Darkness, Kindled

  She nodded shyly and shifted closer to him.

  Luca abruptly stood, drawing their gazes back to him. “I’m not a perfect man, Jai, but I’m finally admitting I was wrong. I don’t know how you feel, or if you enjoy working with the Hunters, but I want you to know that I’d be proud to have you back—you, Ari, and Trey, of course.”

  For the first time in his life, Jai’s father wasn’t telling him what to do. He was treating him like an equal and he was asking him to come back. It didn’t make it all better—neither did sorry—but in that moment, Jai felt good. He felt even better to stand, hold out his hand, shake Luca’s hand, and decline his offer.

  Seeming unsurprised by the rejection, Luca sighed, gave Ari a respectful nod goodbye, and moved to leave.

  He stopped beside Jai, not looking at him, and clamped a hand down on his shoulder. He squeezed it, the first real fatherly gesture he’d ever given him, and then without another word, he walked out of their lives.

  The weight on Jai’s chest that hit whenever he thought of the Bitars eased. And when the smell of Ari’s perfume hit him seconds before her soft body curled against his back, her arms sliding around his waist, her cheek pressed to his shoulder blade, that weight disappeared entirely.

  He wrapped his arms over Ari’s and leaned back into her.

  “You know, if you wanted to go home, I would’ve gone with you,” she told him quietly. “I’d follow you anywhere.”

  At those beautiful words, Jai turned slowly and gathered her close, his hand cupping the back of her head, holding her in place for a long kiss. When he finally drew back to allow them air, Jai brushed a thumb over her gorgeous lower lip and answered, “This is home. You’re home. I like it here and I know you do too. Michael is good people, Ari. We’ll be happier here than we could ever be there.”

  She nodded and pressed her forehead against his chest. “How do you feel?”

  It took him a moment to find the right words. Finally, he decided on just one. “Free.”

  21

  Haunting Me

  The month of January was cold but quiet. Michael gave Ari, Trey, and Jai a break for a while—a vacation of sorts—and kept the workload light. It was weird, but everyone went about their business like nothing had happened, like they hadn’t just averted an apocalypse. Even Fallon.

  Even the Jinn kings were quiet. Even freaking Asmodeus who, for all his threats of dire retribution, hadn’t made a squeak since. Red had been keeping an eye on him, trying to preempt any attack the lieutenant might decide to spring on Ari.

  So far, nothing. In fact, no one seemed anxious about it, not even Jai, usually the worrier in the group.

  Trey was definitely not worried.

  Trey was too busy in happy La-La-Land to be worried about anything. Glass spent a lot of time at the house (another reason why no one was worried about Asmodeus attacking) and was even helping Trey organize a show he’d managed to snag at a gallery in Trenton.

  Ari didn’t know why she felt out of sorts while everyone else appeared to be settling into their lives. She guessed it was weird not to have some big disaster looming that she had to somehow prevent. She was spending her “vacation” time training with Jai, hanging out with Fallon, and learning how to speak Arabic. Jai was teaching her. Suffice it to say that often those lessons ended in a heated argument, but Ari was getting used to that. She and Jai could be a little hotheaded around one another but the making-up part made it worth it.

  Deciding to give Jai some space, she wandered to the mall so he could hang out with Trey at the gym. Ari hadn’t shopped for what felt like forever, and she found, now that she was back doing it, shopping was kind of dull.

  She was about to give up when she saw Agent Provocateur. She grinned instantly, a naughty thought coming to mind that involved a very hot, green-eyed Ginnaye who happened to share her bed every night. Her interest in shopping suddenly renewed itself.

  Ari wandered into the lingerie store and to search for something her boyfriend might approve of. She was musing over one particular item when her neck tingled and the familiar presence of a Jinn washed over her. Quickly glancing around the store, Ari searched its customers and staff for the source. It was none of them.

  It wasn’t like Ari should be alarmed.

  An entire Guild of half-blood Jinn Hunters lived in Burlington. However, she could sense levels of power, and the Jinn she was sensing was not a half-blood.

  A full-blooded Jinn was in the mall, and she wasn’t sure she’d encountered him or her before.

  Adrenaline surged at the thought of kicking some malevolent little genie’s ass. Forgetting the lingerie, she walked with purpose out of the store, glancing right and then turning left. Smack bang into a broad chest.

  The tingling rushed over every inch of her skin as she stumbled back and gazed up at the Jinn.

  The Jinn who was kind of familiar, actually.

  Tall, dark-haired, cute in a boyish, innocent way. “Whoa.” He reached out to stop her from stumbling too far. “Sorry about that. You okay?”

  Ari eyed him warily, trying to politely brush his hands off. “I’m fine.”

  “I sensed you here.” He nodded his head to the lingerie store and his grin got a little less innocent and whole lot more wolfish. “Nice.”

  Since he wasn’t pretending he wasn’t Jinn, Ari decided to dispense with any pleasantries. “Who are you? What do you want?”

  He frowned at her questions, looking more than a little displeased. “You don’t remember me?”

  The Jinn seemed genuinely hurt. Ari shrugged apologetically. “I’ve met a lot of new people lately. Sorry.”

  That appeared to appease the guy somewhat. “I’m Beau,” he said, as if she should know who the hell he was.

  “Um …”

  Beau glowered now. “We met at Emmett Bradford High School a few months ago. In Midland. Connecticut.”

  Just like that, Ari remembered. He was the cute guy who’d flirted with her as bad-boy Jai waited in the parking lot. Of course, that had been minutes before a bunch of crazy Jinn manipulated by The White King had come after her.

  That day had been polluted with a lot of Jinn, and Ari’s senses weren’t as strong then as they were now. It could be the only reason she hadn’t picked up on the fact that darling Beau was in fact a full-blooded Jinn. That didn’t explain, however, why he was suddenly here … in a somewhat creepy, stalker fashion.

  “What are you doing here?” She started walking, her mind on getting him out of the mall and somewhere private.

  She was thankful when he followed. “I mean, this is quite the coincidence.”

  “It’s not.” He threw her a smile as his eyes drank her in appreciatively.

  Suddenly Ari wasn’t feeling that his eyes were filled with innocence; it was more like the lightness of belief, and she was starting to get a bad vibe about it.

  “Oh?” She kept her question curious, not agitated, but was glad to see the wall-to-wall glass exit doors up ahead.

  “I know who you are. I’ve known for quite some time.”

  “And who am I?” she asked as she led him out into the mall lot. Her eyes quickly scanned the area and decided the best spot was in the far left corner. Most people had parked near the front, but the left side was quite full.

  More coverage.

  More privacy.

  She headed in that direction, pretending her car was that way.

  Beau grinned at her. “You’re the daughter of a Jinn king.”

  Ari tried not to let that freak her out. Some Jinn knew who she was, and she guessed that within five years, every Jinn in both realms would know who she was.

  “So you know who I am, but I’m still in the dark about you. What is a full-blood Jinn doing at a high school?”

  What the freaking hell are you, in other words, and am I ethically bound to kill you?

  “We’ve met before. I mean, before before. We’ve even kissed.” His grin was not only cocky but also somewhat leering. br />
  Ari tried to hide her shiver.

  Instead she smiled, like she found this news interesting, welcoming even. “Really?” she came to a stop beside a high-sided SUV, blocking them from the view of anyone entering and exiting the mall. Hopefully, the cars behind blocked them from view on the opposite side.

  “I possessed your friend Nick back in Sandford, Ohio.” He took a step closer to her, his eyes drinking in her face.

  Shock jolted through Ari at his casual confession. And she recognized that look. It was the same way Nick—possessed Nick—had looked at her. It’d made her extremely uncomfortable even then.

  Not to mention he’d just answered her question. She definitely needed to take care of this guy, but she couldn’t exactly conjure the black dust she’d used on him before when she and Charlie had attacked and taken him to the Aissawa Brotherhood for an exorcism. The Brotherhood was from Morocco, experts on exorcising Jinn from all sorts of places. Jai had called in a favor to get them to come and save her friend Nick from this guy. Ari now knew the black dust she’d used to incapacitate Nick/Beau was called Ephemeral. A natural crush of herbs mixed with a short-term enchantment, it had the power to knock a Jinn unconscious. But Ari couldn’t conjure it out of thin air in front of him. It would be kind of a giveaway.

  “Right,” she murmured, trying to think fast. If this was that creepy-ass Jinn who had possessed Nick, then he was proving he was somewhat obsessed with Ari. She could use it against him.

  Tilting her head a little flirtatiously, she licked her lips and watched his eyes flare at the move.

  “It’s quite a coincidence us meeting in Connecticut.”

  “Right,” he agreed excitedly.

  “That’s what I thought. I fled Sandford after what happened and I was trying to forget you, but then you turned up and I’m like, that has to be fate, right?

  We’re destined.” His eyes narrowed. “But then you kissed that guy who orchestrated the whole thing where the Aissawa Brotherhood ripped me out of Nick, and then all those Jinn turned up and you disappeared. I was trying to find you and then word started circulating—rumors about Lilif and you taking care of it. It led me right here.”

  “Mmm, all very interesting,” she murmured and stepped even closer so their bodies were almost touching. “I think I like this body better than Nick’s.”

  Beau’s eyes darkened and before she could say another word, she was yanked against him and his mouth was on hers.

  Her first instinct was to kick him in the balls and then teach him a lesson he’d never forget. How insane was this guy to think he could just stalk her and then kiss her?

  Fortunately for Ari, her smarts kicked in before her knee did and she decided to go along with the kiss and use the distraction against him. She wound her arms around his neck and let a rush of magic flow from her hands. The satin pouch she’d conjured from Michael’s herb stores was a comforting weight in her hand, but the use of magic had drawn Beau’s attention.

  He shoved her away in surprise.

  “What the—?”

  Ari had already blown the black dust in his face before he could finish the sentence. She watched with satisfaction as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He collapsed with a dull thud against the concrete.

  She glanced around hurriedly to check for witnesses and then telepathed Jai.

  Five minutes later, a black Mustang pulled into the mall lot and got as close to Ari as possible. Jai and Gerard got out, hurrying toward her.

  “We don’t have a lot of time,” Ari said as a welcome.

  “What happened?” Jai asked, all concern as he and Gerard lifted Beau’s body and used cloaking magic to hide him from human sight. They carried him to the back of the Mustang and threw him inside rather carelessly. Ari explained what had happened and by the time she was finished, the reddening anger on Jai’s face made her nervous.

  “We’ll get him back to Michael’s,”

  Gerard assured Ari. “We’ll need to get the Aissawa Brotherhood here to do an exorcism, and then we figure out how to trap him in a Secretum before he can get away.”

  Ari nodded in agreement. “I’ll meet you guys back at Michael’s.”

  ***

  Jai was not happy. Ari knew this because the entire time they were at Michael’s discussing a plan of action for Beau/Nick/Stalker, Jai grunted answers at her and generally looked like any minute, he’d blow.

  Thankfully, Trey was not home because as soon as Ari crossed the threshold, Jai let his annoyance be known.

  “I can’t believe you did that,” he growled as he passed her to storm into the kitchen.

  A little confused and more than irritated by his attitude, Ari followed, watching him as he pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and took a long gulp. “What the hell is your problem?

  Your attitude at Michael’s … what was that? Were you trying to embarrass me?”

  Jai narrowed his eyes and put the bottle aside. “Embarrass you?”

  “Snapping at me like I’m a five-year-old.”

  “How about snapping at you for the tricks you pulled to take Beau down.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Flirting with him. Kissing him. You don’t do that, Ari,” he hissed, making her cheeks burn with anger. “You are not some skeezy succubus Jinn. You’re a warrior.”

  “Hey, my mother was a succubus,” she snapped.

  “Exactly. And you’re not your mother. Or at least I didn’t think so.”

  Sensing where this was coming from, Ari crossed her arms. “I’m not your mother, either, FYI.”

  “Don’t abbreviate shit,” he muttered, taking another swig of water.

  “Don’t tell me not to abbreviate shit. Don’t tell me what to do at all. I kissed a Jinn and used the distraction to bring him down. So what?” She sighed heavily. “You kiss women to put the trace on them. You kissed Fallon while I was standing in the next room.”

  “It’s not the same thing.”

  “It is the same thing!”

  “Well, I don’t like it!”

  This surprisingly irrational response from Jai made Ari freeze. She contemplated him a moment as he stewed in his own frustrations. “Why are you really mad?” she asked softly.

  Jai shook his head, running a hand over his short hair. “Because it’s been a month. Only a month. Is there ever going to be a time when my girlfriend doesn’t attract some lowlife Jinn?”

  This was one of the things Ari worried would put a strain on their relationship from the very beginning. His words, though quietly said with no vitriol, raised her hackles. “If it’s such a problem for you, get a new girlfriend.”

  “Ari, that’s not what I meant.”

  “No, what you meant is that you’re sick and tired of me being a bad-boy Jinn magnet. Fine.” She threw him a dirty look as she turned to leave the kitchen. “Next time, though, just say it rather than treating me like crap and pretending to be pissed off about something else. That’s such a girl thing to do.”

  Ari had only moved three steps into the hall before she felt the wind whip her hair around her shoulders. Jai pressed against the wall, his body trapping hers. He was breathing heavily, obviously still annoyed, his lips hovering over hers.

  “You and I keep butting heads like this, we’re going to have to invest in some helmets,” he murmured against her mouth, causing a delicious tingle in all Ari’s girly places.

  “Or you could just stop being an obnoxious jerk.”

  “You could stop being so defensive.” He pinned her hands to the wall as he ran his nose along her jawline. “I’m not going anywhere. Ever. So when I get annoyed about you being a Jinn magnet, it doesn’t mean I’m giving up.” He pulled back to stare down into her face with his beautiful, soulful eyes. “I get to be frustrated, Ari. So do you. I also get to be pissed that my girlfriend kissed another guy, but since you had a point earlier about the trace, I’ve decided I’m not doing that anymore.”

  “You’re
not?” she whispered, her eyes dropping to his beautiful mouth. “Those lips are going to be for me and me alone?”

  “Yeah,” he promised just before he kissed her hard and deep. When he came up for air, he shot her a wicked smile.

  “I have to admit—I like the making-up part of our little arguments.”

  Ari nodded and leaned in for more.

  “Me too.”

  ***

  He moved above her in shadow and heat.

  He was everything.

  She sighed into the night, arching against him. Jai. Jai …

  His hot lips brushed hers, his callused hands smoothing over her skin, searching, touching, everywhere.

  She wrapped her arms tighter around him, drawing him closer, needing to see his face, but it was cast in darkness.

  Silken hair slid against her cheek and it took a moment before she realized it wasn’t hers.

  She froze.

  He felt it.

  Grim laughter vibrated through him and he pulled back, light moving across his face.

  “This isn’t over, Ari,”

  Asmodeus warned, pressing his body deeper against hers.

  Ari bolted out of the dream, her scream caught in her throat. Trembling, she tried to blink the sensual nightmare out of existence, her eyes falling on Jai who slept soundly beside her. Guilt clawed at her chest as her heart tried to slow, as her body attempted to come down from the dream in which she’d been making love to Asmodeus. All throughout it, her subconscious had believed she was with Jai and then …

  Why? She ran a shaky hand through her matted hair. She didn’t have those kinds of feelings for Asmodeus. Maybe once, when they’d first met, she’d felt some bizarre attraction to him, but his tendency toward sociopathic had definitely hammered those feelings out of her.

  Her eyes trailed along Jai’s strong back, up his shoulders, to his face. His lips were parted slightly and Ari could still feel them on hers, still taste him against her tongue.

  Jai was the only man she wanted.

  Consciously or subconsciously.

  Which meant Asmodeus was messing with her. Her eyes narrowed in the dark as she drew her knees to her chest. He was sending her a message.