Dating for Demons by Serena Robar Page B

mini-visits.”
    Hunter grabbed me by the shoulders to get my attention. “Piper, you have to tell me who the Protector is. We are running out of time. Barnaby may have jumped into her body while she was unconscious or asleep. Tell me now.”
    I’ve never been one to cave to threats, so it was certainly the wrong approach to use with me. Hunter was desperate, I could see that, but I wasn’t giving up Colby. Yeah, we fought but she was my best friend—and I knew in my heart of hearts she wasn’t going to destroy the world. No matter what the fabulous-looking Hunter believed.
    “No.” Stubborn should have been my middle name. It’s more fitting than Renee, that’s for sure.
    Hunter dropped his hands abruptly, but I noted they were clenched by his sides. He seemed coiled up, ready to strike out at the next thing he saw. I hoped the cat would say something but it wisely kept quiet.
    “I’ll find out if this Barnaby entered the Protector or someone around her.” It was my idea of a peace offering.
    “Or you could just tell me who the Protector is,” he countered sarcastically.
    I gave him a look that said it all.
    “Why won’t you trust me?” He was completely exasperated with me.
    “Because if you knew for sure who the Protector was, you’d ride off into the sunset and kill her to stop the demon possession. I don’t agree with that tactic so I am wisely keeping this information to myself.”
    “Don’t you understand the world is at stake?”
    “Don’t you understand my best friend is at stake? Screw the Prophesy. I believe in her.” There. The lines had been drawn. I had Colby’s back, even if it meant losing Hunter.
    We stared at each other in a showdown of sorts. He was the first to look away.
    “You’re loyal, I’ll give you that.”
    He was backing down. I was kind of shocked. “Uh, thank you.”
    “Come on. I’ll take you back to Psi Phi House.”

Nine

    COLBY

    “M r. Holloway said to give you anything you asked for.”
    The librarian looked positively ill saying the words. Instead of being snide, I thanked her.
    Surprised by my attitude, she escorted me to the back room. “The exhibit just arrived. No one else has been allowed to see it yet. Here is an original copy of the Prophesy and a symbol found in a Demon Slayer archive.”
    “A what?” Surely I’d heard incorrectly.
    “A Demon Slayer. Haven’t you ever heard of a Demon Slayer?” The librarian had adopted her superior air again.
    “No, would you tell me what a Demon Slayer is, please?”
    I thought she’d fall over from shock. I’d actually asked her for information with a “please.” I could almost see the wheels turning in her head: The Protector wasn’t being surly. It was one of the signs of the apocalypse, what with the Prophesy so close at hand. Or something along those lines.
    The truth of the matter is I’m rarely surly. Only to rude vampires, which she totally was, normally. But Mr. Holloway told her explicitly to give me anything I wanted so she was trying hard to comply. Had to give her props for that.
    “A Demon Slayer is a person who slays demons.”
    I smiled tightly. Duh, I could have figured that out.
    “Where do they live?”
    “Unknown. Not a lot of them left anymore,” she replied.
    I looked at the symbol on the wall again. “It’s sort of pretty, in a dark way.”
    She grunted at me. “Good riddance I say.”
    “Why?”
    “Because Demon Slayers used to hunt vampires. That’s why.”
    A good reason for a biased opinion, if I do say so myself.
    “They used to? But they don’t anymore?”
    “During the founding of the Tribunal, a proclamation was sent to the Demon Slayers that all vampire matters would be dealt with by the new Vampire Investigators. Possessions, rogue vampire activities, half-blood creation—all those issues were now officially vampire jurisdiction only.”
    “You mean they weren’t always?” I was surprised.
    “No, demon possessions were dealt with by the Demon Slayers