He’s not even the worst. Wait until you meet David.
Looking forward to it. Not.
“What are you smiling at?” Tarik glowered at Jai. “You two telepathing? That’s a little rude.”
“Well you’d know all about that,” Ari retorted.
Tarik’s eyes grew even colder as he continued to stare at her as he spoke to Jai, “Got yourself a new bodyguard, boy? What? Trey finally seen the light?”
I hate to tell you this, Jai, but your half-brother is a loser.
At her words, Jai relaxed. She felt his grip loosen and he sidestepped Tarik, drawing her with him. “Why don’t you go torture some kittens, Tarik.”
“No sharp implements needed. Just talk,” Ari added, as they walked away from him. “The sound of your voice oughta do the trick all by itself.”
They strode out of the hallway and through an arched room into another room. Ari was barely aware of her surroundings she was too busy glowing from the sound of Jai’s laughter. Finally he stopped and she stumbled to halt beside him. He looked down at her, his eyes warm, shaking his head. “You see how my family can reduce you to acting like a five year old.”
Ari raised an eyebrow, pretending to look offended. “Moi? Immature. And here I thought my comeback witty and sophisticated.”
He snorted. “Oh very.” And then he eyed her carefully and Ari felt that familiar flush under her skin at his appraisal. “You don’t have to defend me you know. I can handle myself.”
At the unspoken reminder that he wasn’t hers to defend Ari shrugged, finally looking around her. “So what’s this place?” she asked, eyeing the paintings on the walls and the objects locked up in cabinets. The lighting was lower here, the floor, walls and even the ceiling was tiled with dark Moroccan mosaics. Heavy silk curtains draped around the unusual arches of the entrance and exit adding an exotic and alien feel to the place.
Thankfully dropping the subject, Jai took a turn around the room, slowly strolling past each item. Ari followed, her curious eyes drinking everything in. “This is my father’s collectibles. Paintings. Ornaments. Items of worth. I used to come in here when I was kid because it was the one place my brothers found too boring to ever go near.”
Fighting the urge to wrap her arms around him, Ari passed him to look more closely at a beautiful hourglass. The two pieces of blown glass were held together with an hourglass frame made of gold and precious stones. It was locked behind a glass cabinet. “What is that?” she breathed, feeling drawn to the piece.
“That,” Jai replied, his breath on her neck as he stood close behind her, “Is very special. My grandfather paid a fortune for that.”
“Why?”
“Well, first I need to tell you something about Azazil.”
Ari twisted around to look at him warily. “Azazil?”
Green eyes glittering, Jai nodded. “Azazil has always taken an interest in the arts. He’s watched over and directed the lives of Importants such as Euripides, Aristophanes and Chaucer. When Shakespeare was born, Azazil took a personal interest in his journey. Of course The War of the Flames was already in play so to spite his father, The White King got involved with Shakespeare’s destiny when he shouldn’t have. Lo and behold, the playwright contracted syphilis and died before his move to London where he would have fulfilled his destiny as one of the greatest playwrights that ever lived.”
“Is this for real?”
“For real.” Jai nodded and glanced back at the hourglass. “You know Azazil is powerful, Ari. You know we have no way of knowing how powerful exactly. But we do know Azazil is powerful enough to change the events of the past.”
Her eyes widened as his meaning set in. Azazil could mess with time? Could change events? Was Jai serious?
“I’m not kidding,” he replied. “There have been a few occasions where the Sultan has felt so strongly about a destiny that has been manipulated, that he’s delved back into the past and righted the course of that Important’s path.”
“Just gone back in time? Just like that?”
“No. Not just like that. Legend tells us that Azazil becomes completely drained by the task. So weakened he’s almost human. Think about it. He has to make sure that every other path connected to the one he’s changed doesn’t ripple into another Important’s and change the course of theirs. Now, no one knows if Azazil can see the path a destiny is supposed to take or if he just knows when a destiny comes off its proper path. I think many would prefer to believe the latter because it means Azazil is less powerful. But whatever his ability, Azazil knew that Shakespeare was meant for more. So he changed the history The White King had created. When Jinn that powerful use that much energy on an Important, it leaves a mark. Shakespeare is among only a handful of Importants that Azazil left a mark on. Can you imagine the face of literature without Shakespeare’s influence?”
“True but still… that’s… insane.”
Jai shrugged. “So is Azazil. Anyway, Azazil keeps these hourglasses as trophies, if you like, for each destiny he’s re-written. Each glass contains sand from the alternate world he re-righted. It’s believed the sand itself has magical properties. Shakespeare’s hourglass was stolen from Azazil’s palace and put on the black market.”
Understanding dawned and Ari’s eyes widened even more on the hourglass. “Are you saying this is it?”
Smirking, Jai nodded.
“But it must have cost a fortune and your dad just keeps it in a glass cabinet. What if someone tried to steal it?”