As if expecting such, the White King nodded. “You may try, Master. But the girl is my daughter and I have no doubt that once she is left with no one, she will come running to her father, to her family.”
“You seem confident of this.”
The bitter smile that curled the White King’s mouth almost blasted Ari off her feet. She was so surprised by the slip of emotion. “Every child needs their father, Master.”
The growing heat of rage thickened between father and son, and Azazil abruptly stood from the throne. “You will never have the seal. I promise you that. You are dismissed.”
With his blank mask perfectly back in place, the White King offered a ‘deferential’ nod and turned, his purple silk robes snapping in the air like a wild animal, the reflection and explosion of amethyst rippling back at Ari from every direction.
She knew now why Azazil had invited her to witness this interaction with her father. He wanted to remind her that his son was cruel, merciless, unloving, and she should never be manipulated to his side by anything he said or did because he spoke and acted with one goal in mind: to use her to usurp his father.
The room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as the giant doors glided shut. Ari stepped out of the cloak and walked down the steps of the dais to face Azazil from a respectful distance. As soon as he saw her expression, he nodded with satisfaction. Holding her emotions inside, Ari gave him a careful look. She may know now to never trust her father, but that didn’t mean she trusted this alien creature before her either.
“Pazuzu, Your Highness?” she asked.
He raised an eyebrow at the question and smiled. “Your determination and bravery are entertaining, Seal. Pazuzu is not like other shaitans. He is an ancient Mesopotamian jinn we call a wind demon; he’s older than many of his kind. The wind demon is loyal to the White King despite his ex-servitude to me. Thousands of years ago the White King created an entire city, spent decades spinning destinies and watching it grow and flower into something beautiful and productive.” He pinned her to the spot with a dark look. “My son built it up specifically to let Pazuzu terrorize it once it reached its glory. That patience, dedication, and artful evil is seductive to our kind. It is his way of gaining very loyal followers.”
There were no words to describe Ari's despair over her parentage. It seemed unreal. It was sickening. Hollow. Painful. Heart wrenching. She wished she was anywhere but where she was just so she could run and hide from the truth.
“Pazuzu is a desert spirit. He never strays far from the sand. He cannot.” Azazil gave her a permissive nod. “You will find him in Roswell, New Mexico.”
Ari had no chance to reply, to thank him, to tell him how grateful she was for his help despite the fact he had terrified the living daylights out of her. Almost immediately upon his words, Ari felt the darkness crawl over her eyes. She drew in a deep breath, preparing herself for the wind tunnel.
Chapter 22
I'm yours
are you his?
Pomegranates. She couldn’t get the smell of pomegranates out of her head. The visit to Azazil's home on Mount Qaf had dragged Ari into the gloom. No matter what happened with her dad, Derek, her life was forever changed, forever tainted by the truth.
Trying to focus, Ari’s head swiveled back and forth between Jai, Charlie, and the Red King who oversaw their discussion. After returning to the house, exhausted yet determined, Ari had recounted her visit with Azazil, including the White King’s appearance. To her surprise, the Red King looked perturbed when she mentioned Azazil had invited his brother. It was as if he hadn’t known about it. Somehow, it made Ari feel better, that perhaps out of all the jinn kings there was one who really cared for her well-being.
“I agree with Jai, Charlie,” the Red King said, bringing her attention back to the present. “Pazuzu is not an amiable creature. In fact, he’s incredibly difficult to overpower. If I go on this little mission, he’ll sense my energy and disappear. If you go, you might get killed. Only Ari and Jai should go.”
Agreed.
“No way,” Charlie growled. “Ari, I won't allow you do this without me. Why can’t I help when you’re the one who needs a 24 hour guard?”
“Oh, yeah.” The Red King slapped Jai on the back. “Your contract has changed since Ari came into her gifts. You’re still her guardian, but you don’t have to hang around all the time. If she needs you, she can contact you using this.” He tapped a finger on his forehead.
At that news, Ari caught Jai’s gaze, hating the strange ache and panic that spread through her. Like always, Jai revealed nothing of his feelings. “Okay, no problem.”