Darkness, Kindled (Fire Spirits 4)

The only thing that had saved them had been the power of the Seal inside of her. Now that was gone. Did they really stand a chance?

“Baby, it’s the only way.”

She nodded.

“Jai’s right.” Trey stood, rubbing his hands together, a simmering energy crackling around him. “We can totally pull this off.”

Jai stood too, his expression grim again. “For now, we wait until Charlie contacts Ari and we’ll take it from there. We go about our lives as normal. Don’t act weird, and don’t give anything away to the Guild.”

Because of their sudden secretiveness, the loud knock on the front door startled them. Ari pushed her senses out toward it. “Michael,” she whispered.

Jai squeezed her shoulder and left the kitchen. She and Trey exchanged slightly worried glances at the sound of murmured voices, their guilt over keeping this a secret from Michael conjuring worst-case scenarios for the reason behind his surprise visit.

When Jai entered the kitchen followed by their Guild leader, Ari stood and smiled naturally. “Morning, Michael.”

He smiled back at her but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “Ari. Trey.” His gaze drifted back to Jai and then to Trey again. “I … uh … I’d like to have a word with you alone, Ari, if that’s okay.”

Right then, Ari didn’t want to be alone with him. In fact, she couldn’t be. She was afraid anything she said might give her away. “Oh, you can say what you have to say in front of Jai and Trey. We’re family.”

Michael took a step toward her, his eyebrows drawn together in a deep frown. “Ari, please. I think we should speak alone.”

Her heart sped up, the rhythm of its beats growing steadily faster. “Okay, well, now I really want them to stay.”

“Ari—”

“Just tell me what’s wrong, Michael.”

Their Guild leader sighed wearily. “Fine.

Luca Bitar has been in contact.”

“My father?” Jai strode past him to stand between her and Michael. “What’s going on? What’s that got to do with Ari?”

Michael eyed Ari. “Are you sure you don’t want to speak alone?”

Her mind raced as she tried to think why Michael was so concerned about her privacy. “If it’s about Jai’s father, he should hear it too.”

“It’s not about Luca. He was calling to warn me that his son David has been spreading rumors that you are, or at least once were, the Seal, and Yasmin Lenz has been corroborating those claims. Most Jinn don’t believe him, but Luca wanted us to be aware in case it sends some inquisitive Jinn our way.”

The blood rushed in Ari’s ears as it suddenly dawned on her why Michael wanted to have this conversation in private. Because of David, and what he’d done. Clearly, Luca found out from his son and had told Michael why David had been subjected to Ari’s command.

Oh, hell. Ari’s eyes flew to Jai as he turned to her, confusion written all over his face. “How did David know what you were? Only Luca, Nicki, Yasmin, and Tarik knew. And Yasmin couldn’t tell anyone.”

Ari shook her head, not sure how Jai would react to the information. “Jai …”

“Ari?” He took a step toward her, his face dark, eyes glittering with warning. “How did he know?”

She raised her hands defensively.

“It was nothing, okay? It was nothing. I dealt with it.”

“Dealt with what?” he snapped.

“Tell him, Ari.” Michael sighed again.

Stomach churning, Ari met Jai’s gaze and informed him quietly, “When we stayed at your parents’ home. I used the command of the Seal against David.”

His eyes burned with questions Ari feared he already knew the answers to. “Why?”

She shook her head, hating that

their wonderful morning together was ruined. “Don’t do anything. Please.”

“Why, Ari?” His voice was rough

with impatience. Ari couldn’t remember seeing him so close to losing control.

She glanced back at Trey for help, but he looked just as ready to explode.

Closing her eyes briefly, she turned back. When she opened them, she saw pain in Jai’s eyes. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. But … He … he tried to assault me. Force himself on me.”

With a yell of pure fury that caused Ari to stumble back into the table, Jai disappeared into the roaring flames of the Peripatos.

“Shit,” Michael and Trey bit out in unison.

Ari didn’t respond. She was already summoning the Peripatos to chase after her boyfriend. Almost falling out of it in her hurry to get to the Bitar mansion, Ari stumbled against Trey who’d followed her. He steadied her, and the sounds of yelling from Luca’s office jolted them into action. They raced out of the hallway and Trey shoved open one of the large double doors. Ari pushed past him as he came to a stop, only to find Jai’s fists curled into the neckline of David’s shirt. He’d hauled him close, his furious green eyes almost black with aggression.

“Did you touch her?” His voice was low, the words edged with a growl.

David grabbed onto Jai’s hands.

“Get off me!”

“Did you touch her?”

His brother’s eyes flicked to Ari and his lip curled into a sneer. He smirked as his gaze traveled back to meet Jai’s, and Ari felt her stomach drop as he whispered, “She loved every minute of it.”

Jai moved so quickly, he was a blur. The floor tiles cracked beneath their feet as he lifted David and slammed his body into the ground. Jai didn’t waste a minute, his fist smashing down into his brother’s face in retribution for his crime.

Ari moved to intervene but was halted by Trey’s strong hands. He held her while she squirmed, her head spinning around upon hearing the familiar Irish voice as Luca held Nicki from the scene.

“Let me go!” she shouted in outrage to her husband, but Luca held fast.

“It is Jai’s right,” Luca told her authoritatively.

Even Tarik, the eldest of the Bitar brothers, stood at the side, arms crossed over his chest as he watched Jai beat David to a bloody pulp.

“No!” Ari cried out, forcing magic into her touch so that it created the slightest electrical shock. Trey jumped with a bark of annoyance and let her go. She hurried to Jai’s side. “Jai, stop!

He’s not worth it.” She grabbed hold of his arm and he snapped around with murderous intent, only to still at the sight of her. Ari glanced down at David with a gulp.

He was barely conscious, his face bloodied and bruised.

“Jai, stop,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes. She hated that she’d brought him to this.

Jai yanked his arm out of her hold and got slowly to his feet. The air around his body crackled with dangerous energy as he turned to stare at his so-called family. His chest heaved from exertion and fury. “If any of you hurt what’s mine again, I will come after you, and I will kill you.” He eyed Luca. “And you can tell the same to that little bitch spreading rumors about Ari. You tell her she stops, or I’ll make her stop.”

Luca nodded. “I’ll tell her, son.”

“I want him out of the Tribe.” Jai glowered at David and then back at his father. “I want him fired.”

“No!” Nicki cried out. “You’ve done enough damage.”

Jai took a threatening step toward her and she flinched back. “I’ve done enough damage?” he guffawed bitterly and shook his head. “Never mind the fact that this piece of crap touched my girl, he touched her when she was under this Tribe’s protection. So unless you want word spread that David Bitar likes to sexually assault clients, get rid of him.”

Tarik cocked his head, his eyes narrowed on his younger half-brother. “And is that about the honor of the Tribe, Jai, or about revenge?”

Jai didn’t miss a beat. “Both.”

“Fine,” Luca answered flatly.

Nicki turned on him, her feline eyes attempting to flay her husband alive. “Don’t you dare.”

Luca sliced he

r a cutting look. “I am the Tribe leader here, and Jai is right. I cannot afford to have David in the Tribe. His actions are far too volatile, impulsive …” He sneered down at his son who groaned as he tried to lift his head from the ground. “And distasteful. You knew this was a possibility because I’ve discussed it before.

Jai has merely forced my hand.”

“You would choose this son over your real one?”