"Ignatius will call you. Better yet, I shall have him deliver it." Her gaze flicked to Azriel. "The less I see of him, the better I shall feel. Good-bye, young woman."
Summarily dismissed, I turned and walked out. Ignatius was back at the glass door, waiting for us. It was almost as if they couldn’t wait to get rid of us. Even the elevator was waiting.
Once the doors had closed and the elevator was on the way back down, I said, "Did you find anything in the bedroom?"
"A reaper."
My head snapped around. "What?"
The corners of his lips quirked, and I had a sudden suspicion that he liked surprising me. "Catherine Alston is slated for death, and nothing we do can stop it."
"When will she die?"
He shrugged. "Soon."
"From the Maniae, or through something else?"
"The Maniae will attack again, because she will forget your warning and sleep. That attack will weaken her greatly. She will fall onto some furniture, break it, and in the process stake herself through the heart with a stray piece of wood."
I reached for the STOP button, but Azriel caught my hand. His grip was gentle, yet steel lay underneath it, ready to react should I fight. "Even if Alston heeds your warning, she will still die. Sometimes you can save them, Risa. This is not one of those times."
"But we can at least try—"
"Then try with someone worthy of salvation. Catherine Alston is not."
"Many vampires are not," I said irritably, ripping my hand from his. Warmth lingered where his fingers had rested. "But that doesn’t mean we should just give them up to fate."
"Fate does not like being thwarted too often, and she exacts consequences if she is. Alston’s death will be quick. If we change the timing, her next one may be long and painful." He hesitated, then added softly, "Your mother knew that."