Page 135 of Black to Light

He cocked his head, studying me openly.

“Everyone else is with me,” he said, blowing me a pulse of warmth. “That means you, too, doc.”

Angel started to speak, but Black raised a hand, silencing her.

“Stop,” he growled. He turned on her, his gold eyes sharp. “I mean it, Ang. Or I’m sending you and Javier and that pissed-off husband of yours back to the hotel for some much-needed sleep and maybe a few tumblers-full of bourbon.”

He aimed a finger at Cowboy without looking away from Angel’s face. “That fucker was stalking the plane last night like a caged lion, imagining ways of skinning Dalejem alive, so there’s no way inhellI’m letting him get anywhere near this thing. He’s too close…”

Black’s eyes darkened a shade.

“…and hehurtyou, Ang.” Black visibly swallowed. “So there’s no way in hell I’m letting Dalejem get near you again, either, not while he’s like this. Not until we break the hold Brick… or whoever else… has on him.”

Angel started to open her mouth, but Black talked over her.

“I don’t know why the fuck you’re arguing with me about this,” he growled. “You and Javier are dead on your feet. You shouldn’t evenbehere, but if you won’t go rest, then help the team down here and stay the fuck out of my way. Help the EMTs, if you must. Then you’re going somewhere to eat and chill the fuck out for a while, even if that means I have to knock you both out with a damned frying pan. Understand?”

Angel shut her mouth with a snap.

I saw a faint irritation skim her light brown eyes, but I also saw understanding there, even agreement. She nodded once, and I could almost feel her drop it.

I doubted Cowboy would be so understanding, but Angel didn’t give him the chance to fight with Black a second time.

She slung her arm through her husband’s and began to lead him firmly away.

I watched them fall into step just behind Mika and Dex, who’d already started leading the bulk of our team towards the wreckage of the burning storefront. One by one, the rest of the names on the list Black just rattled off followed after Cowboy and Angel. I didn’t envy them their job. I didn’t envy whichever one of them ended up finding the girl.

Honestly, I preferred facing possible death at Jem’s hands to digging her small body out of the smoking rubble.

“Follow me,” Black said, his voice grim.

Another spark and coil of flame came out of the building behind us, causing the voices of the watching Parisians and emergency workers to rise in alarm. I looked over, too, but none of our team was close enough to be in danger. A few first responders backed up out of caution, but no one in the emergency services group seemed to be in the fire’s direct path, either.

Black scarcely glanced that way. He gave one last stare up and down the wide avenue, then began to cross, gliding along the pavement like a great cat.

The rest of us began to follow, walking fast to keep up with Black, forming an uneven line across theChamps-Elysées.

I gave one last glance at theArc de Triomphe.

I couldn’t help wishing, yet again, that I could come to this damned city just once without a seer shooting someone, or blowing something up.

32

THE EMPTY NEST

By the time we reached that upstairs room, I already knew we were too late.

I suppose I knew as soon as we pushed open the unlocked door to the storefront, and no one tried to stop us from going inside.

I maybe knew even before that, as we crossed the street and no bullets drove us back.

The small, obviously high-end, boutique clothing store looked pristine inside, like they were just getting ready to open for the day. All of the clothes hung on white hangars, and the floor was strangely spotless, the carpet recently vacuumed.

It was too quiet.

The entire building felt empty, dead inside.

It was the kind of silence that went beyond what I could hear. It went beyond what I could consciously see with myaleimi,or living light.

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