She let out a huff.“Remember, Cyn, I didn’t agree to that.”She hated the thought of being a liability.Truth was, she probably would be.She could throw knives and shoot guns, but this was a whole new arena.“What was the first call about?You got all tensed up, and from what I’ve seen, that’s unusual.”
“Later.”
“I really hate ‘later.’It’s never good.”
He didn’t deny that, watching the road ahead.Damn.
“You’ll see everything now.That will help.But always keep Rule Number One in mind.You can’t give away the Hidden.”
“I know, I know.”
He parked at the curb and jumped out.She met him as he came around the front of the car.The harbinger demon wasn’t out front.Cyn pushed open the door, holding it for a second while he scanned the lobby.
Glesenda stood at her post behind the desk, talking to a man about their classes.All seemed normal, except her eyes flared something fierce.The man’s, as he turned to follow Glesenda’s dire gaze, did not.
Mundane.
Not so mundane, the four demons lounging in the lobby.Three of them were humanoids, she thought Cyn had called them.One stood at Glesenda’s shoulder, licking at her ear.She flicked it away, trying to appear normal.Another was involved in a stare-down with Allander, the Elemental Cyn had shown her earlier.The harbinger lounged in the waiting area eating from a dish of hard candy.Wrappers and all.Suddenly, all four demons focused their creepy red eyes on Ruby, making her take a step closer to Cyn without even thinking about it.
She felt her Dragon stir against her skin.God, that was weird.Okay, not as weird as, say, four demons looking like they couldn’t wait to sink their fangs into her.
Glesenda gave the man a genuine smile.What self-control.“We’re about to close, but you’re welcome to come back tomorrow, try a class even.”She came around the desk and put her hands on his shoulder to guide him to the door.
He gestured to the same room where Ruby had first seen Cyn.“Can I watch?—”
“Sorry, that’s a private class.”
One of the humanoids slid up to the man, reaching its rubbery hands toward his neck.Ruby started forward.Cyn grasped her wrist, mouthingRule Number One.
The demon gripped the man’s throat, its long fingers digging in.On the way to the door, the man tugged at his collar, obviously feeling it.Ruby strained forward again, and Cyn jerked her back.
She flung her hands out.“But we can’t…”
Her words lodged like sharp rocks in her throat at his fierce look.As the demon and man passed Cyn, he swiped at the demon.It fell back, releasing its hold on the man.He quickly left, obviously feeling something ominous here.
Cyn locked the door, and Glesenda made her way over, the demon still close by.
She nodded toward the room.“Class full of Mundanes.”
“Yeah, I thought so,” Cyn said.
“One demon, I could handle.Two, doable.”Glesenda flicked the one whose long, pointed tongue was reaching for her ear like a snake.It flinched.
Another one moved closer to Ruby, and Cyn snarled.It backed up, but not much.
He said, “They know we can’t Catalyze.”His hand still holding Ruby’s, he led them back to the Obsidian Room.
Obsidian, like the kind of Dragon Cyn was.
“I thought this was a safe zone,” she said, meeting the gaze of the demon who followed close behind and trying not to shudder in revulsion.That’s what it wanted, she realized, to toy with them.
“It’s a courtesy rule that churches and other designated places like this are considered safe.That no one should enter with violent intent.Whoever’s behind this doesn’t feel he has to obey the rules.”
Allander followed them, making to grab at the back of one of the demons.
“No,” Ruby said, remembering that poor creature at the library.She shook her head.Allander paused, its brows furrowing.“Please don’t get involved.”
“Ouch!”Glesenda whirled around and stomped on the foot of the demon who’d scratched her, looking like she was stamping a bug.The demon backed away, hissing.Four blood-red lines materialized on her arm.
