52. Auras

{Naya}

Less than an hour ago I discovered that for the past month, I've been dating a young ifrit with the most unstable aura for his kind.

Oi.

According to Uri, it had gotten dark enough for the ghoul and palis to start awakening. So we parked and fed our camels before assembling the enchanted hookah. Uri drew a ward of invisibility in the sand around the pipe to prevent it from drawing attention from any passerby. The last thing we needed was a djinni hauling our pipe off to some seedy black market to make a quick buck.

Like my green pipe back home, this one had a spell on it that allowed the inside of the bowl to be large and spacious. Unlike mine, which was a single dome-shaped chamber that opened up to an artificial terrace, the inside of this hookah was darker. Upon entering the bowl, we were dumped into a hallway. There were no solid walls, only two heavy indigo curtains that served as barriers. One side belonged to Ritsu and the other half of the bowl was for Uri and me.

After Ritsu reluctantly left the safety of my arms to disappear behind the left set of drapes, Uri took my hand and guided us to our side of the hookah pipe.

I was a little bummed to see that there was no balcony. As a matter of fact, there was no detectable artificial sunlight. The space was lit by dozens of hanging lanterns. Each one had its own unique design and they dangled at different heights.

The floor was eclipsed with cushions and chunky, Persian rugs. While my old room had a distinctly blue-green color scheme, this new space was decorated mostly in reds, browns, and golds.

I took in my new surroundings and stretched the limbs that had gone stiff from riding the camel.

"So this home sweet home?"

Uri started to massage his own sore muscles. He gave me a lazy grin. "For now."

I used magic to change out of the sandy, traveling clothes and into something more comfortable. Uri insisted on changing the old fashioned way. He did, however, let me cast a spell on both of us that washed away the sweat of the day. It was the equivalent to getting fresh out the shower without even having to undress.

Uri gave me a look of approval. "Your magic is growing stronger, Naya."

I sighed and plopped down on a pile of oversized cushions. Patting the decorative lump next to me, I said, "Sit with me. We need to talk."

The look in Uri's eyes mirrored the one he wore whenever I used to scold him for playing Angry Birds for too long.

He slumped into place next to me with his chin lowered and his gaze shying away from mine. I didn't want him to think this was an interrogation, so I slid my left arm along the arch in his back and drew close enough to rest my head on his chest. I rested my right hand on the top of his abdominal muscles. The more I snuggled against him, the more tension left his body.

When we were nice and comfy, I said, "I just have one question."

I felt Uri's throat bob against the top of my head. "Go ahead."

"According to your aura, you're supposed to be this unstable maniac, right?"

I tilted my head back so I could see his face. He did not look happy.

The djinni gave a rigid nod.

"Then what the hell kept you from burning me to a crisp after I agreed to that contract?"

Uri burst out laughing.

"Seriously," I chuckled. "I was a hot mess. I did everything I could think of to piss you off. Had I known what your aura meant, I wouldn't have been such a royal pain in the ass."

Uri came down from his laughter and freely stroked my hair. He bent over and met my lips. I went from being snuggled beside him to straddling his leg and inching farther up his torso. His hands fell away from my head and secured me by the waist.

Waves of heat rolled along the surface of our skin – a sign of our fires responding to the physical contact.

Uri pulled away briefly. He nuzzled my forehead. "Naomi."

It wasn't a question or a command. I felt the truth in the utterance. I closed my eyes and leaned further into him. I found the roof of his lower jaw. Kissed him there.

"Naomi," he breathed again. This time infusing more meaning into my name.

I love you too, I wanted to say.

I was too much of a coward to say it aloud. So instead, I dragged my mouth against his skin and said, "Mmm. Uriel."

An especially hot wave passed over him.

I said against his neck, "I don't care how the other djinn label you. They can go join my father in hell. I don't care that you breathe fire or have horns. To me you're the most patient man I've ever met. You're gentle and sincere and I . . ."

Say it. Just say it, Naya. Uri said it forever ago. Now it's your turn!

I couldn't look Uri in the eyes. I just kept mine shut and hovered close to his neck where it was safe.

"And I'm going to do everything that I can to help you. You deserve to be human, Uri."

I'll tell you then, Uri. When you're human, I'll tell you exactly how I feel.

Uri steered my face up to his. "You're an incredible woman, Naomi. When you agreed to the exchange spell, I expected that you would come to hate me for it. I prepared myself for that. Convinced myself that leading someone into this and earning a lifetime of hate was worth my humanity. I had no idea that after everything, I would want you just as much as I wanted a normal life. More even."

"You will be human. And I'm not going anywhere." I kissed him deeply.

Uri's throat produced a musical moan as he hugged me closer and rolled until our positions were reversed. I felt secure and profoundly comfortable under his weight. Uri kept his kisses light, toying with me until I demanded more.

I played along, nipping his lower lip when he kissed too long and arching my back when he least expected it. In the end, I won. Uri angled his head towards my ear and requested, "May I go inside you tonight?"

Out of all the ways I've been asked to get laid, this had to be hottest.

After I said yes, Uri sank his tongue deep into my ear.

I nearly lost it.

"You have to stop this."

We paused and looked in the direction of the new voice.

Ritsu crouched on his haunches a few feet away, his tails swishing back and forth and determination flooding his shiny black eyes.

I glared at the monkey. After I had spent all day helping Uri to calm down and stop stressing out about losing control in the desert, my so-called servant had to show up and interrupt our alone time. It wasn't like Ritsu hadn't done this in the past, but now was especially not the time to piss Uri off.

To my bewilderment, Uri laughed. After a moment, it became clear that this wasn't a genuine, friendly laugh. It was soft and laced with warning.

"I'll give you five seconds to watch, monkey. After that, you should make yourself disappear until we are ready to go in the morning."

Then Uri gently turned my face away from Ritsu. He proceeded to kiss me and drag his hands along my navel as if there wasn't a stubborn monkey demon watching us from the other side of the room.

After approximately five seconds, I dared a glance.

Ritsu was still there.

"Um," I mumbled against Uri's mouth. "He didn't get the message."

Uri paused and looked at Ritsu.

The monkey said, "You can't do this. It's making the invisibility wards flicker. The magic coming from the hookah can't be stronger than the spells shielding it."

In other words, our aroused fires were conflicting with the magic outside of the hookah.

Which means no sex allowed? Ever?

I leaned back on the pillows and groaned.

Uri made a similar noise and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Thank you, Ritsu. You may go now."

I waited for the monkey to leave, but he remained rooted to the spot.

"Ritsu, we get it. Now can we please have some privacy?" I shot him a pleading look.

Ritsu ignored me and made eye contact with Uri. "Get off of her."

Both of us gaped at the monkey.

"Now," he growled.

Uri's mouth formed another twisted smile. "The only way I'm moving is if I plan to walk over there and kill you. So unless you want that, you will leave, demon."

I could sense Uri's inner fire start to truly awaken. Anger, rather than arousal, must serve as a more effective alarm clock. Smoke that escaped Uri's mouth made my eyes water. This couldn't be good for the invisibility ward.

Ritsu held his ground. "I'm not going anywhere until you get off of my mistress."

Hey, ever care to consider that maybe I want him on top of me?

That familiar shade of red washed over Uri's eyes. His smile transformed into a snarl. The pressure of his body subsided as he began to rise.

I flung out my arm and aimed my index finger at Ritsu's white chest. Gripping the underside of my hand like a gun, I fired a blue dart in his direction. The narrow blast sent the monkey tumbling backwards into the thick curtains.

Ritsu recovered and stared at me. "Mistress!"

"Get out." I said, straight-faced. At the end of the day, Ritsu belonged to me and had to do what I said. I would rather have him pissed at me and alive than dead at my feet because he wouldn't back down. A mixture of disbelief and hurt welled in his eyes as he scampered from the room.

Uri got up to chase him. I hurled myself in his path, blocking him from pursuing the monkey.

"Uri, it's over. Let's just go to bed, okay?"

His eyes were still red. Through the v-cut in his shirt I could see sparks firing across his tattoo-like veins.

"Please," I begged. "Think about the invisibility ward. If your suit of fire gets too riled up, we could be spotted by one of those freaky foot-lickers."

Finally, Uri seemed to hear me. His eyes dimmed from red back to dark brown. His breath slowed to an even pace and he turned his back on the curtain.

Once we had dimmed the lights and reassumed our spots on the cushions, I told Uri, "Listen, I know that Ritsu has been really pushing your buttons lately, but even if he constantly manages to screw with our sex life, I would be really, really bummed if you hurt him in any way."

"He challenged me just then, Naomi," Uri said flatly. "He knows what I am. He knows that there are certain things that are simply not in my nature to back down from."

I tried not to scoff. "He's a monkey. What does he hope to accomplish by fighting you?"

"Try to understand," Uri said. "Ritsu is a demon trapped inside of an animal. You're probably the first decent master he's ever had. He's come to care for you and he sees me as a threat."

I gritted my teeth. "Because of the aura thing?"

"Because of the aura thing."

My eyelids were getting heavy. Even though djinn didn't need food, for some reason, sleep was a non-negotiable.

I yawned and found comfort in the soft spot where Uri's arm connected with his shoulder.

"Uri," I whispered. "What kind of djinni am I?"

I heard the smile in his voice. "Well, you're definitely not a vampiric foot-licker."

I pinched his side. "Seriously. I want to know."

After a moment, Uri said, "I'm not sure. All I can tell you is that your fire is small and greenish blue. But, trust me, you don't want to know what kind it is."

"Why?" I felt another yawn coming on.

"Because that would mean that your body is settling into the djinni form. Giving your fire enough time to mature would result in sacrificing your own humanity."

I yawned and snuggled against Uri. That was too bad. If I had to be a djinni for eternity, I would have liked to know where I would fit in among all those different fires.