I stared at him, for the first time seeing the true extent of the anger and darkness in him. And I couldn't help wondering just what he would do to get that revenge—and what he'd already done.
More than either of us currently suspects, Azriel commented.
Suspicion gains us nothing, I replied, despite the fact that my own thoughts were careening along the same line. And just because he wants the Raziq erased doesn't mean he can't be trusted. Hell, I'm sure you wouldn't mind it one little bit if the Raziq no longer existed.
I returned my gaze to Lucian. "Last time we saw each other, you were intending to hunt down information about the tracker the Raziq placed in me. Is that why you were waiting at our place?"
The anger in him faded, but didn't completely disappear. It remained in the edge in his voice, in the fierceness of his gaze.
It was a fierceness that had me trembling, because it wasn't entirely anger. Lust burned in the deeper recesses of his eyes, and it was growing stronger by the moment.
I might be tired, I might have the mother of all headaches developing thanks to Amaya and the events of the day so far, but it seemed even that wasn't enough to stop the growing hum of desire.
Although it wasn't like I had many other options with which to satisfy my needs. With Azriel intent on remaining a monk, my only other possibilities were Jak—the man who not only betrayed the trust I'd placed in him by writing a newspaper article about my mother that basically called her a fraud who lied about her background, but who broke my heart in the process—or I could head down to Franklin's, a private wolf club where I was a long-term member. And while I did have a regular partner there, his touch had lost some of its appeal since Lucian and Azriel had come into my life.
A smile teased Lucian's lips. Despite his claim to the contrary, he was obviously catching at least some of my thoughts. I tugged my hand free from his and strode toward my car.
He was back beside me in a heartbeat. "In answer to your question, yes, I have been researching ways to mute the tracker, and yes, I was at your home to discuss one possibility."
I opened the car door but didn't climb in. "And what is the possibility?"
"A dark sorcerer, but not one who uses blood magic."
"Any sorcerer who trades with darkness is not a wise choice," Azriel said. Though his voice retained its usual even tone, his distaste and annoyance still shivered through me.
Which was odd. It was almost as if the chi connection had somehow deepened, allowing me greater access to the ebb and flow of his emotions. And from what I'd gathered, that shouldn't have been the case.
Unless it was a sign that assimilation was a whole lot closer than we'd presumed.