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Because it wasn’t smoke

The Ania were back

Chapter 9

Ania were enerally 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 ho had sent the If my father are 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 A of ould happen if they got close, and one I knew they would ignore

What do you ht hold of you in the brief time I’ve been away?

More than likely Despite the situation, ah me But that’s beside the point You said it yourself – the Raziq can’t hurt me

That doesn’t mean you should let theo after Ilianna or Tao instead I won’t put theer than I already have, Azriel

You value the life of your friends er rolled throughmy soul

I’ed to keepto help the situation – I’d learned that fro 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 led The Ania’s nu, 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 offroh me and my stomach turned That was another experience I had no desire to relive They’ll snatch ain, and then they’ll let ain 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 Ahts when I didn’t You said you can find me anywhere now – will you also be able to hear ed across h he didn’t physically appear, he was nevertheless standing beside h 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,to the left as another wisp darted forward I swung A for more of their kind before they attacked Is there any way you can be transported withht cause an inappropriate reaction given the situation

My eyebrows raised Meaning what?

Reapers infuse energy when they have sex The result will be sirinning 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 Proble a human h to say, but it requires a great deal of control and presence ofme 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 a point If we’re going to do this, we need to do it fast