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That day had been polluted with a lot of Jinn, and Ari’s senses weren’t as strong then as they were now It could be the only reason she hadn’t picked up on the fact that darling Beau was in fact a full-blooded Jinn That didn’t explain, however, why he was suddenly here … in a somewhat creepy, stalker fashion

"What are you doing here?" She started walking, herhim out of the mall and somewhere private

She was thankful when he followed "I mean, this is quite the coincidence"

"It’s not" He threw her a smile as his eyes drank her in appreciatively

Suddenly Ari wasn’t feeling that his eyes were filled with innocence; it was et a bad vibe about it

"Oh?" She kept her question curious, not agitated, but was glad to see the wall-to-wall glass exit doors up ahead

"I knoho you are I’ve known for quite some time"

"And who am I?" she asked as she led him out into the mall lot Her eyes quickly scanned the area and decided the best spot was in the far left corner Most people had parked near the front, but the left side was quite full

More coverage

More privacy

She headed in that direction, pretending her car was that way

Beau grinned at her "You’re the daughter of a Jinn king"

Ari tried not to let that freak her out Souessed that within five years, every Jinn in both realms would knoho she was

"So you knoho I am, but I’ at a high school?"

What the freaking hell are you, in other words, and am I ethically bound to kill you?

"We’ve rin was not only cocky but also so

Ari tried to hide her shiver

Instead she s even "Really?" she ca the the mall Hopefully, the cars behind blocked them from view on the opposite side

"I possessed your friend Nick back in Sandford, Ohio" He took a step closer to her, his eyes drinking in her face

Shock jolted through Ari at his casual confession And she recognized that look It was the same way Nick--possessed Nick--had looked at her It’d made her extremely uncomfortable even then

Not to mention he’d just answered her question She definitely needed to take care of this guy, but she couldn’t exactly conjure the black dust she’d used on him before when she and Charlie had attacked and taken him to the Aissawa Brotherhood for an exorcis Jinn froet theuy Ari no the black dust she’d used to incapacitate Nick/Beau was called Ephemeral A natural crush of herbs mixed with a short-term enchantment, it had the power to knock a Jinn unconscious But Ari couldn’t conjure it out of thin air in front of hiht," sheto think fast If this was that creepy-ass Jinn who had possessed Nick, then he was proving he was soainst hi her head a little flirtatiously, she licked her lips and watched his eyes flare at thein Connecticut"

"Right," he agreed excitedly

"That’s what I thought I fled Sandford after what happened and I was trying to forget you, but then you turned up and I’ht?

We’re destined" His eyes narrowed "But then you kissed that guy who orchestrated the whole thing where the Aissawa Brotherhood ripped me out of Nick, and then all those Jinn turned up and you disappeared I was trying to find you and then word started circulating--ruht here"

"M," she murmured and stepped even closer so their bodies were al "I think I like this body better than Nick’s"

Beau’s eyes darkened and before she could say another word, she was yanked against him and his mouth was on hers

Her first instinct was to kick hiet How insane was this guy to think he could just stalk her and then kiss her?

Fortunately for Ari, her so along with the kiss and use the distraction against hiic flow from her hands The satin pouch she’d conjured froht in her hand, but the use of ic had drawn Beau’s attention

He shoved her away in surprise

"What the--?"

Ari had already blown the black dust in his face before he could finish the sentence She watched with satisfaction as his eyes rolled into the back of his head He collapsed with a dull thud against the concrete

She glanced around hurriedly to check for witnesses and then telepathed Jai

Five ot as close to Ari as possible Jai and Gerard got out, hurrying toward her

"We don’t have a lot of time," Ari said as a welcome

"What happened?" Jai asked, all concern as he and Gerard lifted Beau’s body and used cloaking ht They carried hi and threw him inside rather carelessly Ari explained what had happened and by the tier on Jai’s face et him back to Michael’s,"

Gerard assured Ari "We’ll need to get the Aissawa Brotherhood here to do an exorcisure out how to trap hiet away"

Ari nodded in agreeuys back at Michael’s"

Jai was not happy Ari knew this because the entire ti a plan of action for Beau/Nick/Stalker, Jai grunted answers at her and generally looked like any minute, he’d blow

Thankfully, Trey was not home because as soon as Ari crossed the threshold, Jai let his annoyance be known