hand crushing under her tense fingers. Jai , she telepathed to him and waited, listening to his footsteps climb the stairs immediately.
“What ’ s wrong?” he asked quietly, stepping into the room.
Ari ached when she turned to look at him — so glad he was here for her but sad that she was growing more and more attached when she should be deliberately pushing him away. Sighing, trying to still her shaking hands, she held out the envelope she ’ d found in the drawer of her dad ’ s bedside table.
“What ’ s this?” Jai frowned, his lashes covering his vivid eyes as he looked down at the item in his hand.
“My 18th birthday present.”
He tilted the envelope letting the keys fall out of it and into his palm. He held them up, questions in his eyes.
Heart hammering, Ari held up the piece of paper they had come with. “He bought me that apartment in Philadelphia for my birthday.”
Sympathy softened Jai ’ s features and he nodded, seeming unsure what to say. Finally he shrugged. “Would you like to check it out?”
“How?”
“I ’ ll teach you to use the Peripatos .”
Little nervous gremlins tickled Ari ’ s stomach. “Now?”
“Yeah, now.”
“OK.”
“You have an item that connects you to the place you want to go, so that should help.” He dropped the keys into her palm taking measures to make sure they didn ’ t touch one another. Ari frowned. He was in love with someone else. She got that already!
“What now?”
“Give me the address?”
She handed him the slip of paper and he glanced at it quickly before giving it back to her. “OK. You have to really focus. Are you sure you ’ re able to concentrate.”
“I can do this,” she assured him firmly, a little excited now at the thought of using her powers. “Just tell me how.”
“Concentrate on the thought of that apartment, on the apartment that the keys in your hand open. Think of nothing else. Focus. Imagine taking a step into that apartment. Don ’ t try to visualize what it looks like, just imagine taking a step into the apartment that the keys in your hand open. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Now, when you step into the Peripatos you ’ ll see the flames around you, touching you, but they won ’ t hurt you… they ’ re a part of you, so don ’ t panic and lose concentration.”
And that was exactly what Ari did.
The flames flooded out of her, up and around her, and she panicked. All thought of the apartment disappeared as fear sluiced over her like water dousing the flames of the Peripatos. Ari frowned. She was still in Derek ’ s bedroom looking at a patient Jai.
He smiled softly at her and it did what the flames hadn ’ t. It melted her. “Don ’ t panic this time. I ’ ll be right behind you.”
Taking a deep, shuddering breath Ari refocused. And this time when the flames exploded out of her she ignored them, the keys in her hand biting into her skin being the only anchor she needed. Wind rustled through her hair and the world blurred and swayed. It was dizzying, disorientating but also kind of exhilarating. The flames hissed and melted into nothing and Ari leaned against the nearest wall for support. Her legs were a little wobbly. Flames burst before her and Jai stepped out of the Peripatos with a casualness she envied.
“You OK?”
Ari exhaled, taking a moment to glance around the small but contemporary apartment she stood in. “From the Peripatos ? Yes. This…?” she trailed off and took a few steps into the main room. It was open-plan with brick walls and plush, modern furniture. The kitchen was modern and luxurious and the sitting room had everything. There was a flat screen TV, sound system, computer desk and laptop in the corner. There were red bows wrapped around some of the items. Derek must have been planning to drive her to the city and surprise her with this. Jai waited quietly as she wandered down a narrow hall. A big bathroom, travertine tiling, massive showerhead, gold-plated
“What ’ s wrong?” he asked quietly, stepping into the room.
Ari ached when she turned to look at him — so glad he was here for her but sad that she was growing more and more attached when she should be deliberately pushing him away. Sighing, trying to still her shaking hands, she held out the envelope she ’ d found in the drawer of her dad ’ s bedside table.
“What ’ s this?” Jai frowned, his lashes covering his vivid eyes as he looked down at the item in his hand.
“My 18th birthday present.”
He tilted the envelope letting the keys fall out of it and into his palm. He held them up, questions in his eyes.
Heart hammering, Ari held up the piece of paper they had come with. “He bought me that apartment in Philadelphia for my birthday.”
Sympathy softened Jai ’ s features and he nodded, seeming unsure what to say. Finally he shrugged. “Would you like to check it out?”
“How?”
“I ’ ll teach you to use the Peripatos .”
Little nervous gremlins tickled Ari ’ s stomach. “Now?”
“Yeah, now.”
“OK.”
“You have an item that connects you to the place you want to go, so that should help.” He dropped the keys into her palm taking measures to make sure they didn ’ t touch one another. Ari frowned. He was in love with someone else. She got that already!
“What now?”
“Give me the address?”
She handed him the slip of paper and he glanced at it quickly before giving it back to her. “OK. You have to really focus. Are you sure you ’ re able to concentrate.”
“I can do this,” she assured him firmly, a little excited now at the thought of using her powers. “Just tell me how.”
“Concentrate on the thought of that apartment, on the apartment that the keys in your hand open. Think of nothing else. Focus. Imagine taking a step into that apartment. Don ’ t try to visualize what it looks like, just imagine taking a step into the apartment that the keys in your hand open. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Now, when you step into the Peripatos you ’ ll see the flames around you, touching you, but they won ’ t hurt you… they ’ re a part of you, so don ’ t panic and lose concentration.”
And that was exactly what Ari did.
The flames flooded out of her, up and around her, and she panicked. All thought of the apartment disappeared as fear sluiced over her like water dousing the flames of the Peripatos. Ari frowned. She was still in Derek ’ s bedroom looking at a patient Jai.
He smiled softly at her and it did what the flames hadn ’ t. It melted her. “Don ’ t panic this time. I ’ ll be right behind you.”
Taking a deep, shuddering breath Ari refocused. And this time when the flames exploded out of her she ignored them, the keys in her hand biting into her skin being the only anchor she needed. Wind rustled through her hair and the world blurred and swayed. It was dizzying, disorientating but also kind of exhilarating. The flames hissed and melted into nothing and Ari leaned against the nearest wall for support. Her legs were a little wobbly. Flames burst before her and Jai stepped out of the Peripatos with a casualness she envied.
“You OK?”
Ari exhaled, taking a moment to glance around the small but contemporary apartment she stood in. “From the Peripatos ? Yes. This…?” she trailed off and took a few steps into the main room. It was open-plan with brick walls and plush, modern furniture. The kitchen was modern and luxurious and the sitting room had everything. There was a flat screen TV, sound system, computer desk and laptop in the corner. There were red bows wrapped around some of the items. Derek must have been planning to drive her to the city and surprise her with this. Jai waited quietly as she wandered down a narrow hall. A big bathroom, travertine tiling, massive showerhead, gold-plated
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