The Law of Stars and Sultans

She swallowed. “And if I don’t want to get to know you?”

He raised a hand and Ari flinched. His expression hardened at her reaction, but it didn’t stop him from brushing his knuckles across her cheek. Ari shivered. “Do you, like Red, think my intentions nefarious?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know what you want from me.”

“Yes, you do.” He bowed his head, bringing his mouth to Ari’s ear. The hand at her cheek unfurled against her skin and she trembled as it slid down and around to grip her tightly by the nape. “I want you.” His lips grazed her jawline and Ari tried to pull back, but he wouldn’t let her. Suddenly, he was there, his nose brushing hers, his eyes searing into hers. They narrowed again as he squeezed her nape. “But someone has already had you.” He gripped her close and bent her head away from his. Ari raised her arms, pushing at his chest in an effort to get him to release her.

“Stop,” she snapped, feeling like a kitten caught in its master’s grip.

“You slept with the ginnaye.” The disappointment was evident in his eyes, in his taut features. And just like that, he let her go. Ari stumbled and tried to steady her balance in the sand.

“That’s none of your business,” she huffed, her anger fueling her power and her intentions. For the first time she felt her energy tingle within Asmodeus’s dreamscape. The White fabric wrapped indecently around her body disappeared and Ari replaced it with jeans and a T-shirt.

She threw her head back in triumph, her ever-changing eyes defiant against the lieutenant.

Expecting anger, Ari was taken aback to find him staring at her with a soft smile. It was so unlike him, and for a moment he reminded her of the man she knew he’d once been.

“You’re growing powerful, Ari,” he murmured, his thumb brushing his lip in thought. “Perhaps all is not lost yet.”

Confused as all hell, Ari shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

He shrugged lazily. “I will not lie … I coveted the thought of seducing you first. I find now, however, that it does not matter. You were meant for more than the mortal realm, Ari. You were meant for more than a ginnaye. I’ve always found patience to work in my favor. Your boredom will send you to me in time.”

Shocked that Asmodeus had openly declared his real intentions for her, and even more frightened by the intimacy of those intentions, Ari shook her head, trembling the whole time. “I love Jai. I won’t ever leave him.”

The lieutenant smiled viciously. “We’ll see.”

Ari shot up in bed, chest heaving, head spinning with disorientation.

“Ari,” Jai murmured. She felt the mattress shift as he drew up beside her, his gentle fingers brushing her hair back from her face. He turned her chin and she looked into his sleepy eyes. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Remembering her promise to not keep secrets from him, Ari’s stomach flipped with guilt as she pressed her forehead against his. “Bad dreams about tomorrow. That’s all.”

He wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her down so her head rested on his chest. “It’ll be okay. I promise we can do this.”

She nodded, swallowing hard, praying that Asmodeus would grow tired of his infatuation. Of course he will. I’m just a girl. He’s a centuries-old jinn. And I’m not that interesting!

Feeling how tense she was, Jai sighed. “Try to sleep. You’ll need all your energy tomorrow.”

Ari wished she could sleep, she really did. But she was scared of her dreams now more than ever, scared of where they’d take her. And worse, who they’d take her from.

They were tense, silence wrapped around them like an old friend. Jai’s gaze drifted from his best friend who was staring into his coffee mug, jaw clenched tight, to Ari who gazed out into the gardens with worry crinkling the corner of her eyes. He didn’t want her to do this. He knew that when she followed Charlie and the fiends into Rancocas, she would have to go in seemingly alone, with Jai and Trey hiding in the Cloak. He’d still be there but … he wanted Charlie to know he was there. He wanted Pazuzu and that bitch ghulah to know that Ari had backup. Truthfully, he didn’t want Ari there. He’d rather handle it alone than put her in danger.

Since discovering what David had almost done to her, Jai had been feeling particularly overprotective toward Ari. The thought of anything happening to her on his watch knocked the wind right out of him.

The thought of never waking up again to find her in his arms … well, it killed him.

Needing to touch her, Jai placed his hand over hers. When she offered only a lukewarm smile, he squeezed her hand reassuringly. “It’s time.”