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"If this display is meant to cow me," I announced, "it is inadequate." I lowered my blades and waited.
"An asanbosam," repeated the voice. "That means you're not actually African at all. Not really. You're from the Nether. You scurry out from the holes between worlds to feed on humans foolish enough to tempt the dark."
Hands clapped together behind me. I whirled around to see a man studying me. Bright-orange hair. Sharp cheeks and a pointed nose resting above a thick beard.
The grip on my weapons tightened, but the figure barely registered them. He was too busy taking stock of me.
"My, but you are fearless," he observed. "Aren't you?"
I waited, amused by his smugness but concerned with his smell.
He looked normal enough. Unimpressive, really. The loose sports coat over the wrinkled polo did a poor job hiding his belly. He was hardly daunting by conventional means.
"You aren't human, either," I returned.
"All the more reason for us to deal in a civilized manner."
My face darkened. "You killed my obeah men."
"The one outside will live. The other one, I'm sorry to say, forced my hand. But then you've killed many more of mine. I won't hold that against you during our negotiations."
I sidestepped to the balcony window. Jaja lay in the grass, unconscious but breathing.
"You're a jinn," I spat. "A primal being. There are legends about your kind as well." I stared him in the eye. "Deals with jinns are foolish business."
He widened his eyes almost imperceptibly. "Smart. Doubly fearless, too, given that knowledge. Tell me, aren't you scared of me even a little?"
"Should I be?"
"Oh, yes." Flames danced in his eyes. "I've lived a long time and I've never met a Nether creature who didn't cower at my presence."
"You've never met an asanbosam."
He frowned in consideration. "Too true. And I admit to being impressed so far, despite your lowly birth. Powerful and candid, but reckless as well. Wouldn't you agree?"
I didn't answer.
"A deal with a jinn," he said. "A dangerous thing, to be sure. What you fail to realize is that I've met your obeah men before." He smiled. "Don't worry. They didn't betray you. We merely bargained over turf. They did their jobs without realizing who they were dealing with."
The jinn raised an open palm and a ball of fire burst into being. "You know, the human protections don't apply to you. I could incinerate you with a flick of my wrist."
I showed my teeth. He could try. "Get on with it," I said. "Speak plainly or fight."
"In a rush to die, I see," he said with a chuckle. "But it doesn't have to be that way. I could use someone with your talents."
"Nobody uses me."
"What about the Nigerian?"
"I work for Namadi Obazuaye."
Now the jinn laughed outright. "A weak-minded man. A charming smile and good business sense, perhaps, but no formidable talent to speak of. And here you are. An asanbosam. Once lurking in the trees of the Third World, feeding on the desolate and the lost. Desperately looking for a permanent escape from the dark pits that bore you. That's why you're here, is it not?"
I worked my jaw. This one had a silver tongue. I considered slicing it off and eating it first.
"Tell me, Tunji Malu," he started, "do you know the difference between deceit and delusion?"
My breath stopped. I narrowed my eyes slowly. "How did--"
