"And what might that be?"
"I am no longer the Mijai assigned to this case. My task now lies with defending the gates, rather than you."
I frowned. "Even though I carry your child?"
"It is my duty, not my desire. Believe that."
"Well, duty can fuck off. And so can the powers that be. I want you guarding me, and no one else."
"It is not that easy —"
"It is that easy," I bit back. "Or they can forget any fucking hope of me giving them the keys."
He was silent, his gaze suddenly distant, distracted. After a moment, he said quietly, "The powers that be suggest withholding the keys from them would not be wise."
My heart just about stopped. "They're listening in to our conversation?"
"Of course. You are now Mijai to-be, so discussions of importance, such as this, will always be monitored."
Celestial eavesdropping. Just what we needed. I shrugged, a casual movement that belied the tension riding me. "What's the worst they can do? Kill me again?"
"It would bring you under their control more fully," he said. "You will, after all, become Mijai after your next death."
"Which means squat. It's not like they can go all autocratic on my ass and force me to do their bidding, is it?" I hesitated, frowning suddenly. "Is it?"
"No, that is not their way. They can, however, make life rather unpleasant."
My gaze dropped briefly to his scars. If they were a result of "unpleasantness," then it definitely wasn't something I wanted to face. But I wasn't about to try to find the other keys without Azriel by my side, either.