Queen of Shadow and Ash, page 26
“Sit down, please.” Michael gestured to the seats in front of his desk.
Feeling unexpected gremlins eat the butterflies in her belly, Ari swallowed hard, awaiting his decision on whether he would allow her permanently into the Guild.
“You keep looking at me, Ari, as if you expect me to suddenly throw you out of the house.” He frowned at her, seeming exhausted and a little annoyed.
Ari winced. She hadn’t realized she’d been so obvious.
“As a member of the Guild, we know that a short life is a possibility. My daughter was aware of this and I’m trying to accept it, knowing my daughter died in service to a friend.” Bitterness sprinkled over the word friend. “I’ve already spoken with Jai and offered you both a place in the Guild along with Trey.”
Taken aback, Ari glanced over at Jai and he offered her an apologetic smile for not telling her before now.
“Jai has purchased a property in the area for himself and Trey to live in. It’s in the neighborhood, so they can be close at hand. I am grateful to have them in the Guild.” He nodded respectfully at Jai and then when he looked at Ari, his gaze turned knowing and almost fatherly? “He also made me aware of the true nature of your relationship. I know you’re eighteen, but you have no parents and I would feel remiss in my duties as your guild leader if I didn’t urge you to consider staying here with me and Caroline instead of moving in with two older men. But Mr. Bitar wants you to have the choice.”
Wide-eyed, Ari turned to face Jai. Unexpected excitement swatted at the gremlins in her belly. Move in with you? She telepathed.
He smiled softly. If you want.
The gremlins swatted back at the excitement as the thought of living with Jai sank in. it was fast. They’d be living together like a real couple. She was only eighteen. They hadn’t even slept together yet, and Trey would be their roommate. Or would they all just be roommates—as in she’d have her own room? Or—oh crap. She felt a little dizzy.
Suddenly Jai took her hand, his eyebrows drawn together in worry. Ari peeked at him through the curtain of her hair and felt something punch her in the chest when she found more than worry lurking in the back of those gorgeous eyes of his. She saw fear.
Fear that she didn’t want him?
Ari tightened her hold on his hand.
They would live together. She’d get to see him every day. To know he was safe.
They’d get to make-out with no interruptions.
Hopefully.
Trey would be there too, and she cared about Trey. The two of them made her feel safe.
They were family.
The excitement swung at the gremlins with a baseball bat. “I’m going to stay with my family. I want to move in with Jai and Trey.”
Michael didn’t look at all happy. “People might talk.”
“Then let them talk.” Ari shrugged, completely unbothered by the thought. “There are worse things in life than gossip.”
Heaving a sigh, Michael finally nodded, his eyes growing heavy with grief again. “Yes. There is. Which brings me to my next piece of news.”
Jai’s hand tightened in hers almost to the point of painful and Ari felt the excitement inside her die—death by dread. “News?”
“My uncle’s son, Aidan, took your last assignment over. You may remember him from Phoenix.”
Ari nodded. She hadn’t really gotten to talk to him much.
“Aidan posed as a supply teacher and discovered that the art teacher, a Mr. Sam Shepherd, had a qarin.”
“A what?”
“A double,” Jai explained. “A person’s doppelganger. They usually try to turn their human double to the dark side, or sometimes, they just want to mess up their human double’s life. Not all are bad. But most are.”
“Yes,” Michael agreed. “And this one was. He posed as the art teacher and would grant wishes through a student’s painting. He’d get them to paint what they wanted most.”
That made sense, Ari thought. When she first felt the power of the jinn in the school halls, it must have been the qarin she’d encountered. Then when she met Sam, he was the human counterpart.
“Aidan discovered a locked closet filled with paintings. The four missing kids. They were trapped inside their paintings. Aidan said it was one of the most bizarre things he’s seen. There was a kid trapped in the painting of,” he shot Ari an apologetic look, “an ‘adult’ movie scene. For Christ’s sake.”
Jai did not just snort? Ari made a face at him before turning back to Michael. “So what happened?”
“The qarin knew he was busted and he fled with his human double. We’re tracking him, but we’d like to put you on notice. If he reappears somewhere new under our jurisdiction, we want you and Jai to stop him. He’s a number one priority and from now on—seeing as I have three full-bloods in my guild—any priority hunts are priority kills. You can’t be tried for killing them.”
Ari nodded a little dumbly. She knew it echoed the promise she had given Michael in the speech she’d used to convince him to let her become a hunter, but to hear it so bluntly put…
Michael was asking her, Jai, and Trey to be his personal assassins.
She shot a look at Jai, but he seemed calm. He seemed ready.
Be a grown up, Ari, she chastised herself. You wanted a purpose.
“Okay,” she agreed.
“Ari.” Michael cleared his throat, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “The Roe Guild has been given another priority assignment, orders from Mount Qaf.” His gaze darkened and his eyebrows dipped together. “We’re to aid the Law Makers in a hunt. This one is extremely dangerous, the subject elusive. That’s why we need you on it.”
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt her palms sweat. Feeling her tremble, Jai squeezed her hand. She let go of the breath she was holding, salt stinging her eyes as she tried to fight her emotions in order to take what he was about to say.
“He’s a half-blood. Sort of. So this is a track and kill order.”
“Why me? Why do you need me?” Ari needed him to say it.
“Because you know him better than anyone. You know his habits. His haunts.”
“Track and kill?” She choked out, disbelief wrapping its hands around her throat.
“If we don’t take him out, someone else will.” Michael shook his head, his eyes full of sympathy. “I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, Ari, but he is gone. That’s not him anymore.”
“Just say it,” she hissed furiously. “Just say his name.”
Michael nodded, his expression grim but determined. “It’s Charlie. Our next target is Charlie Creagh.”
Coming Soon
THE LAW OF STARS AND SULTANS
Seven Kings of Jinn #4
* * *
The Law of Stars and Sultans is the action-packed final installment in the epic romantic fantasy series Seven Kings of Jinn.
* * *
Ari Johnson wishes adjusting to living with her boyfriend was her only source of excitement and anxiety.
She wishes a lot of things.
But then wishing got her here in the first place.
* * *
Ari chose to be a guild hunter. She wanted to hunt dangerous jinn and destroy them before they could harm innocent people. But now that Ari is a member of the Guild, she finds herself in the impossible position of hunting her ex-best friend—human-turned-dangerous sorcerer, Charlie Creagh. As Ari struggles to come to terms with her duty, an ancient jinn and his companion want revenge on her for using the command of the seal against them; the White King refuses to give up on his quest to resurrect Lilif, and Asmodeus isn’t done toying with her.
* * *
When Ari can take no more, rushing to the Sultan Azazil’s side to demand of him the favor he owes, the events she sets in motion not only alter everyone’s lives, it kindles a darkness that shakes the realms to their very core.
* * *
Preorder Your Copy
About the Author
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
* * *
S. Young is the pen name for Samantha Young, a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She’s been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestseller On Dublin Street. On Dublin Street was Samantha’s first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in 31 countries.
* * *
Visit Samantha Young online at
www.authorsamanthayoung.com
BookBub
Instagram @AuthorSamanthaYoung
Facebook @AuthorSamanthaYoung
Facebook Reader Group
Goodreads
* * *
Want book updates, exclusive excerpts, bonus content and a chance to enter newsletter only giveaways? Join Samantha’s mailing list:
https://authorsamanthayoung.com/subscribe-to-sams-newsletter/
S. Young, Queen of Shadow and Ash
