I glanced up. Markel regarded me steadily. It was oddly unnerving. "If we don't get him to hospital soon, he'll die."
He must not die tonight, Azriel said. No reaper waits.
And that meant he'd be one of the lost ones if we couldn't save him. I closed my eyes and fought the rush of panic. It wouldn't happen. He wouldn't die. He wouldn't.
I reached across his body and gripped Markel's arm. "Get him to that ambulance," I said fiercely. "Make sure they know he's been injected with hemlock. And be careful, because I wouldn't put it past Taylor to have some sort of backup attack on the off chance I did decide to save Rhoan's life rather than protect myself."
Markel's sudden smile was fierce. "Oh, he's very welcome to try an attack. It would be a pleasant way to stretch the kinks from my body after the inactivity of following you via the astral plane."
I found myself hoping Taylor wasn't that stupid, if only because I didn't want my uncle caught in the cross fire between Taylor and Markel.
He scooped Rhoan into his arms, then rose. "Tread carefully on the plane, Risa Jones. Hunter will not be pleased if your life was ended before her plans have come to fruition."
"Like I really care," I retorted, then saw the amusement crinkling the corners of his eyes. "You have a warped sense of humor, vampire."
"To remain sane in my profession, it pays to," he commented, then headed out.
I watched him leave, and prayed like hell that Rhoan would be okay. Then I took a deep breath, gathered the fading strands of my courage, and lay down.
Three minutes later I entered the astral plane alone.
Chapter 14
There was nothing to be seen except gray. There were no vague outlines of buildings, nothing to hint that anything existed beyond the fog. The astral world was still and quiet, and an odd sense of peace enveloped me.
It didn't last too long.
Air began to roll past me like waves receding from a distant shore.
It meant Taylor was here, somewhere.