Stryker.”
Susan frowned at the unfamiliar term. “Spathi?”
“A special warrior class of Daimons who are old,” Kyl said. “Really,
really
old. They’re a lot stronger than the typical Daimon who roams around looking for an easy target to suck dry. ”
“Yeah,” Otto agreed. “These usually have a serious ax to grind against the good guys and humans. Last year, we lost a lot of Dark-Hunters in Northern Mississippi and New Orleans to them. The last thing I want to do is lose any more.”
Kyl turned toward Otto. “You think we should call Kyros or Rafael and see if they can help us. They got a lot closer to the Spathis than anyone else… and unlike Danger, Euphemia, Marco, and the others, they actually survived the encounter. Maybe they can remember something that could help expose a weakness we could exploit. ”
Otto nodded. “Good idea.”
“I’ll ring them,” Jessica volunteered.
“And I’ll call Kyrian,” Kyl said. “Any of you know where he is at present?”
Otto answered, “He never left New Orleans. None of the Dark-Hunters, current or former, evacuated for Katrina. They got their families out, but they stayed behind to help. Last I heard, even Amanda and the kids were back. ”
“Cool. I’ll buzz him then and see if he knows anything more concrete about Stryker or the others.”
“What about Ash?” Leo asked.
Jessica shook her head. “He’s been MIA for the last few days now. Last I heard, he was in Australia anyway. ”
You know
, Susan thought wryly,
it would really help if I bad a clue as to who and what they were talking about
. But they were so absorbed and earnest, she didn’t want to interrupt them. Besides, what they were discussing seemed to be far more important than her ignorance and no doubt, if she lived, she’d begin to understand all of it soon enough.
Leo let out a frustrated breath as if he was way too tired. He turned toward Susan. “By the way, were you able to find anything out about Dark Angel before all this went down?”
“Yes. She’s a snotty little booger.”
Leo looked ill at her description. “Oh gawd, it is Erika.”
Otto frowned. “What are you talking about now?”
Leo let out another weary sigh. “Someone local has been Hogging that she works for an immortal shapeshifting warrior who hunts vampires. I had Sue check her out.”
Otto looked even more perplexed. “Erika’s not a Squire.”
“Not technically,” Leo said, “but while her father’s off on his honeymoon, she’s subbing for him and running errands for Ravyn.”
“Well, if you really think it’s Erika then why didn’t you have Tad run a trace on the blog?”
Leo cocked his head in an offended manner. “Because that would involve me actually talking to Tad now, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, and?”
Clearing his throat, Leo became sullen. In a low, almost embarrassed tone, he said, “I owe him money.”
Otto gave him a droll stare. “What has that got to do with anything?”
Leo narrowed his eyes. “I owe him a
lot
of money.”
“Good God, Leo,” Kyl said angrily, “given how much you have, how much could you be into him for?”
“Everything, and I mean
everything
. Hell, I even owe him my Porsche.”
Otto’s jaw went slack. “You jeopardized us because of debt? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” No, he looked completely pissed. “Besides, it’s not my fault. He cheats at cards.”
Kyl made a disgusted noise. “You’ve been playing poker with him? Are you insane? That man’s brain functions like a computer.”
“
Now
you tell me.”
Otto disregarded his outburst. “And because of that you put a civilian on a case that should have been turned over to one of us? Jeez, man, what were you thinking?”
Leo rose to his feet. “Get off my back, Otto. I’m the one in charge here in Seattle.”
Otto sat back with his arms folded over his chest in a demeanor that said he answered to no one else. “Not if I kill you
Susan frowned at the unfamiliar term. “Spathi?”
“A special warrior class of Daimons who are old,” Kyl said. “Really,
really
old. They’re a lot stronger than the typical Daimon who roams around looking for an easy target to suck dry. ”
“Yeah,” Otto agreed. “These usually have a serious ax to grind against the good guys and humans. Last year, we lost a lot of Dark-Hunters in Northern Mississippi and New Orleans to them. The last thing I want to do is lose any more.”
Kyl turned toward Otto. “You think we should call Kyros or Rafael and see if they can help us. They got a lot closer to the Spathis than anyone else… and unlike Danger, Euphemia, Marco, and the others, they actually survived the encounter. Maybe they can remember something that could help expose a weakness we could exploit. ”
Otto nodded. “Good idea.”
“I’ll ring them,” Jessica volunteered.
“And I’ll call Kyrian,” Kyl said. “Any of you know where he is at present?”
Otto answered, “He never left New Orleans. None of the Dark-Hunters, current or former, evacuated for Katrina. They got their families out, but they stayed behind to help. Last I heard, even Amanda and the kids were back. ”
“Cool. I’ll buzz him then and see if he knows anything more concrete about Stryker or the others.”
“What about Ash?” Leo asked.
Jessica shook her head. “He’s been MIA for the last few days now. Last I heard, he was in Australia anyway. ”
You know
, Susan thought wryly,
it would really help if I bad a clue as to who and what they were talking about
. But they were so absorbed and earnest, she didn’t want to interrupt them. Besides, what they were discussing seemed to be far more important than her ignorance and no doubt, if she lived, she’d begin to understand all of it soon enough.
Leo let out a frustrated breath as if he was way too tired. He turned toward Susan. “By the way, were you able to find anything out about Dark Angel before all this went down?”
“Yes. She’s a snotty little booger.”
Leo looked ill at her description. “Oh gawd, it is Erika.”
Otto frowned. “What are you talking about now?”
Leo let out another weary sigh. “Someone local has been Hogging that she works for an immortal shapeshifting warrior who hunts vampires. I had Sue check her out.”
Otto looked even more perplexed. “Erika’s not a Squire.”
“Not technically,” Leo said, “but while her father’s off on his honeymoon, she’s subbing for him and running errands for Ravyn.”
“Well, if you really think it’s Erika then why didn’t you have Tad run a trace on the blog?”
Leo cocked his head in an offended manner. “Because that would involve me actually talking to Tad now, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, and?”
Clearing his throat, Leo became sullen. In a low, almost embarrassed tone, he said, “I owe him money.”
Otto gave him a droll stare. “What has that got to do with anything?”
Leo narrowed his eyes. “I owe him a
lot
of money.”
“Good God, Leo,” Kyl said angrily, “given how much you have, how much could you be into him for?”
“Everything, and I mean
everything
. Hell, I even owe him my Porsche.”
Otto’s jaw went slack. “You jeopardized us because of debt? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” No, he looked completely pissed. “Besides, it’s not my fault. He cheats at cards.”
Kyl made a disgusted noise. “You’ve been playing poker with him? Are you insane? That man’s brain functions like a computer.”
“
Now
you tell me.”
Otto disregarded his outburst. “And because of that you put a civilian on a case that should have been turned over to one of us? Jeez, man, what were you thinking?”
Leo rose to his feet. “Get off my back, Otto. I’m the one in charge here in Seattle.”
Otto sat back with his arms folded over his chest in a demeanor that said he answered to no one else. “Not if I kill you
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