“Maybe the same way you can,” she countered aggressively, hating him in that moment and longing to be far, far away from him. She longed to be near Jai’s comforting, protective presence. “You had the seal around your neck for centuries and I had it inside me for eighteen years. Go figure.”
She and Asmodeus were immune to it. Eyes bright with newfound hope, Ari rose to her feet to gaze up into Lilif’s smug face. Summoning the peripatos and feeling somewhat smug herself, Ari curled her lip in derision as the flames surrounded her. “Rot in hell.”
Lilif’s piercing scream caused her to flinch as her lightning-quick hand wrenched Ari out of the peripatos. Fear gripped her. She’d never encountered anyone who could move that quickly. Lilif curled her fingers around Ari’s throat and pulled her close. “Not so fast, granddaughter.”
“You cannot leave,” Azazil shook his head at Red. “If Lilif goes after Ari, she might be able to use her to break the protection spell around the palace.”
“Exactly,” Red growled. “Which is why I have to help her.”
Six of the jinn kings, Azazil, and Asmodeus were gathered in Azazil’s favorite parlor. Azazil was back to his full strength and back to making absolutely no sense.
Asmodeus crossed his arms over his chest. His mood had been black for days, and Red could only guess Lilif’s return was pricking some very painful memories for her twin. “Why do I get the feeling that you are enjoying this, Your Highness?”
Red shot his father a disbelieving look. “You cannot be. Even you must realize that Lilif’s return as the seal is the greatest threat we’ve faced. This is not a laughing matter, Father, or something to appease your boredom.”
The sultan drew him a low-lidded, unimpressed look. “Well, of course not.” And then he grinned, flashing his white teeth in amusement. “But one must admit, it is the most exciting event to happen in a long time.”
Hearing Glass’s groan of disbelief behind him, Red thanked Mount Qaf once again that he at least had one sane member of the family to count on. “I’m going after Ari. I can’t leave her to Lilif.”
Azazil took a sharp step toward him. “If you go after that girl, you are directly disobeying me.”
Loyalty to his father warred with the promise he’d made to Sala to always protect Ari. If there was one thing the Red King prided himself on, it was his sense of honor. And that honor, that honor he had pledged to his father and his lover, were now at war. A quick decision had to be made and he knew whichever one it was, it would cut him in some way.
Although his stomach churned and his heart pounded as he did so, Red finally gave his father a bow of his head as he summoned the peripatos. “Then I’m directly disobeying you.”
Ari wheezed for air as Lilif straddled her, pinning her to the ground as she squeezed her hand around Ari’s throat. Determined not to go down without a fight, Ari threw her hand up and smacked the heel of her palm against Lilif’s nose. The crack was almost silenced by Lilif’s furious shriek. Her grip on Ari loosened and Ari blasted the witch with her defensive ember, knocking her off. She was clambering to her own feet when Lilif forced her back onto her ass, an ice-cold enchantment crawling up Ari’s legs and prickling painfully into her skin, trying to wedge itself into her blood.
Ari imagined the sun growing closer and brighter and hotter and the ice enchantment melted into oblivion. Her victory was cut short as Lilif pounced on her again like an enraged cat, her claws out as she slashed at Ari’s face.
And then suddenly, she was flying over Ari’s head as if a gust of wind had blown her off.
Ari sat up, fear lodged in her throat. Not a gust of wind.
It was Red.
What the hell was he doing here? NO!
She whipped around in time to see Lilif rise to her feet and adjust her dress. A shocked but pleased smile widened her mouth. “I never realized you were such a fool, Son.”
Red, get out of here!
Red shook his head, his bright hair swinging across his back. He looked every inch the badass as he strode casually toward his mother. “Ari is under my protection.”
“Oh, really.” Lilif’s eyes flashed dangerously, as though she did not like that one bit. Ari remembered that the sultana had never really been keen on her sons showing affection to anyone who wasn’t her. “Is her life worth yours?” The air around Lilif changed in a way Ari recognized, the colors of her growing more vivid. She was drawing on the seal.
Not knowing what possessed her to do so, other than the instinct to protect her uncle, Ari jumped from the grass and as Lilif uttered the words, “I command you—”, Ari launched herself at Red, her magic flaring around them like a shield. She felt the command meant for Red bounce right off.