26. The Magus

{Naya}

Portia pulled up to Zayn Naim's antique shop. It was a quaint brick building squashed between a Starbucks and dry cleaners. Tall hookah pipes and authentic carpets were on display in the windows.

We parked and gathered outside of the car. I walked up to Portia first, seizing her in a bone-breaking hug.

"Thanks, boo. I'll give you a call when this is all over."

Portia squeezed me back. "Naya, you are the strongest person I know. You can do this." She kissed my cheek and stepped back.

Uri approached us with a warm smile. "Thanks again, Portia. I'm sorry if my brother talked your head off. He doesn't get out much."

Portia snorted. "It must run in the family." Then she looked over Uri's shoulder at Sinbad and beckoned him over. Uri and I stepped to the side to give them some room.

Sinbad didn't look very pleased at having to part with Portia. I watched my best friend gape in bewilderment as he gathered her hands in his. Kissing her knuckles, he said, "Thank you for taking us such great distances. I don't know if we shall ever see each other again . . . so –" He dipped his head until he met her lips. "Goodbye, dream woman."

The look on Portia's face after Sinbad walked away was priceless. After he left, I took his place and slung an arm around Portia's shoulder.

"So . . . that just happened."

Portia gave a blissful sigh before bursting into laughter. I did too. We hugged each other one last time, and parted ways. Then I joined the boys. Uri led us into the antique shop.

I was one step closer to reuniting with the reverend.

***

A cute little bell went off as Uri, Sinbad, Ritsu and I entered the pawn shop. The dark interior was cozy and cluttered with foreign artifacts, but absent of any life.

"Mr. Naim?" I called out first. There was no reply save for the slight tapping of the window shutters against the pane.

Uri bellowed, "Khal!"

We heard a shuffling around an aisle of shelves. Uri encouraged us to follow the sound. The four of us wove through the archive of objects until we came to the source of the noise. A man's voice sounded in the midst of the clutter.

"Uriel? Is that you?"

The voice was followed by a body of medium height emerging from an aisle. At the sight of Uri, two strangers and a monkey, the man blinked his eyes a few times and removed his glasses to get a better look at us.

"Oh. I see that you've been making friends since we've seen each other last."

Uri took my hand. "Zayn, I want you to meet Naomi."

I blushed at the tenderness in Uri's introduction. On top of that, Zayn inclined his head and whispered, "Lovely to meet you."

I shook his hand. Zayn's gaze was so warm that I didn't even have the nerve to insist that he call me Naya.

Sinbad and Ritsu did not need introductions. Zayn gave them one good look and followed it up with gentle chastisement. "Uriel, what kind of mess is this? You brought a demon and unleashed a fairytale?"

Uri said, "The monkey was necessary for Naya's protection. Sinbad, on the other hand, was . . ." he glanced at me, "an accident of sorts."

Zayn readjusted his glasses. "So you brought this mess here for me to clean up then?"

Uri tensed up and let go of my hand. Scratching his head, he confessed, "Zayn, I did everything that you told me to. It took some time, but I have never gotten this close. I tried to be careful – truly, I did, but still . . . Naya and I have bonded."

Zayn sighed. He bent down, gathered up some scrolls and books at the base of the shelves and carried them away from us. We shuffled behind him.

As Zayn led us to the checkout desk, he said, "I knew what had happened the moment I saw you two."

It then occurred to me that Zayn must have been the one who taught Uri how to bind a human's essence to a temporary djinni form. A few weeks ago, that kind of knowledge would have made me go off the edge. Hearing it right then didn't make me feel any anger towards Zayn. He had only been trying to help Uri get to freedom.

"There are still dangerous magi afoot," Zayn reminded us. "They have eyes everywhere, even in magical deserts like Atlanta and here in Tennessee. To ensure protection for you and your friends, you must come to my estate. We will figure out what to do from there."

Even though we were no longer touching, I sensed the tension leaving Uri's body. I wasn't sure why he had been anxious to begin with. For the short time that we were in his presence, Zayn Naim made me feel safe.

***

It became difficult for me to understand how a middle-aged man running an antique shop could also be the owner of an opulent estate in the upper class suburbs of Knoxville.

While butlers were taking our bags in the massive foyer, Zayn told me, "Uriel must have informed you by now, but we magi enjoy having many hobbies. Zayn's Emporium is not the only business I own."

As Zayn escorted us to our rooms, I couldn't help but notice how easy it would be to get lost in this labyrinth of a home. The rooms were open, breezy chambers that fed into one another. And the architecture looked like something that Zayn himself brought over from across the Atlantic.

I took this moment to study the magus. His skin was a deeper shade of brown than Uri's. He had a prominent nose, but it suited his face just fine. He kept his curly dark hair tucked away in a low bun, making me suspect that it inspired Uri to wear his hair the same way.

Zayn led us down a corridor of more private rooms. He asked whether Uri and I preferred sharing a space. I didn't know how to respond to such a question. Thankfully, Uri answered for the both of us, requesting that we have separate rooms, but ones that were side by side.

"Now, Mr. Sinbad, if you will follow me." Zayn said, clearly trying to give us some privacy. I encouraged Ritsu to go with them.

Uri and I were silent at first. He came into my room, left the door open, and started to help me unpack my bags.

It was him who spoke first. "Zayn is the closest thing I've ever had to a father."

My insides twisted at the thought of this conversation being about dads. But I ignored the feeling and asked, "Do you remember your parents at all?"

Uri shook his head. "I was taken into bondage at a very young age. I don't remember anything about my family from birth."

I remember what Uri had told me a while back about djinn-born and djinn-made. I said, "So you're one of those made djinn?"

Uri corrected me. "Changeling is the proper term. They're children stolen at birth, usually by djinn trying to settle an outside debt. The djinn would offer their masters younger djinn, which were easier to mold and command in exchange for their freedom. Many djinn-made like myself bear ill feelings towards our pureblooded cousins because of this."

I put my hand on Uri's so he would stop unpacking my bags. He met my eyes and exhaled softly after I embraced him. We held onto each other for several minutes.

Both Uri and I needed help. By an impossible series of events, we switched bodies and became roommates. Now we were no longer strangers. We were here for each other.

"Tomorrow," I said. "Let's go see the reverend tomorrow night."