And with that, he swept us to Stane's.
Only Stane wasn't alone. Tao was with him.
I stared at him for a moment, taking in the haunted eyes, hollowed cheeks, and dusty, partially burned clothing, then all but threw myself into his arms. He caught me with a grunt and his arms wrapped around me, his grip so fierce my ribs were in danger of cracking. I didn't care. He was here, he was whole, and that was all that mattered.
"God," I muttered, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding him as fiercely as he held me. "I'm so glad you're safe."
"So am I," he said softly. "So am I."
I pulled back, my gaze searching his. The flames had totally retreated and there was little more than ash and desperation in his eyes.
"What happened?"
He shrugged and scraped one hand across his chin. "I don't really know. One minute I was home, and the next I was flat on my face in a field the other side of Sunbury, near the landfill center there."
"The elemental was heading back to where it was created again."
"Yes." He shook his head. "And it was close to getting there by the time I regained control. Up until that point I was —" He paused and a shudder went through him. He briefly closed his eyes, his voice breaking as he added, "I was nowhere. I was nothing. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I fought, all there was were flames and heat and endless agony. I think I'd rather be dead than go through that again."
"Tao —"
His gaze hit mine. Fierce. Angry. "Don't say it, Ris. Don't you dare say it. You have no idea what it's like to lose your entire being to another force, and until you do, don't lecture me or feed me platitudes."
I didn't say anything. Couldn't really, simply because anything I did say probably would come off sounding like one or the other.
Tao knew how I felt and what I believed. I'd told him often enough already. He knew we were there for him, no matter what. Just as I knew that, right now, he was angry and scared; who wouldn't be, placed in the same position?
So I simply dropped a kiss on his ash-stained cheek, then stepped back, took the index cards from Azriel, and handed them to Stane. His gaze, when it met mine, was sympathetic. Maybe he'd tried comforting Tao as well, only to receive a similar response.