Hunter is undoubtedly aware of the fact that I have no plans to actually give her the key. I half shrugged. Myer will become a problem when we actually find the key. We can’t let her—or Hunter—know what we plan to do with it.
His gaze sharpened. We know what you’re going to do with it—give it to the reapers for safekeeping.
Which was undoubtedly a sensible move except for the fact that it was never safe for something of such power to be held entirely in one space . . . My thoughts stalled. That was what Kiandra’s warning—that safety lies in four—had meant. If we wanted to be safe, then the key had to be broken into four pieces, with each piece being guarded separately from the others. While the Raziq were no longer a problem, there were still plenty of dark forces left in this world and the next that might yet discover the existence of the key and attempt to find it. But if it was split, and no one but myself and Azriel knew where all four pieces were, there was a greater chance that its existence would be forgotten.
And it is possibly an action the fates might live with, Azriel said.
It’s not like they’ve got any other choice, given I’m the only one who can find it. I pushed to my feet. The tunnel wobbled around me for a bit, and I flung out a hand, pressing it against the rough wall to steady myself.
Oh, they have plenty of choices, and plenty of means of getting what they want. His tone was grim. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.
I didn’t say anything, mainly because there really wasn’t anything I could actually say. I offered him a hand. His fingers clasped mind and I hauled him upright, though it was touch and go for a moment whether we’d both remain upright or not.
“You’re right,” he muttered. “We cannot proceed with our strength levels this low.”
“Finally, the reaper agrees with something I say. Have you got enough strength left to get us out of here?”
He hesitated. “Perhaps.”
“Then let’s head to the room at the Langham first. At least we can recharge and shower.”
He nodded, tugged me further into his embrace, and got us out of there.
* * *
Two hours later, recharged, freshly showered, and wrapped in one of the Langham’s thick, comfy bathrobes, I made myself coffee, then moved across the room to stand at the window beside Azriel. Melbourne stretched before me, bright and beautiful at night. We were two steps closer to making that beauty safe from the shadow of hell; all we had to do now was find a key and beat a bitch with a god on her side.
I drank some coffee, then said, “We need to go see Stane. Hopefully he’s had some success in pinning down the list of possible locations.”
“Yes.” Azriel’s gaze met mine. “I would suggest, however, we retrieve some clothes for you first.”
A smile tugged at my lips as I struck a pose. “You don’t think he’d appreciate my current attire?”
“I think he’d appreciate it entirely too much, and that is the problem.”
I laughed, then rose and dropped a quick kiss on his lips. “I do like it when you get all human on me. But Stane is a look-only guy—at least when it comes to me.”
“I am well aware of that. I was merely stating the fact that in this form, I have no desire to share.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Meaning in energy form, you do?”
He smiled. “Yes and no. To reapers, the music of the soul is a beautiful thing to behold, and it is something we share with all those close to us. It isn’t a sexual thing—as nakedness very often is here on Earth. It is—” He hesitated, frowning. “I cannot really define what it is, or what it means to us. But we do not have music or art or anything along those lines in my world. There is no need when there is the music of a soul.”
“That is a very beautiful sentiment.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You sound surprised.”
“Well, I may have seen you guys for most of my life, but I actually grew up reading all the regular myths and stories about angels, reapers, and demons. Let’s just say that none of you are really what I was expecting.”
“And that, I assume, is a good thing.”
“A very good thing, given I’m now carrying a reaper’s child.” I glanced at the clock near the bed and sighed softly. “I guess we’d better get this show on the road. Hunter’s deadline is getting altogether too fucking close.”
“Indeed.” He tugged me close, and a second later we were standing in the middle of my office at the café. Once I was dressed, I picked up the phone and rang Stane. It might have been easier to simply go there, but if he hadn’t pinned down the list, there was little point.
“Hey,” he said, his smile cheerful despite the deep rings of tiredness under his eyes. “I’ve been trying to contact you.”
“Sorry, been busy fighting evil, and all that.”