“Guys, this is Jai.” Gerard swept a hand out to the room. “Jai, Ari, Charlie, this is fifteen members of the Roe Guild of New Jersey. Starting on the far left of the sofa is Jack Hollis. Then Bryleigh and her husband Scott Becke. Jacob Ballendine, our elder and supervisor. He’s also Bryleigh’s father. Over by the dining table are Susan Roe and her brother Aidan — my cousins. Over there is James Becke, Scott’s brother, and beside him, Ailidh Ballendine, Bryleigh’s older sister. Right here is Anabeth Hollis and her twin brothers Matt and Callum. They’re also Jack’s little cousins. And finally, standing next to my wife is Brechin Ballendine, Jacob’s nephew.”
Did you get any of that? Ari asked Jai, completely overwhelmed.
Yes, but I’m trained to note the details.
Smart ass.
As if sensing how overwhelmed she was, Fallon smirked at her. “There isn’t a test or anything. If one of us talks to you, just politely ask, ‘who the hell are you again?’”
Ari grinned at her gratefully. Fallon was the only one so far not acting like they’d just let a leper into their community. The girl’s dry sense of humor and ease around Ari made her feel more confident. These people were afraid of her, of what she was capable of. Well, they didn’t know squat about her and the new Ari was fed up with people trying to intimidate her into acting the way they wanted her to. She stepped forward, away from the security of Jai and Charlie’s proximity, and drew her shoulders back, eyeing the group of people whose ages ranged from late teens to early fifties. Sensing a hefty amount of power from Gerard and the older man called Jacob, Ari directed her words at them. “I need to find Dalí as soon as possible and I’ve heard you’ve run out of leads here in Phoenix. That’s probably because he’s changed his M.O. Dalí wants me, not money. And the only way to get me is to incapacitate me. His human lackeys attacked us.” Ari drew breath, taking her time, projecting control and calm. “They tried to take out my guardian with a drug containing harmal harnessed as a paralytic. The Red King believes Dalí had to be experimenting on real jinn to perfect this drug and that he’d most likely choose human-living jinn since they’re not as strong, thus easier to kidnap. I think you should start there. See if there have been any reports of missing jinn in the US lately — a pattern — that might lead us to him.”
The Roes stared at her a moment too long, seeming a little stupefied by her take-charge attitude. Finally, Jacob strode forward. “I’ll call it in, see what we can find.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded politely, the expression on his weather-beaten face now a war between wary and curiosity. “Fallon will show you to your rooms.”
“I think there must be something about this outfit that says ‘Bellhop’,” Fallon complained lightly, easing past her aunt and crooking a finger at Ari and her companions to follow.
You did good, Jai told her softly.
They fear me.
They’ll come around.
Ari was glad when Fallon dropped Charlie and Jai off at the room they’d be sharing with the twins and led her to a smaller room right at the back of the house. The room was tiny, but it had a patio door that led right out to the pool.
“You’re sharing with me.” Fallon collapsed onto one of the twin beds. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, it’s fine. It’s good.” Eyeing the pale walls and colorless bare room, it was any wonder that the collection of jewels and silver on the whitewashed dresser caught Ari’s attention. “You have a lot of jewelry.”
Fallon bounced up off the bed and strode over to the necklaces and bracelets, fingering them lovingly. “They’re talismans. The metals and stones fuel my energy, my magic.”
“Oh. That makes sense.”
Fallon grinned wryly at her as Ari dumped her bag on the spare bed. “You’re not at all what I was expecting.”
“Question mark.” It was something Rachel used to say in the tenth grade when she didn’t quite understand something. Ari had no idea what made her say it then. Homesickness maybe.
Chuckling, Fallon shook her head, spikes of dark hair flying around her oval face. “When we were told about you, we were like whoa… so don’t mind the scaredy-cats out in the sitting room. I thought you’d be like… I don’t know… freaky-looking. Then you and those guys turn up looking like the cast of a hit vampire TV show and blew my preconceptions all to hell. You’re eighteen, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Me too. Is the guy?”
Ari frowned. “What guy?”
“Silversun T-shirt guy. He’s hot. I mean, so is the other guy — if you’re into that stern-faced, bad-ass reputation, outrageously good-looking type. I prefer the unkempt hottie with the tattoo.”