67. Demonology

{Naya}

I bent down to embrace Cyndr.

"Thanks for everything. I mean it."

I was surprised by the hinn's strength as she hugged me back. "I know you are, child. You be careful now. Stay close to your companions. Nastarajan has a way of separating you from what matters most when you least expect it."

Behind me, Ritsu snickered, "Well that's comforting."

I thought the same thing, but I wouldn't expect anything less from Cyndr. When I tried to pull away, the little djinni held me closer and whispered in my ear, "Remember what I told you, child. The two men behind you love you in their own way. You will one day have to make a choice."

I gave Cyndr a hard pat on the back before prying myself from her. Then I waved at the rest of the caravan.

"Goodbye everyone!"

The family of hinn erupted in an adorable cacophony of squeaky farewells and well wishes. Then I took Uri's hand and turned for the djinn city of Nastarajan. Ritsu used my wrist to hoist himself onto my shoulder. I tried not to flinch at the new contact.

He's just Ritsu, I thought. No matter what Cyndr had said, Ritsu was a monkey. Yes, he could talk and perhaps his true form was closer to Uri's and mine, but for now, he was simply a monkey.

My monkey.

I reached up with my free hand and scratched him behind the ear.

***

Nastarajan was dusty, overcrowded and labyrinthine. It took us almost an hour to get through the bazaar to an outdoor cafe that had room left for guests. They seated us outside on the tiny entranceway plaza. The three of us barely fit around a circular table, the width of which was about the length of my forearm.

"So, we're finally here," I said after the disinterested waiter handed us our tea and some oil-stained menus.

With a silent rotation of his head, Ritsu surveyed the area around us. He sniffed. Clearly, he wasn't impressed.

"What do we do now?"

Uri looked at me. "If you hadn't found that hinn caravan, we would have been in serious trouble. So I'm going to take it from here. You just follow me and let me ask the questions."

I didn't protest. I was actually relieved that I could take a back seat for the rest of the journey. To be honest, our little desert adventure was getting old. I desperately wanted to return to Mr. Naim's Knoxville estate and spend the rest of my days writing song lyrics by the pool.

I imagined Uri joining me in his chef's uniform, holding a tray of handmade horderves. Mr. Naim and my mom were there too, lounging behind us on pool chairs, discussing modern art and planning their next international getaway.

Ritsu would be swimming in the pool and squeaking, "Mistress! Mistress! Look at me!"

Oh, and Portia and Sinbad would be there too –

"Naya!"

I nearly spilled my tea. "Sorry, Uri. What's up?"

Uri suppressed a teasing grin. "I just asked the waiter where we could find the marida. He said that they haven't emerged from their halls in almost a hundred years. No one knows why."

Ritsu bit down into his order of bread. "Great. Another dead end."

Uri said, "We don't really have the luxury of looking for them somewhere else. It's now or never. The waiter told me where to find their den and hinted that you're not really supposed to go there unannounced."

I finished his point. "But we don't have time to wait for a formal invitation."

Uri inclined his head. "Exactly."

We finished our food and paid the bill before following the directions the waiter left for us. We managed to squeeze and shuffle our way out of the overcrowded marketplace and into a less dense part of the city.

The marida's den was impossible to miss. It appeared just beyond the outskirts of Nastarajan, carved in the shape of a rudimentary temple. Flanking the entrance were two statues. They were weather-beaten and chipped in a few places, but still impressive. In order to get a full view of them, I had to tip my head at a ninety degree angle.

"You better be in there," I whispered.

A hand folded around mine. I turned to look at Uri. His dark brown eyes were tired, but hopeful. It made me want to kiss him and tell him that everything leading up to this point was worth it.

After I did, he said, "Naya, I couldn't have done this without you. Thank you."

"It's not over yet," I said. We kissed again, only letting go when Ritsu reminded us in a growly voice that we had a job to do.

The three of us crossed the last patch of desert and entered the den of the marida. I held my breath as we left the safety of the well lit Wahiba Sands and stepped into total darkness.

Shortly after we took our first steps into the cavernous temple, torches came to life along the walls.

"I'm going to take that as a good sign," I said.

"Let's hope so." Uri's grip around my hand tightened.

While we walked, I tried to take both of our minds off of the mounting anticipation by asking, "So, have you ever met a marid before?"

Uri shook his head. "I've seen them, but never interacted with one."

"What do they look like?"

Uri's hand loosened a bit. "They're very big and have blue skin. They smile and laugh a lot. You immediately feel joyous when you're in the presence of one."

He smiled pointedly at me. I giggled and lowered my eyes as soon as I got the message. He let go of my hand and said, "I'm going to go on ahead. Call me if you see anything strange."

I let him take the lead. Then, something pulsed at my core where my fire lived.

{Take a breath and listen, vessel. I sense my own. They call out to me.}

I turned my thoughts inward.

Your own? As in other marida? Where are they? What are they saying?

There was a pause as Aqua processed the information. Uri and I were still walking deeper into the cave. Then, I heard it.

Turn back little ones! It is a trap!

"Uri! We have to get out of here!"

Thousands of torches flickered to life around us, stretching for miles vertically. My breath caught in my throat when I registered what was tied by a mess of chains and locks to the ceiling.

The being was mostly bound, but its head was uncovered. A tangled mane of black hair fell over an ash blue face. Its ears and nostrils were covered in silver piercings.

"Run!" The enslaved marid moaned.

I reached for Uri's hand. The floor lit up with glyphs and fire – there were circles within circles. Something pulled my hair and yanked my head back before I could touch Uri.

"Mistress, no!"

I stumbled backwards, screaming all the while at Ritsu to let go of me. Meanwhile, Uri was standing dead smack in the middle of the glyphs. They got brighter.

I crawled forward. Ritsu bit my neck, making me twist and cry out.

The ceiling started to collapse.

The last thing I remember before darkness took over was the blinding light of the glyphs, the marid's wails, and the sound of a man laughing.

From the alchemic fires I saw the outline of the man take shape. I recognized the expensive suit. Those pale gray eyes. And the oppressive shadow that clung to his back.

Janus Bergman.