“I tend to agree.”
That rawness still burned me, making me ache for something I couldn’t even begin to describe. “Then why…?”
“Because,” he said, a harsh edge of determination in his tone. “I have no other choice.”
“There are always choices,” I said, quoting his own words back at him. “And wouldn’t seducing me break one of those many rules Mijai have?”
He didn’t immediately reply, but his hand slid sensually down my spine and came to rest on my rump. The effect was electric—a firestorm that ripped through my body, making me shudder, making me ache.
“Azriel—” I stopped, not entirely sure what I was about to say. Not sure that I should say anything.
“The rules are very clear,” he said softly. “But sometimes the gain is worth the punishment.”
And with that, his lips met mine.
It wasn’t a kiss. Not exactly. It was flesh against flesh, true, but it was a whole lot more. It was energy and spirit and desire all tied up in one gentle motion, and it made me fly and, at the same time, made me weak.
“This will not end here,” he said, so softly that his words were little more than a sigh across my lips. “It cannot end here.”
I still couldn’t answer. I just stared at him, seeing the determination deep in those raw depths and wondering why he’d forced the issue now and not before.
He didn’t answer those thoughts, but I didn’t really expect him to. Instead, he stepped back, breaking the spell of his closeness. Cool air washed between us, and a gasp of surprise escaped my lips.
“Logan moves,” was all he said.
But his fingers slipped down to mine, and once again he was leading me through the crowd. I was glad of that light contact. I don’t think I could have moved of my own accord.
There were several people between Logan and us in the corridor that led to the bathrooms, but all the men did an abrupt about-face and walked away. Hopefully, I thought with a smile, their bladders would hold.
Logan pushed the bathroom door open, and five seconds later we followed. Logan was in the process of getting the old boy out, and gave me an owlish look as he hastily did himself back up.
“Here now, you can’t—” His words cut off and he fell silent.
Azriel glanced at me. “Lock the door.”
I did so, then leaned back against it and crossed my arms. Azriel touched two fingers to Logan’s forehead, and closed his eyes. For several minutes nothing happened. Then someone bashed on the door behind me, the suddenness of it making me jump.
“The bathroom is closed for cleaning,” I yelled. “Give us ten minutes, or use the bathrooms on the other side of the building.”
Muttered curses followed this statement, but the footsteps moved away.
Azriel stepped back from Logan, who didn’t move or respond in any way. Azriel obviously still held his mind, keeping him unseeing and unhearing. “I have a description of the man Logan knows as Nadler, but I suspect it is not the right one.”
I frowned. “Because we’re dealing with a face-shifter?”
“No, because Logan’s memory centers show signs of recent intrusion. Whoever Nadler is, he obviously doesn’t want the form Logan sees to be known.”
“Suggesting he could be tracked through it.” That is, if the description we pulled from Logan’s memory was the right one, and not another means of subterfuge. If it wasn’t, then all of this had been a waste of time.
“Not necessarily,” Azriel commented.
I stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was referring to our dance or our actions with Logan. I wasn’t sure I wanted an answer—especially if it referred to the former rather than the latter.
“Meaning what?”
“Well, it is obvious that the person behind the reworking of Logan’s memories is extremely powerful. Whoever it is also has enough knowledge about reapers to set up reasonably strong blocks.”
“And?” I asked, sensing there was such a block in place.