by S. Young
IT’S HIM!
I know!
“Damn,” the voice cursed and Ari blinked in disbelief as he disappeared into the cloak.
Hauled into Jai’s arms, Ari didn’t even have time to squeeze her eyes shut as he took off. Ari, CLOAK, CLOAK!
HOLY SHIT! She bit her lips, focusing on stepping into the cloak, although she was pretty sure it was too late now.
This time when they landed, it was with a bump. The impact ripped her from Jai’s arms and she collapsed on her ass in the sandy dirt. Gaping up at Jai, who had somehow kept his feet, Ari’s heart throbbed. He stared off into the distance like a gunslinger ready to duel. She followed his glower and scrambled to her feet to face the jinn who stood before them. Around them was nothing but open New Mexico desert. The scent of sage hit her nose in the muggy atmosphere, tinged by the musky scent of animal. There was no road nearby, hardly any plantation, just red clay-colored rock mountains looming in the distance. There wasn’t even a breeze to send a shiver of foreboding down her spine.
When Ari focused on the jinn before them, it moved toward them on taloned feet. Ari’s jaw dropped. He was almost as bad as the nisnas. Freaked out, Ari backed into Jai, wishing she was more graceful. His feet must be black and blue by now. At the parade, she had been pretty sure the jinn looked like… well… a guy. Dressed bizarrely in a shirt and jeans, the jinn smirked, his face part human, part lion. The flesh of his mouth curled like an upside down love heart, reminding Ari of the Lion from The Wizard of Oz, except this guy had huge fangs overlapping his lower lip. He had human shaped eyes and nose, except where the bridge should be — like the nisnas’ it was flat. His skin was almost black, his amber eyes glowing eerily against his flesh. He pointed a long, twig-like finger at Ari. His left hand twisted downward, while his right hand twisted upward, the bones pushing against his flesh, making Ari feel queasy.
“You shouldn’t have come for me, girl. Have you no idea who I am?” his voice, to her surprise, was normal. She’d expected it to be screechy, like nails across vinyl.
Pulse throbbing visibly, Ari threw her shoulders back, pulling on all the bravery she could muster even though her legs shook so badly it was a wonder she could still stand. “You’re Pazuzu.”
He smiled horrifically. “I am Pazuzu!”
At the pronouncement a gale force wind rushed in around her and Jai, the desert storm blinding her, stinging her eyes and salting her tongue. She clamped her lips closed and threw a hand up to shield her eyes.
Ari! Jai shouted.
I’m here. I’m right here! What do we do?
Try to reach for me. I’ll get us out!
I don’t know where you are!
Beat out your arms around you, I’ll do the same!
Okay! Ari flapped her arms around her like a blindfolded idiot determined to hit the piñata at a child’s birthday party.
I don’t think so, little girl. Pazuzu’s voice echoed into her mind. How dare you HUNT me! I’ll show you what it feels to be an animal caught in a trap.
A slice of pain cut through Ari’s cheek and she cried out, sand and wind whipping up against the open wound. Another one, another one, another! Slice, slash, gash after gash, laceration after laceration ripped open Ari’s skin until she screamed and collapsed in agony as her whole body went up in torturous stings and flames.
ARI! Jai was yelling frantically in her head. At the same time, Pazuzu filled it with his laughter.
She was in too much pain to call back to Jai, shuddering on the ground as the desert storm ate at her wounds. Torment writhed through her, so much so, she was barely even cognizant when the storm dissipated.
Jai leaned over her, his face pale, his hands hovering above her as if afraid to touch her.
“Ari,” he choked out her name, his eyes so full of worry and horror, she knew she must look ravaged. She wanted to reassure Jai, but she could only bite her lip, tears streaming over her lids. It felt as if her insides had been turned outside.
Darkness crept over Jai’s face and she watched in a daze as he stood to his feet and faced Pazuzu. No! Her brain attempted to fight through the pain. He couldn’t face the wind demon. Not alone!
Pazuzu’s laughter echoed around the desert, a manic, forced sound that seemed to inflame her wounds. Ari tried to shout out to Jai, only to cough up a thick gunk of blood. Jai jerked around at the noise, his eyes widening, his jaw tightening with rage. Ari tried to plead with her eyes for him to leave. Instead, he turned to Pazuzu and whipped his hand out like he was throwing an invisible curve ball. Pazuzu screamed as his eyes bled pure white, his awkward and grotesque arms flailing out in front of him as if he couldn’t see.
Jai had blinded him?
Yes, she choked on her momentary triumph, more blood bubbling up between her lips and cutting Jai’s victory short. I’m dying. Oh god, I’m dying.
“This won’t hold, you child!” Pazuzu snarled before he muttered something under his breath. Alien words met Ari’s ears as they escaped out from between Jai’s lips. She had no idea what he was saying, but as his arms rose like a conductor at the orchestra, the ground beneath her shook, scraping against her wounds. Biting back silent screams, Ari watched as Pazuzu rocked on unstable talons. He cursed and muttered faster.
Just as the white melted from his eyes, the ground finally gave way beneath his feet and water gushed up out of it like a geyser. As it descended, cascading down over his head, Pazuzu screamed. Bloody pustules popped up on his skin where the water touched, smoke poured from his pores like cold water on hot asphalt. His shrieks hurt Ari’s ears and she curled deeper into herself. When he fell to his knees, she almost breathed a sigh of relief, despite her wounds.
Desert Spirit. Jai turned to her to explain. Water is poison to them.
If she could have, Ari would have nodded at him. She didn’t care why Pazuzu was going down. All she cared about was that Jai was safe.
Afraid to move, Ari waited for Pazuzu to pass out, but he howled into the New Mexico desert with hatred fueling his power. A gnarled hand struck out toward Jai and Ari watched in horror as Jai clasped his throat, his face turning purple as he dropped to his knees. Petrified, Ari slid a hand toward him, the sickening pain of her torn skin matching her sickening fear as Jai coughed up desert dirt, thick with his saliva and insides. The gooey dirt seeped from his eyes and nose, even his fingernails. Pazuzu was suffocating him, filling his insides with desert.
No. No! NO!
In all the pain and confusion, Ari knew there was something she was supposed to do. What? What was it?
Suddenly Pazuzu kneeled before her, his vile, wounded face grinning at her evilly. “So this is the seal. What a disappointment you are, child. So easy to kill.”
The seal! She choked, trying to force the command out, but she only ended up spitting up more bloody globules. Fury and helplessness gripped her as she saw Jai collapse onto his back, his eyes closing and hands falling limply to his sides.
JAI! Her mind screamed.
Pazuzu laughed again.
Eyes widening as she realized what she’d done, Ari slid her narrowed gaze back to Pazuzu and whatever he saw in her face made him freeze. Got you, you piece of crap.
Pazuzu, I command you to release and heal Jai.
Mouth hanging in horror, Pazuzu immediately turned like a robot at the telepathic command and crooked a hand out at Jai. Her guardian’s eyes flew open and he coughed, spitting up the rest of the dirt as he sucked in shuddering breaths.
Pazuzu, I command you to heal me.
Furious, the Jinn spun back on her, his legs collapsing beneath him as his mind gave into her. The palm of one of his twisted hands pressed against her forehead, the slide of his skin reminding her of the feel of the lizard’s skin she’d touched at the zoo in Cincinnati years ago. Relief washed through Ari as the wounds closed and healed, the pain dulling to a sting, to a throb, to nothing. Before he could disappear, Ari clamped a hand over his and pinned him to the spot with her unrelenting gaze.
Pazuzu, I command you to undo the illness you placed upon Derek Johnson. Heal him. And afterward, never come near me or mine again.
Despite the rage burning in his eyes, Pazuzu nodded and she released him. The New Mexico air burst into fire as the wind demon disappeared into the peripatos, where she knew he would travel to the hospital to revive her father.
Relief crashed over her, deadening her limbs, and Ari had to drag herself across the desert dirt to Jai, who crawled his way toward her. His face was pale, his eyes slightly haunted as he reached for her to cup her cheek in his palm. Ari nuzzled into his touch, shocked by the depth of her fear of losing him. “You okay?” she croaked, her throat still raw from being shredded from the inside.
For a moment Jai said nothing and when he leaned into her, her breath caught, her heart crashing against her ribs. He was going to kiss her! He’s going to kiss me!
The excitement fizzled out into something deeper as Jai pressed his forehead to hers, his green eyes seeking something in hers. Frozen, afraid to move, to talk, to break the moment between them, Ari merely waited. For what, she didn’t know.
Jai eventually pulled away. “I’m fine. You?”
“I used the telepathy to command him.”
“Good thinking.” He coughed again, a spittle of dirt landing on his hand. He grimaced, groaning as he eased onto his feet and held out a hand to help her up. “We need to return.”
Ari frowned, swaying into him as his arms banded around her. “Do you have the energy?”
He nodded, the color still frighteningly absent from his cheeks. “We have to make sure Derek is okay.”
She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to reach up and tug his lips down to hers so she could kiss him with everything she felt for him.
But she wouldn’t.
Not yet.
Chapter 25
One plus one equals two walking away
It was a miracle they made it back to Sandford Ridge in one piece. The flight had been slow because Jai was still suffering from the effects of having desert try to kill him from the inside out. When they touched down on solid ground, they both wobbled, clinging to each other for balance. Smiling abashedly, Jai made sure she was steady on her feet before putting some distance between them. Ari would have taken the time to frown, but as she glanced over at the hospital, the need to see if her dad was awake was far more compelling than whatever was going on with her and Jai. Ari nodded tightly at Jai and moved to head into the hospital. His hand on her arm stopped her and she turned back impatiently. He tugged her back into the shadows of a skinny Buckeye planted next to a large sign with the hospital name on it. Following him behind the sign, Ari sighed. What?
“Your clothes.” He gestured to her torn and dirty appearance. “Conjure something clean so people don’t ask questions.”
Focusing took a lot of energy she didn’t have, but as Jai's magic rippled around him, transforming his ragged appearance, Ari conjured a fresh T-shirt and jeans, too. With a quick glance to make sure no one had seen them, she strode out from behind the tree and dashed across the ER line to the hospital entrance. She barely looked at anyone as she hurried along the corridors and into the elevator that would take her to ICU. Jai kept pace with her, quietly supportive, as her adrenaline shot her body into the stratosphere. Her heart beat out of time with her steps, her limbs not quite able to keep up with the speed of her pulse, and as she neared the nurses’ station it almost exploded when her father’s nurse, Lucy, came out of his room, her eyes widening as they caught sight of Ari.
Her pretty face blossomed into a bright smile, and Ari choked on a sob. Jai’s hand pressed against her lower back as the nurse came toward them, and the delicious warmth of his touch relaxed her.
“Ari, he’s awake,” Lucy announced happily. “He woke up an hour ago and the doctors are doing tests just now. You’ll be able to see him soon, I promise.”
“Is he going to be alright?” she asked dumbly, knowing for a fact that he would be. But wasn’t that something a normal relative would ask?
Lucy bounced her head cheerfully. “It’s looking good. His vitals are great and there is no sign of brain atrophy. The doctors just want to make sure they haven’t missed anything and to ask your father some questions. He’s kind of a medical mystery.”
Ari gave her a weak smile as Lucy gestured for her and Jai to take a seat in the small ICU waiting area. “I need to call Charlie. Do you have a cell?”
“Ari,” he whispered, leaning into her, “You can conjure one.”
Grimacing at her absentmindedness, Ari nodded. “Right.” Making sure no one watched, Ari tucked a hand behind her chair and let her magic create a phone with Charlie’s number in it. Feeling the solid object take shape in her hand, Ari took a moment to ponder the weirdness of her life.
Yeah, Ari, making a cell phone appear out of thin air is so much weirder than being eviscerated by a wind demon older than Jesus Christ.
She shuddered, not wanting to think about the fact that she now knew what parts of her insides looked like. A bubble of bile rose in the back of her throat and she gulped for air, jerking the cell up to her ear.
You okay? Jai’s concerned voice filled her mind.
Not really. Trying to concentrate on the good stuff. She smiled sadly. I’d rather think about my dad being awake than what went on in that desert.
He squeezed her shoulder in silent understanding before dropping his hand back into his lap, flexing it like she’d burned him. Frowning, Ari pressed speed dial one on the cell, not surprised when Charlie picked up on the first ring.
“It’s me.”
“Oh thank God,” he sighed. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“I can’t really talk right now. I’m in the waiting room at ICU. The doctors say dad’s awake.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
She hung up, letting her head loll back against the wall. “Charlie’s on his way.”
Like the never-ending stretch of Azazil’s receiving room, it felt like forever since her dad had stood in their living room. He looked great, color in his cheeks, meat on his bones. He looked as if nothing had ever happened to him. Her dad could even walk. No dizziness, no muscle weakness. The doctors couldn’t work it out and since their tests were inconclusive and her dad was feeling absolutely fine, there was nothing they could do when he ignored their advice and told them he was discharging himself. Ari had stood by, giddily, watching him as he signed a form saying he was leaving against medical advice.
She had her dad back.
Although, hours before, it felt as if that would never happen.
Charlie had raced to the hospital, crushing her up into a giant bear hug right there in front of everyone. Ari had blushed at the way he stroked her hair off her face, his eyes narrowed and dark as they drank her in. He wore that look again. The intense, hot one. Before he could do anything to complicate her already complicated feelings, Ari had pulled him aside to tell him what happened. For a minute she expected Jai to follow her, before remembering he was no longer contracted to be glued to her hip.
After that, it was just an agonizing wait to see her father.
When the doctors allowed her into the room, she’d rushed in alone and thrown her arms around her dad. Ari had tensed at the tentative pat he gave her on the back, expecting him to squeeze her close. Surprised and a little hurt, she’d had to remind herself that he had just come out of something extremely weird and scary. She’d pulled back and watched as he went about organizing things, as he always did.
Now it was midnight and they were home. Jai had transformed back into the Great Dane instead of going into the cloak, since her dad was used to seeing him as a dog, anyway. Ari stood facing her dad unsurely, Charlie on one side and Jai in dog form on the other.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked.
“Yeah, sir, anything you need?” Charlie added.
Her dad snorted, a noise of disbelief that
set alarm bells ringing in Ari’s head. He was acting weird. Even for someone just out of a coma. He hadn’t said a word in the car and every time she’d reached for him, he’d flinched away from her touch. She would have to leave him now. For the last few days, Ari had been unable to think of little less. But until he was safe, leaving her dad had seemed unreal, some distant, unthinkable act that might never happen. Now, watching him refuse to meet her eyes, avoiding her touch, it was like she was already gone. And the thought made her want to shrivel up and die.
“Dad?”
Finally, he lifted his head, his eyes boring into her, his expression completely unreadable. “I know, Ari.”
Her stomach flipped. She felt Charlie move closer to her. “What?”
He threw up his hands, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe whatever was going on.
What is going on?
Ari, I think he knows, knows.
She glanced down at Jai in horror. What?
“In the coma,” Derek’s voice brought her head back up, “I heard everything. What you were all talking about. I heard it all.” He took a few steps back, lowering himself to the arm of the couch. He narrowed his eyes on her, his mouth hanging open as if he were finding it difficult to grasp the right words. “When I woke up I just… I just sat there… thinking it couldn’t be true. But that thing…”
Heart palpitating, Ari whispered, “What thing?”
“The thing.” He flicked a hand at his face in disgust. “Face like some kind of hybrid lion.”
“Oh my God.”
“Yeah, oh my God.” He nodded at her. And then he shook his head, his eyes growing glassy with tears, his face red as the tendons in his jaw flexed. “I knew there was something off about Sala. I knew it. But it was like I couldn’t control myself around her.”
“Dad…”
“I’m not that though, am I, Ari?” A tear escaped down his cheek. He wiped it away angrily. “My little girl…”