Page 2 of Protector Unmatched

And Winter had encountered demons, more than she’d ever wanted to. Luckily, she’d survived the ordeal. If any non-Stealth Guardian could recognize a demon’s green eyes, then it was Winter.

Pearce contemplated Winter’s words for a moment. “She could have worn colored contact lenses.”

“Could have, but that still leaves the bleeding arm.”

“Hmm.” The risk to be eventually killed by a demon came with the territory of being a Stealth Guardian warrior. But being killed by a human? “How do you know her name?”

“You called her Daphne, before she stabbed you in the chest. You knew her.”

Pearce shook his head. “That’s impossible. I don’t know anybody named Daphne.”

“You did in my vision.”

He searched his memory, but he was certain that he knew no woman named Daphne. “What else? Where will it happen?”

Winter looked as if she was about to shrug, but then thought better of it and raised her head as if suddenly remembering something. “Actually, it was weird. It looked like a backstage area of a theater or a movie stage—you know, where they film TV shows. It looked like a set for some sort of medieval show or play.”

“A film studio?”

“Yes, or a theater.”

“Tell me more about the woman,” Pearce demanded.

“Not sure what to tell you about her.”

“Age, hair color, size, ugly or pretty, thin or fat, you know.”

Winter looked into the distance as if to recall the image. “She was maybe in her thirties, but then, I find it hard to guess women’s ages. Let’s just say she was over twenty-five and probably under forty. Nice looking, not skinny, but muscular.”

“Butch?”

Winter rolled her eyes. “Men! No, not butch; she just looked like she took care of herself, like she works out and eats right. She was pretty, too. Long black hair. Kinda cute.”

“Oh great!” Pearce said with a good dose of sarcasm. “Not only will I be killed by a human woman, but by a cute one. That’ll make it all right. Wouldn’t wanna go to my death staring at the face of an ugly woman.” He sighed. “Sorry, go on. What else do you remember?”

“She wore strange clothes.”

“What?”

“Actually, more like a costume. You know, like a female superhero.”

“That makes no sense.”

Winter shrugged. “You weren’t dressed any less strange. You wore some sort of medieval uniform. You know, as if you were both dressing up for a Halloween party.”

Pearce shook his head. “I don’t go to Halloween parties. Anything else you noticed?”

“One thing was really weird.” She hesitated.

“What?”

“You didn’t fight back.”

“Excuse me?”

“When she stabbed you, you just stared at her as if you wanted her to do it.” Winter let out a nervous chuckle. “Maybe I just imagined that. But your expression, the way you looked at her… It was odd. You didn’t look like you were angry at her or saw her as an enemy. Almost as if you trusted her.”

“That makes no sense.”