Tao was standing in the middle of the living room, a brown paper McDonald's bag in each hand. "Not sure where to put these. The sofas are sodden and the dining chairs are a write-off."
"We can sit on the table." Which had, surprisingly, survived pretty much unscathed, despite its close proximity to the kitchen. But then, it was made from aluminosilicate glass, and therefore had a higher melt point.
He nodded almost absently and, as I drew closer, the heat radiating off him caused pinpricks of sweat to roll across my skin. Shit. The elemental was threatening his control again.
I stopped beside him and gently touched his arm. He jumped; then his gaze swung to mine. Just for a moment, his brown eyes were consumed by fire; then he swallowed heavily and the danger retreated.
"I'm okay," he said softly. More to convince himself, I suspected, than me. His gaze slipped past me. "Azriel, glad you made it back."
"So am I," Azriel replied.
Tao handed me one of the bags. Inside were a couple of Angus burgers with bacon and cheese, as well as a large fries. I parked my butt on the table and happily munched them down. Tao didn't join me, but walked around as he ate. It was almost as if he was afraid to stand still. Afraid the monster inside would seize control again if he did.
My phone rang just as I was working my way through the fries, and the tone – a somber funeral march – told me instantly who it was.
"Fuck, it's Hunter. I forgot to ring her earlier." Mainly because it had totally slipped my mind after coming home to find this place a half-smoldering ruin.
"And she's only just calling you now?" Tao said. "She must be in a good mood or something, because she was in a proper snit last time she contacted me."
"And Hunter in a snit is something I really don't want to face – even if only on a phone."
"If you don't answer it," Azriel said, "it will only antagonize her further. That would not be wise."
No, it wouldn't. I made to jump off the table, but Azriel motioned me to stay, then disappeared. A heartbeat later, he returned and handed me my vid-phone. I hit the Answer button and Hunter's image appeared on the screen. Her face held no expression, but her green eyes promised death.
"I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner," I said, before she could say anything. "But things have been kind of crazy —"
"I do not care about your current problems," she cut in, her voice so devoid of life it sent chills down my spine. "And you certainly will be sorry. I have warned you, Risa, about the consequences of inaction."