I’ll only hurt her.
And Ari has been hurt enough.
That did the trick. Glowering, Jai lifted his gaze, only to meet Charlie’s. The inexperienced dick of a sorcerer glared at him. His expression said, ‘Don’t even think about it’. And although Jai had already talked himself out of thinking about it, he didn’t take too kindly at being warned off by this little prick. Brazening it out, Jai threw him a smirk that widened into a taunting grin when Charlie’s whole body tensed as if ready to launch himself at him. Now the room brimmed with anger.
A hiss and crackle brought all of their eyes up toward the fireplace. Flames lit the room and the Red King appeared among them. He stepped out of the peripatos, his enormous presence dousing the anger in the air and replacing it with anxious expectation.
Jai stood to his feet. It was bad enough the guy was over half a foot taller than him. He didn’t need to sit at his royal feet like a servant. “News, your highness?” He may not be a servant, but he was still respectful.
The Red King nodded and looked down at Ari. “Dalí is your cousin of sorts.”
Feeling just as confused as Ari looked, Jai asked, “Cousin of sorts?”
“He’s the half-breed son of the Gleaming King.”
Ari’s voice was soft and worn. “A sorcerer?”
“A powerful and very intelligent sorcerer.” The Red King seemed worried and that set alarm bells ringing in Jai’s head. “If he’s after Ari, he must believe he’s discovered a way to harness the power of the seal. Dalí is a known dark sorcerer, which means one of the Guilds must be hunting him.”
“A Guild?” Ari queried.
“Remember? They were discussed in the book I gave you?” Jai tried to jog her memory. At the shake of her head, he continued, “The Gilder King created the Guild. They hunt sorcerers and try to prevent evil against humans at jinn hands. Like the ginnaye, there are different tribes of the Guild all over the world.”
“And one of those will be hunting Dalí?”
The Red King nodded. “Yes. We just have to find out which one.” He shot Jai a meaningful look and Jai felt the significance of it like a punch to the stomach.
Oh hell, no. Jai held back a groan and fought the urge to flee. “You want us to go to my father?” He felt sick just saying the words. Take Ari to meet his family? To see how he was treated? She’d lose all respect for him. Dammit. He couldn’t stop his ferocious glare.The Red King stared pleasantly back at him. “Luca Bitar has many contacts, including contacts among the Guilds. He should be able to help you.” He looked at Ari now. “And to be honest, I think it best if you leave Ohio before more idiotic jinn find out about you. And before the White King realizes you have no intention of retaliating. Once he realizes that, he’ll try something new… or old. Say… like, killing someone else you care about.”
Ari blanched at the thought. “If we leave, if we head to the Bitar’s, will he know?”
The Red King seemed to choose his words carefully. “There will be an enchantment on you. It won’t last long — a few days, maybe — but it’ll be enough to give you some breathing space. Jai should teach you and Charlie some self-defense in that time. Once Luca finds out where the Guild is, go to them immediately. They’ll hunt Dalí before he finds you. Oh, and just so you know, Luca, Nicki and Tarik have been warned that if they tell anyone what Ari is, the sentence is death.” Exhaling, Ari’s uncle stepped back, preparing for the peripatos again, and as if he hadn’t uttered something so terrifying and final, he said calmly, “You need to work out the logistics of how you’re traveling to the Pacific Palisades. I’ll let Luca know you’re on your way.”
He left, and Jai stood there, staring at the empty space in front of the fireplace. All of his insides knotted and this unbearable anger lodged in the back of his throat. He felt powerless, and he hadn’t felt that way about his family in a long, long time. Eyeing Ari, he found his anger directed toward her for making him care. Only the reminder that she had been through enough without him adding more to it cooled his fury.
“We’ll fly the old-fashioned way, since Charlie can’t use the peripatos,” Jai snapped, not looking at either of them.
“Well, say it like it’s my fault, why don’t you,” Charlie grumbled.
Ignoring him instead of punching him, Jai waved a hand over a space on the floor and conjured a bag of Charlie’s clothes from his bedroom. He then did the same for Ari. “You’re all packed. Let’s go.”