“Well, for astral travel, you simply imagine where you want to be. It’s not the actual address that matters.”
I abruptly sat up. “Of course.” I could transport myself to that study, and from there, gather enough information for Azriel to take us there.
“It would be best, however,” Adeline continued, “if you did it here, where I can keep an eye on events and intervene if need be.”
Which Azriel could not, if something happened. It certainly made sense, but I still asked, “Why? I mean, it’s not like she could sense my astral presence, is it?”
“Many witches can, and you’ve already mentioned the possibility that this woman is a dark sorceress. And while you should be safe enough from any form of magical attack originating from this plane, if she is a dark sorceress, it would not be beyond her skill to mount an attack astrally.”
“Which I have no doubt she would do if she in any way suspected my presence.”
She’d certainly shown a propensity to cover her bases and attack so far. And while I might be doing little more than scooting out of that room to see where she was located, there was no way in hell I was going to risk getting attacked, astrally or otherwise. Been there, done that, and had no desire to do it again.
I added, “Are you available to try this right now?”
“I left the day free,” she said with a smile. “I expected you might be needing additional help.”
“I don’t know how I can ever thank you, Adeline.”
She waved the comment away and rose. “Stop these idiots, and that will be thanks enough.”
“That we can do.”
She nodded. “Let’s go, then. I suspect we don’t have much time, given she appeared to be packing up.”
I took off my shoes and padded after her. The room on the opposite side of the hall smelled faintly of lavender and chamomile, and my feet sank into a thick layer of mats and silk that covered the entire floor area.
“Lie down and make yourself comfortable,” Adeline said. “Do you need guidance?”
“No, I’ve stepped onto the plane a few times since I was last here.”
“Then I shall simply monitor.” She sat cross-legged near the door, her hands folded neatly in her lap.
I glanced at Azriel, who stood guard near the closed door – more for reassurance than anything else – then released a long, slow breath and imagined the tension within flowing out with it. Then I followed the routine Adeline had taught me. Within minutes I was not only on the astral plane but in the place we’d seen in the crystal. The woman was still in the study, although all four items from the safe were now neatly bubble wrapped and packed in the second case. Part of me wanted to move closer to the items, just to see if I was able to pick up any sort of vibration that would tell me which one was the actual key, but I resisted the temptation. I had no idea whether this woman would sense my astral presence or, if the key did react, whether she’d be able to sense that.
The last thing I needed right now was to give her any more of a head start than she already had.
Instead, I imagined myself standing outside the building that housed this room, but just as I did, the woman abruptly straightened. I hoped like hell she hadn’t sensed me – that she’d just finished her packing – but I couldn’t be certain, because the astral plane whisked me outside. The study was housed in a two-story brown brick warehouse that had been converted to a living accommodation. Unlike ours, however, this one – if the buzzers near the entrance were anything to go by – had more than one apartment within its four walls. Which wasn’t a whole lot of help given we could hardly go knocking on every door to find the right one.
I tried again, this time imagining myself standing outside the front door of the apartment that housed that study and, with very little sense of movement, I was suddenly in front of a very upmarket wooden and glass door. HARRIET MONTERREY, APARTMENT 1B, the little sign under the buzzer read.
Which was all I needed.
I imagined myself back in my body, and scrambled to my feet the minute I was. The room spun abruptly around me, and if not for the fact that Azriel grabbed my arm to steady me, I would have fallen.
“Whoa,” I muttered. “Did that way too fast, obviously.”
“Obviously,” Adeline said, voice dry. “But were you successful?”
“Yes, and I’m sorry, but we have to run. Thanks for the help and the coffee.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome to both, but perhaps when this is all over, you can actually stay and chat.”
“When this is all over, consider it a date.” It was the least I could do, after all. I glanced at Azriel. “You know where we’re going?”
“I have picked the necessary information from your memories, yes.”
I smiled. At least mind sharing sometimes saved the necessity of words. “She’s on the move, and she may have sensed me.”