I raised an eyebrow as I plucked my helmet free of its stand. "What, you haven't been following every single thought I've had since I woke up?"
Yellow fire flicked up Valdis's side, although Azriel's expression remained stony. "You know that's not possible when Ilianna's wards are powered up. She has placed far more restrictions than your father did."
"How is that something I'm supposed to know when you've never bothered to tell me before now?"
He ignored the sarcasm in my voice and simply said, "I take it Jak called?"
"Yes." I sat astride my bike and half wondered if he was annoyed because Lucian was allowed into the warehouse and he wasn't. "He refuses to discuss anything on the phone, so I'm meeting him at seven."
"But you're going to see Tao first?"
"Yes." I eyed him for a moment, wondering again why he'd reverted back to the stiff and unyielding Azriel I'd first met. It couldn't just be annoyance over Lucian, surely. I added silently, Is our watcher still near?
Yes.
Which meant I'd better act like I'd been investigating the case rather than sleeping and fucking. "Did you manage to scope out any information about the Rakshasa?"
"Some. I'm told the best way to kill them is to smash the heart of their dark god, which is usually to be found in a sacred urn within their lair. This will make the Rakshasa stay in flesh, and render them easier to kill."
"Their lair?"
He nodded. "Apparently they are found in packs of six or more."
Fabulous. Not. "If there's six or more of them, I can't say I fancy the idea of tracking them back to their lair. Surely there's another way to kill them…"
"If you can trap it when it's about to consume its next victim, then white ash, silver, or even sunlight might destroy it."
Might. Not a good word choice. "What about the others in the lair?"