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“Yes, I can see them,” I agreed. “But I can’t communicate with them. At best, I can hear their moaning.”
And the moaning in the other room was getting louder, becoming more agitated.
“Which has never bothered you before now, so why the sudden urgency?”
“Because a man we need information from was killed tonight, but his soul was uncollected. I want to talk to him again, to see if he can tell us anything else. To do that, I’ll probably need to step onto the astral field.”
She said nothing for a moment, then, “I’m gathering this is Hunter’s job?”
“No.” I wished it was. It would be a whole lot easier talking to a ghost than having to sit here and listen to the bitter cacophony coming from the other room while I waited for a monster to make an appearance. “He might be able to help us pinpoint John Nadler, the third member of the consortium that’s been buying up the land around Stane’s shop.”
“You know, if this information source is now dead, then it suggests Nadler really doesn’t want to be found. Step carefully, Risa.”
“Yeah, yeah, I will.”
She snorted. In the background water splattered into a sink; then came more footsteps. She’d finally moved out of the bathroom.
“Here’s Adeline’s phone number.” She reeled off the number, and added, “But don’t you dare ring her now. She’ll be asleep, like most normal people.”
“Don’t worry. I’m only this inconsiderate to my friends.” I paused, then said with a grin, “And besides, I’m sure you and Mirri can find a pleasant way to pass the time until sleep arrives again.”
“Mirri’s on night shift,” she reminded me, “so if I play with anyone, it’ll be myself.”
I grinned. “Flying solo can be fun.”
“I’ll remind you of that the next time you’re whining about the lack of men and sex in your life.” Her voice was dry. “Just be careful, Ris. I’m still getting some bad vibes from this whole Hunter deal.”
No surprise there, since I had a council execution order hanging over my head. But I didn’t say anything—she was worried enough as it was. She didn’t need to know the details.
“I’ll be fine,” I said. “Just make sure you be careful, as well.”
“I will. Night.”
“Night.”
I hung up, shoved the phone away, then leaned back against the wall, listening to the growing wailing and wishing it could cover up the other sounds and smells coming from the room. The scents of hunger, desire, and blood, the moans that were filled with ecstasy rather than anger, the rending of material and the smack of flesh against flesh. The vampire involved tonight was obviously into aggressive sex as well as blood taking.
Normally, sitting here listening to someone else getting sexed would have had lust surging through my veins, but in this atmosphere, it was little more than ashes from which no fire could be raised.
As the sounds in the other room began to ramp up to a climax, the howling of the ghosts became so sharp and bitter that I had to cover my ears with my hands. But even that failed to lessen the impact. It was a sound that tore through the fabric of my being, until it felt like I was unraveling.
And then something else began to creep into the atmosphere. It was an ill wind, dark and twisted, barely there at first, but gathering in strength as the feeding in the room drew closer to culmination and the howls and screams of the ghosts got stronger and louder.
And they weren’t the only ones. Amaya was hissing fiercely, her fury filling my mind, her need to rent and tear so strong, I had to dig my nails into my hands to resist the urge to run out into that room and kill everyone.
Because it wasn’t just ghosts, a blood whore, and a vampire out there now.
The Rakshasa had finally answered the desperation of the ghosts.
Chapter 8
Azriel, I thought, you’d better get your ass back here right now, because I am not facing this thing alone.
But I drew Amaya regardless. She slipped eagerly into my hand, the lilac fire dripping from her black edges sizzling as it splattered across the floor.
Then energy of a different kind swept around me and, a heartbeat later, Azriel appeared. Valdis was drawn, her blade running with blue electricity. The fires of the two blades filled the small room with light and, in the other room, that gathering of dark energy began to fade.
“It has sensed my arrival and retreats to the gray fields,” Azriel said. “Quickly.”
