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"So how long would it take for you to get so like that to me?"

He paused "Perhaps a day I will have a Razan deliver it to you"

"Thanks" It stuck inpolite didn’t costhiets this key, or I will not be pleased"

"I’ll do y in the cylinder became so electric, the hairs on my arms stood on end "I am not interested in your best I just want that key"

You and everyone else I rubbedA heartbeat later, the white light died and I foundat the abrupt darkness

"You were successful?" Azriel said, then raised a hand and lightly brushed the hair from my eyes

I nodded "He said whatever he creates will not restrict anyone in flesh forh, so we still could be attacked"

"It wasn’t so much the attack that was the problem last time, but the fact that the sorcerer used it to divert our attention froical means" I paused "It also means Lucian will not be blocked"

"Trust reat pleasure to deal with him if he does attempt to take the key fro he does, aren’t you?"

"Yes" His reply was short, sharp Angry

"Because you want a reason to kill hi me?"

He didn’t reply, but he really didn’t need to I could feel the answer echoing deep inside ofHis muscles tensed under my touch "You cannot kill Lucian because ofelse"

"The guilt would not be yours--"

"If you break reaper rules to gain revenge for the way he’s treated h rules lately, Azriel Let’s not top it with " He sheathed Valdis and crossed his arht with a,room to answer it

"Risa? It’s Jak," he said, rather unnecessarily given his rather handsome face was crystal clear on the phone’s screen "You wanted to know if I’d heard anything unusual concerning fires?"

My heart began beating a whole lot faster "Yeah, I did"

"Well, IBut it’ll cost you"

I snorted "I’rinned It touched his eyes, war the usual havoc with ht have caused me untold heartache in the past, but there was still a tiny part of ood times

"Oh, I don’t want a story" He paused, and the spark in his eyes grew "I want a date"

"No"

"Fine I’ll talk to you later--"

"That’s fucking blackmail, Jak"

"Yep" His voice was cheery "I believe there’s still so there isn’t, but you lie, and we both know it A date should sort it out one way or the other"

"Jak, I’ into a relationship with you" Annoyance filled my voice "Accept that and move on"

"I had, but then you went and kissed ether"

I rubbed my forehead wearily I hadn’t actually kissed Jak--I’d kissed Azriel At the tiht have been the target of a sniper Those suspicions had turned out to be wrong, but I couldn’t entirely regret it, because that kiss was the reason Azriel and I had finally ended up lovers What I did regret was telling Azriel to give Jak full ht--kiss included

"Jak, just tell me what you’ve uncovered It’s iht"

I opened my mouth to say, "For fuck’s sake, one date, no sex," but what came out instead was a flat, "No"

Jak didn’t i, but I could see his surprise Hell, I was surprised And yet, weirdly, I also felt free I may not have wanted hi him had finally freed me from the pain of our past

I couldain