wasn’t about to give up on her, and he’d threatened to up his game if she didn’t give in to him, but other than The White King she didn’t know who her other enemies were. And there was a ninety percent possibility that after today she was going to have more enemies. But what was she to do? Sit in a room somewhere and wait for them to come get her? No.

No freaking way.

Hunting Dalí, training with Trey and Jai, and then with Falon, had made her feel like she had a chance. Maybe she didn’t, but if she was going down, she had already decided she wasn’t going down without a fight. So what was her next move?

Ari thought about Falon and the Roe Guild. They were so dedicated to their job and it was such a worthy, honorable job they did. Such a good, meaningful…

purpose. And Charlie… Charlie was
better
with the Roes. Okay, so yeah, they were teaching him to use magic, but it was controled and… and at least with them he wasn’t drinking and doing drugs. Maybe the Roe’s influence would rub off on him and he’d give up his own hunt and join The Guild.

Ari stiffened. Maybe that’s what they could al do? Her, Jai and Charlie. Would the Roes welcome them into their team? Why not?

Feeling a sense of peace float down around her shoulders, Ari smiled softly. Yeah. That decision felt right. She would train to be a Guild Hunter. She would be the hunter instead of the hunted. And if they eventualy came for her… wel, she’d be ready for them.

What about Jai?

Her heart gave a little yelp of distress. Jai was a Ginnaye not The Guild. Would he leave his tribe behind for her? Was that asking too much, too soon?

“You are done.” The Shaitan in front of her ripped her from her deep thoughts and Ari stumbled a little as she was forcibly turned so she could see her reflection in the ful-length cheval mirror that had been brought to her room.

Her mouth fel open and she immediately wanted to sink into the floor.

The dress reminded her of a vision she’d had of Lilif once.

“I can’t wear this,” Ari breathed, feeling her cheeks redden.

The Shaitans frowned and replied in unison, “You must. Master wishes it.”

Master is a perv.
Ari groaned inwardly, remembering that technicaly, the very young-looking Azazil was in fact her grandfather.

Casting an unsure glance down her body, Ari wondered if the guys had been made to dress up.
I bet not like this.
She eyed the red dress that clung to her every curve, the cowl neckline showing far more cleavage than Ari was comfortable with, and the slits up either side flashing her tan legs al the way up to mid-thigh. Gold cuffs shaped like snakes with ruby eyes had been cuffed around each bicep. Her hair was tousled and wild, faling down around her shoulders in tumbling curls and her make-up was smoky and seductive. She looked older.

She looked nothing like herself.

And she hated it.

“Seriously, do I have-”

She cut off as fire exploded behind her and she spun around as Asmodeus stepped out of the
Peripatos.

Ari froze as he gestured with an impatient snap of his hand for the Shaitans to leave—which they did in a hurry. Red’s warning that Ari wasn’t to be left alone with the Lieutenant grabbed Ari’s heart and squeezed, the breath whooshing out of her body.

“Are you really
alowing them to leave?” Red asked softly, not wishing to anger his father or make him think he was questioning him in anyway. He’d already pushed Azazil far enough these last few weeks. He waited patiently, watching as Azazil took a sip of wine a female shaitan handed to him from her position on her knees beside the massive chair the Sultan was lounging in. She was one of five Shaitans that Azazil had blinded and deafened before training to serve him using their other senses. That way they could be privy to al his private business without ever knowing it. They alone were alowed into his private chambers, his private chambers that changed from one day to the next. Today it had been decorated in opulent golds and rich burgundies, every piece of furniture designed with French Rococo in mind.

When his father said nothing and merely closed his eyes, enjoying the finest wine that magic could buy, Red took another step forward. “I thought this is what you wanted, Master? Ari. Here. That is why you had me change Charlie’s destiny—to turn him sorcerer so he would find his revenge and be brought to trial and sentenced to death. To bring Ari here and then give her nothing to hold onto in the mortal realm?”

Azazil sighed wearily and handed the glass of wine back to the Shaitan at his feet. Finaly he looked up at Red, his gaze lidded. “I would almost say you sound accusatory, son.”

Red shifted uncomfortably. That had been exactly the opposite of what he was trying to be. “Of course not, Father.”

Shrugging, Azazil played indolently with a ruby ring on the middle finger of his right hand, either pretending boredom or portraying real boredom. “I admit to being intrigued by Ari. She’s pure in a way I haven’t seen among many of our kind and definitely not what I’d expect from a child spawned by a Jinn King and an Ifrit.”

“Perhaps because she was raised as human.”

The Sultan laughed. “I know you have a soft spot for the race, but believe me, son, when I tel you that humans are just like us—good, bad and everything in

between. They just don’t have our power. Thank the stars, for they also do not have our self-restraint.” He stopped and looked up at Red, his gaze direct and piercing.

“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.