I grinned at the annoyance in his mental tones. And what if I'd wanted to be mauled by a hairy bear type?
You have far better taste than that.
The amusement bubbling through me got stronger. That wasn't what you were saying when I was with Lucian.
The Aedh's attraction was magic enhanced.
And the fact that he was also a fantastic lover had absolutely nothing to do with it. That comment was greeted by stony silence. I somehow controlled my amusement and switched to safer subjects. No sign of our spider-spirit yet?
We'd decided that—given the Jorõgumo's sudden retreat last time we'd tried to confront her—it might be wiser if Azriel remained outside, in the vague hope that out of sight would mean out of sensory range. I could hide my features easily enough—and was, in fact, now green-eyed, brown-haired, and definitely not anything you'd label pretty—so it was unlikely she'd even recognize me, let alone sense I was anything more than just another non-human. Spirits, Azriel had assured me, weren't often attuned to the Aedh. Amaya's presence on my back was another matter entirely, but given I wasn't about to go anywhere without having her close at hand, it was a risk we had to take.
No sign of her, he said. But she is unlikely to arrive early given she is aware that we hunt her.
Which makes me wonder if she'll even turn up. I mean, if she's as smart as you said, she'd be stupid to come here.
But, as Hunter noted, sometimes maternal demands overrun common sense.
I took another sip of beer. It was, despite the grimy air of the place, surprisingly good. A couple walked past me, the man radiating lust and grinning with expectation. The woman's expression was rather world-weary. Just another mark for her, I thought, as they made their way into the bathroom. I grimaced at the thought. If the bathrooms were as grimy as the rest of this place, it sure as hell wouldn't have been my first choice for a rendezvous. Even the lane behind this joint would have been cleaner.
Trying to tune their noise out, I said, If she merely wishes to feed her young, why wouldn't she just snatch someone off the street?
Perhaps she requires more in a victim than just mere flesh and blood. Her male victims were strong psychically, remember. And she consumed them, not her young.
Meaning maybe I should do a quick reconnoiter and see if I can sense any psychically strong targets in the room.
You do not need to subject yourself to the less-than-savory nature of those in the club. His mental tones held a note that I would have sworn was proprietary had it been anyone else. There are four such people in the room.
Who?