Of Wish and Fury (Seven Kings of Jinn)

“Dude, a maid showed me down here.” Charlie gestured with a pastry to Jai as he selected food from the buffet. “No wonder you act the way you do when you grew up in a place like this.” His words hung in the air as he piled his own plate high before sitting down beside Ari. As Charlie dug into his food, he was completely oblivious to the venomous look Jai shot him.

There was a warning growl in the back of Jai’s throat as he demanded, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Charlie shrugged, waving a piece of bacon around. “I don’t know. You’re kind of detached.” He stared at him, his expression serious. “I thought it was something to be admired, believe it or not, but seeing this place… how cold it is… Nah, I don’t think you chose to be the way you are.”

Holding in her breath, Ari waited for Jai to react to Charlie’s insight. As she knew it would, her guardian’s countenance darkened. “Here’s a suggestion you might want to pay attention to: try to forget everything you learned from your high school psychology class and, if you can’t do that, at least refrain from regurgitating that crap at me. It spoils my appetite.”

Charlie grunted but didn’t retaliate. Instead, he dug into his breakfast and Ari ate slowly, tensely, waiting for the blowup to happen. It didn’t. Perhaps they were trying to be on their best behavior because of everything Ari had been through. She’d like to think they were both that considerate. They made it through breakfast and were just clearing up when the door to the small dining room opened and in walked a very good-looking and very tall guy grinning from ear-to-ear. His pale gray eyes lit up as he headed for Jai and engulfed him in a manly hug, thumping him on the back. “Good to see you,” he said in a deep, husky voice. He turned around and Ari noted the tiny diamond earring winking in his ear just like Jai’s.

Recognition lit through Ari and she smiled at him, a warm, genuine smile. The first she’d produced in days. “You must be Trey.”

He grinned back at her as he strolled toward her. “Ari?”

She nodded and then gave a muffled laugh as she found herself swallowed in a tight hug. Trey pulled back, and Ari flushed at his appraisal. He really was deplorably good-looking. Holding her at arm’s length, Trey whistled, running his eyes down the length of her before returning them to her face. “Sweetheart, you are gorgeous. Ain't nobody this gorgeous should be as powerful as you. You are an embarrassment of riches.”

Ari blushed again at his teasing and shoved him playfully. It was strange how comfortable she felt with this person and they’d only just met. Perhaps it was because she knew how good he’d been to Jai. She was grateful to him for that. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

“You too,” he replied sincerely and turned around, sliding his arm along her shoulders as he checked out Charlie. “And this must be Sorcerer Boy.”

Charlie held out a hand. “I prefer Charlie.”

Trey shook it heartily and threw Jai a look, his eyebrow raised in a way that Ari recognized. She suddenly remembered Jai confiding in her that Trey was bisexual. Apparently, he thought Charlie was hot. Stifling a laugh at Charlie’s obliviousness, Ari looked up at Trey. “Are you joining us for the training session?”

“Training session?” he looked over at Jai.

Jai nodded. “You heard we were here, obviously. Did you hear why?”

Trey shook his head.

His pleasant expression disappeared as Jai told him how they’d been attacked by humans and had a dark sorcerer on their tails. Trey’s face darkened as Jai finished and Ari suddenly realized that under Trey’s charm and flippancy was a guardian ginnaye just as protective as Jai. “You were lucky Charlie’s power woke up or Ari would have been alone. What the hell kind of drug did they come up with?”

Charlie cleared his throat. “Not to change the subject or anything, but any chance someone might show me how to tap into more of my power?”

“No,” they all replied in unison.

Charlie glowered at them. “You all suck.”

“What we will teach you is how to be more aware of your surroundings and how to channel and control your defensive power.” Jai strode toward the door. “Let’s go kiddies. Time to get your asses kicked.”

Chapter

Thirteen

I WOULD REACH THROUGH TIME…

The comedy played on the small cinema screen in the movie room. Charlie and Trey laughed raucously at the insane farce about a bunch of guys’ bachelor party gone wrong in Las Vegas. Normally Ari would roll around on the floor laughing too, but she’d already seen the movie and she just wasn’t in the mood. Training that day had gone well. She and Charlie had sparred with Jai and Trey and learned how to better control the magic they'd used to fight off their human attackers.