His eyes narrowed on her. “This wouldn’t be a trap, would it?”

Instead of answering his question directly, she replied with utmost sincerity. “I don’t want you to die, Charlie.” Her eyes glittered at the thought and he gave her a sharp nod.

“I believe that.” He shook his head as if he didn’t understand her. “Fine. I’ll get them there and then I’m gone.

You’ll keep those ass**les off my back?”

“Yes, I will.”

“You’ll have backup tomorrow, right?”

Ari smirked at him. “What? Do you still care after all?”

“No. If you die, I have no one watching my back as promised. So, do us both a favor and bring some backup.” He scowled at her and let the flames of the Peripatos engulf him.

For what could have been a minute or an hour, Ari stared at the space where Charlie had stood, feeling brittle and restless at the same time. She wanted this to be over. She wanted him to be okay. If she couldn’t get him through this and out onto the other side, Ari would never be able to forgive herself. His life had come to this because of her, because her mother placed her with Derek in Sandford Ridge, Ohio.

Ari had to change it. This couldn’t be Charlie’s ending.

Fire exploded in the room, shaking Ari out of her maudlin thoughts as a giant of a man stepped out of the flames.

Her heart surged into her throat.

“Red,” she breathed, shocked he was there but relieved too.

He gave her a small nod. “Ari.”

Ari took a step toward him and faltered at what she found in his eyes. They were colder somehow, and they still held grief. He mourned her mother, Sala.

At the thought of Sala, Ari felt overwhelming loss and regret. She never got the chance to get to know her mother—a Jinn who’d loved Ari so much. Sala had also loved Red, and he had adored her back.

“How … how are you?” she asked softly.

“I am well. And you?” He gazed around her room, taking everything in. Ari was sure it was so he didn’t have to look at her. She shivered, hating this strange, formal distance between them.

Her uncle had made so many mistakes, most regarding Charlie, but he’d also been her closest ally among the royal Jinn. Ari wasn’t even 100 percent sure he was her ally, but with little else to hold on to, she’d always needed to believe that he was friend, not foe.

“I’m all right.”

“I brought you this.” He stopped and held out a strange wooden box with Middle Eastern arabesques and motifs carved into it.

Ari tentatively took it. “What is it?”

“Trey confided in Glass of your plan with Pazuzu and Charlie. This is a Secretum. You need it, yes?”

Sighing, Ari nodded. She should’ve known Trey would turn to the Glass King. He trusted him far more than Ari did.

And yet, Glass and Red clearly trusted one another. So, if Ari trusted Red, surely she could trust her other uncle. “Thank you for bringing this.”

“You’re welcome.” He frowned.

“Please be careful with Pazuzu. The three of you must work together closely.”

“We will.”

He turned sharply, his long, bright red plait swinging across his lower back. “I need to be going … unless there’s anything else I can help you with?”

“Actually, yes.” Ari took a quick step toward him and he flinched, causing her to screech to a halt. Hurt pierced through her at his reaction, but she managed to stifle it from her expression and tone. “Asmodeus keeps visiting my dreams. I don’t know why. It’s unsettling to say the least.”

Red’s face darkened and he gave her a tight nod. “I’ll look into it.” And without a goodbye, he disappeared into the Peripatos, leaving Ari feeling more alone than ever.

7

Dancing with Giants

The visit with Ari was surprisingly painful.

Red sighed wearily. She looked so much like Sala. The hurt brought on by this very physical reminder of his lost love was compounded by guilt. He should be taking better care of Ari in Sala’s absence, and now that his father was no longer interested in Ari, he didn’t even have loyalty to Azazil to excuse the distance he’d created between himself and the girl.

With that in mind, Red found himself back in his father’s palace for the first time in weeks. He marched through the cold corridors, barely acknowledging the bowing heads of the Shaitans he passed. The visit to the palace was for Ari’s sake. Asmodeus was dreamwalking Ari. Not good. Any attention from the Sultan’s first lieutenant was never good.

Red had to discover the reason behind the visits and somehow dissuade Asmodeus from toying with her. That might not be a problem, unless Azazil interfered.

The Shaitan who led him to his father knocked on the grand double doors of Azazil’s guest parlor. The doors swung open abruptly and the Shaitan slid away from view. Red gazed into the large, elaborately decorated room to find his father, Azazil, seated quite casually on a black leather chaise.

Asmodeus stood near him by the empty fireplace.

“Son,” Azazil smirked at him. “What brings you to see me on this fine summer day?”

While autumn was coming to an end in the human realm, summer burst to life on Mount Qaf. Not that it made much difference to Red and his kin as they felt little of the changing temperatures.

“Too many weeks have passed, Father. I thought I’d pay you a visit to see how you fare.” He strode into the room and gave Asmodeus a curt nod before settling into the chaise opposite Azazil.

His father raised an eyebrow.

“Finally stopped mourning your little Ifrit? Sala, was it?”

Ignoring the Sultan’s condescension, Red glanced up at an impassive Asmodeus. “Any news of my brothers?”

Asmodeus sneered. “The White King’s determination to find the whereabouts of Lilif’s body proves inexhaustible.

Fruitless but inexhaustible. Your brothers Shadow and Gleaming have openly joined the cause.”

“Not surprising. They’ve made their allegiance known for centuries,” Red murmured, turning his gaze on Azazil. “I take it they’ve not come close to discovering her whereabouts?”

He grimaced at the thought. “Of course not. He’s aided by fools.” Azazil sighed. “I must admit to being rather bored lately. I’m thinking of planting a clue just to make things a little bit more exciting.”