I was shaking my head even before he'd finished. "We can't take that risk. Stand back."
He didn't. I didn't argue, but simply slid my nail under the tape and sliced it open. Nothing jumped out at me. No magic, no creatures, nothing.
Inside was a piece of paper wrapped around something small and heavy. I slid it out onto my palm and waited a heartbeat to see if anything happened. When nothing did, I carefully unwrapped the paper.
It turned out to be a key. A small silver key—the type that came with post office boxes or gym lockers.
"Well, that doesn't look too dangerous," Tao commented, peering over my shoulder. The warmth of his body seeped into my back but did little to erase the chills still rolling down my spine. He added, "There's something written on the letter."
I glanced at it. Unlike before, the writing was plain English. "Locker ninety-seven, Southern Cross Station."
"Well, that's a pain," Tao commented.
"Totally." I glanced at my watch. "And it's going to make me late for my lunch date."
"You want company?"
I shook my head. The last thing I wanted was to put Tao in front of anyone who might be keeping an eye on the locker—especially given I had no idea who this key was really from. Certainly there was no evidence that any of it had come from my father, even if Azriel's suspicions pointed that way.
I shoved the key into my pocket then turned around and dropped a quick kiss on his lips. "Thanks for the offer, but they're hardly going to try anything in the middle of a busy train station."
Tao snorted, his expression concerned. "Until we know who is behind either parcel, I think you need to expect the unexpected."
That might be true, but it still didn't alter the fact that he wasn't coming with me. "You could do me a favor, if you've got the time."
He half smiled. "That depends on what it is."
"Go through the security tapes and get a picture of the delivery guy. We might be able to trace him back to the company. If we get that, Stane might be able to raid their system and hopefully get the sender's name."