Scorched Skies Read Online Free PDF

up, feeling exhausted. Talking to Trey was like talking to a politician. You never really got anywhere.
    A chill shot through Jai ’ s body and he stiffened in surprise. Jinn didn ’ t feel much in the way of changing temperature but Jai did when a person he had under trace was in danger.
    Ari!
    Heart pounding against his chest, Jai drew himself up letting the flames of the Peripatos overwhelm him. Two seconds later he stepped out into Vickers ’ Woods, the smell of damp moss and wet grass hitting his nose just as his eyes fell in horror on the scene before him. Derek lay slumped at the feet of a Shaitan and beside him was Ari, unconscious at the feet of another Shaitan. The tall one over Derek ’ s lifeless body smiled at Jai, his teeth sharp silver points that glittered in the afternoon sun.
    “I bring a message from The White King.”
    Jai ’ s eyes narrowed, fury flowing into his veins. “Yeah?”
    The Shaitan winked at him. “Checkmate.”
    With one last smirk, and just as Jai was darting towards them, the two Jinn stepped back, huge flames engulfing them as they returned to Mount Qaf from where they ’ d been sent. Panic had consumed Jai. His movements felt slow, his heart rate too fast, and his vision blurred. He fell upon Ari and rolled her over, two fingers resting on her neck. At the feel of her pulse beating steadily beneath his skin, Jai cursed, relief unfurling through his entire body. His throat burned with unnamed emotion and he leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead and inhaling her familiar vanilla scent. He brushed a trembling hand down her cheek, her skin the softest, finest thing he ’ d ever felt. His eyes drank in each tiny detail, the long fan of her lashes across the crest of her cheeks, the small delicate nose, her full soft lips; longing punched him in the gut and he sighed, pushing himself back from her. This was getting ridiculous.
    With a little distance, sense returned and Jai rushed over to Derek. Derek looked abnormally pale. Worry spiked through his blood again and Jai nudged Ari ’ s dad over, his fingers reaching for his pulse. He frowned, not feeling anything. He shifted his fingers waiting to feel that little steady press in and out against the pads of his fingers.
    Nothing.
    Disbelief shot through him. There was no pulse. Remembering the Shaitan ’ s ominous message, Jai sat back on his heels and held out his hands, palm downwards, moving them through the air above Derek ’ s body, searching for a trace of Jinn magic. It wasn ’ t until he reached Derek ’ s head that his hands tingled and he sensed the trauma that had been caused at the Shaitan ’ s hands.
    “No way,” he breathed as he fell backwards.
    He had been sitting there mooning over Ari like an adolescent boy with a peephole into the girl ’ s locker room and Ari ’ s dad…
    The air crackled behind him and Jai whirled, lowering himself into a defensive position, protecting Ari and her dad ’ s body. At the sight of The Red King, Jai straightened. The look on Ari ’ s uncle ’ s face drove home the truth. Stepping towards Jai slowly, his huge body tense with emotion, The Red King shook his head, his red hair swinging below his waist. “He ’ s gone,” he told Jai sadly. “My brother sent the message to me knowing I would be too late to stop him.”
    “This is revenge?”
    “Yes.” His blue eyes glittered dangerously in the light. “Payback for defying him.”
    “Ari,” Jai choked, glancing down at her still curled up form unconscious on the grass.
    The Red King didn ’ t say a word. Instead he strode past Jai and knelt down, lifting Ari into his strong arms with ease. “I will take her home,” he replied softly. “I have to explain everything to her before she does something rash.”
    “And Derek?”
    “The Shaitan was ordered to give him an aneurism. Even when dealing out revenge my brother likes to keep things organized and easy to clean up after.” For just a second, The Red