An ugly, inky hand suddenly wrenched itself out of Ari’s chest and choked her, its anger at the situation burning through her entire body, trying to buly her into taking a stand. Command them not to, it whispered to her as Jai slid Ari a surreptitious look, the tense line of his shoulders teling her he felt more than a little awkward.
Power crackled at Ari’s fingertips as those words started to make sense. She didn’t want Jai kissing other girls. She should command him not to. It was her right. He belonged to her. His lips belonged only to her. Her eyes flipped to Falon and she started to think it might be a better decision to command Falon to stop breathing.
She’ll hold her breath and die, and that way you’ll never have to worry about this. Shock and horror managed to bury its way out from under those thoughts and Ari held in a gasp of terror. She had to get out of this room. Now.
The Seal. It was its first appearance in weeks. She’d begun to hope that, that meant she had some control over it now. Obviously, she was wrong.
Ari started to tremble with fear as she mentaly pushed that inky, black hand and its wicked thoughts back down inside her chest, until it curled up into an aching fist.
It didn’t disappear entirely. But at least it had shut up. But Ari knew she couldn’t watch Jai kiss Falon. She knew it was just a stupid little kiss, but the idiot had to use tongue and Ari didn’t want to see that. If only because the Seal might wake up again.
“I’l just step outside.”
“Me too,” Michael said hurriedly and folowed her out of the room.
Thankfuly, Jai and Falon stepped out only seconds later but Ari couldn’t look at either one of them. Her boyfriend’s tongue had just been in someone else’s mouth.
And she’d almost kiled that someone because of it.
“I’m going to let Charlie know we’re leaving. You want to say goodbye to Trey?” Falon asked, her eyes wide and searching as she directed her question to Ari.
Ari nodded, stil not realy able to meet her eyes after the horrible thoughts the Seal had seeped into her mind. “Yeah, of course.”
As she moved to folow Falon, she felt Jai fal into step beside her, his fingers brushing deliberately against hers.
Do you know how much I hate doing that? His voice penetrated her terrified thoughts.
What? Kissing pretty girls? she answered absentmindedly. Should she tel Jai? No. No he’d just worry. She’d fought the Seal off. She’d just need to keep doing that.
Having to kiss girls whether I want to or not. I’ve always tried to shrug it off as part of the job. Up until now I’ve been able to do that. I don’t like
doing that to you.
It’s just part of your job, Jai. I get it. You did it to me too.
Then why can’t you look at me?
Ari sighed as they stepped out of the house, folowing quietly in Falon’s wake as she headed down the sidewalk towards Jack’s house. She had to lie. She couldn’t tel him the truth. Because, you’ll see my irrational jealousy burning in my eyes and think I’m psychotic.
His soft chuckle echoed around in her head and she smiled at the wonderful sound. Ari, I’d feel the same way. If it had been you and some other guy.
Taking a deep breath, Ari forced a smile into her eyes and finaly looked up at him reassuringly. I know. We’re cool.
I want to kiss you.
She grinned, feeling a little better. Soon.
14 - Sometimes Switching on the Light Only Brings the Nightmare to Life
It had come to this. Forced into another’s bidding in order to get what he wanted. Rabir, his most loyal servant, gazed at him blankly. There was no judgment, no acceptance. Just as it should be. But White was judging himself. It had been weeks. Weeks of drawing up new plans to coerce Ari onto Mount Qaf, to stand by his side and help him take what he needed. But every plan ended up with someone innocent getting hurt or him coming off as untrustworthy. Damn his daughter and her morals.
Honor, White understood. But morals?
So he was doing the one thing Ari had asked of him as a sign of faith.
With a sigh of regret that Sala’s punishment should be over so soon, White let his magic around the purple vase in his bedroom die a silent death. When she didn’t immediately appear, he fisted a hand over the opening of the bottle and puled. The smoke poured from the bottle and into a silhouette beside it. Slowly it evaporated, leaving a weakened Ifrit swaying before him.
Ice flooded White’s veins as her pale blue eyes begged him for mercy.