You value the life of your friends more than you value your own. His frustration and anger rolled through me, singeing my soul.
I’m no happier about this than you are. I somehow managed to keep my tone even. Reacting in anger wasn’t going to help the situation – I’d learned that from past mistakes, if nothing else. And I certainly have no desire to be pulled apart again.
Especially now that I was pregnant.
Then why go?
Because I do value the lives of my friends. The back of my neck tingled. The Ania’s numbers were growing, and it was all I could do to remain still. Look, what’s the worst they can do? They can’t kill me, because they still need me.
The Raziq are capable of more horrors than you could ever imagine.
Yeah, like making me think my flesh was melting from my hands. A shudder went through me and my stomach turned. That was another experience I had no desire to relive. They’ll snatch me, they’ll do their whole threatening spiel again, and then they’ll let me go. And we gain some time and space to find the damn key.
It is not worth —
It is, and you know it. I hesitated, fighting the urge to spin around and stab Amaya into the wispy hearts of the creatures who drew ever nearer. Amaya’s grumblings grew louder in my thoughts when I didn’t. You said you can find me anywhere now – will you also be able to hear me, even if the Raziq use their shield again?
Energy surged across my skin – Azriel, not more Ania. Though he didn’t physically appear, he was nevertheless standing beside me, the warmth of his presence rolling through me. God, I felt so much safer for it.
I do not know. His mental tones were annoyed. Perhaps.
Not what I wanted to hear. I licked dry lips, my gaze jumping to the left as another wisp darted forward. I swung Amaya and it hesitated. Obviously they were waiting for more of their kind before they attacked. Is there any way you can be transported with me?
Perhaps. He hesitated. But it would mean infusing my energy into yours, and that might cause an inappropriate reaction given the situation.
My eyebrows raised. Meaning what?
Reapers infuse energy when they have sex. The result will be similar.
As in, orgasmic?
Possibly.
I couldn’t help grinning. Well, if I’ve got to face the Raziq, I sure as hell can’t think of a better way to do it.
It could be distracting, and that could get dangerous.
So un-infuse once we’re in the Raziq’s presence. Problem solved.
That, he said, mental tones wry, is like asking a human male to pull out at the point of ejaculation. It’s easy enough to say, but it requires a great deal of control and presence of mind to actually do.
Are you telling me you have as little control as a human male?
When it comes to you, I think that’s a well-established fact. He paused, and all sense of amusement fled. Their numbers are near attacking point. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it fast.
Then do it.
Reach out your right hand.
I switched Amaya to my left hand and did so. Ethereal fingers enclosed around mine, a touch that was both electric and heated. My heart began to race, though it was a combination of fear and expectation.
Imagine, he said, that your hand is on my chest. Feel the rhythm of my breath. Breathe in as I breathe out.
It was hard to imagine anything when all I could see was the shimmering of the Ania.
Close your eyes. Concentrate. We have little more than a minute, at best.
I obeyed. Blocked out the awareness of the Ania and Amaya’s distant rumblings of unhappiness, and remembered the last time we’d done this. Remembered the feel of warm skin under my fingertips, the strong drumming of his heart.