21. The Sleepover

{Uriel}

"Naya! Naya, let me in! Please, let's talk about this!"

Uriel was beginning to feel foolish standing in his living room shouting at a hookah pipe with his tender crotch and wounded pride. The more he hollered, the larger the coal balancing on the bowl grew. The last thing Uriel wanted was for Naya's sentence to increase, but he could not make himself walk away and cool off.

<Fine, let her have her way. Let her coal burn for all eternity for all I care!> His fiery conscience spat.

"No," Uriel breathed, tempering the ancient fire within him. He turned away from the hookah and slouched into the folds of the nearest sofa.

I told her I'd give her whatever she wanted, Uriel remembered with a cringe, and she denied me. He gingerly rubbed his groin at the fresh memory.

A painful rejection.

Uriel could not for the life of him figure out why Naya would refuse his apology, especially when she disapproved of him withholding the information from their conversation at the bar.

He thought back to Naya's breakdown in the hookah bowl. The way she thrashed about this way and that.

<A wildfire, that one.>

Uriel shook his head a few times. He massaged his temples, adopting a rhythm that alleviated his stress by a fraction.

"This is too confusing. Naya – she is too confusing for me right now."

His gaze shifted to the hookah pipe. Quickly, he looked away and pulled himself out of that sinkhole of a couch. Without thinking, he snatched the keys to his BMW and left.

Naya needed her space.

And so did he.

***

The djinni could not even celebrate his first time driving on his own without a chaperone. Doing so would mean imagining Naya's face and how proud she would be.

He vigorously shook his head. Thinking of Naya was not an option right now. The djinni was on a mission to distract himself from any and all things Naomi Burton.

Uriel hadn't realized where he was going until he pulled into the parking lot of his culinary school. Even though he was alone, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed. This was the destination that he had the most practice driving to. So his reflexes had naturally led him here.

Without the slightest idea of where to go next, Uriel pulled into a nondescript spot and put the car in park. He turned on the radio and kept the music low, stubbornly listening to slow R&B even though he knew it was Naya's go-to station.

Uriel was about to lean his face against the steering wheel, when something moving outside caught his attention.

He saw a small silhouette, but it was difficult to make out who it was in the dark. Uriel rolled down the window.

"Erin?"

His classmate gave a relieved wave.

"Hi Uri! I thought that was you. What are you doing here so late? It's nearly six."

"What are you doing here?" Uriel dodged.

Even in the twilight hours, the djinni noticed the flush of color in her cheeks as she responded, "Oh! Well, I'm . . . still waiting on my ride actually."

Uriel lifted his eyebrows.

Erin chuckled. "Yeah, my roommate. She's not here yet. Sometimes she forgets, you know."

Uriel leaned over and opened the passenger door. "Get in."

Erin flapped her hands. "No, it's all right. I texted her. She –"

"In." Uriel patted the passenger seat for emphasis. Looking both hesitant and relieved, Erin slid into the car and shut the door after her.

+++

{Naya}

I thought that Uri would be pounding on the hookah bowl all night, but he eventually fell silent.

I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I wasn't going to let him back in any time soon, but I didn't expect him to leave. I mean, where the hell would he even go?

"Mistress?"

I looked down at my concerned talking monkey. He had his tiny dextrous hand on my forearm and big, cute wrinkles between his dark eyes.

"I'm all right, Ritsu," I lied. "It looks like it's going to be just you and me tonight. Hey, I have an idea."

I picked up the monkey and put him on my lap. For a moment I had a flashback to when I was barely five years old, playing with my stuffed animals and pretending that they could talk.

"Let's have a sleepover."

Ritsu looked me over with suspicion. "A what-over?"

I groaned. "A sleepover, Ritsu! You know – pillow fights? Truth or dare? Pajamas?"

Ritsu wiggled himself free and went about smoothing the fur on his white chest.

"Ah yes. And what do you propose that we do first at this sleepover of yours?"

I looked around the room, desperate to find something to take my mind off of Uri and how much of an ass I had made out of myself just moments before.

Soon I was shuffling across the room and back with a book in my hands. I had chosen One Thousand and One Nights.

"Can you read to me?"

The book was in Arabic, and even though I could technically understand it, I felt as though I wouldn't be able to concentrate reading it to myself at that moment. Better have someone read aloud to take my mind off of things.

"Of course, mistress." Ritsu took it from me and dumped it on a cushion. He leafed through the table of contents. Meanwhile, I gathered some cushions together and got cozy between them.

"I think you'll like this one," Ritsu said. "It's the tale of Sinbad."

I was reminded of the animated version from when I was a kid. It was the sort of movie that Ritsu would probably like. Before I could tell him, he had already begun to read, "There lived in the city of Baghdad, during the reign of –"

"Uri, I can't thank you enough."

My eyes flitted in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. Beyond my open balcony where the artificial stars and moon would light up the sky was a floating veil. As if someone had lowered a curtain over the view. And on that veil played some sort of movie.

Uriel was one of the actors. Along with a girl who I had never met in my life.

+++

{Uriel}

Bringing Erin to the same bar where he seduced Naya. It was bold.

At first Uriel was just going to take Erin home and most likely head back to his apartment to try to work things out with Naya. But driving with Erin and talking to someone who knew nothing of his curse was too tempting. She had thanked Uriel too many times for driving her home. Her gratitude for this simple act of decency brought heat to his cheeks more than once.

He wanted it to be Naya thanking him. Smiling at him. He wanted to blush for her.

What would happen once he dropped Erin off and returned home? Would anything change? Would Naya apologize? Would she even care that he was sorry too? That he had never wanted to hurt her?

Would she even care that I've fallen for her?

<Careful, boy.>

"Uri?" Erin asked softly. "Is there something wrong?"

Uriel blinked. "Uh, no. I was just thinking . . . could I buy you a drink?"

When they reached the bar, Uriel was bitter all over again. And full of spite. Outwardly, he remained charming and easygoing. But under the bar counter, he performed a little spell that connected his surroundings to those of Naya's pipe.

He didn't want to hurt Naya, but . . . he definitely needed this to sting.

+++

{Naya}

Whatever regrets I had for kicking Uri in the crotch had disappeared.

He was taking a girl out on a date.

And making me watch.

Ritsu shot increasingly worried looks between me and the vision playing out on the veil.

I sucked my teeth. "So he wants to play that game then?"

"Mistress, I wouldn't –"

"Who is this chick anyway? She's not even pretty."

That was a total lie. Whoever this girl was, she reminded me of the actresses from Pretty Little Liars with her apple-shaped cheeks and blonde ringlets. I couldn't help but notice that physically speaking, this girl was everything that I wasn't.

That . . . hurt.

I watched them flirt and hang out at the bar for a few minutes before I finally turned away and grumbled, "Whatever. If he'd rather be with her then . . ."

I plopped down on the cushions. "Come on, Ritsu. Let's get on with our sleepover. Just pick up reading where you left off."

+++

{Uriel}

Uriel could not sense exactly how Naya was reacting to all of this, but he could feel whether or not she was watching. And when he noticed that her attention diverted elsewhere, he panicked. There was no point in leading Erin along like this unless Naya knew about it.

He was going to have to take this to the next level.

Four drinks later, Erin's face was a high rosy color and slightly glistening with perspiration. Uriel's mind was untouched by the alcohol, but he played the part regardless.

Giggling, Erin said, "Oh no, Uri! You were supposed to take me home tonight. But now, I'm afraid, we are both unfit to drive."

She hiccuped.

Uriel grinned, "Listen to me, Erin. Where I come from, when a man makes a promise, he has to stand by it. And I promised to take you home, didn't I?"

Erin's laugh turned nervous. "But Uri, you really shouldn't drive. I can call an Uber or something."

Uriel paid off the tab and said, "Nonsense. You're going to close your eyes, click your heels, and repeat after me: there's no place like home."

Erin was too intoxicated to judge the cheesy declaration as anything other than outrageously funny. She couldn't stop cracking up as Uriel swaggered to his feet and guided her towards the door.

+++

{Naya}

Even though I was supposed to be listening to Ritsu's bedtime story, I found myself rolling my eyes at Uri's no place like home joke.

Seriously?

"Well, this is me."

I rolled over at the sound of the girl's slurred voice. The two of them were standing in front of what I assumed was her apartment. Uri was closer to her than I would have liked.

But then again, why should I care?

And yet, why couldn't I look away?

"I told you that I'd get you home safely," Uri said. He gave an exaggerated bow. Gross.

"And you did," Erin said in her irritatingly sweet voice. She folded a perfectly curled tendril behind her ear. "I guess I'll see you in class then."

She turned for the door. I rolled over to face Ritsu. The show was finally over.

"Erin, wait."

I looked back at the sound of Uri's voice.

And instantly wished that I hadn't.

Uri had Erin's red and kind of sweaty apple cheeks pressed between his palms. He steadied her head before going in for a kiss. This wasn't a sloppy, drunken kiss either. I think I would have felt better if he had overextended himself. No, Uri kissed this Erin like she was a freaking Disney princess.

"Uri," I whispered. "You son of a bitch."

My throat felt swollen and my eyes started blinking rapidly on their own. But I wasn't going to let it happen. Not this time. I wasn't going to let that djinni have a single one of my tears. He had enough of them already.

So I closed my eyes and looked inward, searching for a place to hide. Somewhere I could go until this was over and all these terrible emotions had passed. I reached past the lump in my throat because there had to be a better way to handle this besides crying.

And then I felt it.

A little blue flame.

I dropped all of the things that were upsetting me before the fire in hopes that it would burn them and relieve me of these burdens.

But instead of feeling lighter, a blanket of heat wrapped around me. It covered me with an emotion that I had felt before, but never to this degree.

This wasn't mere anger that I was experiencing. I could only describe it as wrath.

I opened my eyes – making a path for the heat to travel as it flooded my entire being – and aimed my gaze at Erin.

Don't touch him!

There was a sudden flare of intense heat and then . . .

+++

{Uriel}

Uriel didn't want to do this, but he felt Naya's attention beginning to fade. In his desperation he kissed Erin and instantly regretted it. Her lips were sticky and tasted of vodka and artificial flavoring. The djinni prayed that she had enough drink in her to forget the events the next morning. But he thought it would be best to place a small spell on her memory just in case.

In the midst of the tentative embrace, Erin yelped and stumbled back. Her outburst startled Uriel. He opened his eyes to see what had gone wrong.

Erin backed into the door and covered her mouth.

"You burned me!"

Impossible, Uriel thought. But then, he did feel the remnants of a supernatural heat draining from his lips. How could this be?

He accused his suit of fire, Did you –?

<Don't look at me.>

Then that could only mean . . .

"Oh God, it hurts!"

Uriel paused his thoughts and conjured a spell to suppress Erin's pain.

+++

{Naya}

I burned that girl. Erin.

"Mistress, you mustn't get upset. You had no control over it," Ritsu tried to reassure me.

I stood up. "So you saw it too! You saw what I did, Ritsu. I wanted her to feel pain and she did. How the hell is that possible?"

I couldn't stop the tears now.

"I burned that poor girl. Uri used her and I burned her. Is that what being a djinni means? Manipulation and burning things alive!"

"Mistress, stop blaming yourself! You didn't know!"

I whirled on the monkey. "Didn't know what?"

Ritsu shook his head. "I don't know exactly the moment it happened, but you and Uriel . . . somehow you two have bonded."

I wiped the fresh tears away. "I don't want to be bonded with him."

Before Ritsu could utter another word, I snatched One Thousand and One Nights out from beneath him and stalked off to the furthest corner of the room.

I would finish the story of Sinbad on my own and lose myself in his fictional faraway world. I would read about men who were heroes – men who didn't exist.

Ignoring the tears that splashed onto the pages, I read about Sinbad of the seven seas and wished that he could somehow bring me comfort.