57. The Challenger

{Duffy}

Duffy watched the instruments move. He had watched them all that day and all of yesterday, as well as the day before. Meanwhile, Janus and Sabur prepared to leave for Australia. The outback was where the instruments were all pointing to, but for some reason, Duffy could not shake off the growing suspicion that they might somehow be off.

So Duffy watched them like a hawk.

"Duffy, have you even packed? We need to be on our way soon."

Duffy swiveled in his chair to see Janus standing in his doorway. He could tell that his boss was once again eager to pursue the djinn. Janus took one look at Duffy and scowled.

"You have done no amount of packing in the past twenty-four hours, have you?" Janus sighed and massaged his temples. "Did you at least book our tickets?"

Duffy chewed his lip, trying to decide if it was worth letting Janus in on his suspicion. What if his worries turned out to be nothing? Then Janus would blame him for postponing his flight and Duffy would never hear the end of it.

Besides, he enjoyed sending Janus on potential wild goose chases. It gave Duffy time to recharge and temporarily live out his life without having to babysit his boss and his boss's pet monster.

It only took Duffy a few seconds to make his decision. He turned his attention back to the laptop screen that displayed the radar of the magical instruments.

"You go to Australia. I'll stay here."

Janus came closer and lowered his voice. "Did you forget about my intentions? There is a chance I will need you if the plan backfires."

Duffy had not forgotten what Janus wanted to do after catching the changeling. Sabur, despite being fiercely loyal to Janus, was still a creature of fire. Which meant that it was in his nature to assume control and power. He and Janus had shared their power and fed off of one another's energy for over half a century, but as Janus continued to age, that scale of power tipped more and more in Sabur's favor.

Duffy had realized quite a while ago that it didn't matter how young Janus Bergman appeared on the outside. Sabur was immortal and Janus was an old man. Compared to other sorcerers, Janus's power was paramount. But no sorcerer, no matter how advanced, could outlast the supernatural endurance of a well-fed ifrit.

That's what the changeling was for. He would be Sabur's replacement.

Knowing Sabur, Duffy thought, he won't be very happy about it.

Duffy looked back at Janus. "I've got an itch about this Australia trip. Let me stay here for a few days and scratch at it. If it turns out to be nothing, I'll book the next flight and join you."

Janus took a measured breath. Both of them knew that Duffy's senses were exceptionally keen for a magus. His light gray eyes scanned the ticking, winding instruments.

"Are you sure?"

Duffy leaned back in his chair. "Not really, but I would feel better if I can take some time to confirm."

Janus met Duffy's gaze with understanding. "Very well."

+++

{Ritsu}

It was times like this when Ritsu realized that he really, really, really hated being trapped in the anatomy of a primate.

Only five minutes had passed since he left the royal suite and he already knew which djinn had intentions of challenging Uriel, which of them wanted to seduce Naya and run off with her, and which ones were compelled to do both.

Ritsu used the low hanging and far reaching branches of the olive trees to make his way around the grounds of the oasis without being noticed. The courtyards where djinn came to drink tea and smoke hookah were the busiest. Ritsu sought out the largest tree and parked himself at the perfect vantage point where he could hear multiple conversations going on at once.

The djinn visiting the oasis came in all shapes and colors. Some had horns that looked as if they had been stolen from wild sheep or antelope. Many had their human-like faces painted with symbolic designs, perhaps suggesting the origins of their tribe or household.

While the majority of the djinn possessed mostly human bodies, there were many that strode around on cloven feet. There were also those with elephantine heads. Several had fox-like faces, equipped with ears, bushy tails and a thin coating of fur. No matter the form, all of the djinn adorned themselves with jewelry. Whether it was braided into the fabric of their robes, dangling from piercings in their ears, noses, or eyebrows, or hanging from their necks and limbs, it was clear that djinn valued their gold and gemstones.

Ritsu crossed his arms and leaned back against a firm twig.

No wonder Uriel and Naya became a target as soon as they walked in. Their lack of markings and adornments automatically labeled them as outsiders.

Ritsu tried to not let his mind linger on the two djinn he traveled with, or else he would risk imagining what they could be possibly doing alone in the hotel suite.

Don't be stupid. You know exactly what they're doing.

Ritsu stifled a growl and focused on the djinn below.

Their gossip was loaded with mentions of Uriel and Naya's arrival, but so far, no one seemed to be a major threat. There were plenty of hot-headed ifrits that claimed they could take on a "naked-face nobody," but Ritsu knew that one look at Uriel's true aura and most of the challengers would back down.

There was one ifrit in particular, however, that concerned Ritsu. He stood over six feet on gold-plated hooves. His ruminant legs connected to an exceptionally muscular human torso. From the waist up, his skin was covered in dust-colored clay. Over that was a darker, finer shade of orange that marked a speckled pattern all along his face, spreading down and across his shoulders. His hair hung in corded ropes down his lean, dimpled back. It was dyed copper and the ends were capped with bright baubles.

Bronze S-shaped horns twisted out of his skull, right behind his slightly tapered ears, which were studded with spikes. The ifrit's skull was also covered in softer, fleshier spikes that poked out between his corded hair. The last unnatural feature Ritsu noticed about him was the vertical slit in the middle of his forehead.

The ifrit had bright yellow eyes, a strong jaw, and an undeniable smugness in his walk and countenance. He was flanked by five equally muscular and smug-looking djinn with similar markings. Their auras ranged from sunset orange to tomato red. Their yellow-eyed leader, however, possessed a distinctly darker aura. Like Uriel's it was rosy in tint, but closer to pink on the spectrum. Ritsu settled on calling him Fuschia for now.

"We all know that the desert is home to mysteries," Fuschia said once he and his posse all sat down and ordered their drinks. In the meantime, they lit the coal on their complementary hookah pipe.

"But never have I seen the likes of which rode into the resort today."

One of the other carbon copies that traveled with Fuschia handed him the hose. "I was thinking the same. Where does desert trash of his sort find a combination of beauty and magic that rare?"

Ritsu calculated, Fuschia is the first one to smoke. He must be their leader.

Another one of the djinn leaned forward and exhaled a puff of smoke that didn't come from the pipe, but rather from his own aggravated, internal fire. He said, "Lord Zahim, I don't understand. Why are we merely sitting here and doing nothing? Did you see where they were headed? The royal suite. That rogue djinni shouldn't be allowed to enslave a djinniyah like that in broad daylight and get away with it."

Lord? Shit, we're dealing with a pompous prince . . .

Fuschia, aka Lord Zahim, passed off the hose and took a measured sip of his tea.

"It's quite unlikely that the rogue brought djinniyah against her will. She rode beside him rather than behind him as a ward or a servant might. Besides, she appeared loyal to him. When passing djinn called out to her, she avoided looking at them."

A member of the group with only one horn, jutting from his forehead like a unicorn, almost choked on his coffee. "What are you implying? That this rogue djinni managed to somehow seduce that djinniyah? Impossible."

The rest of the thick-headed carbon copies agreed. Lord Zahim's yellow eyes glinted with amusement.

"It's not impossible if the djinni is cloaking his true nature."

This caught the goons' attention.

Lord Zahim went on. "It's quite a simple process if you have the necessary resources at your disposal. Many djinn do it when they are trying to go unnoticed and unchallenged."

The one who breathed smoke earlier asked, "You think he's of our kind?"

Lord Zahim confirmed with a nod. "Not only is he probably an ifrit, but a powerful one I bet. Only a capable male with an impressive suit of fire could attract a djinniyah with such a pure, fresh aura. I have no doubt that this rogue is someone worth challenging."

Ritsu didn't need to hear anything else. He dashed up the trunk of the olive tree until he was level with one of the bridges that arched over the courtyards.

The monkey skidded to a halt before the entrance of the royal suite. Before he attacked the door, he had the briefest hesitation. What if his mistress and Uriel were in the middle of something . . . intimate?

The sinister amusement in Lord Zahim's yellow eyes teased at his memory.

The monkey lunged for the door handle.

Privacy be damned!