In a secluded area of the spacious back yard, Dom parried and thrust with a sword, striking at immovable objects. Sweat glistened on his bare torso, making the tattoos shine in the moonlight. After dropping Angie off at her place, and doing a few patrols to which he discovered that the demon population seemed to have decided to stay indoors that night, he had headed back to his home for some after midnight training.1
He held the retractable sword he had taken the night he was run-through with it, and put it through its paces. Although it was a nice sword, with great craftsmanship, he found it to be a little blade-heavy, which could be fatal in a fight. Swinging too low or compensating by swinging too high was one of the best ways to lose a head.2
Turning long enough to deposit the sword with a few others, he grabbed the hilt of his trusted wakizashi, which was basically a short katana. He missed the days of being able to walk around with a sword without attracting too much attention. He only used knives or guns nowadays, but training with a sword was one hobby that would never leave him. 3
“You’re pushing yourself,” Craig said as he walked out with a few more weapons and placed them in the stands with the others. 4
Dom grunted noncommittally as he struck out, slicing the blade clean through the fencing dummy. “You could do with a little working out yourself.”5
Sighing, Craig picked up a sword and took a step back. “Just…try not to cut me this time.”6
“I’ll try.” Placing a few lazy swings against his squire, he took a step back. “How’re the guests?”7
“Why don’t you ask them,” Craig said, taking a step to the side as Dom moved forward.8
“Then I’d have to talk to them, wouldn’t I?” Suddenly lunging, he smiled in approval as Craig easily blocked the swing.9
“If you don’t want to talk to them, then why are they here?” 10
Lowering his blade for a moment, Dom sighed. “Hell if I know. And it’ll be a cold day in that hell before Ash’ll tell me.” Raising his wakizashi he motioned for Craig to continue. “How’s Melissa?”11
“Good.” Spotting an opening, he swung low, only to yelp in pain as the base of Dom’s weapon smacked against his exposed shoulder. “Dick head.”12
“May be a dick head,” Dom said, “but I’m not the one that got hit…and you’re lucky it was just the hilt.” Lowering his blade, he took a step back. “I’m through practicing.”13
Watching warily, and expecting a trick, Craig remained where he was. “About Melissa…”14
“She can come to the house,” Dom said, knowing what his squire was about to say. “After Ash’s friends leave. No sense dragging her into some mess.”15
“Angie’s been here.”16
Dom nodded. “She’s got something to do with all this, I think.”17
“Was she the option triple-six reason?”18
“No.” Looking past the other man, Dom considered whether or not to tell him about the vision he’d had. Deciding not to, he bolted forward, flicked his wrist up, and deftly removed the sword from Craig’s hand. 19
“Damn it.”20
“The triple-six was from a vision, and I’m not even sure what it meant.” Tossing both swords to the ground, he turned to the house.21
~~~~~~~~~~~~~22
“Did you find her?”23
The blonde man looked at the person who had spoken. “Not yet,” he replied. “But we will.”24
Reginald Kalenta stared at him in annoyance. Arion Petrakis, the Regis for the Gerakian Arcadian Patria, had placed Reginald in charge of getting the building back. Since he looked after finances for the Patria, and had been the one to sell the condo in the first place, he was given the chance to get it back, or literally die trying. “Did you check everywhere?”25
“Obviously not,” the other man said. “Or else we would have found her.”26
“I can do without the attitude.”27
“Sorry, dad.” 28
Turning from one of his sons, he glanced at the other one. “She wasn’t on Neratiti, or I would have sensed her. She’s not in the condo…anything from the wolves?”29
His youngest son shook his head. “Couldn’t see her from my flight, and couldn’t pick up her scent.” He sat on the corner of a table and crossed arms over his chest. “She’s got too many powerful friends. I think we should just let her go.”30
“I want that building.”31
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have sold it.” The words were no sooner out of his mouth before his body flew off the table and into the wall. Falling to the floor, he jumped easily to his feet, smoothed down his clothes, and sat back on the corner of the table. There was no way he’d give his father the satisfaction of seeing him in any sort of discomfort. The man would get his payback soon enough… as soon as the Regis, Arion, was informed of the underhanded dealings that were going on. 32
“That building sits on a prime piece of real estate,” Reginald said tightly. Getting a disinterested stare back, he turned with an unimpressed grunt and looked at the other son. “Since your brother inherited the stupid genes in the family, I’m counting on you to find this eagle, get her to sign over the building, then kill her.” 33
“Be my pleasure.”34
“Care for an idea from the idiot?” the youngest son asked.35
“No,” his brother replied.36
“Fine.” Shrugging, he stood from the table and walked towards the door. “Far be it for me to give you the means to snag her.”37
“Stop being a fucking weenie, Paul.”38
He snarled at his brother. “Better than being an ass-kisser.”39
“Both of you shut up,” Reginald ordered.40
“Liam started it,” Paul said. 41
“Did not,” Liam replied.42
“Did too.”43
“Did not.”44
“Did too.”45
“Would you two shut up! You’re both acting like you’re one hundred years old.” Their father shook his head. “What’s your idea, Paul?”46
“Invite her back into the Patria.”47
“Why would I do that?”48
Paul smiled slightly, the menace in the expression giving his angelic face a completely sinister look. “Then her property automatically goes to her family upon her death, and since she has none, it automatically reverts to Patria property.”49
Liam gave his brother a small shake of his head. “If she dies while in the Patria, then it’ll look suspicious.”50
“Find her, kill her, then invite her back into the flock.”51
“Fuck, you’re stupid.”52
“No, wait,” their father said thoughtfully. “I’m following you, Paul. Wait until her death, rescind the exoristos ruling, then feign regret that it wasn’t lifted fast enough to offer her protection from the Katagarians that killed her.”53
“What Katagarians?”54
Shaking his head in annoyance, Reginald sighed. “How could I have sired such stupid sons?” Speaking slowly, like he was talking to an imbecile, he continued. “We call her, get a fix on the location, phase in, kill her, then be gone before anyone notices.”55
“Blaming it on Katagaria Slayers,” Liam said with a wicked grin. “Which, if all goes well, will unleash the ire of Savitar on them, and there will be one less patria in the world.”56
~~~~~~~~~~~~~57
Grabbing at her cell phone as it vibrated in her pocket, Aiden pulled it out and flipped it open. The words from the text message stared up at her, bring a sigh and a frown at the same time. Vanishing for a few days, no contact, not even sign. Take care. I mean it. Kisses, Sav.58
Closing the phone, she slipped it back into her pocket and decided that getting some sleep would feel great right about now. Her foot just touched the bottom step when she heard the sounds of a door opening. Since Tria was sleeping upstairs, that left only the normal house occupants. 59
Turning as Dom walked in from the kitchen area, she waited to be noticed. Tria had filled her in on what she knew about his background and Hunter skills, and since Aiden had looked through the collections on the stands in the living room, she decided she needed to know more.60
“Don’t stay up on my account,” Dom said as he placed a small bag he had with him on the floor by the couch.61
“I think you have trouble coming your way,” Aiden said, reflecting on the message from Savitar. Although he never said anything about problems, Aiden knew to look for what he didn’t say. 62
Giving her a slight smile, Dom shrugged. “I know. It’s going to be messy.”63
Suddenly irked at the blasé tone in his voice, she narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ll try not to bleed all over your carpets when they kill me,” Aiden said dryly.64
“That’s awfully considerate of you,” Dom replied. “I greatly appreciate that.” 65
“You have precognition, right?”66
“Yes.” Walking to the bottom of the step, he regarded her easily. “Why are you here?”67
“You’ll have to ask Ash.”68
“I’d get a straighter answer from a cactus,” Dom replied. “Less thorny, too.” 69
Aiden actually smiled, and shook her head. “Someone wants me dead, or Wendy dead, or both of us dead…no idea, really. Last time it was a Dolophoni that took a crack at me.”70
“And you lived?”71
“Savitar stepped in.”72
Running the name through his brain, Dom tried to place it. “Omegrion?”73
“That’s him.”74
“So, you have Ash in one corner, Savitar in another, and the best protection they can come up with is me?” Shaking his head, he couldn’t help but give a small laugh. “No offence, eagle, but you got ripped off.”75
“You don’t think you can protect us?”76
“It’s not a matter of protecting,” Dom said slowly. “Someone fairly powerful wants one of you two dead, and will probably stop at nothing to achieve it. If they can’t get you easily, then hellfire is going to be blazing through here, burning all in its path.”77
“And that scares you?”78
“Immensely.” 79
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~80
Pulling Neratiti out of normal time and space was something Savitar did often, and without second thought. Usually. Lately, small tendrils of reasoning were working their way into his decisions, and annoying him greatly.81
Normally, he would have killed the Gerakian Regis, or at the least, the subordinate that was masterminding all this drama. Arion Petrakis was a fairly good Regis, but had a bad habit of not being around, preferring instead to travel through different time periods with a sorcerer companion. That left Reginald Kalenta more or less in charge, only bringing Arion in when there were things that needed a Regis’ touch. 82
To say that Arion had been upset to learn of Reginald’s sale of the building would be putting it mildly. Yet, Reginald had been able to talk his way out of death by convincing Arion to first boot Aiden out of the patria, then petition the Omegrion for return of the building.83
Reginald Kalenta was shrewd, dangerous, and soon to be backed into a corner that he would have to violently fight his way out of. Looking forward to that fight, Savitar strode through the halls of his palace, snagging an apple from one of the never-ending bowls of fresh fruit that appeared at his whim, and continued on through to the meeting room reserved for Omegrion business. 84
Taking a seat in the opulent throne that sat to the side of the round table, he looked at the empty chairs, tempted to whisk Reginald to one of them. Pausing as one of those small tendrils of reasoning reached out to him, he rolled his eyes, but refrained from snatching, then destroying the eagle. 85
Things had to be accomplished first before he could indulge himself in that little activity. The eagles that were now looking for Aiden would find her in a matter of days, and he knew he could easily wait for that to happen, although it would most likely occupy his thinking until then. 86
He was actually surprised that the eagle had the balls to go after Aiden, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And, as if Savitar would buy into the lame assed story that it was Katagaria eagles that would be the ones on the hunt. He knew everything, usually before it happened, and had seen all this played out quite a while ago. Not quite four months previous he had set the stage for this, and as he chewed thoughtfully on a piece of apple, he wondered if he could have done more to make sure it came to fruition.87
All was going more or less in tune with the cosmic dance that had been called, and his presence wasn’t in on this number…hence the reason he pulled his island out of time. If Artemis took this moment to make another move, then he’d act, but that would be about the only instance. Too much time tampering had been going on, and this would set it straight. In theory.88
Problem with theories was that they had a tendency to change at any time, not always for the better. The universe was mapped out, but small changes occurred here and there, not leaving anything more than a ripple on the vast surface. Sometimes, events caused massive waves to crash through the cosmos, needing things to shift and change to accommodate the happenings. 89
Aiden’s untimely death would cause waves, but it would be nothing compared to the tsunami caused if Tria were killed before Ash made his decision. Therefore, both women had to be protected. The Dark-Hunter and his squire were pawns in this, but if they moved correctly on the large chessboard of life, then they could some out the other end victorious. 90
Sighing in disappointment at not being able to kill anything today, he finished off the apple he had early picked up, tossing the core into the air where it vanished. Standing, he walked to the main door, his beach pants morphing into a blue and black wetsuit.91
~~~~~~~~~~~~92
Groaning in annoyance, Dom rolled over on the bed and blindly grabbed for the alarm clock. When slamming his hand on it a few times failed to stop the noise, he sat up on the bed and looked around. Across the room, his cell phone sat on top of a dresser, the sounds of ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ accompanying the annoying tapping the vibrating mode was making on the wooden surface.93
Getting out of bed, he stumbled to the dresser, grabbed the phone and opened it as he went back to bed. “What?”94
“Did I wake you?”95
“You know you did,” Dom said as he fell back on to the bed. “What do you want, Ash?”96
“Just called to see how your guests are,” Ash said.97
“So you call my cell when you know I’m sleeping?”98
“Basically.”99
“They’re fine,” Dom said, not bothering to hide a yawn. “I think Wendy’s been sleeping all night and Aiden was just heading up when I came in.”100
“Anything strange?”101
“Besides everything?” Feeling more awake, Dom sat up. “How the hell do you expect me to protect these two?”102
“Why?” Ash asked, suspicion lacing his words.103
“Dolophoni, Omegrion Mediators…” he trailed off. “Just what the hell is going on here?”104
“Just make sure they’re safe,” Ash replied. “If I didn’t trust you, then they wouldn’t be there.” 105
The line went dead, prompting a small growl from Dom. “Prick,” he muttered, shutting his own phone and tossing it to the other side of the bed. 106
Great… more cryptic messages from Ash. That was all he needed. Positive that this was all payback for pushing Ash too much in the past, Dom stared into the dark as he tried to get back to sleep. 107
~~~~~~~~~~~108
Staring out the window of the car as it drove along the highway, Paul Kalenta studied the landscape. “She’s here someplace,” he said. “I know it.”109
“That’s what you said about the last city,” his brother, Liam growled. “And the one before that.”110
“Quit your fucking whining,” Paul said. “Shit, you sound like the old man.”111
“Let him catch you calling him that, and you’ll be gutted.” Pulling into a roadside diner, he turned the car off. 112
“Not all of us live to kiss dad’s ass, Liam,” Paul said as he got out of the car. Personally, he hated his father and only hung around while biding his time until the old man died. Hopefully, that would be soon. The world of Arcadians was nearly as animalistic as the Katagaria packs…they were just better at pretending to act human. There was only room at the top for one, and Paul knew that wasn’t his father, or his brothers. 113
“Then why are you here?”114
“Oh, come on,” Paul said. “You know as well as I do that dad wants the building back not to save his life, but the flip the sale to someone else and make a fortune. Then, he’ll take off through the time lines and live like the king he thinks he is.”115
“You’re delusional.” Pulling open the door to the diner, he walked in, letting it close behind him and on his brother’s face.116
Sighing in annoyance, Paul opened the door and entered. Being the youngest in a large family, he was often the target of jokes, and the general rudeness that seemed to permeate his relatives.117
He stopped suddenly, noticing that Liam was also still. Both looked towards the back and the middle aged woman that stood smiling at them. 118
Jules, Arcadian Litarian, sized the two up immediately, and decided that they were the same Weres that Savitar had mentioned when he unexpectedly showed up about four months previous. He had told her not to give out too much information, but to point the eagles in the general direction of Ash. 119
“I won’t bite,” she said with a smile, nodding to a table by the window. “And I expect the same from you.”120
Nodding, Paul walked to the table, tapping Liam on the arm as he passed. Sitting easily, but keeping an eye out, he tried not to tense as the woman approached. “We’re looking for a family member,” Paul said.121
Sniffing lightly, Jules poured them both a coffee. “Don’t get many eagles in here,” she replied. “They get a little flighty at the thought of being served by a lion.”122
“Imagine that,” Liam said dryly. 123
“What’s the name?”124
Liam and Paul exchanged glances. Since Aiden was still exoristos, they were forbidden to speak her name. “Uh, well…”125
“Never mind,” Jules said, catching on to the general idea. “Kind of makes it hard when you’re looking for someone you shouldn’t be looking for unless you’re actually looking to kill them.”126
“Nothing like that,” Paul said smoothly. “She’s got a chance to have the exoristos ruling lifted, and we wanted to let her know. Have you seen her?”127
“Doubt it. You might try asking Ash. He drops by from time to time.” By the looks the men exchanged, she knew she’d given them a great piece of information.128
“Why didn’t we think of Ash?” Liam said. “They know each other.” He looked at Jules. “Know where he is?”129
“Was in a week or so back with a Hunter,” she said, resisting the urge to cringe at the insincerity that flowed off the two. 130
“Which Hunter?”131
”Didn’t get a name,” Jules replied, not wanting to give these two all the information. “Long black hair, goatee and a body that was created for sin.”132
Snorting lightly, Paul looked across the table. “How many Dark-Hunters could that describe? Oh, like half of them?” Looking at their waitress again, he nodded thanks. 133
Waiting until she walked away, Liam leaned back and smiled evilly. “Maybe you’re finally right, and she’s here someplace. We find that Hunter, and we find Ash.”134
“And of course, Ash will tell us where she is because he’s such an understanding and trusting individual.”135
“Ever hear of following bread crumbs?”136
“Tasty,” Paul admitted. “But irrelevant.”137
Shaking his head at his brother’s comment, Liam took a drink of surprisingly good coffee. “We find the Hunter, we find Ash, and find the eagle.”138
”I don’t get it.”139
”Ash is one of her friends,” Liam replied tightly. “And she’ll go to her remaining friends for support at a time like this.”140
“Ah,” Paul said, finally catching on. 141
“Fuck, you are stupid.”142
~~~~~~~~~~~~~143
It was a spacious yard, not as large as her’s used to be, but still more than enough. Tria stood just to the left of the large swimming pool as she contemplated what to do. Having to stay on a property had never bothered her before, but now that she could walk in the sunlight, she had the urge to actually discover as much as she could. 144
Deciding to start on the outside and work her way in, she set off across the lawn. Making it past the basketball court, she continued towards a small shed, and a large garden beyond it. She didn’t know why she was surprised to find a lot of open space and nature, since Dom had been into that sort of life before his death, and like most Hunters, brought some of the past with him through the centuries.145
The property was approximately ten acres in total, with nothing really past the house and area, and garden taking up space. Every so often sat a bench, but not much more. Coming around the last corner before she would return to the house, the ground started to slope, bringing her to a naturally enclosed area situated amidst trees. Broken posts stood here and there, signs that this might be some sort of work out area. 146
Bending low to study one of the posts, she ran her fingers over deep grooves that had to have been caused by a sword of sorts. She had seen ornamental blades in the house, but the cuts on the wood seemed to be made by something that was extremely sharp. Since she always preferred knives, she really had no idea on what sort of sword could cause the somewhat frantic looking slices and stab marks. 147
“Lost?”148
Jumping at the voice, she stood and looked guiltily at the man who was standing just to the left of her. “Exploring,” she said.149
“Private area,” Craig said, waiting for her to move.150
“What does he use?” Tria asked, motioning to the cuts.151
“Whatever he gets his hands on,” Craig said vaguely. He didn’t really know these guests, and the caution came naturally.152
“It all looks so… violent.” She could never understand the attraction with swords, even if she had used them from time to time.153
“Looks can be deceiving,” he replied pointedly. “Sometimes Dom gets bored, and tries to beat his record on how many cuts he can make in a minute.” Raising his arm, he motioned to the house. “And now, at the risk of sounding rude, I’m going to have to ask you to return to the house.” 154
“May I ask why?”155
“Sure.” 156
Tria waited for him to continue, and breathed out in annoyance when he didn’t. “Why?”157
“It’s coming up on dusk, and Dark-Hunters are notoriously territorial.” Turning, he headed to the house. “Dom finds you snooping around, and whatever’s after you will be the least of your worries.” 158
~~~~~~~~~~~~~159
The evening started off with such promise. Jut past ten at night, and Dom had already killed off four Daimons, and things looked like they would only get better. Hoping that events wouldn’t keep him from dropping in on the café and Angie, Dom growled as he spotted another Daimon across the street, heading in the direction of the nightclub he had been staking out. 160
Sprinting through traffic, Dom slowed as he approached from behind, his steps sure but silent, and his attention never wavering. Three steps behind the Daimon, he slipped a knife out of a wrist sheath, and palmed it. The parking lot was nearly empty, and anyone watching would be hard pressed to explain how two men walking changed to just one. 161
Planning on stabbing as he walked past, he hurried slightly, raised his hand, and stopped as a head turned to look at him, the face revealing a double row of fangs. Switching direction faster than the eye could track, Dom deftly sidestepped the Gallu Daimon as it lunged for him. 162
Knowing that he couldn’t take the infected Daimon on in the parking lot, he stepped back. “Come get me,” he taunted, then took another step back, luring the demon to his death. 163
Not wanting to pass up a meal, or a chance to infect what he knew to be a Dark-Hunter, the onetime Daimon started after him. Turning, Dom trotted towards a semi-secluded area, checking every so often to make sure he was still being followed, and to make sure that he wasn’t being gained on. 164
When he figured he’d put as much distance between the nightclub and himself as he could, he turned and waited for the Gallu. Pulling another knife out, he patently waited as the demon ran at him across the grass. 165
Stepping out of the way, he struck out, getting the Gallu in the back, but slightly lower than the optimal point for a quick kill. Jumping back as the demon swung violently with his arms, Dom hissed as fingernails cut across the back of his hand. Knowing that a scratch from a Gallu could not infect, he dismissed the wound immediately.166
Waiting for the Gallu to stop flailing, he moved in quickly, snapping the knife into the area right between the eyes, dropping the demon to the ground. Taking a wild guess, Dom struck down with a blade, straight through the area in the chest where the black mark would have been had this been a regular Daimon. 167
As he figured, the body remained on the ground, leaving him with the uncomfortable task of having to burn it. He could call Craig, but that would leave the house empty except for the women, and Dom didn’t want to leave them vulnerable like that. Pulling out his cell phone, he made a different call. 168
“Hypothetical question,” he said when it was answered. “How interested would your people be in getting their hands on a Gallu infected Daimon?” Smiling slightly at the answer, he gave the general location of where he was. “Make it fast,” he said. “Don’t feel like body sitting this ugly bastard any longer than I have to.” 169
Closing his phone, he slipped it back into his pocket and kept a careful eye on the dead body as he waited. Apparently, the squires were very interested in getting the body of a hybrid, and since he had stabbed it in one of the two places guaranteed to effectively kill a Gallu, the body posed only negligible threat to them. And that threat was something they were willing to face if it meant a better studying and understanding of two of their biggest foes. 170
Within ten minutes, a van stopped not too far away, and a few people got out. Dom had already felt them arriving, and knew they were the people he was waiting for. It took a few minutes to get the body into a secured locked box with a see through lid, and then into the back of the van. It then drove away without further word, leaving him alone. 171
Shrugging, he turned and started back to the nightclub. Checking the time on his watch, he swore lightly and then started to run. The café would be closing in about an hour, and he had to hurry if he wanted to keep his promise. 172
Making it back to his car, he got in, and gave up a small prayer that he not spot any demons between here and the café. 173
~~~~~~~~~~~174
“Okay, here’s the plan,” Liam said. “We find out where all the Hunters live in the city, and drop in on each one.”175
“Why?”176
“Because then we’ll be able to find out if Ash is with one of them, or even if…you know who.. is with one.”177
“Why would she be with one?”178
“I don’t know,” Liam said in frustration. 179
Paul smiled to himself, enjoying the irritation he was causing his brother. He knew exactly what he was talking about, but he couldn’t resist pushing a few buttons here and there. “Maybe I should check other places.”180
“You’re pissing me off,” Liam said. “Look, why don’t you just fuck off or something? I’ll get Zane to help me kill this bitch.”181
“Sounds good to me,” Paul said. “Zane’s fucked up like you, anyway.” Standing, he took a step away. Even though he didn’t like Liam, he completely hated his other brother, Zane. 182
“At least I know he has the balls to pull this off.”183
Paul snorted. “If you two find her, and if you return back alive, then you can extol his virtues. Until then, it’s all just bullshit.”184
“After we find her, and kill her, I’m going to come back and skin your worthless hide.” 185
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, bro,” Paul said mildly. Even though he knew that the threat was real, he couldn’t help but egg him on. 186
“Go fly the fuck home, baby-ass,” Liam said in a taunting voice. “It’s time for the adults to work.”187
“I hope she plucks your carcass,” Paul said, meaning every word. If Aiden were to kill his brothers, then that would leave one less task for him to eventually do. 188
Watching as his brother vanished, Liam let out a sigh of relief. He wished he could just kill the annoying fucker, but Paul was the favorite of their grandmother, and the old woman would have a veritable freak out if anything happened to her darling. 189
Eventually, though, she would die, and then Liam would take great pleasure in killing his baby brother. Not that anyone in the family past the grandmother liked him anyway… he was too strange, even by their standards, and had a bad habit of wanting to give others a sporting chance in any dealing he had with them.190
Pulling out his cell phone, he called his other brother, and filled him in on what was shaping out to be a rather interesting hunt. Then, making another call, he informed his father on Paul’s vanishing act, giving just enough information for the older man to come to his own conclusions. With luck, Liam would return from a successful hunt, and find that he was down one brother as well.191
~~~~~~~~~~~~192
With every opening of the door, Angie felt herself growing more tired. She expected to see Dom, and so far he hadn’t turned up. Clearing the last table off, she turned to start her closing down routine, stopping in surprise as she saw him looking at her through the door. 193
Pulling the door open, Dom stepped inside and gave her a small smile. “I’m late,” he said with a sigh. “And I’m sorry.”194
“It’s okay,” she said with a smile. 195
Even without his enhanced senses he could tell that she as lying. Moving towards her, he placed a hand on each shoulder and looked down into her face. “No. I told you I’d be here, and I wasn’t.”196
“You’re here now,” she said, taking a step back and walking around him. “Busy night?”197
“Real killer,” he said truthfully. “You?”198
“Busy enough,” she said. “Can I get you a coffee?”199
“Please.” Walking to the table he usually occupied, he sat in the chair, resisting the urge to switch to one that didn’t expose his back. He had planned on arriving earlier, but had run into a few Daimons only a couple blocks away, and took valuable time getting rid of them. “Classes tomorrow?”200
“Afternoon,” she told him, sitting a cup down on the table. “Want to come home with me?”201
“Got a conference at six,” he said, hating that he had to lie in order to survive. He could feel her dejection, but spending too much time in an open forum like an apartment building was a situation he didn’t want to get himself into. 202
Angie was about to reply when his cell phone sounded, and gave him a brief smile instead as she walked away. 203
“Yeah?” Dom asked as he answered the phone. “Now?…Well, yeah, I am a little busy, actually.” Standing with a sigh, he walked to the door, opened it and walked out. “Explain that again,” he said to the person on the other end, then listened. “Wait… she felt someone around the property? Not on? Craig,” he paused with a sigh, walking from the café, to where his car was parked, then back again. “Do you have any idea how many Were’s live in the city? And how many have to pass the house regularly?” He listened again. “There’s about fifteen that I know of off hand, so she might have felt one of them going by.” 204
Angie watched as he paced, and wondered what she was getting herself in to. She’d never really noticed before how busy he seemed, but now she could see in his mannerisms that he was a man used to being in charge and part of her wondered just why he’d spent a lot of the past few years sitting around a coffee shop. 205
Smiling slightly as the door opened and he entered again, she leaned lightly on the counter. “Problems?”206
“Just a little miscommunication,” he replied, sighing as his phone sounded again. “What is it with tonight?” he muttered as he pulled it out again. “Yes?”… “That many? Wow. Break it down by species, check it out, then text me.” Closing the phone, he offered up a shy smile. “I’m gonna go so you can finish up here. I’d like to take you someplace later, if that’s okay.”207
“Sounds good,” she said, smiling, then laughing at the look that crossed his face as his phone sounded again.208
~~~~~~~~~~~~209
Putting the book she was reading down, Aiden stretched lightly, took a drink from the tea that had since gone cold, then grabbed the book again. “I can’t believe someone like Dom would read romance novels,” she said, raising the book slightly.210
Craig glanced up from the movie he was watching. “He doesn’t read them, he just collects all Dark-Hunter things, including the novels,” he told her. “Besides, they’re paranormal suspense.”211
“Sure, you keep telling yourself that,” Aiden joked, going back to the book. Jerking her head slightly, she felt a whisper of something reaching out to her. Standing in one fluid motion, she scanned the room, her gaze landing on Craig, who was also standing, and now had a weapon in his hand. 212
“What?” he asked as his eyes checked out every corner of the room. 213
“I don’t know,” Aiden said slowly. “I felt a Were close.”214
“How close?” he asked, reaching for his cell phone. 215
“Not in the house,” she clarified. “At least I don’t think so. It felt close, but more like someone traveling by. Another eagle, I think.”216
“All right,” Craig said. “Could be someone flying over, or just passing by. Since you felt them, could they feel you, too?”217
“Probably,” she replied. “But…since nothing’s happened yet, it might be completely innocent.”218
“Maybe.” Bringing his phone up, he dialed, and waited. “May have a problem,” he said as it was answered. “Busy?… Sorry. Aiden said she felt another Were near the property.” Walking to the computer, he turned the screen on. “She said it didn’t feel like it was in the house, but near. I’m checking the security now, and nothing out of the ordinary appeared for that time frame.” He listened more. “Well, no, I don’t know the Were population, but I’m going to find out, and I’ll let you know.”219
Watching as the cell phone slid back to the desk, Aiden walked up as Craig quickly went through various screens on the computer. “Wait,” she said. “You can find out the Were population?”220
“We can ballpark it,” he admitted. “Katagaria packs are hard to get a hold of, but most Arcadians are in the database somewhere.” Taking a look at the screen, he picked up the cell phone again. “There are approximately two hundred Weres within a two hundred mile radius of the city,” he said as soon as the phone was answered. “Could be more or less, depending on migration aspects.” Typing in a few more things, he nodded. “On it.”221
“How do you find us?” Aiden asked.222
“Most times we start with last names,” Craig said, putting the phone back on the desk. “Usually works, but sometimes not. Plus, some are well known, and more than likely only collaborate with other Weres, so that makes it easier to draw a parallel and make the connections.223
“All right,” he continued. “There are fifteen eagles, nine hawks in the radius area.” Typing out a text message, he sent it off, then pushed back from the desk and stood. “We’re not keeping tabs on your people,” he said. “It’s just easier to know who we can trust, and maybe turn to if needed.”224
“If you say so.”225
“Plus, there are about fifteen Weres that live close enough that they may have to pass by the property at some time.” Going back to the movie, he gave her a look. “You said so yourself earlier… chances are that if another Were was after you, then something would have happened by now.”226
In a list
Please tell me what you think
Comments
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Lovely, I haven't read your writing in a while. Well written, solid, I'm still madly in love with the characters. Nice.
I had some itches:
"He held the retractable sword he had taken the night he was run-through with it, and put it through its paces." Para 2
You say 'he' three times, might want to consider changing the first one to Dom. It'll make it less confusing.
"Turning long enough to deposit the sword with a few others, he grabbed the hilt of his trusted wakizashi, which was basically a short katana." Para 3
The 'which was basically a short katana' could be changed to 'a short kantana'. The 'basically one' part isn't needed. (Unless the other readers are dorks like me and know what the wakizashi is.)
"Deciding not to, he bolted forward, flicked his wrist up, and deftly removed the sword from Craig’s hand." Para 19
Bolted makes me think that Dom was running instead of lunging or shifting forwards.
"Turning from one of his sons, he glanced at the other one." Para 29
Maybe 'Turning from one son, he glanced at the other.' It confuses me with all the 'ones'. (Yeah, I'm an idiot.)
Didn't edit the rest because I was too buisy reading (and in love) with it. Kudos kudos kudos to you!
Keep it up!
peace,
impossible believer
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"Sweat glistened on his bare torso,"... Hello? Sounds intriguing. He doesn't go shirtless nearly enough.
"Not quite four months previous he had set the stage for this.." Que? Wha? Oh, that naughty, naughty Savitar. (Got enough metaphors in that section.
)
AHA! The diner from earlier in the story... now it all ties together.
I think I like this Paul guy, and the way he taunts his brother. But, I don't like what they have planned for Aiden.
Gallu Daimon
I love how he gets out of having to burn this one Shrewd thinkin'!
Oooh... Were's around the property. The plot thickens
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seemed a little too rushed!
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Do you mean between 'scenes', or the time line in general? It does jump a bit in a couple places, which I have to smooth out, but if there are other areas, let me know
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