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. Houston, we have a problem.
What? His reply was instant, concerned.
Ania.
I cannot transport from inside the Brindle. It will take me a few seconds —
No, I cut in, as a third flicker appeared. This one was closer than the others. I swung Amaya lightly from side to side, a warning of what would happen if they got close, and one I knew they would ignore.
What do you mean, no? Has insanity caught hold of you in the brief time I’ve been away?
More than likely. Despite the situation, amusement bubbled through me. But that’s beside the point. You said it yourself – the Raziq can’t hurt me.
That doesn’t mean you should let them snatch you.
But if I don’t, they’ll go after Ilianna or Tao instead. I won’t put them in any more danger than I already have, Azriel.
You value the life of your friends more than you value your own. His frustration and anger rolled through me, singeing my soul.
I’m no happier about this than you are. I somehow managed to keep my tone even. Reacting in anger wasn’t going to help the situation – I’d learned that from past mistakes, if nothing else. And I certainly have no desire to be pulled apart again.
Especially now that I was pregnant.
Then why go?
Because I do value the lives of my friends. The back of my neck tingled. The Ania’s numbers were growing, and it was all I could do to remain still. Look, what’s the worst they can do? They can’t kill me, because they still need me.
The Raziq are capable of more horrors than you could ever imagine.
Yeah, like making me think my flesh was melting from my hands. A shudder went through me and my stomach turned. That was another experience I had no desire to relive. They’ll snatch me, they’ll do their whole threatening spiel again, and then they’ll let me go. And we gain some time and space to find the damn key.
It is not worth —
It is, and you know it. I hesitated, fighting the urge to spin around and stab Amaya into the wispy hearts of the creatures who drew ever nearer. Amaya’s grumblings grew louder in my thoughts when I didn’t. You said you can find me anywhere now – will you also be able to hear me, even if the Raziq use their shield again?
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.
I do not know. His mental tones were annoyed. Perhaps.
Not what I wanted to hear. I licked dry lips, my gaze jumping to the left as another wisp darted forward. I swung Amaya and it hesitated. Obviously they were waiting for more of their kind before they attacked. Is there any way you can be transported with me?
Perhaps. He hesitated. But it would mean infusing my energy into yours, and that might cause an inappropriate reaction given the situation.
My eyebrows raised. Meaning what?
Reapers infuse energy when they have sex. The result will be similar.
As in, orgasmic?
Possibly.
I couldn’t help grinning. Well, if I’ve got to face the Raziq, I sure as hell can’t think of a better way to do it.
It could be distracting, and that could get dangerous.
So un-infuse once we’re in the Raziq’s presence. Problem solved.
That, he said, mental tones wry, is like asking a human male to pull out at the point of ejaculation. It’s easy enough to say, but it requires a great deal of control and presence of mind to actually do.
Are you telling me you have as little control as a human male?
When it comes to you, I think that’s a well-established fact. He paused, and all sense of amusement fled. Their numbers are near attacking point. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it fast.
Then do it.
Reach out your right hand.
I switched Amaya to my left hand and did so. Ethereal fingers enclosed around mine, a touch that was both electric and heated. My heart began to race, though it was a combination of fear and expectation.
Imagine, he said, that your hand is on my chest. Feel the rhythm of my breath. Breathe in as I breathe out.
It was hard to imagine anything when all I could see was the shimmering of the Ania.
Close your eyes. Concentrate. We have little more than a minute, at best.
I obeyed. Blocked out the awareness of the Ania and Amaya’s distant rumblings of unhappiness, and remembered the last time we’d done this. Remembered the feel of warm skin under my fingertips, the strong drumming of his heart.
Feel my breath on your lips, he continued softly. Imagine it running across your tongue and into your body. Let it fill you, become you.
Warm air teased my mouth. My lips parted and I drew it in, filling my throat with his taste and my lungs with the scent of him, until all I could feel and all I could sense was the energy of his presence. In me, around me.
Imagine that energy inhabiting every part of you. His voice was soft, hypnotic. Draw it within, deep within, until it infuses every atom, until we are connected not by skin, but by the essence of all that we are.
Energy swirled through me, around me. His and mine, burning bright, within and without, making me tremble. Ache. He was right. This was dangerous. But there was no other way. Not if we wanted to be absolutely sure he was there by my side to confront the Raziq.
Draw it in, accept it, he said quietly. Let flesh and energy truly become one.
I drew a deep breath and his energy became a river that flooded every part of me, until the music of his being played through my body and mine through his. It was a dance, a caress, a tease. Heat and movement and desire, and I slipped into the firestorm we’d created so very easily.
Power of a different kind spun around me. Ania. Fear surged and it was all I could do to ignore the dark and uneasy particles twisting around my flesh. Then the music of Azriel’s being surged anew, and awareness slipped away again, until there was nothing but him and me and the pleasure of the moment.
And god, it was glorious. It carried me away, made me soar ever higher, until I felt lighter than air, brighter than the sun…
Then it was gone, ripped away as I crashed back to earth – literally. I hit hard enough to knock the air from my lungs and, for too many seconds, breathing became impossible. I couldn’t even groan. The energy that was Azriel re-formed beside me, on his back. Though I felt the shudder of surprise that ran through him, he nevertheless scrambled to his feet, Valdis ablaze in his hand.
He scanned the area, then bent, grabbed my arm, and hauled me upright. Are you all right?
Yeah. A little shell-shocked after your abrupt departure from that rather pleasurable experience, but otherwise okay. I paused and glanced around. Where are we?
Underground.
Deep underground, if the stale air was anything to go by. I swung Amaya around. Her purple light parted the night, revealing the rock that surrounded us. Like the previous times the Raziq had kidnapped me, they’d dropped us into a cavern that didn’t seem to have either an entry or an exit point. Our tomb – for that’s what they always felt like – was about ten feet wide, and about the same height. At least we could stand, which was a definite improvement over previous occasions.
I glanced up at the ceiling. Once again, there was a faint, multicolored shimmer that reminded me of oil on water. I swore softly. That shimmer was a field of magic designed to prevent me from reaching for the Aedh – something I’d discovered the hard way the first time. At least this time, unlike the others, I wasn’t alone.
Wasn’t alone before, Amaya muttered. There was I.
One time, not the other.
Fault yours.
True. And it was the reason I rarely removed her these days. I glanced at Azriel. Can you sense them?
They are near.
But not near enough, I gathered from the edge in his voice.
Will they be able to read my thoughts? Hear me talking to you?
No. That applies to flesh beings and Aedh. You are more than either now.
Which explained why my father didn’t catch my thoughts when he’d confronted me earlier. It should have been a relief, but it only ratcheted up the tension. After all, if they couldn’t read my thoughts, they might be tempted to do something about it.
Not while I draw breath, they won’t, Azriel commented.
Does an energy being actually need to draw breath?
He half smiled. You know what I mean.
I do. And thank you.
He glanced at me, eyebrow raised. For what?
For always being here.
It is both my duty and my desire.
His words warmed me more than I could ever say. He was finally admitting to emotions, even if it was desire rather than love. But once upon a time he would have denied even that, even if his behavior suggested otherwise.
I scanned our surroundings again, knowing the Raziq were drawing closer but still unable to spot them. After a few seconds, an oddly dark surge of electricity ran across my skin. It made the little hairs at the back of my neck stand on end and my soul shiver away in fear.
They’d come within sensory distance. Whether that meant they were also within range of the swords I had no idea.
Unfortunately, no. The edge in Azriel’s mind voice was deeper, the frustration stronger.
It’s really not surprising given they’d sense your presence. The Raziq might be greater in numbers, but they weren’t fools. And they certainly had no desire to risk their lives – as evidenced by their continuing use of the Ania to do their dirty work. Not that either that fact or Azriel’s presence in any way lessened my fear of them. I licked my lips and gripped Amaya a little tighter. “Show yourself, Malin.”