An awesome wave of power hit Ari in the back causing her to stumble, and she whirled around, her subconscious telling her it was Asmodeus. His energy was almost as crazy impactful as Azazil’s and the jinn kings, but not quite.
But it wasn’t Asmodeus who made her knees buckle and her heart jump into her throat.
Lilif.
The ancient being stood before her looking no more than a few years older than Ari. Long, dark curls fell down her back, shining in the early winter sun. She’d forgone modern dress and had styled herself in the sexy, Greek goddess look she apparently favored.
Now that Ari had time to study her energy, it was so clear it wasn’t Asmodeus’s. Lilif’s energy was off. It pulsed in frantic, defragmented waves of emotions that suggested the jinn was one cuckoo short of a nest. As if Ari didn’t know that already.
Lilif took a tentative step toward Ari, her hand held up in petition. “Before you say anything, let me speak.” Her voice was surprisingly soft, as was her gaze.
Ari stared at her silently, her head telling her to disappear into the peripatos before her curiosity got the better of her.
“I’ve been inside you, Ari. I’ve lived in this world through you. I’ve seen it the way you see it. I’ve tried to understand why you’d want to save it. I have. I promise. And in the end, I realized that we are not so different.”
“We’re not?” Ari asked incredulously, surprised she’d finally found her voice.
Lilif shook her head, her curls bouncing around her shoulders. “We’re not really a part of the world. The world to us, our world, happens to be the people we love. They are our world. For you, it is Jai. For me, it is my jinn, my equals.” Her eyes narrowed, darkened by her thoughts. “The jinn should never have become mixed up in human business. It was disastrous for us. It is disastrous for us. Look at you and that boy Charlie. What a mess he made of things for you. And yet still you saved him. Just like I saved thousands of humans in wars that killed my people.” Bitterness sharpened her features. “Humans have raped and plundered their earth, their arrogance proclaiming superiority over all other creatures. It is time to show them the truth: we are the superior beings and we are going to undo their mar upon this world.”
Ari had no words. What could you say in the face of irrational insanity?
“Don’t look at me that way, Ari. I know you understand my pain. I know you’ve seen my memories and how much I’ve lost. I also know you’re kind and compassionate and loyal. I am not so cruel that I do not admire those characteristics. Especially in a friend. I could use a friend like you, Ari. And I promise that if you come to me, if you stand by my side and help me take down Azazil and my sons, I will protect you and your Jai. I will lead you into The After.”
Trembling, Ari took a step back, preparing to leave. “It’s never going to happen. Never.”
“Ari—”
“Go—” Before Ari could say another word, her stomach dropped as she was lifted with invisible hands and thrown through the air. She crashed against the nearest tree, the wind knocked out of her upon impact. Her arms were spread-eagled and pinned in place. She struggled against Lilif’s hold as the jinn casually strolled toward her, her chin tilted so she could meet Ari’s gaze.
Frustration and fear of being under Lilif’s command tore through Ari in a scream, and she smashed through Lilif’s hold on her left arm before beginning work on her right.
“Impressive,” Lilif murmured. “Exactly why I need you. I’m guessin—” She tut-tutted as Ari worked her right fingers loose. “Stop that, Ari.”
“Bite me, you evil succubus,” Ari growled and sent a bolt of ember out of her left hand against her right wrist. She dropped to the ground, rolling as Jai had trained her to do. As she came back up, she sent a wave of defensive magic toward Lilif, only to have the viper blast it back and knock Ari off her feet before she could summon the peripatos.
The wind blew harder around them as Lilif’s dark eyes sparked with a terrible fire. “I command you, Ari Johnson. I command you to my army.” She came to a triumphant stop at Ari’s feet and stared down at her haughtily.
For a moment Ari just stared up at her, waiting for the compulsion to seize her. It didn’t.
What the …
Of course.
When Asmodeus tried to force a kiss from her using the power of the seal, it hadn’t worked.
He took hold of her left arm in a bruising grip, pulling her body into his. “How is it possible?” he breathed angrily. “How can you withstand the command of the seal?”