"Why?" Tao said. "That's what I don't get. Why you, and why now?"
"Because the keys can only be found and destroyed by someone of his blood, and because his flesh form was ripped from him by the other Raziq, he can no longer interact with this world."
"It takes powerful magic to rip the flesh being from an Aedh," Azriel commented. "If they are capable of that, we had better move. Now."
There was a note of urgency in his voice that hit the rest of us like a storm. I glanced at Tao, but he was already up. "I'll grab Stane," he said. "You want some shoes or will your feet be too sore?"
"Grab me a pair of boots and some fresh clothes." I wasn't about to run around barefoot and half naked as well. I gulped down the rest of the burger. Ilianna was finishing up on my feet. "What do you think our chances of being invited into the Brindle are?"
Ilianna said, "Scant to none. But we can try, all the same."
"Then we'll contact your mom on the way over there. If not, we'll have to think of somewhere else."
Though I doubted anywhere else would be safe from the Aedh. It would just take them a little longer to find us.
Tao came out of my room carrying a backpack and, a heartbeat later, Stane appeared out of the spare room. He looked rumpled and unwashed, his face haggard and the shadow of a beard decorating his chin. But there was a victorious light in his eyes.
"God," I said, "don't tell me you cracked it?"
He shoved his overnight bag on the table but kept hold of his laptop. "We now have the names behind the consortium," he said, and his sudden grin was infectious. "James Trilby, Garvin Appleby, and John Nadler. But the even bigger news is, one of them has a sister who's a witch."
"It couldn't be that easy," Ilianna said.
"But it is," Stane said. "The sister is one Margaret Trilby, and three years ago she was banished from the Brindle all-witch society because she was practicing blood magic."
"Margaret Trilby is the name of the witch who raised the soul stealer?" Azriel asked.
"Yes," Stane said, looking over his shoulder. "You know, it's somewhat disturbing to see my uncle standing so calmly in the middle of the room. Especially given I know it's not my uncle, but a reaper."