37. Changelings and Challenges

{Naya}

I had lost track of the amount of the times that I've woken up with no idea where I was or how I got there. This djinni coma experience was getting old.

"Ah, so the flame princess awakens."

I blinked until Mr. Naim's face materialized beside my bed. Or should I say his bed because we were back in his Knoxville estate. Not that I was complaining. The only thing worth complaining about in that moment was how wrecked my body felt.

"I'm going to kill that monkey," I muttered, then instantly wished that I had kept my mouth shut. My throat felt like I had swallowed a pound of hot coals.

Zayn clicked his tongue in a way that sounded both stern and sympathetic. He helped me drink an opaque broth full of herbs and soft dumplings for me to chew.

I wanted to ask him where Uri was and how we got away from the collector, but he warned me against using my voice and encouraged me to get more rest. I went back to sleep without a fight. If Zayn was taking care of me, I had no doubt that Uri was safe too.

Once my generous host had left, I snuggled against the pillow, lingering on the memory of Uri and me in his kitchen before that cock-blocker Janus and his demon showed up. Despite the soreness in my muscles, thinking back to that moment brought a pleasant series of goosebumps and tingles.

+++

{Zayn}

The accommodating smile quickly faded from Zayn's face once he left Naya's chambers. He handed the tray of empty dishes to a passing maid before making his way to the gardens. Like he expected, Uriel was there, brooding before a hedge sculpture of an elephant with a pot belly and four arms.

"Your friend is safe," Zayn told him. "She will heal fine as long as she continues to rest."

Uriel did not thank his benefactor for giving them refuge and providing Naya with the medical attention she needed, but Zayn took no offense. He knew that the djinni was grateful. Right then the boy was trying to hold back from panicking and instead thinking of ways to right his wrongs.

"We only have one more week before the contract ends," Uriel said. "Naya doesn't deserve to be a djinni forever. I would never wish this kind of life for her. I thought that by now . . ."

Zayn cut him off by simply placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be foolish. It will cost me nothing to extend the contract and give you more time."

A fraction of the tension leaked from Uriel's shoulders. "I've already asked too much of you."

Zayn shook his head. "You did not ask to be a creature of fire. Ever since I chanced upon you I have wanted nothing more than to restore you to your proper form. But I have told you this before, Uriel. It will not be easy nor simple for your body to sustain itself without a fire because of how accustomed to the flame it has become. That is the reason I built that contract for you in the first place – to teach you how to be mortal and strengthen your vessel for the transition."

Then Zayn's hand shot forward and pinched Uriel's ear. He spoke over the djinni's protesting hisses. "But I see that you have been cheating!"

"You don't understand!" Uriel gasped. "I only use magic when it's necessary!"

"Lies," Zayn huffed. He wrenched his hand away with every intention of leaving a mark. "You have been calling upon your fire whenever the urge touches you."

Uriel bit his lip. "I'm sorry, Kahl."

"Did you learn nothing all this time you have been away?"

A boyish smile spread across the djinni's face that Zayn could not resist no matter how hard he tried to keep his own facial muscles stern and rigid.

"I learned how to cook."

Zayn's facade broke. He released a warm, hearty laugh. "Ah yes! Filling your belly will be the first order of business once you become a human. Now Uriel, I must say this," he gave the djinni a knowing look, "I've known you long enough to tell when you are about to make a poor decision."

Uriel averted his eyes, pretending to be interested in the hedge sculpture. Zayn moved in front of the elephant, blocking it and forcing Uriel to face him.

"Please tell me that you are not going to do what I think you are."

Uriel feigned an unapologetic tone. "I've already cast the spell."

Reserved yet potent anger welled up in Zayn's dark brown eyes. "You say that Naya doesn't deserve to be a djinni. Well she also doesn't deserve what you are about to do to her. In these next few weeks I will have to train her to defend herself. She will not know what lies ahead. And there is only so much that I can do . . . . She needs you, Uriel."

The djinni's eyes furrowed in disagreement. He bit his tongue.

Zayn added, "And to be honest, you will need her too. There is still too much hate in you. She calms your fire. You balance her emotions."

"I put her in danger," Uriel spat. "Because of me she was nearly taken by the worst kind of sorcerer."

Zayn closed his eyes and took the time to briefly massage his temples. He exhaled and placed his hands on Uriel's shoulders again. "Do not punish yourself, I beg you. We all make mistakes."

Uriel stepped away and turned his back on Zayn. "I know. But I'll be damned if I ever make another mistake like that again."

+++

{Duffy}

Duffy did not expect Janus to be awake for another forty-eight hours. So when the collector staggered into his study like a drunken pirate, it came as a rather annoying surprise.

"Please sit down before you faint again," Duffy said without looking up from his computer. Whether Janus was trying to be obedient or he very well could not stand on his own, he ended up collapsing onto one of the cushy office chairs.

Duffy glanced at him only to confirm that his boss still looked like shit and had no business walking around.

"Where's the brute?"

Janus fixed his pale gray eyes on the magus. "I need to talk to you. And it's serious this time so forget about your deplorable game for five minutes."

Duffy groaned and shoved his keyboard to the side. "You have my full attention. Now what is it?"

Looking at Janus full on made Duffy realize how old his boss really was. No amount of magic or plastic surgery could completely mask the years that weighed upon him. Eighty-two to be exact.

Janus gave a partially helpless sigh before saying, "When Sabur and I bonded, there was no time to think about the consequences. For many years I had no regrets. Sabur gave me strength, longevity, and . . . a friend. But now . . ."

"But now you're too old to have a soul-sucking djinni attached to you."

Janus made his hands into fists. "True, I am his master, but you know how djinn are. They are always looking for a way out, a way to surpass their boundaries."

Duffy scoffed, "And whose fault is that, Janus? You spent the last sixty years bouncing around the globe, snuffing out every sorcerer and powerful djinni you could find. And then what do you do after you steal their secrets? You pump them into that ifrit of yours!"

A vein protruded down the middle of Janus's forehead as he gripped the armrests of his chair.

"I did so to appease him! It's the only way to keep him satisfied. The minute Sabur gets restless, I have to conjure spell mazes to block him from taking over. I'm running out of these conjurations and the mental cost to cast them is only getting worse."

"Not my problem," Duffy said. He didn't mean it, but he needed time to think.

Janus saw through Duffy's bluff. "Stop trying to think of a way to fix this, Duffy. You've bailed me out enough times. I already have a plan."

It took no time for Duffy to put the pieces together on his own. "The changeling. That's why you've been chasing him down like a lunatic. You want to replace Sabur with the changeling."

Janus nodded. "He's strong, Duffy. Changelings aren't usually so good at escaping our combined power. With the right cultivation, he could be an ifrit too someday."

Duffy leaned back in his chair. "So let me get this straight. You want to replace one overpowered ifrit with another?"

Janus shook his head. "You misunderstand. I wouldn't spoil the new one like I have Sabur. His use would be entirely economic."

Duffy folded his arms. He wasn't yet convinced. His voice dipped into a whisper. "So what do you plan to do with Sabur? How would you even go about severing your bond with him?"

Janus looked forlornly at the wall. "The bond cannot be broken or dissolved by my own will. Sabur, I'm afraid, must be destroyed. Don't look at me like that, Duffy. I'm not going to be the one who does it. That will all depend on the changeling. Sabur would never suspect that I was setting him up. He'd only see this as a challenge, or better yet, a game."

Duffy was silent for a moment. ". . . You think that changeling is strong enough to overcome Sabur?"

Janus nodded, his eyes distant. "Trust me, I will make sure that he is."