"Dev..."
He sobered before he gave her the real answer. "A few years back, one of the gods opened the portal between their realm and this one, wanting to unleash destruction on the world. They escaped and Acheron sealed it, then allowed them to stay. They've been living here happily ever since."
"Even though they were going to destroy us?"
"Well, not them per se. Their mistress was. They were just following orders and now that they're here, they obey Acheron, who set up the rules they have to follow--such as no eating humans--or he'll send them back to their realm. They've been here for a while so the arrangement seems to be working." He gave her a cute grin.
Shaking her head, Sam was still trying to get a handle on all of this. "And how do you know them?"
"They tried to eat my kid brother, Kyle, who talked them out of it. He showed them how to start a club and function in the human world as normal citizens--the hanging from the ceiling thing notwithstanding. They've been friendly with us ever since...at least most of the time."
Sam sighed. "This town is so strange."
Dev laughed as he pulled her to him. "Yes, but...there's no place else quite as exciting."
True. Very true.
He traced the line of her lips with his finger. "We've got to find out what the Daimons want from you."
"Well, we both know it's not world peace."
"Definitely not." Dev traced the line from her mouth up to the corner of her eyes. "Are you aware of the fact that your eyes are green?"
Sam gasped. "What?"
"Your eyes are green."
She pulled away from him to run to the mirror. Sure enough he was right. No wonder she'd been unable to pull anything from the floor. She had no Dark-Hunter powers left. The very fact that she could see herself in the mirror was testament to that. To help them retain their stealth while they hunted, no Dark-Hunter could cast a reflection unless they used their powers to do it.
And right now, she was human. At least temporarily. "Is that why you pulled me from the fight?"
He nodded.
Because he knew the one truth she did. In this form, she could be killed.
Ethon Stark had cut his teeth on battle. It was what had succored him as a human being. As a Dark-Hunter, that need for blood always simmered just below his surface. Nothing gave him more pleasure than stomping his enemies into the ground and watching them bleed all over his expensive shoes. It was what the warrior in him lived for.
All it lived for.
His friends were counted on the fingers of one hand and right now one of them was in serious trouble.
Sam.
She hated him, he knew that. But he didn't blame her. He was a monster and she'd glimpsed the darkness that lived inside him. The darkness that made him insane on his best day.
Even so, he still counted her as a friend. He always would no matter what her feelings might be for him. So he would give his life to keep her safe--even if it meant eternal damnation and an existence so foul that he would spend the rest of time screaming in utter misery.
She was worth that to him.
With that thought foremost in his mind, he teleported from Sanctuary to Nick's house on Bourbon Street. It was a power he didn't use often since he didn't like for anyone to know what he was capable of. Knowledge was power and the less anyone knew about his powers, the fewer people he'd have to kill to keep his secrets.
He materialized at the foot of a hand-carved staircase. "Nick!" he shouted, stalking up the stairs and through the house in search of the one who'd betrayed them and jeopardized Samia's life.
No one answered.
"Nick!"
Again it was silent.
Closing his eyes, Ethon used his powers to crawl through the house.
There wasn't anyone here.
Nick must still be with the Daimons, plotting who knew what against them. Rage over that ripped through him as it opened wounds that Ethon struggled every day to keep closed.
"Fine, you little bastard. You better stay in hiding."
Sooner or later, Nick would be back and Ethon would kill him.
Dev stared down as Sam finally slept. Even though she was tall and a fierce fighter, something about her looked incredibly vulnerable while she slept.
Why am I so attracted to you?
All he wanted was to keep her safe and that made no sense whatsoever. It was like she was under his skin and just being near her made him feel more alive than he ever had before. In fact it was taking all of his willpower not to strip his clothes off, lie down beside her, and wrap her in his arms.
This was so not him. He was normally more than content to have his one-night stands and then send them on their way as soon as he could.
He heard a light knock on the door.
Stepping away from the bed, he opened it to find Ethon on the other side. "Chi and I are downstairs. The Charonte are beginning to stir so that they can get the club ready to open. Do you guys need anything?"
"No. Thanks."
Ethon inclined his head to him. "Acheron said to keep her here even if she protests."