"Great theory, but I'm guessing it's going to be a trifle difficult to put into practice. Malin doesn't always show up when they kidnap me."
He shrugged. "We can always hope."
I half smiled. "I think hanging around me has made you a little bloodthirsty, reaper."
"It has nothing to do with a thirst for blood," he replied, voice flat. "And everything to do with revenge. As you well know."
"It was revenge that made you a Mijai in the first place," I reminded him.
"And if I had not become Mijai, I would have not met you." He stepped to one side, and motioned toward the tunnel. "But even so, I do not regret the actions that made me Mijai, and I certainly would not regret seeking revenge now for what the Raziq have done – not just for what they did to you, but for making the keys that have the potential to cause so much destruction across two worlds. Shall we go?"
There was little I could say to that. Revenge might be a dangerous desire, but it was one I could totally understand.
The main cavern was still empty of everything but hellhound blood and gore. I stopped underneath the hole in the concrete, and looked up. What I was looking for I had no idea. It wasn't like Lauren would suddenly appear, thereby making our hunt a whole lot easier.
"What do we do now?" I asked, after a moment.
"You need to rest —"
"I haven't got the time, Azriel. Mirri's life —"
"May well depend on you being strong enough to complete the task ahead." His voice held an edge that was an odd mix of concern and frustration. "You run yourself into the ground, Risa, and that is not good for anyone."
Not for the hunt, not for those you seek to save, and not for our son. The words echoed through me and made me smile. And yet a vague sense of irritation stirred. He wasn't telling me what I didn't already know.
Wasn't saying what I really wanted to hear.
"I know, and I will rest, I promise, when Mirri is safe."