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How about if I roll around in mud?
That I would definitely watch. He glanced at the guard, who froze instantly, the phone still held to his ear, then added softly, “But then, my idea of heaven is being with you, no matter what you do or where you are.”
I smiled, twined one hand through his, then rose on tiptoes and kissed him, long and tender. Eventually, I added, “Who knew you were such a romantic, reaper.”
He raised a hand and brushed my cheek gently. “Who knew I would have so much to live for. Certainly not me. Not before I met you.”
“And who knew everything I was looking for would come wrapped up in such a stoic, stubborn, frustrating, and absolutely wonderful being who isn’t even of this world.”
He laughed, the sound warm and rich. “There’s a compliment in there somewhere, I’m sure.”
“Maybe. Maybe not,” I replied, amused.
He smiled, then glanced at the guard and released him. The guard placed the phone receiver down, then said, “Mr. Jantz has cleared your entry into the building.”
“Excellent,” Azriel said. “Thank you very much.”
“No problems.” The guard put a couple of security cards on the table, followed by a sign-in book. “ID?”
I showed him my driver’s license, then signed for both of us. He added, “These will get you into the elevator area, and through security screens on the seventh floor.”
“And Mr. Jantz is apartment A?” Azriel said.
“He certainly is.” The guard smiled again. “Just return the passes as you’re exiting.”
“Thank you,” Azriel repeated, then tugged me forward, leading the way to the lift area.
I swiped the card through the slot, then pressed the button for the seventh floor. As the doors closed and the lift began to move smoothly upward, I said, “Given Lauren has a habit of setting traps or blowing shit up, it might be wise if we presume the worst and reconnoiter in energy form before we physically enter Jantz’s apartment.”
“There is also the apartment’s security system to deal with.
It is activated, so even if there are no sorcery surprises, we would need to disconnect that.”
I glanced at him. “How did the police get in if the place was alarmed?”
“Building security has an override. I retrieved it from the guard’s thoughts.” He glanced at the floor indicator. “You had better become Aedh. We’re almost there.”
I wrapped my fingers around my phone, then took a deep, steadying breath and reached for that part of me that was Aedh. Energy surged in response, sweeping through me like a heated tide, numbing pain and dulling sensation as it invaded every muscle, every cell, breaking them down and tearing them apart, until my flesh no longer existed and I became one with the air. Until I held no substance, no form, and could not be seen or heard or felt by anyone or anything who wasn’t reaper or Aedh.
The lift came to a halt and the doors opened. Azriel led the way, his reaper form bright and golden in the warm light of the corridor. We swept under the glass security doors, then headed toward the apartments. There were only two on this floor, and Jantz’s was the one on the Hyde Park side of the building. I slithered in through the small gap between the door and the floor, then paused and looked around. The apartment was absolutely beautiful. It was minimalist in design and one vast open space, the kitchen, dining, and living areas flowing into one another seamlessly. The wall facing the park was all glass doors that could fold back completely, allowing entry onto the gently curving balcony from wherever you were in the main room. Chairs, tables, and mats were the same white as the walls, and the floor was white marble. The only color in the place was the dark wood of the kitchen cabinets and the long entertainment unit that lined one internal wall. There was nothing out of place, and nothing, as far as I could see or sense, that spoke of our sorceress or any of her nasty spells or creatures.
Not yet, anyway.
I moved into the bedroom. There was more color here—splashes of red among the bed furnishings and deeper gold in the en suite. Still no magic, and no obvious bombs.
If she has set such a trap, Azriel commented, she would hardly make it obvious.
True. I drifted back into the main room and headed left, past the entrance door and into the three rear rooms. One was a laundry, one was a bathroom, and the final one a spare bedroom. I still couldn’t feel any magic, and there certainly wasn’t hell spawn of any kind waiting for us. I went back to the main living area and stopped. You know, this doesn’t feel right. At every other place she has had something prepared for us, so why not here?
It could just be that, in these forms, we are unable to sense whatever it is she has waiting.
Maybe. I spun around and headed for the security pad near the front door. What’s the override code?
Seven-four-nine-one.
I called to the Aedh again but siphoned the power into my arm, down into my fingertips, imagining them alone gaining flesh rather than the rest of me. The energy surged and, in an instant, fingers appeared, seemingly floating in midair. I typed in the override code and watched the light stop flashing and turn green.
We should be all right, I said, half turning around.
