rancorous intent at Shadow. “What is going on here?”
Smirking, seeming completely untroubled that he was outnumbered by three of his brothers, The Shadow King slowly lowered himself to the floor. Charlie nearly gulped. Fuck, he was huge too. He shot a look at Trey who hid an inappropriately amused smile. This was so effing surreal.
“Whatever I have done, you should realy blame Red for it.” Shadow shrugged, his smile ominous and sharp, like that of a shark’s. His expressions were richer than his brothers, more somehow—as if he did not know how to hide his feelings. He reminded Charlie of The Gleaming King in that respect. “He told me to stop sitting around for White to tel me what to do. So I went to White and told him what to do.”
“Ari, isn’t here.” Red curled his lip in disgust at him. “You’re realy quite crap at this aren’t you, Shadow?”
Charlie coughed, spluttering down a laugh at Red’s use of the word ‘crap’. The other kings were so formal compared to Ari’s uncle. Wait. Charlie froze, his gaze drifting from Glass, to Shadow, to Red and to the massive Gilder. They were al Ari’s freaking uncles.
“I know Ari isn’t here you arrogant swine.” Shadow roled his eyes. “I just sent some Jinn in to attack her. They have no idea who she is, just that I paid them a lot of money to do it. I did this to distract you. White probably has what he wants from her by now.”
As if he knew how he would react, Trey was by Charlie’s side in seconds, his hard grip curled around Charlie’s upper arm, holding him steady and stopping him from doing anything foolish. He was grateful for it, because for a moment al he’d felt was utter fear and fury for Ari. What had the son-of-a-bitch done with her? And Falon? His heart thudded even faster. Falon was with Ari. The two of them were together.
They have Jai, a calm voice whispered to him.
As much as Charlie hated it, that calm reminder eased him a little.
Voice surprisingly cool, Red took a step towards Shadow. “What is White up to?”
“I’l stop you there.” Gilder strode past Red until he was standing center in the room. Those bird of prey eyes of his spanned the room, taking each of his brothers in carefuly. “I came only to issue a warning. I may be neutral in this war at present, but that can easily change if any of you,” his menacing gaze pinned Shadow to the wal,
“Aim to drag one of my Guilds into it again. These Guilds were created for balance,” he spat, “To balance out the destruction our kind are so easily capable of. Bring that destruction upon what is mine and I wil choose the opposing side and we wil decimate everything that has ever held any meaning to you. Understood?”
The amusement seemed to leach from Shadow’s face, like a mischievous little boy receiving detention for his misdemeanors. “Understood,” he murmured and before Red or Glass could stop him, Shadow disappeared into the Peripatos.
Gilder sighed wearily and shot Red a look. “That goes for you too.”
“Of course, brother.” Red bowed his head. “I did not mean to bring harm upon The Guild.”
“The faster this girl is dealt with the better. She should not exist,” Gilder declared righteously. “I think, deep down, you both know that.”
An almost imperceptible growl burrowed out from the back of Red’s throat as he took a step towards Gilder. Glass mirrored his movements, stepping up behind
Gilder so he was surrounded. Charlie shivered at the unexpected darkness in Red’s eyes. His whole being seemed to quiver with foreboding. “Just as you protect The Guild, I protect the girl. Any harm comes to her at your hands and we wil decimate anything that has ever held meaning to you.”
Admirably cool, Gilder turned his head ever so slightly to acknowledge Glass’ threatening presence behind him. He nodded, his golden hair faling across his face, hiding his profile from Charlie. “You have my word that I am remaining out of the war. I wil not bring harm to her.”
Satisfied, Red and Glass stepped back like telepathic twins and immediately the purest, golden flames cascaded up around Gilder as he departed into the Peripatos.
Red shot Michael an almost frantic look. “Is Ari at the school in Connecticut?”
Michael nodded, his eyes troubled. “So is my daughter.”
“I’l find them,” Red promised and then turned to Glass. “Stay here. Protect them.”
After receiving a militant nod from Glass, Red left them.
Cal it adrenaline, guilt, fear, worry, impatience, excitement, Charlie’s heart just wouldn’t stop racing, his whole body was trembling. He couldn’t understand how Trey could just stand there so calmly, even offer Glass an amused smile as he cracked a joke about cleaning up the mess Shadow had made. He seemed more affable towards Glass than he had only fifteen minutes before, perhaps because Glass had stepped in front of him, protecting him. Charlie at least understood that. When someone saved your skin, you couldn’t help but lose the hate for them.
The invisible and slick remnants of the slaughter Charlie had committed stil clung to his skin, to his clothes, to the sitting room wals and floors—to his soul. And as Charlie rubbed the emerald hidden in his pocket a part of him was disgusted by his own euphoria, but the bigger part of him knew that now… now he was strong enough to kil the Labartu.
How messed up was he, that he could be so focused on his revenge, when his best friend and the girl he was sleeping with were missing in action?
19 - You Crept into My Attic and Stole My Favorite Thing
The cabin was smal, but it had a fuly stocked kitchen and plumbing—although being as they were Jinn, starving or dehydration wasn’t realy an issue when you
could conjure whatever the hel you wanted.