“Going to save Ponte,” I interrupt him. “Remiel, let’s go.”
He grips my hand and Astrals us to the Entrance Hall. “Here,” he says, handing me a gas mask that he conjured up out of nowhere.
“Why?” I ask, taking it gingerly.
“You said that those bombs were made of a powdery substance. Particles might still be lingering,” he explains, looking around.
“I was here earlier, and I still have my magick,” I protest.
“You were only here for a few minutes. Just put it on,” he protests back.
“Fine,” I mutter and place it on my head, feeling like the biggest tool on the planet.
“This way,” he says, pointing towards the hallway that leads to Cade’s room.
I follow him, my hands at the ready to blast out lightning at any fucker I see that isn’t Cade.
“Aefre,” he whispers suddenly, stopping so abruptly that I bump into him.
“What?” I whisper back. “Do you see someone?” I peer around him but see only an empty hallway.
“What happened earlier. I apologize for losing my temper. I was...there’s no excuse,” he says formally.
I wait a beat. “Do you know what you did to me?” I ask, needing to know.
He gazes into my eyes, partly shielded by the gas mask. “I pushed you and you fell and passed out. It was inexcusable to hurt you.”
“You did more than that,” I say. “You pushed my essence through time, to before I was a Vampire.” I wait for his response. Which takes a really long time to come.
“Are you sure?” he asks, eventually.
“Very much so. It was real, I am sure of it,” I reply, crossing my arms defensively.
“That was never my intention.”
“And yet your words made it so.”
“You were human?” he croaks out. “In the time when you were human?”
“Uh-huh,” I say, getting impatient. I want to find Cade, and any Hunters that are left.
“Oh, Aefre,” he says, the genuine sorrow in his eyes taking me completely by surprise. “I would never wish that on you, you must know that.”
“It could have been worse. You could have sent me back to Lance,” I say with a twist to my lips.
The shock on his face makes me chuckle.
“It’s okay. You didn’t mean it. I can see that. Just try not to do it again. It was...unpleasant.” I forgive him and he takes me in his arms.
“Done,” he says. “Now, shall we?”
“How come you aren’t wearing a gas mask?” I ask, only now realizing that he isn’t.
He gives me an imperious look. “I am beyond the magick of Hunters,” he boasts.
“You hope,” I point out.
He spins on his heel and fires out a stream of fire that hits the skulking Hunter that I hadn’t even noticed, knocking him off his feet in an inferno of agonizing screams. “You were saying?”