Borrowed Ember (11 page)

couldn’t hide. She read over the report as Michael explained, “Last semester there was a taly of strange occurrences at the high school. Only a week into the new semester and already there’s been an incident.”

Ari scanned over the papers in front of her. Last week a student won the lottery. Didn’t sound so crazy, except last semester four students went missing, three withdrew for unusual medical problems – a vagina where a penis had previously been for sixteen years, for instance – and a young history teacher started an affair with a student and then she’d kiled him when he tried to break it off.

Ari handed the report to Jai and he scanned it quickly, his expression growing darker by the minute. He looked up at Michael, his eyes like steel. “You’re thinking a Marid is out there granting wishes?”

Michael nodded. “We need to tag it so we can folow it, make sure we ruin its fun any time it hits a public center. I want Falon and Ari to pose as students and see if they can feel the Jinn energy.” He flipped through his own copy of the report. “There have been two new students in the last six months and a new guidance teacher. To make things a little easier on us, the two students are both juniors. I’ve enroled you both at Emmett Bradford High.” Michael nodded at Falon and then Ari. “You’l pose as juniors and your class schedule is divided so you each get to feel out the two new students. And as a bonus, as new students yourselves, you get a visit with the new guidance teacher.”

Jai took a step forward before Ari could say anything about how stoked she was to be going on her first assignment. “If this is a Marid I should be in on this,” Jai said with gritted teeth.

Ari blinked. She knew Marid’s were badass, but surely together, she and Falon could handle it. Right? A gremlin in her stomach bit one of the butterflies.

Michael’s return stare was thoughtful. Finaly he sighed. “Fine. You can be Ari’s possessive older boyfriend who visits her at lunch.”

A bloom of heat flooded Ari’s cheeks as Falon laughed. Ari flicked a glance at Jai and noted he had tensed. “Can’t you get me into the school?”

“No. You have a high energy vibe for a start, and everything about you screams Guardian Jinn. Visiting Ari at lunch means you can scope out the school covertly.”

He turned to Ari as if he hadn’t just driven way closer to the truth about her and Jai’s relationship than he even knew. “You and Falon are step sisters. Marissa and Bela Ribisi.”

Falon groaned, kicking up off the armchair. “Great. Not only do I have to go back to school – which sucked the first time by the way – but I’m also going to be subjected to sparkly vampire jokes al day.”

Michael frowned. “I don’t get it.”

“You’re not the only one,” Jai murmured, staring at Falon quizzicaly.

“Don’t worry about it, Sexy, it’s a pop culture reference. You wouldn’t get it.”

“Falon,” Michael sighed deeply, “Please stop caling Mr. Bitar inappropriate names.”

“Inappropriately true.” Falon winked at Jai and Ari felt a stupid burn of jealousy scald across her chest. Oh God. Who was being possessive now?

“So when do we start?” she interrupted, taking a step between Jai and Falon.

Handing her the class schedule, Michael replied with a searching gaze on her face, “Tomorrow. I want this done as soon as possible since your appearance wil most likely alert the Jinn we’re looking for. There’s hope he thinks you’re both lesser living Jinn, but if he’s powerful then he won’t make that mistake, especialy if he feels the strength of your Jinn energy, Ari. I’m sending a team with you to watch your back.”

If he was looking to see if she was about to puke up, he could forget it. Ari may be nervous as hel, and yeah okay, maybe not completely prepared, but she wanted to do this. She stil had flashbacks to how it had felt to be so numb and helpless under the Harmal Dalí had given her.

Ari had no intention of ever feeling that helpless again.

Michael cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable al of a sudden. “I was also wondering if we could make use of your particular gift, Jai?”

Ari frowned as Jai tensed. What particular gift?

“On who?” Jai asked quietly.

Why did Michael look like he wanted to run for the door? “Wel, as I understand it, Ari already has the trace. It would be a nice precaution if Falon had it as wel.

That way if anything happens…”

“I can track her,” Jai finished, nodding in understanding.

Ari understood now too and her stomach had just flipped on her. Michael wanted Jai to kiss Falon so he could trace her if she disappeared on the job. She felt that jealousy heat her cheeks as Falon, who also got it and didn’t look too upset by it, took a step towards Jai.

“Now?” she asked casualy, glancing between her father and Jai.

An ugly, inky hand suddenly wrenched itself out of Ari’s chest and choked her, its anger at the situation burning through her entire body, trying to buly her into taking a stand.
Command them not to
, it whispered to her as Jai slid Ari a surreptitious look, the tense line of his shoulders teling her he felt more than a little awkward.

Power crackled at Ari’s fingertips as those words started to make sense. She didn’t want Jai kissing other girls. She should command him not to. It was her right. He belonged to her. His lips belonged only to her. Her eyes flipped to Falon and she started to think it might be a better decision to command Falon to stop breathing.

She’ll hold her breath and die, and that way you’ll never have to worry about this
. Shock and horror managed to bury its way out from under those thoughts and Ari held in a gasp of terror. She had to get out of this room. Now.

The Seal. It was its first appearance in weeks. She’d begun to hope that, that meant she had some control over it now. Obviously, she was wrong.

Ari started to tremble with fear as she mentaly pushed that inky, black hand and its wicked thoughts back down inside her chest, until it curled up into an aching fist.

It didn’t disappear entirely. But at least it had shut up. But Ari knew she couldn’t watch Jai kiss Falon. She knew it was just a stupid little kiss, but the idiot had to use tongue and Ari didn’t want to see that. If only because the Seal might wake up again.

“I’l just step outside.”

“Me too,” Michael said hurriedly and folowed her out of the room.

Thankfuly, Jai and Falon stepped out only seconds later but Ari couldn’t look at either one of them. Her boyfriend’s tongue had just been in someone else’s mouth.

And she’d almost kiled that someone because of it.

“I’m going to let Charlie know we’re leaving. You want to say goodbye to Trey?” Falon asked, her eyes wide and searching as she directed her question to Ari.

Ari nodded, stil not realy able to meet her eyes after the horrible thoughts the Seal had seeped into her mind. “Yeah, of course.”

As she moved to folow Falon, she felt Jai fal into step beside her, his fingers brushing deliberately against hers.

Do you know how much I hate doing that?
His voice penetrated her terrified thoughts.

What? Kissing pretty girls?
she answered absentmindedly. Should she tel Jai? No. No he’d just worry. She’d fought the Seal off. She’d just need to keep doing that.

Having to kiss girls whether I want to or not. I’ve always tried to shrug it off as part of the job. Up until now I’ve been able to do that. I don’t like

doing that to you.

It’s just part of your job, Jai. I get it. You did it to me too.

Then why can’t you look at me?

Ari sighed as they stepped out of the house, folowing quietly in Falon’s wake as she headed down the sidewalk towards Jack’s house. She had to lie. She couldn’t tel him the truth.
Because, you’ll see my irrational jealousy burning in my eyes and think I’m psychotic.

His soft chuckle echoed around in her head and she smiled at the wonderful sound.
Ari, I’d feel the same way. If it had been you and some other guy.

Taking a deep breath, Ari forced a smile into her eyes and finaly looked up at him reassuringly.
I know. We’re cool.

I want to kiss you.

She grinned, feeling a little better.
Soon.

14 -
Sometimes Switching on the Light Only Brings the Nightmare to Life

It had come to this. Forced into another’s bidding in order to get what he wanted. Rabir, his most loyal servant, gazed at him blankly. There was no judgment, no acceptance. Just as it should be. But White was judging himself. It had been weeks. Weeks of drawing up new plans to coerce Ari onto Mount Qaf, to stand by his side and help him take what he needed. But every plan ended up with someone innocent getting hurt or him coming off as untrustworthy. Damn his daughter and her morals.

Honor, White understood. But morals?

So he was doing the one thing Ari had asked of him as a sign of faith.

With a sigh of regret that Sala’s punishment should be over so soon, White let his magic around the purple vase in his bedroom die a silent death. When she didn’t immediately appear, he fisted a hand over the opening of the bottle and puled. The smoke poured from the bottle and into a silhouette beside it. Slowly it evaporated, leaving a weakened Ifrit swaying before him.

Ice flooded White’s veins as her pale blue eyes begged him for mercy.

Blue eyes.

Not the eyes of a changing color.

Not the face of a great beauty either.

Not Sala!

The ice crystalized into rage, and with that fury he sent an impulsive blast of energy into this stranger, this Ifrit who had replaced his prisoner. Her eyes roled back in her head, blood trickling from her nose and ears. Her slim body hardly made an impact as it hit the floor.

The taste of Sala’s essence was fading now that the bottle had been opened. Fading… as it returned to her, wherever she was.

How had she done it? How had Sala escaped him?

“Master?” Even Rabir was wide-eyed.

Retribution hardened White’s features as he turned to his servant with one name. “Ari.”

“I’ve heard word
from my contact in the Braemar Guild,” Jack said as soon as Charlie stroled into the large extension on the back of his house that he’d turned into a school of sorts for Charlie.

Only seconds ago, Charlie had been feeling tired and foggy. Now his heart was racing, his adrenaline pumping. Jack had been searching for The Guild that might have been tagging the Labartu that had kiled Mikey. It took him a few weeks to find any trace of Guild activity in and around Sandford Ridge at the time of Mikey’s death. He’d finaly found out that the Braemar Guild had been in Ohio, and after speaking with their leader, had discovered that they were in fact chasing the Labartu who had kiled Mikey. Her name was Akasha, and she was a particularly old, evil bitch from hel. To Charlie’s disappointment, the Braemar Guild had lost track of Akasha seven months ago, and were in the middle of trying to retrace her whereabouts. For a bonus the Braemar Guild would let Jack know where Akasha was when they found her.

Was this it then? Charlie’s gut churned at the idea of it al being over. It was strange. What would he do once he had his vengeance? What purpose would he have then? That was if he managed to kil Akasha and escape trial.

Jack shook his head. “The last lead was false. I promised them extra if they’d put more men on it.”

“Jack, you didn’t have to do that.”

Jack shook him off. “It’s nothing.”

As Charlie opened his mouth to protest, Trey sauntered in with a wide smile on his face. “Morning, al.”

Charlie nodded helo, frowning as Jack glared at Trey. Ever since his arrival a week ago, Trey had dogged his and Jack’s steps. He’d spent nearly every minute in this room with them as Jack educated Charlie on the use of magic through talismans, precious stones and metals. Used to more physical activity than what he was getting, Trey cracked inappropriate jokes al the time until Jack finaly gave in and let Trey take over, teaching Charlie physical defense. Although Charlie liked Trey, he got the distinct feeling he rubbed Jack the wrong way.

“Great. It’s returned,” Jack murmured, turning his back on them to open a cabinet. He began puling out the crystals he’d promised to show Charlie yesterday.

“Look, you need to stop with al the love,” Trey replied dryly. “I told you, I’m not going anywhere so get used to. Withhold the excitement.”

Jack raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “You don’t trust me with Charlie.”

“Oh, I think not,” Trey answered, his steel grey eyes alight with suspicion. “I think you’re both hiding something.”

Trying not to shift uncomfortably, Charlie walked over to join Jack for his lesson on crystals. “What could we be hiding? You’ve been with us every day.”

“Yeah, which is why I know you go al quiet when I step in to the room.” Trey smiled at Jack, but it was a little menacing. “I’m warning you, if you’re helping him do something he shouldn’t, I wil hurt you.”

Sighing, Jack shot him a weary look. “I think you already gave me that memo. To the lesson… please.”

Trey held up his hands, as if to say he was backing off, and stood to the side quietly as Jack began explaining the healing properties behind the white crystal.

Trey smashed a porcelain bowl he’d been fiddling with an hour later and received another scathing look from Jack. That is until Trey apologized with so much charm he even drew a reluctant smile from Jack. That had surprised them both. None more so than Trey who’d been delighted. Charlie got the feeling Trey was convinced he could make anyone like him.

He probably could.

The sound of the front door opening and shutting halted Jack in his tracks and they waited patiently as footsteps echoed through the house, getting louder as they neared the messy extension. Finaly Jai, Ari and Falon appeared in the doorway. For a moment, Charlie’s wistful gaze lingered on Ari. He hadn’t seen much of her these last few weeks. Her strange eyes were glittering with life and her whole being seemed to pulsate with vibrant energy. She looked locked inside her own thoughts.

Frowning, Charlie caught sight of Jai’s brooding face and wondered what was going on. Jai brooded when he was happy
and
when he was irritated so Charlie knew he wouldn’t get any answers from that direction. Instead, he glanced over at Falon, catching her eye. She looked juiced up too. He gave her an affectionate smirk, his eyes asking what the hel was going on.

“We thought we’d stop by and say goodbye,” Ari said slowly, looking from Charlie to Trey. “Falon and I have an assignment in Connecticut. Jai’s coming with us.”

“You need any help?” Charlie and Trey offered in unison, taking a step towards the threesome in the doorway.

Jack grunted, raising a sardonic eyebrow. “I feel so loved.”

Charlie’s chuckle was caught short when he saw the quizzical look Falon shot Jack. She tilted her head, her gaze searching and Jack frowned at her until she snapped her gaze away.

“You okay?” Charlie asked her, glancing back at Jack.

She nodded carefuly, and then seeming to shrug whatever weirdness had come over her off, Falon stood on her tiptoes, giving him a brief kiss on the lips. He returned it, although his whole body felt tense as the awkwardness of the situation burned through him. He shot Ari a look but she was busy giving Trey a hug goodbye and explaining that their assignment was at a high school in Connecticut and they shouldn’t be gone long. Falon had told him that Ari knew about the casual relationship they had going on. She even said Ari was cool about it al; to be honest, that kind of pissed Charlie off, considering he stil bristled any time Jai stood too close to Ari.

Like now for instance.

“We’re going with a team,” Ari assured them, her fingers brushing against Jai’s as she moved.

As Charlie glared at her guardian, Trey was clapping Jai on the back. “Cal me if you need me.”

“Wil do,” Jai replied gruffly.

“You know I think he’s straight.” Jack cut a mocking look at Trey, eyeing how close he was standing to Jai. “Wrong tree you’re barking up.”

Surprise – more like shock – shot through Charlie at Jack’s uncharacteristic commentary. As he looked around he saw they were al a little surprised. His tone. The way he said it… it sounded like… no. Charlie shook his head. Never mind.

Trey was the only one who just laughed. “Don’t worry, Jack. I know what trees to bark at.”

Something was going
on with Jack and Trey, and Ari wanted to know what. There was a definite vibe there, she mused. Her earlier scare over the Seal had dissipated as her worry turned to Charlie. Had Trey discovered something? Was Jack helping Charlie do something he shouldn’t?

Just as she opened her mouth to bluntly ask what was going on, fire erupted into the room in an explosion of aggressive color and noise. The White King strode out of the flames, his dark gaze narrowed on Ari.

“What have you done?” he growled, striding slowly towards her with violent intent. “How did you release her?” A bolt of his magic missed Ari by a hairsbreadth.

Before Ari could form a thought or make a move Jai’s hand came at her, pushing her out of the way with enough force to send her flying to the ground. She landed on her ass with a painful wince, splinters from Jack’s rough hardwood floor biting into her hands as she gazed up at Jai who had thrown back his arm as if he were pitching a basebal. A huge bal of ember glowed above his palm and he pitched it with a fierce growl at White. Taken by surprise, Jai’s magic hit White and he stumbled back, wincing as the ember shimmered into him, seeming to freeze him in place for a second. It was enough time for Jai to rush him, both hands pushed out towards him, his energy pulsating out in an invisible battering ram that lifted White off his feet and sent him careening into one of Jack’s glass cabinets.

“Get out!” Jai turned to them al, ushering Falon and Charlie from the room, Trey striding behind them, his eyes pinned to White until they were out.

Ari stumbled to her feet as White picked shards of glass out of his chest and hands, blood staining his silk white robes.

“Ari, get out of here.” Jai grabbed a hold of her arms in a painful grip, shaking her towards the exit. He shot a look at Jack who was standing with his legs braced, staring balefuly at White. “You too, Jack!”

The door slammed shut as White stood to his feet, brushing at glittering pieces of glass. He cocked his head at Jai, who shoved Ari behind him. “No one else is going anywhere. First, you,” he pointed at Jai, “Are going to die. And then Ari is going to be painfuly tortured until she tels me where Sala is and how on Mount Qaf she managed to free the bitch?”

What?
Ari gasped, and tried to push Jai out of the way but he wouldn’t budge. “What are you talking about?” she asked, stil shoving at Jai until he grasped her wrist, sending a burn of his magic through her. It froze her and she gaped at him in horror.

To stop you from doing anything stupid,
he telepathed apologeticaly.

“So you are going to deny it?” White asked quietly, his soft words just a puttering hiss of a volcano about to erupt. “You deny stealing into my palace and freeing Sala from the bottle? You deny placing her essence inside as a stopper to mask the taste of the Ifrit you replaced her with so that I would be fooled into thinking it was Sala stil inside?”

Yelow, reds and wondrous golds flickered into the air near Jack who was stil standing quietly watching. Out of the flames stepped The Red King and if Ari could have sagged in relief, she would have.

“Of course Ari would deny it, brother,” he answered as if he’d been standing there al along. He took a step towards The White King, his own expression just as blank. “She had nothing to do with it. Glass and I replaced Sala years ago.”

This time, White could not mask his fury. “You did what?”

Red smirked at him. It was cold. It made Ari shiver and she realized Jai’s magic had worn off. She pinched him in retaliation and took a step forward. Jai grabbed her hand, not using his magic against her, but himself. His fingers intertwined with hers and he practicaly suffocated her in to his side as they watched and listened.

“Did you realy think I would let you keep Sala locked in a bottle?”

White shook his head slowly, as if in disbelief. “You believe that an Ifrit with the gifts of a Lilif can love, Red? That she loved you? You fool. You fool who would take what was mine.”

“She wasn’t yours,” Red argued smoothly.

“She was in my harem. She was my servant.”

“Yes, wel, let’s just say she wasn’t satisfied.”

Narrowing his eyes, White cocked his head. “How did you do it?”

“It took both myself and Glass to penetrate your palace without your knowledge. We found a an Ifrit with a similar energy to Sala’s. We freed Sala with our

combined power and she let us take a tiny piece of her essence. We plugged the bottle with the essence so that when you freed the girl – the nobody – Sala’s essence would return to her.”

Ari gaped in disbelief. Her mother was free. She was out there somewhere. And Red had freed her. And hadn’t told her. What the hel was going on?

“I wil find her,” White assured them. “I wil kil her.” And then he flicked a glance at Ari and Jai. “I wil not retaliate against your attack, Ginnaye, since I was wrong in attacking Ari. But I wil not let another slight like that go again. Do you understand?”

“You’l never find, Sala,” Red whispered as if White hadn’t said anything. “You’l never find her. I won’t let that happen.”

Something flickered in White’s eyes and then he smiled, a congenial flash of teeth that sent shivers of unease rippling down Ari’s spine. “Ari, did you know that Red is the one who sent the Marid to Charlie? He’s the reason Charlie is a sorcerer.”

With that, White stepped back into the
Peripatos
, leaving stunned silence in his wake.

Ari felt Jai’s eyes on her face, felt her throat close up at White’s announcement. She gaped at Red, at her uncle whom she had come to trust and she shook her head, pleading silently. “Tel me he’s lying.” He could not have betrayed her like that. He could not have plotted to destroy her best friend’s life.

Her uncle’s features smoothed into a blank expression but she thought she detected a flicker of emotion in them before he got a handle on it. What was it this time?