by S. Young
But Jai didn’t want her to get hurt.
Of course, he never wanted a client to get hurt. It was his job to make sure they didn’t. But a 24/7 gig with this girl should be killing him. He should be going out of his mind with boredom.
He wasn’t.
He enjoyed being around her.
Not good.
So instead of thinking about how unprofessional that was, he was going to protect his client. From them all. From the Red King. The White King. From himself. Even from that little dick Charlie who looked oh so disappointed when Ari said she wouldn’t learn about jinn. He was suspicious about this guy. And not because Ari couldn’t see past her memories of a childhood sweetheart to the exceptionally messed up teen who walked in his shoes, but because if Jai had found out someone murdered his kid brother, he wouldn’t let that go. So Jai’s question was: what did Charlie really want with Ari? And was it going to hurt her?
Jai felt his muscles tense at the thought, and his blood grew even hotter. Glancing up at her again, sleeping in the dark, he felt an ache in his chest, a feeling he’d never felt before. Irritated with himself, he concentrated on the job at hand, pouring his magic into his creation for Ari.
He was going to force Ari to discover her ancestry. He was going to force her to be prepared so that when the time came, she’d be able to handle herself.
The next morning, she was shaken awake. “What?” she groaned, prying her eyes open only to look up into the blurry face of Jai. “What is it?”
“Wake up. The men from the Aissawa Brotherhood have arrived.”
Jolting up at the news, Ari brushed her tangled hair from her face and gaped at him. “Here? Now? What about my dad?”
“Your dad left for the office early this morning. He never saw them.”
“Well, these Brotherhood guys can’t stay here.”
Jai smirked. “That’s why you need to get up so we can get on with the exorcism.”
“Right, right. I still have slumber brain. Give me a minute.”
“Slumber brain?” he mocked gently.
Too tired to be teased, Ari pushed him aside and stumbled out of bed. “I take it a shower would be out of the question?”
“Not if you hurry.”
“Great.”
“Not a morning person, huh?”
“Do you have to ask that every morning when you already know the answer?”
“Yes. It’s fun.”
She made a rude gesture at him as she pulled some clothes out of her wardrobe and he snorted in response. She was discovering it was really hard to offend him.
“Oh, here.” Jai reached out, halting her progress to the bathroom. Ari shivered under the heat of his touch and jerked away. His face darkened and he grabbed one of her hands, flattened her palm out and slapped a worn leather-bound book into it.
Ari gripped the book with no title, tilting it at him. “What’s this?”
When he crossed his arms over his chest and straightened to his full height, Ari felt a tingle of warning. Uh oh. Whatever it was, he meant business. “That is a copy of a compilation of facts about the jinn. Different races, different behaviors, different cultures, as well as some of our very important history, including information about the Seven Kings of Jinn and Azazil.”
She thrust the book at him. “I don’t want it.”
Narrowing his eyes, Jai shoved the book back at her, lowering his voice to a growl. “Read it, Ari. Read it or I will spend the next few weeks reading it out loud to you every minute of every day.”
“Why?”
He frowned. “Why what?”
“Why do you care if I know this stuff?”
“Because…” he shook his head, as if searching for the right words. “It’s… it’s difficult not knowing who you are or where you belong. In the end, you have to accept whatever you find out about yourself and carve out a place where you do belong. But you can’t discover who you are, Ari Johnson, if you don’t accept what you are.” He tapped the top of the book. “This is a good place to start.” He threw her a cocky smile, rare and as deliciously warm as the sun after a day spent too long in the shade. “Knowledge is power.”
Feeling things Ari couldn’t even name, things that made her breathless, Ari couldn’t help but gaze up at him a little dumbly. When he eventually retreated, Ari flushed, feeling foolish for staring at him for too long. “Thanks,” she replied quietly, holding the book close to her chest. “You’re right. I’ll read it.”
“Good.” He nodded stiffly, back in his no nonsense guardian mode. “I’ll go keep the brothers company.” He stopped at the doorway with a little frown. “Do you have any pineapple juice?”
“Pineapple juice?”
He shrugged. “They want pineapple juice.”
Ari snorted at the weird request. “No. I have OJ.”
Jai shook his head. “I’ll just conjure some.”
Marveling over how weird her life was now, Ari sighed. “You do that.”
Chapter 12
Rip me out and maybe I’ll be different
The Brotherhood was strange. They stood clustered together, ten Moroccan men from the city of Meknès, dusty and rumpled in their plain shirts and slacks. Somehow, Ari was expecting hooded robes and sinister mustaches. The Brothers regarded Jai with a mixture of awe and fear, and they refused to even look at Ari. Even when she was the one detailing the plan. The plan that so could not go wrong. After everyone agreed to the plan (well, the Brothers agreed once Jai reiterated it), including Charlie, Ari left the Brotherhood downstairs and went up to her bedroom to make the call. She was sure she would have to leave some long-winded, pleading voicemail that would beat the hell out of her pride, but to exorcise Nick, she was up for it. It had occurred to her in all of this that poor Nick probably didn’t have a crush on her at all. It was the creepy-ass jinn that possessed him who was infatuated with her.
An entire year and a half of Nick’s life had been stolen.
She bit her lip, praying Staci would pick up. Ari had to make this right. It was her fault.
“Hello?” Staci’s soft voice asked tentatively.
“Staci,” Ari said in relief. “Wow, it’s so good to hear your voice.” It surprised her how true that was.
“I’m sorry, Ari. I shouldn’t have ignored you like that. I was just overwhelmed by Rachel. She’s pretty mad at you. You know, she hooked up with that teaching assistant she’s been drooling over for the last few months. She was mad about other stuff I guess, but also because you weren’t there to talk to about the TA.”
Ari felt a twinge of guilt and tried to shake it off. “That’s great for her. But you know, that’s not why I called. I just wanted to say sorry once again. And also to ask you for a favor.”
“A favor?”
“Well, after everything that happened with Charlie at the party, I decided Rache is right and I need to move on. I had a good time with Nick that night, but I’m still a little nervous, I guess. So I was thinking maybe you, me, A.J. and Nick could go on a double date later this afternoon. Go to the movies. It’ll be fun.”
“Really?”
Ari’s heart leaped triumphantly at the excitement in Staci’s voice. “Yeah. If it’s not too late notice.”
“No, no. Me and A.J. were going to hang out, anyway. Look, I’ll call him and get him to call Nick and then I’ll call you right back!”
She smiled. “Sounds perfect.”
“Oh, Ari, I’m so happy you’re doing this. It’s going to be so much fun.”
The line went dead and Ari drew her shoulders up.
This was going to be anything but fun.
A.J. and Nick rode up front, arguing over which radio station to tune into and cracking stupid jokes. Now and then Nick would look in the rear mirror and smile at her and Ari would have to force a warm smile back while in her head she was thinking ‘creepy jerk jinn stealing my friend’s body, I’m going to rip you out of there, asshole!’.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I
told Rache we’re doing this,” Staci said quietly at her side. She tried to concentrate on what Staci said, but the thing possessing Nick distracted her. Had there been any notable differences in Nick’s behavior over the last eighteen months? It was hard to tell because they’d only really gotten to know one another in that time. Crap.
Wait. What is Staci saying?
“Rachel?” Ari frowned.
“Yeah.” Staci smiled pleadingly. “I think if you call her again, she’ll talk to you. She sounded kind of excited that you were going out with us today.”
Ari grunted. “She wrote on Twitter that I treat our friendship like a one-way street.”
“Oh.” Staci batted the words away with her hand. “She was just upset. She didn’t mean it.”
Guessing now was not the greatest time to alienate her friends, Ari nodded. “You’re right. I’ll call her, smooth things over.”
“Good. It’s stupid to fight over something so silly.”
Grinning, Ari shook her head at her friend. Staci was the old-fashioned kind of sweet that made you smile no matter what mood you were in.
They pulled into the parking lot at the movies and Nick got out real quick so he could open Ari’s door. The smile she gave him was almost feral and he frowned a little, puzzled.
Do better, Ari. Do better.
It was hard, though, especially when he put his hand on her lower back to guide her across the lot. She just couldn’t get it out of her head that there was a being inside Nick, controlling him, using him… and all to get into her pants! Trying not to shudder and give herself away, Ari relaxed into his touch and gave him a soft smile. His eyes glowed back at her and she had to look quickly away before her expression fell.
“So, what are we watching?” Nick asked as they strolled inside.
“I vote Vampires of Doom 4,” A.J. growled mockingly, baring his teeth.
Staci huffed. “And this from the film student. I vote The Apple. It’s supposed to be beautifully shot—it’s mostly hand-held, oblique angles, blue filter, with some great location shots. They filmed it in Budapest.”
Nick looked at Ari. She didn’t particularly care what movie they saw because she would not be watching it, but if she was going to be watching the movie, a cheesy vampire horror film and a pretentious love story were not her thing. Her eyes flicked down the schedule and then lit up. “Ooh, they’re re showing Hunger Games.”
A.J. scowled. “You’ve seen it a million times.”
“So?”
“You’ve made us watch it a million times with you.”
Ari made a face at him. “Like watching JLaw is such a chore for you.”
“It’s got my vote.” Nick shrugged.
Staci nodded, smiling sweetly up at A.J. “Mine too.”
They bought tickets for the movie, some popcorn and drinks, and wandered casually into the screening. Ari’s heart raced as she talked the guys into taking seats near the aisle so she wouldn’t have to shimmy by people when the time came for her to leave.
Which should be pretty soon.
Sure enough, just as they were settling in and Nick’s arm was casually sliding along the back of her seat, Ari’s cell beeped and she opened it to see the text she’d been waiting for.
I’m outside. Bring Emily Rose.
Charlie
Here goes.
Pulling on her best acting chops, Ari muttered a curse and turned to Nick with big wide, soulful eyes. “It’s Charlie.”
“Charlie?” Staci squeaked, leaning over Nick. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s outside. I told him I was coming here with Nick. He’s upset. He wants to talk.”
“Oh God, no, Ari.” Staci shook her head. “You know I like Charlie, but…” she glanced at Nick meaningfully. “Not now.”
“I have to.” Ari grabbed her bag and then looked back at a scowling Nick. “Will you come with me? I just… I don’t want to leave him out there but I don’t want to go alone.”
Nick’s expression cleared and he smoothed a hand down her back. “Of course. Let’s go.”
As they walked across the cinema foyer, the sickly scent of popcorn made Ari’s already nervous stomach turn. She couldn’t believe they were doing this. They were actually doing this.
“So what do you think he wants?” Nick asked, trying to appear casual, but there was an aggressive energy rolling off him.
Ari shrugged. “I don’t know. He just said he wanted to talk, but last time we spoke, we had a huge fight. I just don’t want to deal with him alone.”
“You’re not alone.” He gripped her hand tight in his and she had to force herself to not jerk away.
Charlie waited way across the thankfully empty lot by Nick’s SUV. She noted his eyes flicker down at her hand clasped in Nick’s and he scowled.
“What do you want, Creagh?” Nick dropped her hand, striding toward him, chest puffed up.
Great, he’s being an asshat.
Charlie nodded at her over Nick’s shoulders and she pulled the pouch that Jai had given her out of her purse. While Nick squared up to Charlie, Ari opened the pouch and scrunched it open on her palm, revealing the glittering black dust inside. “Nick, don’t,” she said, tugging on his shoulder with her free hand.
“Ari—” He turned and as soon as he faced her, Ari blew onto the pouch. The black dust flew out and coated Nick’s face. He flinched and then stiffened, his eyes rolling back in his head just as his legs gave out. Jai hadn’t explained what the dust in the pouch was, only that it would incapacitate someone leaving no physical trace of injury. The incapacitating also only lasted on a possessed human for five, ten minutes, tops. They had to move fast.
Charlie caught Nick and together they shoved him into the back of the SUV. He dug in Nick’s jeans, pulling out the keys, glancing around the lot to make sure no one had witnessed the attack. As they jumped into the front of the vehicle, he asked, “You okay?”
She nodded, clenching her teeth together to stop them from chattering. Her pulse throbbed in her neck.
Charlie decimated the speed limit and they pulled off at a quiet spot in Vicker’s Woods, where Jai waited at the edge of the trees. Together, he and Charlie dragged Nick’s body into the woods to the clearing where the Aissawa Brothers waited. Ari watched from the sideline as Jai gestured for Charlie to get back. He stepped beside her and she tried to capture his attention, but his eyes were glued to Jai, Nick, and the Brothers. He seemed mesmerized. Feeling a tingle of unease at his expression, Ari focused on the group of jinn, watching as Jai tied Nick’s hands and feet and left him to lie on the dirty ground. He stepped out of the circle the Brothers made around Nick’s body and took his place at her other side.
“What happens now?” she asked him, watching curiously as one of the Brothers produced a small drum and began beating on it. She winced, hoping it wouldn’t attract any attention.
“Don’t worry,” Jai murmured in her ear and she couldn’t help shiver at the feel of him so close, his intoxicating scent tormenting all her senses. “I’ve put up an enchantment to muffle the sound. The Brothers will do their thing and probably make Nick drink an herb called Indian Costus. It repels jinn from the possessed.”
Ari frowned. “Couldn’t you have told me that? I could have just slipped the stuff into his Coke at the cinema or something.”
Jai shook his head. “Doesn’t work like that. There’s a whole ritual. You’ll see.”
And she did.
The Brothers chanted ominously in a language Ari couldn’t understand. The sound of it, however, made her teeth chatter, her body suddenly covered in a cold sweat. It was like she was coming down with the flu. When she threw a quick glance at Jai, she noticed he looked similarly affected, his skin pale, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. She touched her clammy forehead with a trembling palm and fought to keep upright. She wasn’t given much time to ponder the ill feeling that came over her so suddenly because at that moment, the Brothers each produced a knife from their boots and
drew the sharp blades over their wrists.
Ari gasped at the horrifying action and looked at Charlie to see what he was making of all this. It terrified her that what happened here would reflect badly on her and he would never want to speak to her again. But he watched in utter fascination, his eyes rapt on the scene, chewing on his lip, something he did when he was concentrating. Shaken, Ari looked over at the Brothers. Her stomach turned as they drank from each other’s bloody wrists and began chanting again. Blood slipped down their chins. Nick’s body shuddered on the ground, his eyes rolling back in his head.
“No,” he croaked. “No, stop it. You can’t…”
One of the Brothers stepped forward, a cup clasped in his hand. Carefully, he tipped a vial of the herb Jai had spoken of into the cup and bent down next to Nick. He whispered something in that strange language and then pinched Nick’s nose closed, tilted his head back, and forced him to swallow the drink. When he was sure Nick had, he returned to the circle and the Brothers chanting grew louder. Nick began shuddering harder until he was thrashing on the ground, groaning and choking on screams. Ari tensed, disturbed by the sight, and was glad for the warm hand Jai placed on her shoulder. She flinched as a weird black substance oozed out of Nick’s eyes and mouth and ears. “Dear God,” she whispered. Jai squeezed her shoulder as if to say ‘I got you’.
Finally, to Ari’s everlasting relief, Nick cried out one last time before flames burst from his body. A Brother dropped to his knees, a bottle, like the one Sala was trapped in, clasped in his hands as he muttered frantically. The flames gave off a high-pitched squeal, almost like they were screaming, and then they spiraled tighter until they were sucked down into the bottle. The Brother promptly stoppered it and gasped out one last chant.