My breath caught somewhere in my throat, and for several seconds I couldn’t do anything more than simply stare at her. Horror, disbelief, anger—it all curled through me, and when combined with my already churning stomach, there was no containing it. I lurched out of my chair but didn’t make it any farther than the nearest trash can, where I was thoroughly and totally ill.
Azriel was beside me in an instant, holding back my hair as I lost every single bit of food I’d eaten only hours before, and then some.
“Water,” I croaked eventually, as I wiped a hand across my mouth. “Please.”
Azriel immediately disappeared but was back within seconds, a cup of cool water in his hand. I took it, rinsed my mouth out, then spat into the bin.
“Why, Risa dearest,” Hunter drawled, amusement heavy in her tone, “don’t tell me you’re coming down with something. That would be unfortunate timing indeed.”
Fury hit me; fury that was so deep, so fierce, it just about short-circuited my brain. I reached out, catching Azriel’s fingers, feeling the tremble in them, a physical echo of the emotions surging from his mind to mine.
You have no idea, he growled, how tempting it is right now to go find that woman and cut her into very tiny little pieces.
Which I’m guessing is exactly what she wants, I replied. She’s trying to goad you into an action we’d both regret.
I am well enough aware of that; it’s the reason I still stand here.
Her time will come, Azriel. It has to.
I hope so. But he didn’t look convinced and again I was left with the feeling that the fates had told him far more than he was letting on.
If they let her live, there would be hell to pay.
“It would seem,” I said, squeezing Azriel’s hand a final time before releasing him and moving back to the desk, “that I ate something that disagreed with me.”
A more logical explanation would have been the fact that I was pregnant, but I wasn’t about to hand Hunter that sort of information. Whether the Cazadors had it was another matter entirely.
“I’m so glad it wasn’t something I said.”
“Hardly,” I murmured. “I mean, it isn’t like we haven’t heard that particular tune before.”
“So true.” Her voice was philosophical, but the darkness and madness in her eyes were oddly sharper. “Which means, of course, that you are well aware I will carry through with my threat.”
“I’m aware.”
“Good,” she said, voice suddenly brisk. “I shall expect to see you within the next twenty-four hours, then.”
“You will.” I hit the End button, then swore like there was no tomorrow. It didn’t help the situation one little bit, but it at least made me feel a little better.
Azriel merely raised his eyebrows and waited until I’d finished. “I had no idea there were that many swearwords in this world.”
I half smiled, as he no doubt intended. “There’s probably not. I just got creative with some non-swearwords.” My smile faded. “What the fuck are we going to do, Azriel? I very much doubt that we can find the key in twenty-four hours—and even if we did, there’s no way in hell I’d give it to her.”
“No.” He rose and walked over, dragging me upright, then wrapping me in a hug that was fierce and warm. One that made me feel safe, looked after. Of course, it was a lie—or the safe part of it was. At least until we sorted out this whole key mess. Then there was Hunter . . .
“Let’s worry about her when we have to,” he said, being his usual practical self. “It is pointless doing so before the need arises.”
“Totally true, but, unfortunately, I’m not built that way.”
“No, and I am extremely grateful for the way you are built.”
I snorted softly and lightly punched his arm. “You, reaper, are incorrigible.”
“Is that not an acceptable thing to say in this world?”
I pulled away. Though his voice was solemn, his blue eyes twinkled with mischief. “It’s totally acceptable. So, shall we head to Stane’s?”
“His system is far more able to search quickly than the computer you have here.”