Daimon (Guardians of Hades #6) - Felicity Heaton Page 0,40

mangey white and ginger cat on the terracotta tiles. Ragged scar tissue ran over its nose and part of its left ear was missing, and it looked as if it either needed a good brush or a heavy dose of flea killer.

From inside the house, Cass made a kissy noise.

Daimon took a hard step forwards, determined to stop whatever was going on in the house.

The cat growled louder.

The kissing noise grew louder too.

Daimon froze as Cass stepped out onto the terrace, her blue eyes on the cat.

And then him.

She huffed. “I had wondered why Mister Milos was grumpy. I can’t blame him. I’m not exactly pleased to see you either.”

Daimon’s mouth flapped open.

Milos was the cat?

He looked down at the ancient thing that was still blocking his route. The cat hissed, baring three yellowing fangs. The bottom left one was missing.

Gods, he was an idiot.

All the fight that had been building inside him suddenly bled out of him.

“I could mention how you’re stalking me. I shan’t… but I could.” Cass smiled when he frowned at her and her shoulders lifted in a slight shrug. “I just wanted that out there.”

Fine, so she wasn’t the only one with a bad habit of stalking, but how was he to have known Milos was a damned cat?

Cass looked down at the beast, her voice like a sigh as she said, “It’s a cliché, but it’s true. All good witches need a cat.”

Daimon hunkered down and held his hand out to the animal. It snubbed him, standing and turning away, flicking its tail.

“Milos is normally so sociable.” Cass looked at him. “Maybe he’s picking up on the fact I don’t want you here.”

He sighed and stood again, and jerked his chin towards the feral tom. “Cats don’t tend to be very impressed by gods. That’s all this is.”

She shrugged again and turned away from him too. “I can’t imagine why.”

He clenched his jaw, bit back the words he wanted to say, and focused on the reason he had come back from Hong Kong to see her.

“I’m sorry.”

She stopped in the doorway and looked across at him, her eyebrows pinned high on her forehead. “Did you say something?”

Daimon huffed. “I said I’m sorry.”

“For what? Another attempt to drown me? Being as frigid as your power? Upsetting Mister Milos? Or perhaps you’re sorry for stalking me?” She turned back towards him, her black eyebrows lowering into a frown. “I’m not even going to point out how angry you would have been if our positions had been reversed. I’m bigger than that.”

She hit him with a sly smile that said she was enjoying this—having him at her mercy.

“I’m only here because I pulled the short straw when we were deciding which of us was going to protect you and get your arse back to Tokyo.” He folded his arms across his chest.

She chuckled, swept the black nails of her right hand across her chest and smiled again. “You’re a terrible liar.”

She turned back towards the door.

“I’m flattered you felt the need to stalk me.”

And disappeared inside.

Daimon glared down at Milos, who glared right back at him and moved to block his path again.

“You have something against me. I get that. All your kind do.” He kept his voice low as he crouched in front of the cat. His gaze flicked to the door and then back, meeting Milos’s green eyes. “Small god, I ask you that if… when… the time comes that you’ll do your duty as a guardian deity and protect the one you clearly treasure and love.”

The cat stared at him for a moment, and then stood and rubbed against his knee, purring deeply.

Daimon took that as a yes.

Milos moved aside and hopped up onto the white wall, his tail flicking back and forth as he stared out at the sea.

Did Cass know that Milos wasn’t just a cat? He wasn’t sure what things about his world she did or didn’t know, but maybe it was time he found out.

He stepped up onto the terrace, the tiles cool beneath his feet, and into the small house. It was cramped on the inside, with an open kitchen and living room, and a corridor leading deeper into the house.

It was far from the glamourous home he had imagined Cass living in. This was as rustic as it came, with furniture that looked hand-made and a tiny kitchen consisting of an old white stove, a sink and two cupboards. The only light in the room was a naked