Part 39 (2/2)
Henry c.o.c.ked his head.
Leah threw up her hands. ”I bet you don't know how to turn it off, do you? I'm telling you, square pegs round holes and if I ever get my hands on this Arra person, I'm going to kick her a.s.s.”
”He's here,” Henry murmured, his eyes darkening. ”No s.h.i.+t, Nightwalker. I think the overactive cleaning supplies are a dead giveaway.”
This time when Henry called him, there was no question, no doubt that Tony would answer. He said, ”Tony.”
Tony heard, ”Mine.” and stepped forward to meet the darkness in Henry's eyes.
They stood for a moment, barely an arm's length apart, Tony breathing heavily, listening to the song of his blood responding to the call. When Henry made no move to close the distance between them, he swallowed and said, ”You're hurt.”
Henry glanced at the wound on his shoulder. ”So it seems.” And back at Tony. ”I've been hurt worse.”
”Not because of me.”
”This wasn't your fault.”
”You have to feed.” Tony watched the Hunger rise, and offered his wrist. Ignored the way his hand was trembling.
To his surprise, Henry shook his head and his eyes lightened. Not completely, but it was clear he'd locked the Hunger down. His good arm reached for Tony, pulled him close. Cool fingers clasped the back of his neck, drew his head down onto a broad shoulder. That Tony was a good two inches taller didn't seem to matter. ”We can't go back to the way we were.”
”I don't want to go back.” But he did. Right now, right at this moment, right after sending two very large demons back to their h.e.l.l, right after stopping a third, right after sending friends out into danger, he wanted nothing more than to go back to when Henry made the decisions. When life went on around him without him having to be so d.a.m.ned involved. ”You need blood.”
”Yes.”
He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. ”But not from me.”
Fingertips caressed the bite on his throat that was still only partially healed. ”It's too soon. And the wrong time.”
They meant the same thing. Except they didn't.
The wizard in charge didn't get to lie down and have it done to him, no matter what the current value of it.
”Will you Hunt?”
”No.”
”Amy'll be back later tonight.” Is this how Vicki had felt? Like she was pimping for Henry? ”She'd be thrilled.” She'd be impossible to live with, but since he only had to work with her, he thought he might survive.
”Kevin Gross is in Raymond Dark's office.”
”Ah.” Tony stepped back, Henry's hand falling away. ”Is he... you know, okay with it?”
Henry smiled, his teeth very white. ”He likes that I tell him the truth.”
”Yeah? I kind of preferred it when you lied.”
”No.” Again fingertips touched the bite on his throat. ”You didn't.”
Tony turned before he had to watch Henry walk into the office set. He drew in a long breath, let it out slowly, and noticed Leah staring at him as she shrugged into her s.h.i.+rt.”I'm fine.” Tying the front tails into a knot, she yanked it tight. ”Thanks for asking.”
”You were protected.”
”That didn't give you the right to use me as bait.”
”I know. I'm sorry.”
The apology seemed to take her by surprise. ”Oh. Okay, then. And it worked-so good idea.”
”Thank you.”
”Just a thought, you might want to avoid that invisible wizard thing until you learn how to turn it off.”
Had Henry not been here, how long would he have remained unnoticed? ”I'm planning on it.”
”Good. So, about these bubbles...”
The remaining bubbles, those that had been outside the runes, were continuing to clean, moving out and over the soundstage.
”Just ignore them. Eventually, they'll dry out and pop.”
”Leaving a sticky magic residue?”
”How do you make that sound so s.m.u.tty?”
”Practice.” She grinned and shrugged back into her track jacket, ignoring the ruined zipper. ”Now what?”
”Now I need a confab with Ryne Cyratane.”
”A what?”
Tony squared his shoulders and looked as resolute as a man could with a clump of scrubbing bubbles halfway up his leg. ”We need to talk.”
Chapter Twelve.
”ALL RIGHT, LET'S a.s.sUME, just for interest's sake, that you haven't completely lost your mind.” Finger combing hair disheveled by the fight, Leah crossed over to the chaise lounge, waited until a wave of scrubbing bubbles finished cleaning the last bit of grimy upholstery, and sat, staring up at Tony as though his lost mind was a forgone conclusion. ”Why do you want to talk to Ryne Cyratane?”
”Dealing with two demons at once almost got our collective b.u.t.ts kicked. I'm still finding it a little hard to believe that the slapstick defense actually worked.”
”You're suggesting that we're not in a Three Stooges movie?”
He snorted, and ran a hand back up through his hair. ”Look, even if I deal with most of the weak spots before they open-and that's doubtful because they're not all going to be in easy-to-access places-we're still screwed. Three demons would have won that fight, and if they win the fight, they'll open your gate.”
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