Chapter 325
The swap went with little issue. Being back at the apartments meant being in comfortable mental communications range with Azure. Miles—thankfully—relaxed some, figuratively and literally, from where he lounged on my living room sofa beside my mother. According to Azure, they were halfway through the first season of some island show when Azure used the built-in excuse to get ice from the machine down the hall, which unlike the fridge, didn't flavor whatever it was dropped into metallic, and vaguely acrid.
We met there. I dropped the mask, locked the door, and started changing into the jeans and t-shirt Azure had been "wearing," while he filled the bucket with ice and brought me up to speed.
"We're safe, talking here?" I worked the shirt over my head and pulled my arms through.
"Nothing spying on us. Magical or otherwise. No reason to go overboard when he's got people posted at every exit," Azure assured me.
"Good. Bring me up to speed."
Azure did so, methodically covering and summarizing every topic of conversation, including random asides and idle chatter. Coincidentally, Miles either skipped lunch today or the man just talked about food more than I'd ever realized. Still, I appreciated how thorough Azure was being. The most dangerous part of the swap would be the moment I walked through my own front door. If there was a sudden shift in my mood or demeanor, Miles would pick up on it. So the more detail he fed me, the better.
On the surface he was confident, but his expression was tinged with worry. My summon dumped another scoop of ice in the bucket, and paused, gripping the handle tightly.
"What aren't you telling me?"
He pushed his lips together and sighed. "It could be nothing. Because of the patron interference, I've never gotten a look at Miles' psychology. How he thinks. How he lies."