“I’m proud of him for saving her.”
“Good.” Jai exhaled. “How proud?”
Bemused, Ari shifted, tugging her comforter closer. “What do you mean?”
“Are you proud as in ‘girl who is in love with him proud’ or ‘proud of a purely platonic friend proud’?”
Ari bit back a laugh at the unexpected question. Jai was awful talkative and inquisitive today.
Oh.
Realization dawned.
Her heart sputtered. “Platonic friend proud. Why?” she held her breath, wondering if his answer would change everything. “Are you okay?”
His hand slid across the mattress and pulled at hers, and he pressed it between his palms. She stared at their joined hands, disbelieving for a moment, and then glanced up at him, gaze questioning. “Ari, I am more than okay.”
“Oh?” she felt weak suddenly.
As if he understood, Jai stood up, his tall, powerful figure towering over her. Ari considered tugging on his hand and bringing him down on the bed with her, but decided she’d rather have clean hair and have brushed her teeth before he got that close to her. You’re such a girl, she scolded herself.
“We’ll talk when you’re up and about,” Jai promised, shocking her when he leaned down to brush his lips across her cheek, her skin tingling with fire as he retreated. Overwhelming feeling took over her senses and Ari tugged on his hand, halting his departure. “Ari?” he whispered and she saw it.
Relief flooded her as his expression laid it all out on the table. He cared! He really, really cared. And he’d changed his mind. This is what this meant, right? He’d finally… chosen her. Please… she almost closed her eyes in benediction. Please let him love me enough.
“Tell me now,” she whispered, sliding her hand up his forearm, pulling him closer.
His gaze grew lidded and hot, his jaw clenched tight. “We should wait…”
“No.” She shook her head, her heart banging so loudly she could barely hear over it. “Now.”
Jai swallowed hard, reaching up to cup her face in his hand. “I lied before. It was never just as simple as attraction between us. I’m sorry it took me this long to admit it. I’m sorry it took me this long to… to choose you.”
Ari’s lips trembled, scared to feel the happiness she was feeling right now. “Are you choosing me, Jai?”
His wicked smile made her stomach flip-flop, and he nodded. “From now on, the only choice I’ll ever make is you.”
Her lips parted and Ari couldn’t stop her wide grin, her eyes bright as she asked, “Really?”
Jai gave a huff of laughter. “Never doubt it.” He leaned down, his mouth reaching for hers, and Ari waited breathlessly—
The sound of the door banging against the wall jolted them apart. Jai spun around and blocked Ari from whoever it was. At once, he relaxed and stepped aside so she could see that the intruders upon their epic moment were none other than the Red King and Fallon.
Fallon’s cheeks blazed as she stormed toward the bottom of Ari’s bed. “Charlie!” she gasped in outrage. “They’ve taken him!”
Confused fear shot through Ari and she lunged forward toward Fallon, seeking answers. “What? Taken? What do you mean, taken? Who are ‘they’?”
In a cocoon of calm, the Red King took a casual step forward, though his eyes filled with what Ari assumed was sympathy. “He’s been escorted to Mount Qaf where he’ll face trial for the murder of the Gleaming King’s son.”
“But a hybrid killing a hybrid never makes it to court,” Jai snapped.
“Not just any hybrid.” Red scowled. “A king’s hybrid.”
Impossible! They were to survive Dalí, who had hunted Ari (a king’s hybrid, she might add!) and one of her own was to be punished for stopping him? No effing way. Fury and determination sucked the tiredness right out of her and Ari threw her covers back with an impressive amount of energy. “We need to go there. Now,” she snarled when no one made a move.
The Red King sighed. “It would be dangerous to bring you to Mount Qaf. That’s exactly what the White King wants. If you went… the only place you might be safe is my quarters within the sultan’s palace.”
That would mean living under the same roof as Azazil. A deep, icy cold crept over her, and Ari fought to shake it off. She shrugged helplessly as she looked up into Jai’s worried gaze. “It’s Charlie.”
Stone-faced, Jai reached out and took her hand. “Then I guess we’re going to Mount Qaf.”
“Can we put a stop to it?” she asked, anchoring herself to Jai. “Can we get him back?”
The Red King quirked an arrogant eyebrow. “The Gleaming King will be prosecuting, so I say we have a shot.”
A huff drew their attention, and Fallon bristled from her position at the bottom of the bed. “My parents won’t let me go to Mount Qaf.” She turned to Ari. “He saved my life, Ari. You have to save him.”