A ghost, in other words. Anger surged through me, and Amaya burned to life, her flames shooting fierce lilac streaks through the darkness. Echoing my emotions, as Valdis sometimes echoed Azriel’s.
“How the
“It is doubtful she would have attempted drawing souls from the light path, if only because they would not have the level of corruption she seems to require. But the dark path has always allowed access to those with enough power and strength of will.”
“But why? I mean, the gates were created to
“Yes, but any barrier can be breached. The portals have never been totally impervious. They cannot be, when souls must constantly traverse them.”
“We really
“Perhaps Lauren has finally refined her technique.”
I snorted softly. Nothing like refining the way you destroyed someone’s present and future lives. “What about those stones I came across inside? Could you find anything about those?”
He nodded. “It is a minor protection circle, as you have already guessed. It hides stairs that lead down into the basement.”
“I wonder if the basement leads into the tunnels the pit falls into?”
“I don’t know. His memories seemed to imply the magic merely protects storage areas, but that does not mean that is all there is to be found down there.”
It would be typical of the sort of luck we’d been getting, though. “If it’s only minor magic, Ilianna will be able to unpick it for us.”
“Shall I go retrieve her?”
I hesitated. “I don’t think the witches would react too favorably to your presence in the Brindle.”
He frowned. “Perhaps not, but it would drain too much of your strength to transport her here in Aedh form.”
And it would take longer than we probably had to drive here. The shifter had been sent here for a reason, after all, and sooner or later someone was going to miss him. I blew out a breath. “Okay, you fetch her. I’ll wait here and knock our friend out again if he shows signs of waking.”
“No need.” Azriel briefly pressed two fingers against the shifter’s forehead, and energy caressed the air. “He will not waken until I will it.”
I frowned. “How come you could do that, and yet not access his mind telepathically?”
“Different sections of the brain. I have also adjusted his memories. He now believes he came out here to investigate a sound, and was knocked unconscious and subsequently robbed. I suggest you claim his wallet.” He touched my hand, his fingers warm against my skin. “Stay alert. I won’t be long.”
“Even I can’t get into trouble in the two minutes you’ll be gone,” I said, voice wry. But I was talking to air.
And tempting fate.
Because the words were barely out of my mouth when an odd glimmer caught my eye. It was little more than a wisp of silvery smoke that was quickly shredded as it passed under the glow of the streetlight, but my stomach nevertheless dropped.
Because it wasn’t smoke.
The Ania were back.
Chapter 9
Ania were minor demons and were generally summoned to perform tasks such as harassment, assault, and murder. The last two times they’d come after me they’d done so under orders from the Raziq, and I had no doubt that was who had sent them this time.
The attack itself wasn’t really surprising. If my father was aware that the sorcerer had the second key, then surely the Raziq would be. The only surprising thing was the fact they’d taken so long to get around to doing anything about it.
Another wisp of silver stirred to my left. There was more than one Ania here. But there had been the other times, too.
I rose, drew Amaya, then reached out for Azriel.
Especially now that I was pregnant.
Yeah, like making me think my flesh was melting from my hands. A shudder went through me and my stomach turned.
Energy surged across my skin – Azriel, not more Ania. Though he didn’t physically appear, he was nevertheless standing beside me, the warmth of his presence rolling through me. God, I felt so much safer for it.
