She paused as she remembered that she'd been able to eat the food he'd given her...strange. But why didn't that extend to the other things?
With no answer, she moved to his question with what the truth had been prior to this morning. "There's a reason I'm thin. I live on a lot of salads that I grow in a garden behind my house. You ever try gardening at night? Really sucks."
"Man...I'm sorry."
She appreciated his sympathy, but there was no need for it. It was what it was. "You get used to it."
"I don't know, Sam. I can't imagine life without steak. I think I'd rather be dead. Why didn't you tell me this at your house?"
"Because it was my stuff in my house and I don't have anything there that will cause me pain. Here, I'm not so lucky."
He pulled his phone from his pocket and held it out to her. "No one's touched it but me so it should be safe for you."
If only it were that simple. "Thanks, but someone put it together. It too is kryptonite."
"All right then. I'll get started notifying Acheron and crew." He called Ash while she leaned back to listen and mull over everything that'd happened since last night. It was almost more than she could even follow. How could so many things be crammed into so little time?
But what amazed her most was that she couldn't even overhear Dev's phone conversation as he talked to Acheron. For the first time in five thousand years, she felt normal. It was so peculiar.
At least that was her thought until she saw the look on Dev's face.
"You sure?" he asked Acheron.
She frowned at his tone. There was a hint of anger in it. What had happened to trigger it? Had a Dark-Hunter already been killed by the Daimons?
Or something worse?
She bit her lip in trepidation as she listened.
After a few minutes he spoke again. "I'll tell her.... Yeah, you too." He hung up the phone and stared at the wall for several heartbeats as if trying to come up with the right words.
A sick, cold knot formed in her stomach. "What?"
"Two demons were found drained this morning and left out on the Moonwalk for the humans to see. Apparently there's been a rash on demon slayings lately and Ash thinks it's a harbinger for us, saying we're screwed."
Chapter 7
Sam grimaced at Dev. "What do you mean two demons were found drained?"
He slid his phone into his pocket. "The police found their remains this morning right out in the open for the world to see. Luckily, the demons were in a human form so we don't have to do cleanup with the mundanes. But that makes Ash think it was done as a warning to us and not to scare the humans. Why else leave them exposed for the police when they'd assume the killings were just a bunch of unlucky humans who were mugged?"
That made sense to her, but she did have one question. "If they're in human form, how does Acheron know they're demons?"
"Their remains were sent to the deputy medical examiner for Orleans parish. Simone's a half demon married to a half demon demigod and they live with two ghosts. If that's not enough, her boss is a Squire with a long history of covering up preternatural blips on the human radar. Believe me, she knows demons when she sees them--both before and after she autopsies them."
Sam gave a short, dark laugh. "This is an interesting town."
"Ain't it though? And you have to figure Acheron can tell the difference between a demon and a human too. Not like he'd mistake one for another."
That was a very valid point. But it still concerned her. "Any idea who killed them and why?"
"Not a bit. You got any ideas? Ash said they'd been completely drained of blood. Other than that, they looked normal. Simone thinks it's some kind of demon ritual where another group must have needed their blood for something. Why else would they drain it out of them? Not the usual modus operandi for demon deaths."
Sam fell silent as she remembered what she'd seen last night through the slug demon's eyes....
The demon on the floor as the Daimons fed on him. Oh my God. In that one moment she knew exactly what'd happened.
"Daimons did it."
He frowned. "What?"
She ignored his question as a wicked premonition went through her. There was no doubt in her mind what had happened and who this message was meant for.
Her.
"Can Acheron get me a photo of the demons they found?"
Dev scowled. "Why?"
"I have a bad feeling. I saw the Daimons kill a demon in their hall and I'm wondering if it was one of the two the police found on the street."
He frowned. "What are the odds of that? I think it's a long shot."
"What if it's not?" What if they really did want her to know what was going on? It could be some kind of head game or something else entirely.
Either way, she had to know.
Dev pulled out his phone and started texting. Less than a minute later, he received a text back. He checked it, then held the phone up for her to see. "Look familiar?"