“Some,” I admitted.
“Good.” He studied me for a minute, and something in his eyes hardened. The guardian, rising once more to the surface. “Then you need to assuage mine. You will not tackle Hunter without outside help, will you?”
I licked my lips. “Look, I know you mean—”
“This isn’t a request,” he cut in, voice flat. “And there is no refusing. There is only yes, or there’s me walking out of this room right now and confronting her myself.”
I stared at him. “That’s blackmail.”
“Too right it is, and I don’t care. I want your word, Risa, that the minute you even contemplate contacting the forces that oppose Hunter, you’ll also contact me. I know that you’ve already made this promise to Riley and Quinn, and you will damn well extend it to me—and keep it. Otherwise, I’ll do as I threatened.”
He would, too. To keep me safe, he’d risk his own damn life. “You’re fucking crazy, Uncle Rhoan,” I muttered, then flung myself into his arms. “And god, I love you for it.”
His arms went around me and held me tight. After a moment, he kissed the top of my head and said, “I can take that as a yes?”
“You can.” I stepped away, then thrust a hand across my eyes, wiping away a defiant tear. My phone rang, and the tone told me it was Ilianna. My stomach flip-flopped, though I wasn’t sure whether it was fear or just pregnancy reasserting itself.
I dragged the vid-phone out of my pocket, hit the Answer button, and said, “Is there a problem?”
“Other than you and then Azriel making quick exits and not getting back to me to let me know you’re both okay?” she said, voice mild but holding a hint of censure.
“Yeah, besides that,” I said, voice contrite. “And I’m sorry—”
“I know,” she cut in. “I’m just feeling tired and stressed, and bitchy because of it. Anyway, you need to get your butts over here. We have to talk.”
“How urgent is this?”
“Very, if you want to protect the people you care about.”
“Then I’ll be right over.”
“See you soon.” She hung up.
I put the phone away, then gave Rhoan a smile. “Gotta go. Talk to you soon.”
“I damn well hope so.”
I half stepped toward Azriel, then stopped and turned to face Rhoan again. Clairvoyance wasn’t one of my stronger psychic skills, but when it hit, it wasn’t often wise to ignore it.
And right now, it was hitting hard.
I hesitated, then said, “I don’t suppose I could borrow that ring Liander gave you for your anniversary last year, can I?”
He glanced down at the small, unobtrusive ring on his left hand. “Why?”
My hesitation was longer this time. “Because, as of this minute, I have a horrible feeling I might need it to find you sometime in the future. And while I hope to god I’m wrong, given everything that has happened over the last few days, I just don’t want to take any sort of chance.”
“If something went wrong, and I went missing, Riley would find me.” He eyed me for a minute, his expression thoughtful. “You know that.”
“I know, but the twin connection can be disrupted by magic or drugs—and you know that.”
“True.” He studied me for a moment longer, then tugged the ring off his finger and dropped it into my hand. “Just don’t lose it. Liander will kill me—and you.”
“I won’t.” I shoved it onto my left thumb—the only place it was secure given that his fingers were thicker than mine. Plus, it was safer than merely putting it in my pocket. “But if either our sorceress or Hunter decided to snatch you—and there was no way we could find or rescue you—then Riley would likely kill me.”
Amusement filled his tone, though it failed to break the concerned glitter in his eyes. “But only after she’d rescued me—and you wouldn’t be the only one on the receiving end of the lecture.”
I half smiled. Riley’s lectures had become somewhat infamous over the years, but they were born from both fear and relief, and we all knew that. They usually ended with a fierce hug and a plea not to scare her like that again, anyway, so it was all good.