19. Monkey Business

{Naya}

We were on the way to pick up Uri when I threatened Ritsu with bodily harm if he ever spoke a word about my conversation with Portia.

The little monkey sighed, "You do realize that I'm your servant, don't you, Mistress?"

I stole a glance at him before flipping on my turning signal.

"Yeah, but it's like you and Uri have this secret language sometimes. Who knows how chummy you two get when I'm not around?"

Ritsu snorted. "Uriel and I are not 'chummy' as you assume. But yes, sometimes we have conversations about things that only our kind can understand."

Whatever those things were, I didn't want to know. I had enough on my plate already.

"By the way," I said, recalling what happened at Portia's apartment, "what was up with Usher? Do you have any idea why he was growling at you?"

Ritsu's eyebrows perked up. "Do you mean the feline?"

"Yeah. He was fine until he saw you."

"You mean she."

I shook my head slowly. "I'm pretty sure Usher is a boy. I've given him enough baths that –"

"And I'm sure that you believe her to be a cat as well."

I gave Ritsu a wild look. He stated matter-of-factly, "Your friend Portia has a djinni for a pet. She doesn't know it, obviously."

"Ritsu . . . that's impossible."

"It's actually more common than you think. Not all djinn who free themselves from bondage earn a human form. Many take on the alternative form – cats."

I had to force myself to breathe. "So you're telling me that Usher is a djinni that escaped his master and disguised himself as my best friend's cat?"

Ritsu nodded. "By the looks of it, she's been in that form for quite some time. Thousands of years probably. Portia is most certainly not the only owner she's had."

I corrected myself. "Right. Usher is really a she . . . . But why did she growl at you and Uri? Wouldn't she be happy to see someone from her own world?"

"Free djinn do their best to avoid magi, demons, and other djinn. Otherwise they attract attention to themselves and risk being captured again. You see, even when a djinni is free, they aren't really free. They are merely hiding."

By now we were in the parking lot of the culinary school. I turned off the car and leaned back in my seat, trying to process everything Ritsu said.

Then I asked, "I'm a djinni too, though. Why hasn't Usher reacted negatively to me?"

Ritsu lowered his head. "She pities you."

I closed my eyes. It made sense. Usher knew me as a human. When she met Uri, she must have realized what happened between us.

I opened my eyes. If Usher knew, why didn't she help me?

"Naya!"

The passenger door swooshed open and Uri appeared. He grabbed Ritsu, tossed him into the back seat and leaned over to give me a hug. I returned a half-hearted pat and said, "Well, how was your first day?"

Uri sat back in his seat and held up a tupperware container.

"I made paella."

***

While the paella was heating up in the microwave, Uri asked me, "How is Portia doing?"

I smiled. "She misses me mooching off of her."

"I'd feel the same if I were her. You're pretty good company."

Then Uri did something that made me yelp.

He touched my ass.

I spun around and started to attack his chest with limp, frantic slaps.

"What the hell are you doing!"

Uri gaped at him with wide, terrified eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I thought it was okay!"

I shoved him against the fridge. "You think just because I let you kiss me on the cheek that you can feel me up whenever you want?"

Uri cowered and surrendered his hands. He pleaded, "Naya, please calm down. I did not mean to be disrespectful. I merely thought it was a sign of friendly affection."

Ritsu started giggling.

I barked, "What the hell gave you that idea?"

Uri swallowed and cowered a little more. "My teacher."

I stood up straight and backed away until I bumped into the sink. Uri came to full height and explained, "During our assignment, she came over and did the same thing. I didn't know what to make of it. I wasn't sure if she was just being cordial or –"

I held up my hand. "Stop. Listen to me, Uri. It is never considered cordial if a figure of authority touches you like that. It means they're sick. Did she do anything else?"

Uri looked down in shame. "I think she meant to imply that she would reward me with high marks as long as I agreed to the behavior."

"Ugh. I'm going to barf in my mouth . . . . What did you say to her?"

Uri shrugged. "I thanked her."

This whole djinni-training ordeal is not getting any easier.

My hand came up and rested on my forehead. "We can't enroll you into another school. Do you know how long it took me to set all of that up?"

Uri crossed the kitchen and took both of my hands in his.

"No, I won't run away from this. You found the best school for me to attend. So I'll deal with my teacher. I can think of some ways to deny her without causing offense."

I met Uri's eyes. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I just need a little help, uh, practicing out some scenarios."

I gently tugged my hands out of Uri's and said, "Fine. But touch my ass again, and see what happens."

Based on the brief glint in his eye, I could tell that part of him actually considered taking the risk.