He dropped my purse and bag of clothes onto the bed—obviously he'd been back to the hotel room to collect them. For a reaper, he was pretty damn considerate. Sometimes, anyway.
"Yes," he said, his voice flat. "But you should—"
"Azriel—" I said, cutting him off before he could finish that sentence. "Give it up. I'm not going to be left out of this chase in any way. And if you leave without me, I'll just chase you in Aedh form."
I pushed the blankets off me, clambered out of bed, and went over to my huge walk-in wardrobe.
"I know all that," he said, his tone still flat and yet oddly hitting at the annoyance that swirled like a distant storm somewhere deep inside me. "But I continue to hope you will eventually do the sensible thing. I know there is sensible in you somewhere."
I gave him a grin as I pulled on some clothes. "I'm afraid it doesn't appear all that often."
"So I've noticed." He'd crossed his arms and was watching me somewhat grimly, but Valdis flickered with red-gold fire and the energy that surrounded him became more heated than usual. And it echoed through me, stronger than that distant storm and far, far more alluring.
Which was not what either of us needed right now. I resolutely ignored him and concentrated on the business of getting dressed. Once I was, I walked back to the bed to grab my phone, checked the address Stane had sent me, then shoved it and my wallet into my pockets before finally turning around to meet his gaze again.
Heat still shimmered between us, and if Valdis was any indication, he seemed no more able to control or deny it than I could.
"Ready?" he asked softly.
I couldn't help a slight smile. "Always."
Amusement touched his lips and warmed the edges of his eyes. "I have noticed that about you."
Then his energy swept through the two of us, and as one, we surged across the incandescent fields before finding shape once more in the shadows of a two-story building.
Still far too aware of him for my own good, I stepped quickly away from his embrace, but the sharp movement had the world doing a crazy dance around me. I locked my knees against the wobble in my legs, determined not to fall. Azriel held out a hand, not quite touching me, but obviously ready to catch me. I think it was only stubbornness that kept me upright.
After a moment I said, "Where are we?"