Borrowed Ember

Page 31

In a blur of movement, his speed so fast he was just a streak of black and blue across the room, Glass was behind the human man fighting Caroline. He placed a hand on his head and the man froze, shuddering, his eyes roling back in his head before one last gasp escaped his now frothing mouth. His dead knees gave way and he colapsed to the floor, Caroline jerking back out of his way, alowing her husband to draw her into his side. Michael looked at Glass with amazing calm, his gun stil held tightly in his left hand.
“What on earth is going on, Your Majesty?” he asked quietly, indicating the bodies around them.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” a voice very similar to Red’s said very close to Charlie’s ear.
In unison, both Charlie and Trey backed into the room, their eyes staring up into a familiar face.
A Jinn King.
They al looked so much alike.
This one had a hawk-like nose, and peering stern eyes that swept the room, lingering on Glass and The Shadow King who stil floated from his perch in the corner.
In golden silk robes with matching golden trousers, his upper body bare under the robe except for the large ruby that hung around his neck, this king was a strange mix of danger and light. His long hair spiled around his shoulders, so golden blonde it could be mistaken for strands of the precious metal. He was also the talest Jinn King Charlie had met. Taler even than Red or Glass.
Speaking of Red.
The air in the room seemed to grow shalow as Charlie stumbled back involuntarily. The Red King stepped into the room beside his brother, a few inches shorter than the golden king.
Four Jinn Kings in one room. Charlie’s eyes nearly roled back in his head. It was almost how it had felt to stand before Azazil.
Both Red and his unknown relative were gazing up at Shadow in the corner. His eyes stil on Shadow, Red murmured to Michael, “Mr. Roe, this is my brother The Gilder King and founding father of The Guilds.”
Caroline gasped and quickly dipped her head as her husband bent deferentialy towards The Gilder King. “Your Majesty, it is an honor to have you in my home,”
Michael acknowledged, his voice ful of awe. It was the first time Charlie had seen Michael flustered.
“The honor is al mine, Michael of the Roe Guild. I just wish it was under better circumstances.” His dark eyes weren’t even on Michael. He was glaring with
rancorous intent at Shadow. “What is going on here?”
Smirking, seeming completely untroubled that he was outnumbered by three of his brothers, The Shadow King slowly lowered himself to the floor. Charlie nearly gulped. Fuck, he was huge too. He shot a look at Trey who hid an inappropriately amused smile. This was so effing surreal.
“Whatever I have done, you should realy blame Red for it.” Shadow shrugged, his smile ominous and sharp, like that of a shark’s. His expressions were richer than his brothers, more somehow—as if he did not know how to hide his feelings. He reminded Charlie of The Gleaming King in that respect. “He told me to stop sitting around for White to tel me what to do. So I went to White and told him what to do.”
“Ari, isn’t here.” Red curled his lip in disgust at him. “You’re realy quite crap at this aren’t you, Shadow?”
Charlie coughed, spluttering down a laugh at Red’s use of the word ‘crap’. The other kings were so formal compared to Ari’s uncle. Wait. Charlie froze, his gaze drifting from Glass, to Shadow, to Red and to the massive Gilder. They were al Ari’s freaking uncles.
“I know Ari isn’t here you arrogant swine.” Shadow roled his eyes. “I just sent some Jinn in to attack her. They have no idea who she is, just that I paid them a lot of money to do it. I did this to distract you. White probably has what he wants from her by now.”
As if he knew how he would react, Trey was by Charlie’s side in seconds, his hard grip curled around Charlie’s upper arm, holding him steady and stopping him from doing anything foolish. He was grateful for it, because for a moment al he’d felt was utter fear and fury for Ari. What had the son-of-a-bitch done with her? And Falon? His heart thudded even faster. Falon was with Ari. The two of them were together.
They have Jai, a calm voice whispered to him.
As much as Charlie hated it, that calm reminder eased him a little.
Voice surprisingly cool, Red took a step towards Shadow. “What is White up to?”
“I’l stop you there.” Gilder strode past Red until he was standing center in the room. Those bird of prey eyes of his spanned the room, taking each of his brothers in carefuly. “I came only to issue a warning. I may be neutral in this war at present, but that can easily change if any of you,” his menacing gaze pinned Shadow to the wal,
“Aim to drag one of my Guilds into it again. These Guilds were created for balance,” he spat, “To balance out the destruction our kind are so easily capable of. Bring that destruction upon what is mine and I wil choose the opposing side and we wil decimate everything that has ever held any meaning to you. Understood?”
The amusement seemed to leach from Shadow’s face, like a mischievous little boy receiving detention for his misdemeanors. “Understood,” he murmured and before Red or Glass could stop him, Shadow disappeared into the Peripatos.
Gilder sighed wearily and shot Red a look. “That goes for you too.”
“Of course, brother.” Red bowed his head. “I did not mean to bring harm upon The Guild.”
“The faster this girl is dealt with the better. She should not exist,” Gilder declared righteously. “I think, deep down, you both know that.”
An almost imperceptible growl burrowed out from the back of Red’s throat as he took a step towards Gilder. Glass mirrored his movements, stepping up behind
Gilder so he was surrounded. Charlie shivered at the unexpected darkness in Red’s eyes. His whole being seemed to quiver with foreboding. “Just as you protect The Guild, I protect the girl. Any harm comes to her at your hands and we wil decimate anything that has ever held meaning to you.”
Admirably cool, Gilder turned his head ever so slightly to acknowledge Glass’ threatening presence behind him. He nodded, his golden hair faling across his face, hiding his profile from Charlie. “You have my word that I am remaining out of the war. I wil not bring harm to her.”
Satisfied, Red and Glass stepped back like telepathic twins and immediately the purest, golden flames cascaded up around Gilder as he departed into the Peripatos.
Red shot Michael an almost frantic look. “Is Ari at the school in Connecticut?”
Michael nodded, his eyes troubled. “So is my daughter.”
“I’l find them,” Red promised and then turned to Glass. “Stay here. Protect them.”
After receiving a militant nod from Glass, Red left them.
Cal it adrenaline, guilt, fear, worry, impatience, excitement, Charlie’s heart just wouldn’t stop racing, his whole body was trembling. He couldn’t understand how Trey could just stand there so calmly, even offer Glass an amused smile as he cracked a joke about cleaning up the mess Shadow had made. He seemed more affable towards Glass than he had only fifteen minutes before, perhaps because Glass had stepped in front of him, protecting him. Charlie at least understood that. When someone saved your skin, you couldn’t help but lose the hate for them.
The invisible and slick remnants of the slaughter Charlie had committed stil clung to his skin, to his clothes, to the sitting room wals and floors—to his soul. And as Charlie rubbed the emerald hidden in his pocket a part of him was disgusted by his own euphoria, but the bigger part of him knew that now… now he was strong enough to kil the Labartu.
How messed up was he, that he could be so focused on his revenge, when his best friend and the girl he was sleeping with were missing in action?
19 - You Crept into My Attic and Stole My Favorite Thing
The cabin was smal, but it had a fuly stocked kitchen and plumbing—although being as they were Jinn, starving or dehydration wasn’t realy an issue when you
could conjure whatever the hel you wanted.
“It’s not realy for Jinn,” Jai answered Ari’s unspoken question as she looked into the kitchen cabinets. “This safe-house—it’s in case we need to bring a human client here,” he finished on a hiss, puling the wet cloth away from his head.
Worried, Ari took the cloth from him and eased him around so she could see the wound. It was a gash across the base of his skul and was already healing. “You okay?”
“Yeah, it just nips as it sews itself back together.”
“Yay Jinn super-healing,” she murmured, her stomach stil churning.
What had happened felt so surreal. “Jai? Why were they working together?” she asked as he turned around slowly to face her. “The Jinn, surely they know working together is stupid if they al want me for themselves?”
Jai nodded and dumped the bloodied cloth into the sink. With a heavy sigh and tired eyes, he leaned back against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest.
“There was a mix of power out there. A couple were Marids— and pretty strong. I imagine they were the ones who convinced the lesser Jinn to attack. Probably paying them. The stronger ones would probably have duked it out over who got you once they actualy had you.”
Shuddering at the thought, Ari made a gesture of agreement. It made sense—a horrible, sickening kind of sense. It had been one thing to discuss the probability of Jinn coming after her, but the reality of them attacking was so completely different. It was shocking. And terrifying. Kind of apocalyptic in its epic horror.
Stil shaking but trying not to, Ari shrugged. “So what now? Are you caling Falon?”
Surprise shot through her when he shook his head, his expression grave. “We can’t trust anyone, Ari. They found you somehow, and the last time that happened it was one of the Roes who had betrayed us.”
“So… what? What are we going to do?”
“If it’s true, if the Jinn are after you, you’re safer just with me. Running with me.”