"Sometimes," I muttered, feeling all that warm heat wash over my skin and stir things that had no right to be stirring. "But not always. How did you get the bullet out?"
"Once I was sure the Raziq were not following me, I called for help."
"There are reaper field medics?"
His amusement stirred all around me, further fueling the fires. I resisted the urge to pat my face with cold water as I washed my hands.
"There are no field medics. I called a friend."
I studied him for a moment, wondering if that friend was male or female. Wondering why I even cared. "What about the Dušan’s book?"
"For the moment, it is safely hidden in the gray fields."
"It can’t stay there." For me to read it, it had to be here on earth while I was on the gray fields, not the other way around.
He nodded. "But I suspect that the Raziq might have put some sort of locator spell on it. The minute we bring it out of the gray fields, they will be able to trace it."
I frowned. "And you can’t undo the spell?"
"No. As I’ve said, reapers are not magic users. We can sense its presence, and we can sometimes—with care—manipulate it, as we did with the portals, but that is it."
"What about the Brindle witches? Do you think they’d have a shot?"
"No. The Aedh priests have forgotten more magic than your witches will ever know."
Oh fab. Not. I studied him for a moment, then said, "Well, I’m not going to attempt to read the book now. I need some sleep before I meet Lucian in a few hours."
Something frosty crept into the air. He stood upright and gave me a slight bow. "I shall leave you in peace, then."