Smoke and Shadows by Tanya Huff

Before they could decide whether or not to raise the alarm, the elevator door closed and made the decision for them.
    Tony jabbed at the button for the fourth floor, then bounced heel to toe as they slowly rose. “The stairs would be quicker.”
    â€œI doubt it.”
    â€œIt’s just Lee’s out there, with that thing in him . . .”
    â€œYou saw this happen?”
    â€œYeah. I’ve been seeing lots of weird shit with shadows, Henry. That’s what Arra made me forget. But she said the next shadow would take over someone in the studio to get information about this world and I saw it take over Lee.”
    â€œAnd that made you remember?”
    â€œMaybe. No. I don’t know. I just did.”
    Hard to keep his lips down over his teeth. “Well, we’ll speak to her about that, too.”
    â€œShe’s going to help him!”
    â€œYes. She will.”
    â€œWhat are you smelling?” Henry’s nostrils had flared.
    â€œBesides you? Cleansers.”
    Tony jerked as the elevator chimed and barely managed to stop himself from forcing his fingers between the doors and yanking them open faster. The moment the opening was large enough, he slipped through and raced down the hall, his Doc Martens thudding against the carpet. Although he’d neither seen nor heard him move, Henry was beside him when he reached Arra’s door.
    â€œNow what?”
    Henry reached past him and knocked.
    â€œYeah, okay, I suppose that’ll work.”
    He waited, thought he heard movement, and had raised his hand to knock again when Henry’s fingers closed around his wrist.
    â€œShe heard it the first time. She’s standing just inside the door.” The words didn’t so much get louder as more definite, more penetrating, as though they were being thrust through the painted wood. “I can hear her heart beating. It sped up the moment she saw us and it’s beating so quickly now that I have a strong suspicion she knows exactly why we’ve come. And she knows that if she doesn’t open the door, I will break it down, and even if there’s an alarm or she’s called for help, she’ll be dead before security even knows there’s a problem.”
    Tony punctuated the threat by punching the air. He only just barely resisted the urge to sneer, I’ve got a vampire by my side and I’m not afraid to use him!
    The door opened.
    â€œDo I have to invite you in, Nightwalker?”
    â€œNo.”
    Arra nodded and stepped back out of the way. “There was always a risk you’d realize his memories had been tampered with.”
    â€œ He’s right here!” Tony snapped, pushing into the apartment. “And Henry’s not here because you screwed with my memories. Not only because you screwed with my memories,” he amended as her brows rose. “There’s a piece of shadow in Lee Nicholas!”
    â€œWhat?”
    He turned to face her, his hands curled into fists. “You heard me. There’s a piece of shadow in Lee Nicholas! It came through and it took him over just like you said it would.”
    â€œAre you sure?”
    â€œYeah, I’m sure. I saw it happen!”
    â€œSo you’re sure.” The sound of the door closing was almost the sound of a door slamming. “What do you want me to do about it?”
    â€œFix it!”
    â€œI can’t.”
    This time, Tony heard the lie. “You can.”
    She stared at him for a long moment, then brushed a bit of cat hair off her sleeve. “All right, then; I won’t. And at the risk of sounding childish, you can’t make me.”
    â€œI got that covered. I can’t make you, but Henry . . .”
    â€œCan what?” she asked wearily, walking into the living room and dropping onto the end of the couch. “You can kill me, Nightwalker, but you can’t force me to have anything to do with the shadows.”
    Henry swept his gaze slowly