All three of them had nodded in mute shock.
Getting them to agree to go through the Peripatos hadn’t been easy. Mrs. Creagh, protecting her sons, had gone first, clawing Ari’s arms in terror.
Charlie got up slowly and wandered to the huge bay window at the front of the house. He stared out onto the quiet street. Neighboring houses of varying sizes looked pretty old, some even gothic. Quaint, but elegant. “I can’t believe we’re in Scotland.” He glanced back at Ari. “Want to run everything by me one more time?”
“I think maybe Ari should sleep.”
Trey shook his head.
“No,” Ari replied. “They need to know what’s happening. I’ve been where they are and it is not fun.” She hobbled to an armchair and Trey, realizing she wasn’t going to listen to his advice, sat down on the one opposite. Charlie crossed the room to sit with his family and listen as Ari reiterated the tale, this time giving them even more information than she had before.
When she was done, Charlie looked at his mother and brother. “I don’t remember any of this.”
Mikey shrugged. “I don’t remember, either. I just know when I look at Ari, I get this weird sense of déjà vu.” He jerked his head around to her, his eyes wide. “I was really dead?”
Mrs. Creagh grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.
Ari felt the tears prick her eyes but she held them back, nodding solemnly to Mikey.
“And I went crazy because of it?”
Charlie asked softly.
“You blamed yourself at first
because you were driving, but when you found out it was a Jinn, you wanted revenge.”
“So I became a sorcerer?” His cheeks paled. “Did I just say that? I sound like a f**king mental case.”
“Charlie,” Mrs. Creagh drew in her breath. “Show me some respect, please.”
“I think if ever there was a time when I could get away with cursing, it’s now, Mother. I just found out in another reality I destroyed lives to get vengeance for the death of my little brother.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I like you a lot more now.” Mikey grinned. Charlie rolled his eyes.
“None of that matters now, as long as past mistakes aren’t repeated,” Ari warned. “What matters at the moment is you’re a target and we’re trying to protect you. The Guild I told you about, the Roes, they’ll be here soon to take over your protection. Once they’re here, I can head to Mount Qaf and see about ending this so you can go back to your lives.”
“Go back to our lives?” Mrs. Creagh scoffed. “How do we go back to our lives knowing that all this exists?”
Ari shrugged. “You just do. Not a great answer, I know, but an honest one.”
“And now it’s time for Ari to sleep.” Trey waved a hand at the door indicating the staircase that would lead her to a bedroom.
Deciding he was definitely right, Ari nodded and limped her way to a bed. She instantly passed out.
***
After sleeping for a couple of hours, Ari woke to discover the scratches on her arms and the cut on her forehead healed. Feeling more energized, she wandered through the drafty old townhouse, listening for voices. It was getting dark outside so she wasn’t sure if the others had gone to bed. As she took the stairs, she heard Mrs. Creagh and Mikey talking in the sitting room. She gave them a wave as she passed and headed into the kitchen to look for provisions. There was nothing.
Hmm. She wondered if Trey had fed the Creaghs. With a sigh, she imagined some of the food she knew was in their house back in Burlington and with a crackle in the air, it appeared on the large oak kitchen table.
“Wow. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that.”
Charlie’s voice brought her head up. He stood in the doorway wearing a hoodie she recognized as Trey’s. He’d obviously conjured it from their house and given it to a cold Charlie. It was winter in Scotland, after all, and it was freaking freezing. Ari decided to check out the heating issue after she’d eaten. She waved at the food. “Hungry?”
He shook his head and took a step toward her. “Trey already fed us.”
“Good.” She smiled, feeling more than a little uncomfortable around this Charlie, and she slipped into a seat.
“Do you mind if I eat?”
“Not at all.” He took the seat opposite her, obviously not as uncomfortable as she was.
She bit into a granola bar and popped open a soda, feeling his dark, warm eyes on her. She glanced up at him from under her lashes and froze at the small smile on his lips. Ari swallowed some chewy fruit and nut. “What?”
“A few hours ago I watched you and your friend decimate two big guys, and then I was pulled through this really fast wind tunnel from my home in Ohio to Scotland. And now you’re sitting at a table, eating a granola bar like you’re a normal person.”
Ari snorted. “I am a normal person.”
“You’re the daughter of a Jinn king.
You’re a girl from a Disney movie.”
Ari laughed. “Okay, I was a normal person.”
Charlie smiled and continued to watch her eat. Ari had just picked up a bag of chips when he asked, “What was I like? Before? Or in the other … man, this is too weird.” He sat back, running a hand through his hair.
She sighed heavily and dropped the chips. “This is quite possibly the weirdest situation that anyone will ever be in, ever, so if you’re having difficulty computing it after only finding out about it, oh, six hours ago, that’s okay. No one is expecting you to just get it. In fact, I’m pretty impressed by how calm you’ve all been.”
“We were provided irrefutable evidence that this is real. We either accept it or ignore it. I’m not a fan of ignoring it.”
Ari cocked her head with a soft smile. “You sound like the old Charlie. You are, I guess.”
“Was I so different after Mikey …?”
Ari leaned toward him. “Charlie, whatever happens, don’t become a part of this world. It’s not meant for humans.
It destroyed you. Watching it destroy you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
He shook his head slowly, his eyes fixed on hers. “You look at me with such affection and familiarity. It should freak me out but … I think I like it. You must have really cared about me to do something so huge with such massive consequences, to save me and my family.”
“You were my oldest and best friend. I would have died for you. I still would.”