I glanced at Ilianna. “You got anything yet?”
She held up a hand to silence me, her expression intent. I leashed my impatience and called Azriel instead. He appeared beside me, his arms crossed as he studied the building. The sword at his back was dark. Whatever magic set it off was currently silent.
“I can feel life forces inside,” he said. “Three of them. None is the dark witch.”
“Would the protection spell placed on the building restrict you from entering or set off the alarms?”
“Human-cast spells are usually aimed at flesh or spirit. I’m energy. That”—he nodded toward the building—“would not stop me.”
“Which means it probably wouldn’t stop me, either.” But I’d have to regain flesh if I wanted to free Tao, and I couldn’t risk that setting off the magic.
He studied me for a moment. “Meaning you wish me to go inside and locate your friend?”
I wished he’d stop reading my fucking thoughts. “If it wouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience.”
Sarcasm edged my tone, but again, he seemed to miss it. Or perhaps he merely chose to ignore it. I was beginning to suspect my reaper was a whole lot more knowledgeable about this world and human emotions than he was making out.
He disappeared again, and I returned my gaze to the building. I couldn’t see any indication of a spell protecting the building—there was no faint, kaleidoscope shimmer as there had been in the underground cell—but I wasn’t about to question Ilianna’s word. She knew her magic, even if most of the time she played around with minor potions and spells.
And her mom was the keeper of the secrets—the guardian of the Brindle’s massive library. You didn’t get that position without having some serious magical mojo. In fact, I’d heard whispers that Ilianna had been in line to take over her mom’s position before she’d walked away from the Brindle and everything it represented. Whether it was true or not I couldn’t say, because Ilianna refused to confirm or deny the possibility.
Azriel winked back into existence. “He is being held in a room at the west end of the building. I believe there is some sort of spell binding him.”
“Probably something that restricts his use of flame,” Ilianna commented. Her gaze met mine. “I’ve integrated you into the spell’s properties. You’ll be able to walk through without the Charna knowing about it.”
“Good.” I glanced at the west end of the building, studying the windows and the roller door. There was definitely no entrance that way. “Once I deal with the men guarding Tao, you’ll have to come in and de-spell him.”
She frowned. “I can’t weave my presence through the magic, because she’ll sense the insertion of another magic user. And if I walk through it, it will notify her.”
“Precisely. And hopefully, she’ll come out of hiding.”
“Or go so deep undercover that we won’t find her.”
“If she does that, then she’s the Directorate’s problem.”
“No,” Azriel said calmly. “She is mine.”
I glanced at him. “Only if she appears before us, because you’re restricted to following me.”
Annoyance flashed briefly in his eyes. “She won’t disappear. There is an arrogance in most of the dark ones that makes them believe they can best any situation. She will send her forces against us, and I will be able to locate her through them.”
“Great, but I hope you’ll understand me hoping like hell she doesn’t send something against us. I really, really do not want to be confronting a soul stealer today.”
Or any other day, for that matter.
“If I kill the Charna, then her creature should also die.”
“It’s the bits in between—you know, the part where it attacks me before you kill its master—that worries me.”
“You will not die,” he said, amusement flirting with his lips. “After all, if you do, how will I get my answers?”
“There is that,” I muttered, glancing at Ilianna. She was smiling at Azriel—but then, she hadn’t seen what a soul stealer could do, or felt the agony it caused. “When I’ve dealt with the guards, I’ll give you a call. Come in fast. I wouldn’t want the Charna’s creatures to find you alone.”
She nodded and rubbed her arms. “Don’t be long. I hate standing in godforsaken places like this alone.”
I resisted the urge to point out that we were only one block away from Scienceworks—which was no doubt packed with visitors exploring all that the museum had to offer—not to mention the fact that one block in the other direction was not only a major housing development, but a church and a small shopping district. Mares were herd animals, and they tended to get very spooked when left alone in strange areas.
“Stay in the car and keep out of sight.” I squeezed her arm lightly to comfort her, then headed across the lot and jumped the fence that separated it from the next property. After walking across the road, I jumped into the scrap-metal yard next to the old warehouse.
Only to be confronted by two rottweilers.
They came running at me, teeth bared and growls low in their throats. I swore softly, but stopped and faced them—not meeting their gazes but keeping an eye on them all the same—then held out my hand. Both dogs slowed, noses in the air and snarls still low in their throats—undoubtedly because they sensed the wolf in me.
Azriel appeared beside me, his sword unsheathed and glowing blue in the brightness of the day. Once again the blade hummed, but this time the sound was oddly calming.
The dogs lowered their heads and backed away.
I glanced at him. “Dogs can see you?”
“Of course.” He sheathed his sword and stepped to one side, motioning me to continue with a sweep of his hand. “They are extremely sensitive to those who traverse the gray fields.”
I knew animals—especially cats and dogs—were sensitive to the spirit world, but I had no idea that sensitivity also extended to the reapers. Meaning I wasn’t so special after all, I thought wryly. “So why did they back away?”
“Because they have no more wish to die than you do.”
I frowned as I grabbed the top of the fence and hauled my butt over it—and winced as I hit the ground a little too hard on the other side. I’d forgotten about my battered feet. “But you said before you could not attack flesh. Dogs are flesh.”
“Yes, but dogs are generally more sensible than humans. They do not throw themselves into situations where they know the danger is greater than their ability to cope.”
I snorted softly. “You need to talk more to Aunt Riley, because she’s one wolf who will blow that theory out of the water.”
He smiled. “She holds human form, and I fear there is something about the shape that infects common sense.”
“I think you could be right.” After all, it wasn’t exactly sane for Ilianna and me to be here right now. Sanity would have involved Uncle Rhoan and the Directorate. “Although I will note that you’re also holding human shape.”
“Which is no doubt why I am here, helping you, when in theory I should be observing.”
“No one is stopping you, you know.”
“I know.” He motioned me forward with an elegant wave of the hand. “Proceed.”
I did. The driveway curved around to the rear of the building, revealing several more roller doors and shuttered windows. But right in the middle of the brickwork wall were a concrete landing and a regular door.
“Can you sense anyone near that door?” I asked, flaring my nostrils. The air was rich with the warmth radiating off Azriel, but underneath it ran the lingering wetness of last night’s rain and wisps of rust and rubber emanating from the scrap yard behind us.
“No,” he said. “They remain at the far end of the building.”
“Thanks.”
I ran forward, jumped onto the platform, and headed for the door. It was padlocked, and both the chain and lock looked brand new. But breaking either might just alert the guards to my presence, and I had no idea just how good thei
r hearing was.
“Well, fuck,” I muttered, then stepped back and studied the windows to either side.
The one on the left had a broken pane. I’d been hoping to avoid using my Aedh form, simply because it would sap my strength and I really wasn’t sure just how much I had left after the Aedh’s questioning. There was still an ache deep inside my head and a sick sensation in my stomach, and though my limbs weren’t shaky, I had a suspicion it wouldn’t take much effort to make them so.
“The lock is a problem?” Azriel asked.
I glanced at him. He expression was noncommittal, though I suspected there was amusement lurking underneath. “You could say that.”
“Then I shall remove it for you.” He drew his sword, hooked the end of the blade through one of the metal links, and said something in that musical language of his. The sword flared briefly; then the link simply melted away. I caught the chain before it could hit the ground. The metal was red-hot, and it was all I could do to place it down quietly rather than drop it.
“That’s a handy trick.”
“Valdis is a very handy sword.”
I turned the handle and carefully pushed the door open. “You speak about her as if she’s alive.”
“She is.”
I glanced back at him. He returned my gaze evenly. He wasn’t kidding. I shivered, not wanting to think about a sword that had a spirit and a life of its own, and stepped into the shadows of the warehouse.
Shadows crowded the interior, and the air was thick with the scent of dust, age, and disuse. I closed the door then stopped, my gaze sweeping the immediate area. I was in some sort of loading bay. The platform I was on ran the width of the building, stretching from the roller door nearest me to the one on the other side of the building. Several offices led off from the platform on the other side of the bay, but on my side there were just the two doors.
I walked across to the nearest one and grasped the handle, but didn’t open the door. I couldn’t smell anything or anyone on the other side, but apprehension was building in my stomach. Or maybe that was just nerves. After all, as everyone kept pointing out, I wasn’t really trained for this sort of stuff.
I licked my lips and pulled the handle. The door was heavy, but opened quietly. It turned out to be an old refrigerator. I swore softly and walked down to the next door. This one led into a wide hallway.
There were several doors leading off it, and one at the very end. I checked each one as I went, but they were little more than dust-strewn offices. The end one led into another loading bay.
“Your friend is being held in the rooms beyond the door to the right,” Azriel said softly.
“And the men?”
“One is near the door, the other outside the room that contains Tao.”
Which had to mean they were human—any nonhuman would have sensed my presence by now. “And are they armed?”
“They have guns, yes.”
Which meant there was no way of getting through that door without alerting the man guarding Tao. And I had no idea what his orders might be if there were intruders.
I could slip past them in Aedh form, but that still left them conscious and dangerous. Both men needed to be out of action before I attempted to free Tao, but how did I bring the first man down without alerting the second?
I glanced at the roller door. “Can Valdis melt that lock as easily as she melted the chain?”
“Of course. Why?”
“Because they have guns, so charging straight at them isn’t a viable option.”
He studied me for a moment, then nodded and jumped down to the loading bay floor. I followed, watching the ripple of muscle across his back as he moved. Real or not, it was mighty damn fine.
He placed Valdis against the lock, and a second later it was little more than metal puddles on the concrete. “You’d better do that disappearing thing you do,” I said, as I reached for the shape-shifting magic.
He did as I asked. I fixed the image of a dark-haired, green-eyed woman in my mind and reached for the shifting magic. Its rise was almost reluctant, slithering through my body rather than surging, so that it took longer than normal to alter my features. When the magic finally faded, I grabbed at the nearest wall for support and briefly wondered how the hell I was going to get through the rest of the day. I took several deep breaths that seemed to chase weakness away—at least for the moment—then tied the ends of my shirt up under my breasts, exposing a whole lot of stomach. Then I grabbed the roller door and opened it up.
“Hello?” I called out. “Anyone here?”
For a moment there was no response, then, “What the hell do you want, lady?”
My gaze swept the still-closed doorway. I couldn’t see him through the small glass porthole but I had no doubt he could see me. My senses crawled with the awareness of his proximity. “My car broke down and for some stupid reason I can’t get phone reception. Have you got a cell I can borrow?”
There was no immediate answer, but, after a moment, the door opened and a big, tattooed man appeared. As I suspected, he was human, but he was also all muscle, and he moved like a fighter—light on his feet.
His gaze swept me, resting briefly on my exposed stomach before flicking back to my face. “There’s a phone booth down the road.”
“Yeah, I’ve already tried that, but it’s been vandalized.”
“So why come here?” Though his pose was casual, he had one hand slightly behind his back, and I had no doubt it held a gun. “How did you even know we were in here?”
It was just my luck to strike a guard who was neither a fool nor sidetracked by the flash of flesh. “How do you think I knew? I’m a werewolf. I smelled you.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Really,” I said, the irritation in my voice not in the least bit faked. “Look, if you don’t want to help, fine. Just tell me where another phone booth is, and I’ll be on my way.”
“There are some houses one street over, or Scienceworks is a block away to the right.”
“Thanks for nothing, bud,” I muttered and turned away. So much for doing things the easy way.
“Wait,” he said, just as I ducked under the door.
I turned, bending back under the door and, in the process, flashing a good bit of breast. It might not help, but it couldn’t hurt, either. “What?”
He reached into his pocket and withdrew a cell phone. “Use this,” he said, “but make it quick. I’m expecting a call.”
“You’re a doll.” I flashed him a big smile and sauntered over, throwing in plenty of saucy hip action. His gaze slipped down, and though the scent of desire touched the air, a sense of watchfulness remained. Not one to be easily distracted by a wanton woman, obviously.
He offered me the cell, and I took it without attempting to catch his hand. I stepped away, dialed home, and asked a nonexistent boyfriend to come rescue me. Then I hung up and flashed the guard another smile.
“Thanks for that.”
I held out the phone. As he reached for it, I dropped it, then wrapped my hand around his and yanked him forward. Hard. But even unbalanced, he reacted, his free hand moving so fast it was almost a blur as he raised the gun. I clenched my fist and punched him in the neck. The gunshot zinged past my earlobe, and warmth spurted down my neck. I cursed silently and grabbed his leg, yanking his feet out from underneath him. He landed with a thump on his butt, his face at eye level and perfectly positioned for a punch.
I hit him again, feeling skin mash and bone shatter under the force of the blow. As he went down, I grabbed the gun, leapt up onto the platform, and ran into the hall. Over my shoulder, I said, “Azriel, hide the body in one of the rooms.”
I didn’t wait to see if he would do as I asked. The other guard would have heard the shot, but he hadn’t come running. Which meant he was either taking care of Tao or lying low. If it was the former then I had to get there fast. And if it was the latter …
I didn’t want to think about the latter. N
ot when there was already blood running down the side of my neck.
The end of the hall came into sight. It was a T-intersection, and shadows haunted both the left and right corridors. I slowed and flared my nostrils, searching through the scents in the air in an attempt to pinpoint the guard’s location. I couldn’t smell him, but Tao was located to the right, which meant the guard probably would be as well.
If I was wrong, I’d get a bullet in the back.
I closed my eyes briefly, gathered my courage, then ducked low and stepped out, keeping as close to the walls and the thicker shadows as I could.
At the far end of the corridor, a door was open. Inside, two men were struggling. The one on the bottom of the pile—and taking one hell of a beating—was Tao.
I slid to a stop and pointed the weapon. I might not have fired a gun at a human target before, but I did have weapons training—though I’m sure Mom would have had a fit if she’d known just how extensive Riley’s fight training had been.
Mom. My gut clenched at the mere thought of her. I thrust the fear aside and said, “Hey!”
The guard whipped around and reached for his weapon. He was fast, I’ll give him that, and had the weapon in his hand between one heartbeat and another. But I didn’t give him a chance to fire. My shot took him in the shoulder and flung him back against the wall. As his gun dropped to the ground, Tao twisted around and kicked it to the other side of the room.
“About fucking time you got here,” he said, his hostile tone negated by the relief evident even through the swelling almost encasing his eyes. “I was beginning to think I’d actually have to free myself.”
He’d obviously recognized my scent rather than my face. I grinned. “Have I ever let you down before?”