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She glanced up fro warily back and forth between the people they were talking to and her A hush fell over the table as they all stopped talking, their bodies stiff with tension A scowl found a place on her forehead but she ed a nod to ease Charlie’s concerns
"I hope you like stir-fry" A young woman with dark hair and blue eyes s the table
"Well if I don’t, I’ll just co else," she answered dryly, too exhausted to play nice
Fallon choked on her gulp of water as everyone froze
Ari rolled her eyes "Kidding"
"She is kidding," Jai assured the look her way "Ari has never used her ability against an innocent"
"Well, there was that baby ouldn’t stop drooling on hed heavily and turned fully towards her, leaning around one of the guys "What has gotten in to you?"
Feeling as if he’d slapped her, Ari’s cheeks burned with hu like one"
"Jai, back off," Charlie intervened "Not here"
Jai snapped back in his seat "She’s not usually like this," he assured the teah her "Don’t apologize forto hurt the couple of weeks" Stupid, weak tears began to burn her eyes "I’ve lost a lot and yes it’s inadvertently my fault but I am not a bad person and I won’t be treated like sorinned, her eyes washing over her coht froainst us Bread roll?" she offered a basket of theratefully and took one "I’roup ere shifting around uncouilt in some (but not all) of their eyes "I’m not usually… so vocal… I’ht there with you" Jacob nodded from the head of the table "I phoned Michael" Ari felt Charlie stiffen next to her at the name "Michael is Fallon’s father and The Roe Guild leader He’s going to look into the kidnappings for us and get back to us as soon as possible For now, eat, get some rest, and to save her, Ari nodded her thanks and held her plate up to the young woh is our best cook" Fallon nodded at the blue-eyed woman
"Thank you" Ari took her now full plate back froet served As soon as everyone was seated they all began to eat, the noise of conversation growing louder as they talked and laughed arippled across Ari’s chest as she watched the open in its wake as she thought about Derek Neither of theht have been nice As her gaze slowly drifted over the group it finally snagged on Jai’s eyes He was staring at her, his expression see hisskills and his earlier behavior, Ari frowned at hiirl next to him who Ari had discovered was called Anabeth She was the twins’ sister Anabeth flashed her pearly whites at Jai again and placed a hand on his forear unkind thoughts, Ari glanced quickly away only to stumble inwardly over Jack Hollis An olderup to engage in conversation but happy to re on the back of her shirt and glanced around Charlie’s back to find Fallon leaning around him
"Jack doesn’t talkbeen aware of Ari’s people watching "He distanced hi, Ari reht with a Ghulah in Roswell a feeeks back
The Jinn’s female façade sore fro the boys To Ari’s horror, her jaw elongated unnaturally, revealing huge sharp teeth Ari closed her eyes, shutting out the i fro instant ereed and for once the hint of irony she ood hunter though" She slid back in her seat and asked Charlie sorin and he chuckled at her iht his expression and was surprised by the look in his eyes It was a look of appreciation for a pretty girl It was a look of happy relaxation War hold of her as she i content with life She so wanted that for hiile friendship, blood and revenge
Sighing inwardly, Ari reached for another bread roll, her fingers colliding with one of the twins’ She didn’t have time to wonder whether it was Calluic flew up her ar back pain, Ari barely registered Jai crashing to his feet, plates clattering and a few glasses spilling with the h the pain Ari felt the crackle of power surge in the air, a glow the color of e arc that rippled the air Everyone but Ari and Charlie were pushed back froainst the now invisible force Ari’s stunned eyes lifted to Jai He was treaze on her cradled arhtened by his intensity and the power he had at his fingertips Soet he was a full-blooded and very strong Jinn Sing loudly Ari chanced a glance at the tho glared at her with fear in their eyes "I don’t think he meant it"
"I didn’t," the tho’d blasted her insisted, his wary eyes flickering between Jai and Ari before stopping on Jacob who looked as furious as Jai "She just startled rowled from beside her and she felt his hand press protectively on the base of her spine