I eyed him warily. "Do you intend to intervene if I get into trouble?"
"I am here to keep you safe until the keys are found," he said. "Nothing more, nothing less."
Meaning, I suspected, that he would keep his distance and be totally unsociable. Azriel might have done the latter when he'd first appeared, but never the former. "What of Azriel?"
He crossed his arms. "We all bear the name of Azriel to those of flesh."
Animosity practically oozed from his pores. Why? What in the hell was going on? "You know who I mean."
"Perhaps I do. And perhaps it is none of your business."
"But it is my business. I don't —"… want my child growing up like I did – not knowing anything about his father. But I swallowed the words, not wanting to admit something that personal to a stranger – especially such a hostile one.
Besides, it was something I should have thought about before I'd banished Azriel – and it was yet another reason to call him back. I added, "I just want to know he's okay."
"He lives. Anything more you have no need nor right to know."
The urge to smack this particular reaper was strong enough that I actually clenched my fists. But I very much suspected that would not be a good move. He was angry enough to stab me with his swords and claim provocation to higher powers. "Why the attitude, reaper? What the hell have I done to you?"
"What have you done?" He shook his head, as if in disbelief. "Duty is all to those of us who guard, and duty unfinished is a crime against all."
Meaning my Azriel was in trouble. Serious trouble. My gut twisted at the thought, but even so, anger flared. "What of the way he failed me? He forced me —"
I cut the rest of the sentence off. I was talking to air anyway. The reaper had disappeared.
"You could at least have the decency to hear me out, you bastard."
The reaper no doubt heard, but he was unlikely to care one way or another. And to be honest, no amount of lashing out – whether verbally or physically – was going to make me feel any better.