Borrowed Ember Read Free Page A

widened, his lips parting with unspoken surprise. Suspended anticipation sprung between them and then immediately snapped at the sound of a loud knock at the door.
    He hadn’t responded to her declaration.
    Ari bit back a curse. Everyone was always interrupting them!
    The door banged open before Jai could answer the knock, and to Ari’s utter shock, The White King stroled casualy into the room, his emerald robes bilowing at the back of him. The snap of fabric barely missed the one-eyed face of his monstrous Nisnas, Vadit, who trotted awkwardly behind him with his one arm and one leg.
    Ari vividly remembered his attack with a wince…
    She cut off into a silent scream as the monster launched into the air towards her, its mouth open wide. Ari threw her hands up to cover her face, closing her eyes tight and waiting for her subconscious to rip her out of the nightmare. Instead she felt the impact of it hit, her body slamming to the floor with a painful thud that knocked the breath right out of her. Her head smacked against the mirrored floor in eye-watering pain. A sharp streak of light shot across her eyes and then she felt wet heat clamp down on her forearm.
    Agony ricocheted through her whole system as the monster’s teeth tore through her flesh.
    … Stunned at his flagrant disregard for his father’s wishes, Ari stood immobile as The White King eyed Jai blankly. “This is the Ginnaye?” he asked in his flat voice.
    Jai was studying him carefuly; unaware who they were dealing with since he’d never actualy met The White King. Ari wanted to grip his hand and tug him behind her. Instead she sighed as if she were dealing with a mere nuisance rather than a powerful and dangerous immortal. Yeah, she was going to take a leaf out of dear old dad’s book and play the game his way. “Jai, this is The White King.”
    His Ginnaye instincts had him moving with reflexes so fast Ari was only just quick enough to pul him back to her, as Vadit let out a string of rumbling warning growls.
    “Vadit, hush,” The White King commanded as he held up a beseeching hand to Jai. “I just want to converse,” he promised smoothly.
    Her attempt to push Jai behind her was met with angry disbelief and she resigned to letting him stand at her side. Jai reminded her of a pot boiling over, al frothy and impatient. Ari’s muscles tensed as fear coalesced in her chest. She didn’t want Jai anywhere near White.
    However, perhaps it was the memory of her dream in which she’d seen how White had once been… ‘approachable’ … but Ari found herself unafraid of him for
    her own sake. Or maybe she was just tired of running from him. Eyeing him suspiciously, Ari crossed her hands over her chest in defiance and took a step forward.
    “About what?”
    Something flickered in his gaze at her new attitude, and she could almost see him re-calculating whatever plan he’d come here with. “I want to help you save Charlie.”
    “And we’re just to believe that?” Jai growled.
    The Jinn King’s eyes slid so slowly over to Jai the room was given time to ice over with his menace. “Perhaps you should colar your dog, daughter. His refusal to show me deference might get him put down.”
    Instead of frightening him, Ari knew it only made Jai want to attack. She shot her guardian a warning look and he glared at her. I’m not a fool. I’m a trained
    Ginnaye. Do you think I’m going to attack an immortal Jinn King?
    To be honest she wasn’t sure. Jai was more impulsive where she was concerned. Just as she often reacted without thinking where he was concerned.
    “If you could make your point without being rude, it would be appreciated,” Ari replied to White.
    To her surprise, White nodded. “If you agree to return to my home here in Mount Qaf for an indefinite amount of time, I wil speak for Charlie at his trial. Together, Red and I can save him.”
    The words unlocked the darkness. It uncoiled in her chest like a python lashing out at its nearest