There wasn’t going to be an easy way to introduce Razr andexplain who he was, so Jedda just blurted it out and let Reina sort it out inher own head.
“His name isRazriel, and he’s oneof the angels we stole the Gems of Enoch from.”
It took about five seconds for that to sink in, and thenReina gasped and stepped back, her face draining of color.“Surely not...”
“It’s true.”Razr held up his hand and wiggled his ringfinger.
Reina lost more color, and a massive cloud of diamond dustexploded around her.Through the glittering cloud, a faint crimson glowoutlined Reina’s body, a giveaway that she was drawing on the powers of hergems to use as a weapon.And here in The Timeless Lands, elves were twice asstrong as in any other realm.
“Reina, you need to calm down––”
“Why did you bring him here?”Reina rounded on Jedda.“Otaehrynherwenysesmiradithas?”What the hell were you thinking?“Cluhurach!”Idiot!
“He has no power here, Reina.”Jedda kept her voice calm,trying to talk her sister down.“You know that.”
As she’d told Razr, only elves had power inFilneshara, but that didn’t bring back any colorto Reina’s face.She still eyed him like he was going to smite her where shestood.
“Why is he here?”she demanded again, her voice at a nearshout that made everyone in the nearby booths stare.
“Because we have questions.”She slowly moved toward hersister, casually putting herself between Reina and Razr.“The Gems of Enoch aresuddenly in play, and we need to know why.Did something happen to yourecently?Something that would explain the fact that two fallen angels wantthem when no one has bothered us since...since Manda?”
“Not recently,” Reina hedged, her voice low, as if Razrcouldn’t hear.“Well, mostly.”
Shit.“Dammit, Reina, just tell me.What’s happened sincethe last time I saw you?”
Reina nervously smoothed her hands down the belted goldsmock she wore in theelventradition over leatherpants.
“I don’t want to talk in front of––” Reina glared at Razr.“––him.”
Razr snarled, and before Jedda could blink, he had Reinabacked up against a tree.He didn’t touch her.Didn’tneed to.His anger and size got his point across with ease.
“When you stole from me and my team, you caused irreparabledamage and death.I’ve forgiven Jedda, but you?”He bared his teeth at her.“Idon’t know you, and I don’t give a shit what you want.Youwillanswerher questions, and you’ll do it in front of me.”
“We owe him that,” Jedda said softly but urgently.“We owehim at least that.”
“Fine.”Reina slipped around Razr and moved a few feet away,twitching like an angry cat.“But you aren’t going to like it.”
Razr folded his arms over his chest and leaned casuallyagainst the tree he’d just backed her into.His hip hit the bright yellow topazin the trunk’s center, and he just as casually stepped away, probablyremembering what the trees did to those who tried to steal the jewels.
“I already assumed as much,” he said.“Start talking.”
“Start talking,please,” Reina scolded him with asmuch sarcasm as she could fit into three words and her voice.She made a soundof disgust and turned to Jedda.“Right after I saw you last, an angel namedDarlah found me.”
“Darlah.”Razr went as stiff as the tree behind him.“TheEnoch Fire Garnet is hers.”
“Yeah, no shit,” Reina snapped.“I was dating a couple ofCharnel Apostles, and––”
“A couple?”Jedda shook her head.One Charnel Apostle wasunbelievable.But two?Those sorcerers weren’t just evil, they werenuclear-grade evil.“Why?”Before the floral-scented breeze even carried awayher question, she knew.Charnel Apostles could create gemstones full ofpowerful magic, gemstones with limited life.Basically, they were like drugs,delivering an intense boost of energy or strength or spell power for any gemelf who ingested them.Plus, they were apparently gods in bed.“Never mind.Sowhat happened?”
“This Darlah chick found me somehow.But I was with my guysat the time, and there was a battle...Long story short, Darlah got her handchopped off and I got her bracelet.”
Razr sucked in a harsh breath.“Youhave it?What happened to Darlah?”
“Who the hell cares?”Reina narrowed her eyes.“Oh, wait,was she your lover?”
The heartbeat of hesitation before Razr spoke wasconfirmation enough for Jedda, and while she had no right to be jealous, justthinking about Razr with someone else left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“It was a long time ago,” he said, catching Jedda’s gaze asif to make sure she understood that.“Now, what happened to her?”
