Uh-huh...Dev narrowed his gaze on him as all of his defenses ran into high gear. "What's sort of a Dark-Hunter?"
Thorn gave an evil laugh before he explained. "A Dark-Hunter who foolishly falls in love with an Apollite who turns him into a Daimon to save his life." He turned to Fang. "See why I tried to tell you love is far more sinister than anything I could ever do? I'm convinced it's why Acheron's wedding ring is black with skulls and crossbones on it." He paused to give Fang a pointed stare. "But you didn't listen to me either." He indicated Amaranda and Cael with a jerk of his chin. "I couldn't stand to see such warriors wasted so I took them under my wing."
Dev had a feeling that being taken under Thorn's wing was only slightly better than being run down by a Mack truck. And then backed up over just for good measure. "How so?"
"He saved us," Amaranda said. "We were on the run from my people and Cael's."
Dev gave her a droll stare. "Ya think? You live on human souls and people tend to get a little pissed off about it. Damn rotten bastards. Can't imagine why that would be a bad thing."
Cael tensed as if he wanted to slug Dev for daring to use sarcasm against his woman. "Actually we don't touch humans and never have. We feed on corrupt demons. They're much more palatable to all involved. Less calories. More filling."
Oh...now he felt stupid. Cael was right. No one could fault him for that meal.
"So they're Hellchasers like me?" Fang asked Thorn.
Thorn saluted him with his goblet before he handed it over to Shara to dispose of.
Fang exchanged a puzzled frown with Dev. "But why are they here?"
Thorn tsked. "You're asking things that are above your pay grade, Wolf. Stand down and don't worry about it. All you need to know is that they're your playmates. Share the sandbox or get spanked for it."
Yeah, there was an image Dev could have done without. Where was a gallon of eye bleach when you needed it?
But that still left Dev completely confused. "How can Cael serve both Artemis and you?"
Thorn scoffed. "Artemis doesn't care one way or another, especially now."
Dev was surprised by his cavalier attitude. The goddess could be extremely ruthless when crossed. "What do you mean?"
Thorn patted him on the shoulder. "Do you want to continue discussing them or would you rather talk about your girlfriend and her future well-being?"
"Sam's not my girlfriend."
"My mistake then." Thorn stepped back. "I will release her into your custody since it's what the two of you want. I think you're effing idiots. But it's your choice. God forbid I ever interfere with your free will."
Instead of relief, a tremor of apprehension went through Dev. "It's that easy?"
Thorn laughed. "Nothing is ever that easy, Bear. Stryker wants your honey so he can destroy the world as we know it. You arrogantly claim that you can protect her better than I can even though I command an army and live in a place they can't reach. I say we should put it to the test. Best beast wins and all that."
Dev's hackles raised as his suspicions mounted. This had to be a trick. He didn't trust Thorn enough to even blink with him in the same room--the weasel was that crafty.
Wait for it.... There was definitely a trick coming.
"What do you have in mind?" Dev asked.
Thorn snapped his fingers and a portal opened in the wall. "I have a task for you, Bear. Have you ever heard of Hippolyte's Girdle?"
"The one Hercules had to fight the Amazons to get?"
Thorn inclined his head to him almost respectfully. "An expected oversimplification, but yes. It's the one Hercules had to fight to claim. And I don't know if you realize this or not, but Samia just so happens to be Stryker's cousin."
Now there was an intriguing off-topic tidbit Dev really wasn't expecting to hear, and it was one he wasn't sure he hadn't misunderstood. "What's that?"
Thorn spoke more slowly, again in that patronizing tone that made Dev want to bury his fist straight in the man's jaw. "Hippolyte--Samia's grandmother--the fabled Amazon queen? Her father was the god of war, Ares. Since Ares is Samia's great-grandfather, it makes her and Stryker cousins, as it were."
That explained a whole lot about Sam's fighting skills. "Does Sam know this?"
"I should hope she knows who her great-grandfather is. Not like that was ever a secret. Hippolyte was quite proud of the fact she was a demigod."
Dev couldn't blame her for that. He'd spread it around too if he could claim such, but none of that was pertinent to what was going on right now. "What has this to do with me?"
"Nothing really, except that after Hercules stole the girdle, it fell into human hands for a time because they believed it would imbue the wearer with certain powers."
"Does it?"
Thorn's eyes turned a deep red. "Yes and no. It seems a vital piece of the tale was never recounted."
"And that would be?"