Page 87 of Immortal Unveiled

A couple of seconds later, Kim could hear the footfalls of several people approaching quickly. A moment later, two men came around the corner: Aiden and Hamish.

“Just who we were looking for,” Aiden said upon discovering them.

Kim’s heart beat into her throat. Did they know that she was planning to leave the compound against Manus’s wishes?

“What are you guys up to?” Hamish asked.

“Nothing, just hanging out with Kim here,” Grayson said as casual as possible.

“Good,” Hamish said, “because we need you guys. There’s been a possible demon sighting in a mall. We need you guys to sniff them out for us. Let’s go.”

“Uh, yeah, about that…” Grayson shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“What?” Aiden asked sharply. “You guys have been complaining for weeks that you haven’t had any demon activity, and now you’re chickening out?”

“Hey, I’m not chickening out,” Grayson protested, then pointed to Kim. “But I’m on protection duty for Kim. Manus made me swear not to leave her alone.”

“I’ll go with you,” Ryder said quickly. “You only need one of us anyway to identify the demons. I’m up for it.” Ryder motioned to Grayson. “Let him babysit.”

Hamish and Aiden exchanged a look.

“Fine, you then,” Hamish said. “Hurry.”

Aiden and Hamish were already rushing in the other direction. Ryder tossed a quick look at Grayson and Kim and mouthed Go. Then he turned on his heel and followed the two Stealth Guardians.

Kim and Grayson didn’t speak until the three were out of sight and earshot.

“What now?” Kim asked.

“We’ll go, just the two of us. We’ll be fine. Trust me, I can handle protecting you on my own. Piece of cake.”

Relieved, Kim nodded.

“The exit is this way,” Grayson now instructed and led her around the bend in the corridor, then to the left, where a small foyer opened up. He opened the non-descript door, and Kim followed him through. They were in a second foyer now, and the door they faced now was made of old oak and was adorned with iron hinges and ornaments looking like runes.

She pointed to the runes. “What are these?”

“Part of the magic that protects this place from being discovered.” He reached for the door handle and opened the heavy door. “Come.”

Grayson exited ahead of her. She followed him and stepped into the alley. Opposite them was a row of one-story buildings that looked like workshops, down one end of the alley was the entrance to a garage, and the other end led to a larger street. When Grayson pulled the door shut behind her, she looked over her shoulder.

Shock made her freeze in mid-movement. The building they’d just left, the Stealth Guardian compound, wasn’t there anymore. In its place was an empty city lot with trash and overgrown weeds.

She gasped. “Where did it go?”

Grayson grinned. “Pretty cool, huh? When I first saw this, I was pretty stunned too, but Aiden explained to me that the building is still there, but it’s cloaked. No human can see it. Heck, no preternatural creature other than a Stealth Guardian can see it either. But it’s still there.” He placed his hand on the spot where the door had been. “Here, try it.”

Hesitantly, she put her hand next to his and felt the wood of the door underneath her palm. “Oh my God.”

“Yeah, freaky.” Then he motioned to the street. “Let’s go. I’ve got a car parked a couple of blocks away.” They were already walking in that direction when he suddenly added, “You know now where the compound is located. You can never tell anyone, or you’ll endanger us all. Promise me.”

Kim nodded automatically. “I’d never do anything to put any of you in danger.” And she meant it. Despite her initial reluctance to trust a vampire, she’d come to see them for what they really were: honorable men, albeit with a thirst for blood. But then, who didn’t have a flaw? Not even the noblest human was entirely without fault.

~ ~ ~

Arrived at the house about a half hour later, Kim quickly unlocked the front door and let herself and Grayson in. She locked the door behind them while the young hybrid quickly surveyed the property to make sure no demon was lurking in the shadows.

“All clear.”