for all the Night Hag’s former businesses. It’s a lot of ordering, supply chain management, and threatening to stab demons who hold out on me. I’ve been trying to keep new bad guys from taking the territory, too. Does that sound okay to you? Do I have your permission to have a life?”
The corners of his eyes pinched, as though he was in pain. “I’m not trying to be judgmental.” Elise drummed her fingers on the edge of the counter. Of course he was. “But you do have to admit, it’s strange. You’re a kopis, Elise—a demon hunter .”
“We’ve never agreed on that definition of the term. Kopides are meant to preserve a balance between angels and demons and humans—”
He spoke right over her. “But demons are always a threat to humans.”
“—and that doesn’t always mean killing demons. They’re not all evil.”
“By definition…”
“They have chaotic impulses.” Elise’s volume was increasing, and she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “There’s a difference between chaos and evil.”
James let out a sigh. “And you think you can bring order to their chaos?”
“I’m doing a pretty damn good job of it, yeah.”
“And how, exactly, are you making money out of this?”
The answer was tithes—a practice where kopides took a percentage off the top of local demons’ dealings. But Elise didn’t say that. “I’m not,” she said instead. “Have you seen where Anthony and I are living?”
“No. You don’t speak to me, much less invite me over for dinner.”
And they were back to that again.
“I have to go.” Elise tapped her knives to double-check their locations—one at her ankle, one at her hip—and then checked her back sheath. It still felt strange with only one sword. Then she tried to brush past James to exit the room.
He stopped her with a hand on her arm.
The contact was enough to split the bond open again. For an instant, she saw herself through James’s eyes: her curls fraying out of her braid, her hollow cheeks, her pale lips.
When was the last time she slept?
“What happened to the other falchion?” he asked.
Elise pulled her arm free, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. “I’m not wearing it,” she said, knowing that he would feel the lie. “But you didn’t visit me to check on my swords.”
He sighed. “Okay, Elise. I’ve learned some information—”
The dressing room door opened, forcing them to step quickly aside. Anthony peered around the corner before entering. He had put on his spine scabbard, and the butt of the shotgun jutted over one shoulder.
His eyes widened. “James. Hey. Good to see you.” He handed the chain of charms to Elise, and she looped them around her neck. “Ready to go?”
“Just a second. I’ll be right there.”
Anthony glanced between them and ducked out of the room again.
James’s eyes traced the charms, and the line of worry in his brow deepened. “Do you need my help tonight?” Please let me help you .
“I already have enough backup.” She glanced at her cell phone. “I’m about to meet Nukha’il and Anthony, so you’ve got my attention for about twenty seconds. What do you want? Really.”
James’s hand stroked down her braid, and one of the curls at the bottom briefly wrapped around his finger before bouncing free. “I want you to stop avoiding me, for one thing.”
“That’s why you came down? Really?”
A thousand thoughts flicked across his features and vanished again. Blissfully, Elise couldn’t hear a single one of them.
“Sorry to have bothered you. I’ll leave.”
They stepped into the hall together, and Elise hesitated before going into the club. “James? When you get home… check all your wards. Make sure you’re protected.”
His smile was sad. “I will.”
“W here’s James?” Anthony shouted when Elise finally joined him at the elevator behind the DJ booth. Her lips were thin, the tendons in her neck were rigid, and a vein bulged on her forehead. The stress
The corners of his eyes pinched, as though he was in pain. “I’m not trying to be judgmental.” Elise drummed her fingers on the edge of the counter. Of course he was. “But you do have to admit, it’s strange. You’re a kopis, Elise—a demon hunter .”
“We’ve never agreed on that definition of the term. Kopides are meant to preserve a balance between angels and demons and humans—”
He spoke right over her. “But demons are always a threat to humans.”
“—and that doesn’t always mean killing demons. They’re not all evil.”
“By definition…”
“They have chaotic impulses.” Elise’s volume was increasing, and she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “There’s a difference between chaos and evil.”
James let out a sigh. “And you think you can bring order to their chaos?”
“I’m doing a pretty damn good job of it, yeah.”
“And how, exactly, are you making money out of this?”
The answer was tithes—a practice where kopides took a percentage off the top of local demons’ dealings. But Elise didn’t say that. “I’m not,” she said instead. “Have you seen where Anthony and I are living?”
“No. You don’t speak to me, much less invite me over for dinner.”
And they were back to that again.
“I have to go.” Elise tapped her knives to double-check their locations—one at her ankle, one at her hip—and then checked her back sheath. It still felt strange with only one sword. Then she tried to brush past James to exit the room.
He stopped her with a hand on her arm.
The contact was enough to split the bond open again. For an instant, she saw herself through James’s eyes: her curls fraying out of her braid, her hollow cheeks, her pale lips.
When was the last time she slept?
“What happened to the other falchion?” he asked.
Elise pulled her arm free, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. “I’m not wearing it,” she said, knowing that he would feel the lie. “But you didn’t visit me to check on my swords.”
He sighed. “Okay, Elise. I’ve learned some information—”
The dressing room door opened, forcing them to step quickly aside. Anthony peered around the corner before entering. He had put on his spine scabbard, and the butt of the shotgun jutted over one shoulder.
His eyes widened. “James. Hey. Good to see you.” He handed the chain of charms to Elise, and she looped them around her neck. “Ready to go?”
“Just a second. I’ll be right there.”
Anthony glanced between them and ducked out of the room again.
James’s eyes traced the charms, and the line of worry in his brow deepened. “Do you need my help tonight?” Please let me help you .
“I already have enough backup.” She glanced at her cell phone. “I’m about to meet Nukha’il and Anthony, so you’ve got my attention for about twenty seconds. What do you want? Really.”
James’s hand stroked down her braid, and one of the curls at the bottom briefly wrapped around his finger before bouncing free. “I want you to stop avoiding me, for one thing.”
“That’s why you came down? Really?”
A thousand thoughts flicked across his features and vanished again. Blissfully, Elise couldn’t hear a single one of them.
“Sorry to have bothered you. I’ll leave.”
They stepped into the hall together, and Elise hesitated before going into the club. “James? When you get home… check all your wards. Make sure you’re protected.”
His smile was sad. “I will.”
“W here’s James?” Anthony shouted when Elise finally joined him at the elevator behind the DJ booth. Her lips were thin, the tendons in her neck were rigid, and a vein bulged on her forehead. The stress
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