Darkness Falls (Dark Angels 7)

“One, that you keep in contact—and by that I mean every damn day. Given Hunter could very easily track us by phone, we won’t be taking them with us, but you find a way. You could send a message via a damn carrier pigeon, for all I care. I just want to know you’re alive and well; otherwise, I will come running.”

“That is easily achievable,” Azriel said. “Even if inconvenient.”

Riley snorted and glared at him. “Don’t give me that inconvenient crap, reaper—especially when you can pop in and out of existence at will. It’d take less than a few seconds of your life to update us, and we both know it.”

“And the second condition?” I replied, cutting off any reply Azriel might have made.

“That you do not go up against Hunter without contacting me first,” Quinn said.

“Didn’t we just finish arguing—”

“We did, and I must—somewhat reluctantly—agree that for the time being, we are better out of the picture. But you cannot go up against Hunter without help—or, at the very least, advice.”

My smile was grim. “Advice, I’d appreciate. Help, not so much.”

“We can argue about that closer to the time,” Riley commented. “But for now, you be careful.”

“Oh, I will.” I smiled. “After all, I do have a couple of reasons to live.”

“And I have always had a desire to be a grandmother,” Riley said. “So make damn sure you’re around to make me one.”

Tears stung my eyes. “I will.”

She pushed upright. “Then we had better get moving.”

I rose, moved around the table, and hugged her. “Thank you.”

She grunted and wrapped her arms around me fiercely but briefly. “Just keep safe, and keep in contact.”

“I will.”

“Then go, so I can call the tribe and get everyone moving.” She hesitated, frowning. “Rhoan won’t go. You know that, don’t you?”

I did, but I had to at least try. “I’ll talk to him.”

She half smiled. “Good luck with that.”

“Thanks. And be safe—all of you.”

With that, I stepped back and placed my hand in Azriel’s. A heartbeat later we were standing in the middle of a rather luxurious bedroom. It wasn’t one I recognized.

I frowned and looked around. “Where are we?” But recognition stirred even as I asked the question. He’d brought me to my favorite hotel.

“We are at the Langham,” he confirmed. “You need to rest, and you enjoy this place, do you not?”

“Yes, but you just can’t pop in and take over a room like this. They’re a business. Hell, they might have already rented the room out to someone—”

“I will go down to reception and ensure that cannot happen,” he said. “In the meantime, you should sleep. You cannot continue to go on as you are.”

“But the sorceress—”

“May yet be locked in hell, for all that we know.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and gently but firmly pushed me toward the bed. “If you care nothing for your own health, then at least think about the health of our child. Please, get some rest.”

“That’s not playing fair, reaper,” I muttered, as my butt hit the bed. “Besides, we did that whole energize-through-sex thing not too long ago. If you can go on without any other rest and sustenance, I should be able to.”

“When you are full energy, yes, you will be able to.” There was little inflection in his voice, but more than a little impatience in his thoughts. “But you are not that yet. Rest.”

Tiredness washed through me at his words, and I had to wonder if perhaps he was subtly forcing me to obey.