The Law of Stars and Sultans

“Charlie, you need to eat something, drink something …” Ari held the cup to his mouth but he wouldn’t budge. “Charlie, don’t be stupid.”

Their eyes met and the ice in his expression froze her blood.

“This isn’t working,” Jai informed her in a hushed voice.

Ari shook her head. “It’s only been four days. Give him time.”

“We don’t have a lot of time left. Michael is worried about you. He’s starting to ask questions about your whereabouts.”

“Keep stalling him.”

“Talk to me, please.” Ari sat on the floor in front of her friend, gazing up at him imploringly. The anger had melted from his features now, but no other emotion had replaced it. “Say anything ...”

“…Charlie. Charlie? Say anything.”

“I’m trying to help. Don’t you get that?” Ari bit back tears and let her head fall against her chair. She was exhausted. So weary. “Charlie, come back. Please. I’m so tired. Aren’t you tired?”

Ari brushed Charlie’s growing hair away from his face as she held the water to his lips. When he was done, she fed him pieces of a sandwich, relief and hope building in her as he took the bites carefully so he didn’t nip her. Heavy, dark circles had grown under his eyes, and he was paler than usual. Ari didn’t want to think they were doing him more damage than good. It had been fourteen days and he still hadn’t said anything, despite the fact that he’d started eating and drinking four days in.

When he stopped eating, Ari stepped back. “You done?” She placed the plate nearby and faced him again. “Will you talk to me? Please.”

Instead he closed his eyes.

“I love you, Charlie. You’re my best friend.”

Nothing.

“Please. If you don’t start talking, Nice Ari is going to take a hike and Pissed-Off Ari is going to start kicking some ass.”

Nada.

“I know you’re in there …”

Three weeks had passed since the fight in Rancocas State Park, and the situation with Charlie was moving at a snail’s pace.

Fighting Charlie had been easier than Ari had anticipated. When it came down to it, he was as new as she was at using jinn magic, except he wasn’t a natural. It wasn’t in his blood. He wasn’t the child of a jinn king. Her enchantment broke through his easily enough and she’d incapacitated him long enough to steal the emerald from him. The hard part had come afterwards. She’d struggled to keep him bound to her. She was supposed to take him back through the peripatos and keep him safe and hidden in the basement of their house. But seeing Jai and Trey fight for their lives with the ghulah and Pazuzu … Ari had been frozen in place, unable to leave until she knew they were safe. Unfortunately, binding Charlie meant she couldn’t fight.

Ari would never forget the feeling of utter helplessness when she saw Pazuzu take Trey down. She had been about to break her binding with Charlie to save Trey but she was too late. She’d hesitated against losing Charlie and instead she’d almost lost Trey.

Part of her truly resented Charlie for that. She resented the loyalty she felt to him. At this point, didn’t Trey deserve her loyalty more?

Stop it, she chastised herself. She couldn’t think like that. She was breaking Guild Law to save Charlie from himself. They hadn’t gone through all this for her to give up on him now.

As for Trey, he was fine. Well, not fine. He almost died. However, Glass saved him. Neither Glass nor Trey would go into the details but Ari and Jai assumed Glass had taken Trey to Red’s healer, Kit. Kit had saved Ari multiple times and Jai once. The jinn was truly a miracle worker.

In the end, the real miracle was Glass’s feelings for Trey. He’d never intended to let them face Pazuzu without backup. He’d waited in the wings in case Trey needed his help.

Ari was astonished to realize that the Glass King actually loved Trey. The event solidified and intensified whatever they had together. They were so close, Ari could actually sense Glass in Trey’s aura, even when Glass wasn’t with him.

Ari would be forever grateful to Glass and Red for once again coming to their aid.

She winced, remembering the blood spilling from Trey’s throat and the tears in Jai’s eyes when they returned back to the house with Charlie in tow. “What if I lose him?” Jai whispered as they tied Charlie in the basement. “He’s my brother. I can’t lose him.”

“Maybe you’ll finally understand how I feel,” Charlie had replied dully from his position on the chair, enchanted ropes wrapped around his legs and torso.

Jai had winced and stumbled away.

Ari had knelt until her face was in Charlie’s, resentment toward him pushing to the fore. She told him quietly, “It does not excuse what you’ve done.”