Claustrophobia gripped her chest and Ari slammed forward reaching for air, her eyes opening into the dark of the unfamiliar bedroom suite. Heart pounding, Ari slumped with relief as pale light from the huge moon outside the balcony iluminated the iron-framed bed she was in, as wel as the Moroccan iron screen and matching furniture.
Mount Qaf.
The momentary relief evaporated as she remembered.
Dalí.
The Gleaming King.
Charlie. His trial.
Her fingers curled into the light silk comforter. Her uncle, The Red King, had put her in one of the rooms within his quarters of the palace. Despite his proximity, Ari stil feared being within the Sultan Azazil’s home in Mount Qaf. Corridors away from him. Only corridors away from Lilif’s dangerous and enigmatic twin, Asmodeus.
But only a room away from Jai. Her shoulders relaxed from their position by her ears and gradualy the rest of her began to unwind. She lay back down to stare at the ceiling and wondered if she should feel guilty that Jai’s presence could bring her such comfort when miles beneath the palace Charlie was locked up in a dungeon awaiting his trial tomorrow?
Awaiting the trial that would determine whether he lived or died.
Ari already knew the outcome.
There was no way in hel she was letting her best friend die. No way.
No matter what.
1 - I’m a Mountain Against the Wind
Faling back to sleep was impossible. Ari didn’t even know how she’d managed it in the first place.
She watched, huddled on her bed, as the moon drifted further away and the sky lightened. The winter sun began to play peek-a-boo over the mountains, the
emeralds waking up under its playful gaze.
Finally, Ari breathed inwardly, hopping out of bed. She hurried into the colorful bronze, blue and gold Moroccan tiled bathroom, rushing through a luxurious shower and blow-drying her hair with a hairdryer that looked surprisingly like the one she’d left back in Ohio. The Red King certainly wanted her to feel at home. Wel, she never would, but she couldn’t help but feel grateful to her uncle for trying.
With adrenaline pulsing through her body, Ari rummaged through her smal bag for a clean pair of jeans and a tank top. The little gremlins she’d come to know and hate played kick-bal in her stomach as she concentrated.
Red, she caled through the telepathy, somehow knowing he didn’t mind her being informal with him, You there?
Two seconds later flames hissed to life at the doorway and The Red King stepped out of the Peripatos. His long, bright red hair was puled back into a braid that brushed the bottom of his spine, and he wore black leather trousers that laced up the side. His torso was bare, his powerful build making Ari uncomfortable as the muscles of his biceps rippled under the gold circlets around them as he moved towards her. She noted the thick gold cuffs around his wrist and the ruby studs in his ears. He was dressed to impress. He was dressed for the trial.
Red’s sharp, pale blue eyes flicked across her face, checking for… what? Injury? Sorrow? Concern? “Are you alright?”
Ari shook her head. “I want to see Charlie.”
“I already told you, you can’t.”
An ugly, unexpected flare of anger burned in Ari’s chest and she gulped hard trying to hold it back down. She needed to stay calm. “I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
Her uncle had begun to circle her and Ari hated that she stil felt intimidated when he did that. “You question my word? I assured you that he wil not be treated poorly. Don’t you believe me?” There was an edge to the questions and just as Red obviously disliked being questioned so did Ari.
The dark knot in her chest unfurled and she whirled around to face him, eyes blazing. Didn’t he realize she could command him to his knees? How dare he try to intimidate her? How dare he deny her the right to see Charlie?
How dare he—
“Ari?” Red gripped her upper arms, shaking her out of the coiling mist of rage that had enveloped her. She shuddered, coming back to herself, her breathing uneven.
Holy macaroons.
She’d let herself get lost in the power of the Seal. She’d promised them al she wouldn’t do that and Ari had been so sure she could keep that promise. It’s just—