“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.”
“Father, you are joking, aren’t you?” Red was aghast at the thought. He could never tell when his mercurial father was being serious.
He laughed at his son’s expression.
“Of course I am. I’m bored, not a fool. I’ll find something else to entertain me.”
A moment of silence passed before Red finally said, “Speaking of,” he looked up at Asmodeus, “any reason you’ve been dreamwalking Ari Johnson?”
Red did not like the way the
lieutenant’s eyes glittered at the mention of Ari’s name. He did not like that at all. “I’m merely getting to know her.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to.” His mouth twitched, his expression antagonistic. “I find her quite lovely. Beautiful face, stunning body. I’m thinking she’d be a nice addition to my harem.”
For not the first time, Red felt a fatherly protectiveness rush over him—his blood heated at the thought of Asmodeus anywhere near Sala’s daughter. “She’s not for you, Asmodeus. She belongs to someone else. Leave her alone.”
“Hush now, son.” Azazil chuckled.
“Leave Asmodeus to his fun. The girl means nothing to us now. Let him do as he wishes.”
Jaw clenched, Red faced his father and tensed at the look in his eyes. Although Azazil’s tone was playful, his eyes were not. His was a command to leave Asmodeus alone to his games with Ari. Inwardly cursing the two of them, Red could do nothing but nod his acquiescence.
***
As Ari snuggled in Jai’s arms, she feared she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. It was the night before her battle with the Ghulah and Pazuzu, and although Jai had done much to take her mind off it, when he drifted to sleep with his arms wrapped around her, Ari was still awake.
For hours she lay there, staring into the dark, her stomach churning with nervous anticipation. And then, as though her lids could take any more weight, they drifted closed and Ari ventured into unconsciousness …
“Finally. Took you long enough.”
Ari burled around at the familiar deep voice, her whole body tensing.
Asmodeus.
She was back at his cove, dressed in the white dress he seemed to like so much. “Again?”
Instead of smirking at her snarkiness as he would’ve done in the past, his eyes narrowed and he approached her slowly, in a way that made her take a step back. There was something more menacing than usual about him.
“The Red King paid me and Azazil a visit today.”