“Why in hellfire didn’t you tell me sooner?” Remy growled.
“Because this isn’t exactly a conversation I was willing to have through a locked door,” Damien replied blandly.
“Yeah, okay. That’s a fair point,” Remy muttered. “So, where is the bastard? I want to talk to him.”
“No, you want to rip him apart, limb from limb, which is an understandable reaction. But consider it already taken care of. We discovered a group of males had bought a magical party pack of potions through a local seller. They hadn’t known it had come from the black market, but ignorance is hardly an excuse. They have now seen the error of their ways and are no longer students at the university.”
Remy let out a growl of irritation.
“Was anyone else hurt?” Starla asked.
“Almost,” Anton admitted. “One asshole was trying to leave the party with a demon he had dosed, but we arrived in time to grab them before they could leave. We tracked down the rest of his group pretty easily, but another guy had already taken off with a female. Thankfully, Damien found them right away.”
“She is doing well,” Damien assured. “She probably would have been fine even if I hadn’t arrived, since she was in the process of roasting the asshole’s balls when I found them.”
“She a demon?” Claudia asked.
“A fae-witch hybrid with a mean streak.”
She grinned with approval. “Nice. I think I want to be friends with her.”
Damien chuckled. “Her name is Kiara Crescent, and she is also a freshman.”
Starla frowned. “Wait, this doesn’t make sense. She was able to use her magic after she was drugged? Why was I left powerless, then?”
“That struck me as odd, as well,” Damien admitted. “We took the rest of the drugs the guys had on them, but I couldn’t find any trace of the spell you were affected by. This kind of spellcasting isn’t really my specialty, so I asked someone to analyze the potion who might be able to tell us more.”
“What happened to the males?” Remy demanded.
“I assure you that they were properly punished. They will be spending some time in the Supernatural Prison once they get out of the hospital.”
Starla blinked in surprise. “The hospital?”
The demon smiled. “Ah, yes. You are new to the group. They spent a little time in the basement here at Carvers while I…questioned them.”
Remy coughed to cover up a laugh.“There is a slaughterhouse in the basement here that is used for more than just carving and storing beef in the massive refrigerators. I’m guessing a lot of Damien’s enemies ended up taking their last breath here. It’s probably why he chose to open up a steakhouse in the first place. It’s the perfect cover for his extracurricular activities.”
Starla was all for using violence if the situation called for it, but owning a business with an underground slaughterhouse seemed a little extreme. Then again, considering that Daimon was an ancient demon, it was understandable that his methods were shaped by centuries of experience. He operated on a level that most supernaturals couldn't comprehend, and his approach to handling threats was far more ruthless and efficient than anything she was accustomed to.
She recognized the value in having powerful friends like Damien, who was not only capable but also unafraid to deal withthe darkest aspects of their world. In fact, he seemed to enjoy the work. That was proven true when he spoke again.
“Wouldn’t it be bad if a bunch of torture victims showed up at the hospital?” Jessica asked carefully.
“There is a supernatural hospital here in town,” Kyler explained.
“It was a shame the Supernatural Council got to the local seller before we could question him.” Damien sighed. “I would have liked to spend some quality time with him before handing him over.”
Remy snorted out a laugh. “That must have hurt.”
“It did. I know the council wants whoever is making the potion. Something that strong that can incapacitate a full-blooded fairy, a demon, and a powerful fae-witch hybrid is dangerous. They’ve been very proactive at trying to shut down the black market recently, so they are taking these types of cases very seriously. While the council has recently improved, they are still far too forgiving and slow to act for my tastes.”
Starla understood why that would be frustrating, but she thought it was better to leave the investigating to the experts. She was just glad the situation had been handled. It was reassuring to know that the individuals responsible had been dealt with and would face real consequences for their actions. Knowing they were in the Supernatural Prison was enough to satisfy her. Now, she could simply focus on being with her mate and embracing her life as a college student.
The buffet table near the wall of windows was suddenly covered with platters of food, filling the room with a delicious array of scents.
Damien stood. “On that note, I have to get going. I’ll keep you updated if I hear anything else about the case. Dinner is on the house. Congratulations on your mating and all that. Enjoy.”
“Before you go, I have one last question,” Starla said in a rush. When Remy refused to release her so she could stand, she held up her phone and tapped on the screen until the Arcane Assist app appeared. “Have you ever seen this before?”
