"Ah, but these knives are specifically designed to cut through energy beings."
"So Raziq." And reapers.
"Yes," he said, leaving me wondering if he was confirming one thought or both.
I pushed down the slither of unease again and asked, "Was there electronic surveillance?"
He nodded and slid his hands down to my butt, pressing me a little closer. Despite my certainty that passion wasn’t part of his emotional makeup right now, he was fully aroused and as hard as a rock.
"The anticipation of an oncoming fight does that to me," he commented. "But I shall restrain the urge to ravish you senseless until after we complete our mission."
"Just as well," I said drily. "Because if you’d tried, I would have knocked you out."
"That wouldn’t have been any use." He grinned as he tapped his head. "It’s way too hard."
I snorted softly and pulled away from him. "Did you neutralize the surveillance?"
"No, but I do have contacts who have few scruples and who respect only the power of money. This entire area will be blacked out in—" He paused and glanced at his watch. "—three, two, one …"
Right on cue, the lights in the nearby houses went out. I raised my eyebrows. "And just how did they manage this, given said contacts don’t sound as if they actually work for any power company?"
"It’s easy to knock out a grid if you know exactly where to strike." He shrugged. "This way, it’ll also look less suspicious."
True. Azriel reappeared and said, "The guards have been neutralized for two hours."
"And if we need more time than that?" Lucian said.
Azriel barely even glanced at him. "The mansion is not endless, and not all the rooms are furnished. Shall we go?"