“My advice?”
“Yes?”
“You deal with your dad’s funeral and we get you out of here. This is only the beginning. You can’t sit idly by in this house and wait for my brother to come to you. We need to plan our next move. But you,” he brushed another strand of hair off her face, “Have barely had time to process this.”
The doorbell rang just then, jolting Ari into reality. She looked at the Red King. He nodded solemnly and sickening dread filled her as she walked downstairs to open the door.
Even though she knew, even though she’d expected it, it was horrifying to listen to the police officer tell her that her dad was dead. She was given instructions to come to the morgue to verify that it was his body. Once the officer left, she turned to find the Red King and swallowed back vomit. It burned her throat and she waved a weak hand over the side table, imagining one of the water bottles from her fridge. It appeared before her and she took a swig, thinking about what Jai had told her.
“You made Jai lie to me about the consequences of using my magic,” she whispered.
“I did it to save your dad.”
“You did save him.” She swallowed down tears and looked back over at him and shrugged. “I didn’t.”
“You couldn’t have stopped them, Ari.”
“No, I could have. That’s why they knocked me out.”
“Then we’ll work on some training. Jai can teach you to be more aware of your surroundings and to use your defensive magic.”
“Can he teach me to turn back time?”
“No,” he answered sadly.
Ari nodded, and leaned back against the wall. “Today my dad was honest with me for the first time in my life.”
The Red King returned her gaze, waiting. God, she wished she could trust him.
“I never really knew him.” She shrugged, feeling brittle and irritable. Her skin felt dry and her bones sore, and every movement made her muscles scream. “How can I be in this much pain when I didn’t even know him?”
“You knew what he allowed you to know, Ari. And you loved him. I don’t know what happened out there between you before you were attacked, but whatever it was, it doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to grieve.”
Nodding, Ari moved toward the sitting room and stopped when she saw Jai and Charlie waiting in the doorway. Charlie looked ready to launch himself across the hall at her, but she didn’t want to be touched right now.
“Jai, please accompany Ari to the county morgue,” the Red King commanded.
“I’ll go with her,” Charlie offered.
No.
Okay. The Red King’s voice echoed back in her head and she realized with a gentle start that was the first time they’d spoken to one another telepathically. Ari had done it without thinking.
“No. I need Jai guarding her. You’re back on full-time duty as of now, Mr. Bitar.”
“Of course.” The sound of Jai’s gravelly voice felt soothing against Ari’s agitated ears.
Not able to meet Charlie’s eyes, Ari’s gaze drifted to her car keys in the bowl on the side table. Jai must have brought her car back.
Dad is dead.
It knocked the breath right out of her and when she turned to wait on Jai, a tear slipped out before she could stop it. Jai’s expression was pained as he took the last step off the staircase toward her. He stopped inches from her, much closer than he normally stood, so close she could smell his cologne. When his hand came up to her cheek and she felt the gentle press of his thumb sweeping her tears away, Ari unconsciously leaned into his touch, no longer brittle, no longer needing space. She wanted to dive into Jai’s arms and feel his heartbeat against her ear. She wanted to feel vital life wrapped around her in a moment when death seemed so all-encompassing.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his fingers trailing down her cheek before his arm fell back to his side.
She nodded and looked over his shoulder to see Charlie watching them, his eyes bright with pain. That hurt. Ari offered him a wobbly smile. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Ari…” Charlie sighed and she knew he wanted to come to her.
“I know,” she murmured. She should have let him. She should have let him enfold her in his arms and offer her the comfort she sought. But he wasn’t the one she wanted comfort from. He wouldn’t ever be when Jai was standing so close.
Sick to her stomach, Ari turned and grabbed her keys, bracing herself for the horror ahead.
Chapter
Six
A WEALTH OF LONELINESS
Ari stood in her dad’s bedroom, trembling. Everything was taken care of. Jai and Charlie had been a great help. The funeral was tomorrow. She had picked out a suit for her dad and Charlie had taken it to the funeral home. Jai and Charlie had made all the arrangements and she’d signed where she needed to, signed the checks. Charlie had even picked out the casket because she was too distraught to do much of anything. The guys had sat with her while a lawyer went over her dad’s will. Everything was now hers and she was eighteen, so she was on her own. Her dad had bought an apartment in Philadelphia that she hadn’t known about, and it was in her name. For college, she presumed. She’d have to put the house on the market and she’d have to sell that apartment, too. She couldn’t stay here even if she wasn’t being hunted by a powerful jinn king. Too many memories. Too much hurt.