He gave her a swift kiss before throwing his arm over her shoulders to lead her back to the house. “Always. And no backsies.”
Ari laughed softly, loving this playful side of him. “You’d have to be ripped from my cold, dead hands before I’d ever give you back, Jai Bitar.”
He squeezed her closer. “Back at you, Ms. Johnson… but I would have put it more eloquently. Without the creepy imagery.”
“Oh sure. ‘Cause you’re al about the words.”
“Anyone ever tel you, you’ve got a smart mouth?” he growled, tickling her waist.
Ari tried to hush a squeal as she puled away from him laughing. “Stop,” she huffed, trying to unsuccessfuly grab at his tickling fingers.
Grinning wickedly, Jai ceased tickling her and tugged her roughly against him, his arms tight around her waist. “You gonna watch that mouth of yours?”
“You watch it,” she replied saucily.
His expression almost solemn now, Jai leaned down to kiss her, his words whispering across her mouth before their lips touched, “Oh, I’ve been watching it since the day I first saw you.”
16 - Honor does not Know of Good or Evil
The White King had never loved Sala but he’d thought of her as his. An Ifrit with powers of seduction even greater than the Succubus Lilif Jinn, Sala could entrance a human man with just one look. To be able to seduce a Jinn, a Lilif had to have something extra special, extra charm and sensuality, to penetrate the defensive magic of one of her own.
Sala wasn’t even a Lilif and she could charm the harem pants off any Jinn.
Of course her eyes, eyes shared by their daughter, had drawn White to her when he’d encountered her on a trip to Marrakesh. A fairly old and extremely powerful Ifrit, Sala of course was reluctant to give up her freedom and join him in Mount Qaf as part of his harem. That only made him want her more. She was stubborn, inteligent, chalenging. However, she was inteligent enough to know that she was no match for a Jinn King. White stole her from herself, placed her as his favorite in his harem, al the while plotting to use her against Asmodeus.
But White’s arrogance was what had gotten him into trouble, and he could admit that to himself now. So pleased with himself upon acquiring such a find as the beautiful Sala, he’d not only flouted her before Asmodeus in the hope of sparking his interest, he’d paraded her before his brothers.
And Red could not resist.
White had learned of Red and Sala’s affair. He liked to believe he knew everything that went on around him. Unable to punish his brother for the transgression, he’d beaten Sala into submission, and when she was wel again, he’d thrown her at Asmodeus, and even the lofty Lieutenant had succumbed to her seduction.
Love was the one thing he had not accounted for. It had not even occurred to White that Red would have been foolish enough to fal in love with Sala, and to then enlist the help of Glass to save her from her imprisonment. White refused to believe Sala actualy had any feelings for Red. His brother was nothing compared to him.
Nothing.
He had to find Sala. He wanted to flail her to nothing too and then stick her back in the damn bottle where she belonged. Only this time she’d be dead.
She was proving elusive, but there was that word again. Love. He had not realized that Sala had such a deep attachment for their daughter. He could understand it to a certain extent. Ari was extraordinary for a human-raised child. He liked to believe she had much of him within her. Sala loved the child. Everything she’d done up until this point was to protect the child, which meant she was stil protecting her. White was sure where Ari went, Sala would folow.
A hiss and a slight breeze blowing against the fabric swathed around his window, fabric that had only moments ago been perfectly stil, alerted White to his visitor.
He turned slowly, his insides churning with an impatience that quickly transformed to irritation when his black gaze clashed with The Shadow King’s equaly dark one.
His long black hair was wound back in a braid and his robes had been replaced by a leather vest and trousers. It was his warrior’s garb. White tried to be intrigued but… Shadow was such a bore.
“What?” he asked blandly. “I am a little busy, brother, if you don’t mind.” He gestured to the door for him to leave.
Shadow made a face at him, that petulant look of barely concealed hurt that he’d never managed to rid himself of since childhood. “Actualy I do mind.” Shadow marched determinedly towards him, his eyes glittering with some kind of triumph. “Red came to see me. He said something to me, and although I would quite like to rip his larynx out through his nose, there is a smal chance that he may have had a point.”
Growing steadily more annoyed by Shadow’s presence, White quirked an eyebrow as if to say ‘And?’
“His point being that I sit around and wait for you to tel me what to do. Wel, no more, brother. I have a stake in the outcome of this war too.”
“You intend to make me your enemy?”
“No, of course not. Contrary to popular belief I am no fool. In fact, my little spies tel me you have discovered Sala escaped from her prison.”
A flare of anger cut across his chest. White realy didn’t want to be reminded of his failing. Pretending indifference, he shrugged. “Your point?”