God, I thought, it would be hell on earth. Literally.
My phone rang, making me jump. I glanced down, saw it was Hunter, and mentally let loose a string of curses. I might be willing to face her fury, but I’d been hoping to get a few Cokes—or even something stronger—under my belt first.
I was tempted to ignore the call, but I was willing to bet that would just make her angrier. I answered.
“So,” she said, her voice like the Arctic, “just when were you planning to inform me about this key-finding mission? One I gather has now gone spectacularly wrong?”
“When I had the key in my hand.” Which wasn’t exactly a lie. I would have told her; I just wouldn’t have given it to her.
“Which you do not.”
“No. A trap was set and, unfortunately, we sprang it.”
“Why did you not call for help? The Cazadors—”
“If reapers and an Aedh could not stop this attack, what hope do you think the Cazadors would have?”
Her green eyes flashed dangerously. “Do not doubt the capabilities of the Cazadors. They are more powerful than you know.”
I doubted that, given I knew a whole lot about them from Uncle Quinn. “Look, Aunt Riley’s coming down—”
“I am well aware what Riley Jenson is up to. She is of no concern at this moment.”
And I bet she’d love to know that. But all I said was, “Has Selwin lifted the Maniae curse?”
“Yes. And in return, she will receive the protection of a new master when she turns.” Heat suddenly burned through the cool depths of her eyes. Heat and anticipation. “You have earned yourself quite an enemy, young Risa. I would watch your step if I were you.”
“To be honest, she can take a number and stand in line, because she’s the least of my worries.”
“That is possibly true.” She paused, and a small, cool smile touched her lips. Oh, fuck. The crap was about to hit the fan. “From now on, you will have a Cazador by your side. Day in, and day out.”
“Oh come on,” I retorted. “That’s—”
“The way it will be. Or else.” She stared at me, and though her gaze was as blank as her expression, a chill nevertheless went through me. Because that was the face of a vampire intent on a kill. And though I had Azriel and Amaya, I had a suspicion they wouldn’t be enough if Hunter decided the council was right and I needed to die.
I licked my lips, my heart going a million miles an hour as I said, “No vampire is coming into my apartment. Not you, and not this fucking Cazador you’re assigning me.”
She inclined her head. “Do not try to lose the Cazador, or I shall lose you.”
“Fine,” I muttered, then hit the END button and glanced at Azriel. “This day just keeps getting better and better.”
“Yes.” He paused, his gaze turning to the café’s door. “And I’m afraid it’s not over yet. Your friends have just arrived.”
“Bring them on. After all, what’s one more bucket-load given I’m swimming in a sea of it?” I stalked across to the refrigerator and pulled out several cans of Coke. What I really needed was to get stinkingly, mind-buzzingly drunk, but given that wasn’t an option for several hours at least, Coke would have to do.
* * *
As it turned out, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It wasn’t great, but I think Riley’s presence tempered the worst of Rhoan’s anger. He merely yelled at me for five minutes rather than attempting to violently shake some sense into me like I think he wanted to.
I pulled another chocolate chip cookie from the jar—a jar that had started off full but was now half empty—and watched Riley. She was squatting next to one of the half-beasts, her face almost covered by the long sweep of her red-gold hair. What I could see of her expression was distant, but her lips moved. She was talking to the soul of the creature she knelt next to, which to me was little more than a wisp of fog. I didn’t know what it was saying. And while I might yet be forced to learn how to communicate with them, I honestly preferred to stick to talking to the souls of the living. There was enough grief and pain in doing that. I didn’t need to lump the anger and confusion of a ghost on top of it.
Behind Riley stood Uncle Quinn, her lover and the vampire who had taught me how to use my Aedh skills. He was, in every way, angelic, from his beautiful face that was framed by night-dark hair to his well-toned body. Of course, the angelic looks weren’t exactly a surprise because he was Aedh. Not a full blood, but a half-breed just like me. Only he was older. Centuries and centuries older.
He wasn’t just watching Riley, though. He was connected to her by the press of his flesh against hers and via the psychic link they shared, giving her an anchor to this world. As Riley’s clairvoyant abilities had grown, so had the danger of her being permanently drawn into the between world. Using Quinn as her rock in this world greatly lessened the risk.
I continued to watch them, munching on my cookie and absurdly aware of Azriel’s presence at my shoulder. His arms were crossed and he was watching Riley with something close to surprise.