“Speak with me in private.” Red turned on his heel, not waiting for a reply. He smiled knowingly as footsteps echoed behind him as he made his way through the cold white stone-washed halways and into an equaly cold sitting room. Mahogany wood was a stark contrast to al the white – white wals, white sofa, white
armchairs. White, white, white. Red roled his eyes. He got it, already. Shadow was only a name. His brother was so obvious. Like a third grader’s poetry reading.
“Wel, speak,” Shadow snapped, trying to regain the upper hand.
Red shot him a look of boredom that he knew would irk his brother to no end. “I’m here about the Seal.”
“I thought you were protecting it for father?”
“It is a she,” Red replied calmly, although he felt anything but. “When it was an it… who was there? When father first bestowed it upon Solomon? Who else was there?”
“Why ask me? You were there.”
Trying to stifle his frustration, Red blew out a breath. “No, brother, I was not there. That bodes wel for an answer… you cannot even remember my absence.”
Shadow scowled at his condescension. “Where were you then?”
“I was aiding the Assyrian Adad-Nirari II into his new empire. I think we were warring against Babylonia at the time. I missed the whole Seal of Solomon deal because of it,” Red hissed in frustration, wishing he hadn’t done such a damn fine job in leading that war. If he’d alowed the Jinn Ramshi—who was aiding the many other states in their plight against Assyria—to win, he may have been among his family to watch those historic and most important events unfold.
“Aah.” Shadow smirked. “Wel, I wasn’t privy to any more than White. As soon as father produced that damn Seal, White was after it. Maybe you should be
directing these questions at him.”
“I think we both know what a fruitless venture that would be.”
“I think, perhaps, you’re stuck then. I wou-”
Moving through the air like the wind itself, Red had Shadow clutched around the throat and pinned to the door behind him before Shadow had even finished the sentence. He grabbed at Red’s hand, managing to stop him from squeezing the oxygen out of him but not managing to get him off of him. Their power canceled one another out.
“Tel me who else was there,” Red demanded in a low, dangerous voice.
Shadow nodded slowly and Red relented, letting him go very carefuly, warily. Shadow shrugged his robes out, glaring at Red. “No need for violence, brother. There was one other who might know something.”
“If you say Asmodeus I might just kil you.”
Shadow smirked. “Not quite. No. He was a favorite of father’s at the time. I believe his name was Kadeen.”
Recognition dawned immediately and memories played out before him. Kadeen had been one of Azazil’s confidants for centuries. He was one of the oldest Marids in their world. But… Red scowled. “Kadeen went into reclusion centuries ago.”
“Oh so he did.” Shadow smiled, enjoying Red’s growing frustration. “Weary of the royal ways no doubt. You have your answer then, brother. Perhaps he’l be of help— if you find him.”
“I take it you do not know of his whereabouts.”
“No. Not realy. Are you going to tel me what this is al about?”
Red sneered at a brother he’d never realy had much respect for. For many reasons. “I wouldn’t want to drag you into this and out of your comfortable position of doing nothing.”
Glowering at him like a petulant child, Shadow sniffed. “White hasn’t asked for my help. I’ve heard nothing from him since I told him I knew about Ari. He told me to sit and wait. What else am I supposed to do?”
Readying himself to step back into the Peripatos Red shrugged uncaringly. “Why not for once, stop acting like a lapdog, and act like a king in your own right.”
13 - I Will Use Your Love as a Mold to Make a Dagger
She felt desperate. Time was running out and she needed to do this. Lilif curled her hand tighter around the lesser Jinn. He was only a young man.
Handsome, intelligent, charming. There was something special about him, something that drew people to him. Tamir. Beautiful Tamir. And her son, The
Glass King’s lover. He stood stiff against her, knowing she could eviscerate him in seconds if she so wished it. That it had come to this— having to snuff out the children she loved most. And Glass, he had always been her very favorite with his deep blue hair that matched the depth of his loyalty and strength. Lilif cried her tears inwardly as she pushed Tamir through the double doors, surprising her son who spun around, his long hair startling in the candlelight, to match his startled expression.