The Djinni & The Dropout

53. The Mirage

He said, "Remember how we talked about visiting an oasis resort?"

I chewed on my lip. "Yeah, but I thought that would put us at risk of getting caught by Janus."

The skin around Uri's eyes crinkled. "You're right. We would have to worry if we checked in at a human resort. We wouldn't have to fear going to an oasis operated by djinn."

I blinked. "Is there such a thing?"

Uri nodded. "They're hidden and oftentimes you have to be granted special access by the djinn that protect it, but they are definitely out there."

"Oh." I thought about this new information. "And you want to take a detour to a djinn-infested oasis resort because . . . ?"

Something changed in both Uri's eyes and his voice. "Because I want to spend at least one night with you alone. With no distractions, no precautions, and," he looked pointedly at Ritsu, "no interruptions."

Under the veil, my throat bobbed. Uri and Ritsu shared a brief, mutual glare before they retracted their gazes. I got the feeling that neither of them wanted the tension to escalate for the time being.

If I was being completely honest with myself, I wanted to spend a free night alone with Uri too. It was like every time we were together, there were strict rules limiting our physical contact. As if we were students dancing at the prom with no-nonsense chaperones monitoring our every move.

It was becoming a real pain in the ass.

"What do you say?" Uri prompted. "For the past half hour, I've been leading us to what I sense is territory belonging to a jann. They usually know where to find these oases. Are you comfortable with us talking to it, or not?"

Something gently pinched my waist. I looked down into Ritsu's round, glassy eyes.

"Mistress, please." He kept shaking his head from side to side. "What Uriel isn't telling you is that if we approach this jann with a request, it will require payment of some kind. We are not in a position to be indebted to the wild djinn in these parts."

I expected Uri to direct some sort of threat at the monkey, but he remained silent. I looked back and forth between the two, weighing common sense with selfish desires.

Uri reached for his veil and tugged it under his chin. The gesture eliminated all of the questions I had regarding what he was thinking. The answer was painfully written across his face.

He was begging me to say yes.

I turned to Ritsu. "Look, I understand your concerns, but I think all three of us need a break. We'll get to the resort and spend a little time apart relaxing and recharging our batteries. If the jann asks for something unreasonable in exchange for a ticket, we can always turn him down. Okay?"

Ritsu left my lap and relocated to a spot on the camel's rump. He kept his back to me, his arms crossed, and his tail wound tightly around his midsection.

"Ritsu," I sighed, "please don't be that way. Come back."

He ignored me. It felt worse than when the reverend used to show his disappointment in me.

Uri's hand folded around mine. While readjusting the fabric over his face, he whispered, "Don't pay him any mind. He'll get over it."

***

Ritsu was right. It was as if the jann knew someone was on their way to make a request. Not long after we made our decision, a patch of green suddenly materialized about a mile away.

"A beacon," Uri confirmed. The three of us grew ever more cautious as we approached the mirage of palm trees and cool waters. The wind picked up as we closed the distance. I remembered Uri telling me that the jann were shape-shifters that often took on the form of whirlwinds and sandstorms.