"I like that Zarek. He quality people!"
She blinked her eyes open as she recognized Simi's voice. Astrid started to move until she felt something underneath her hand.
Some of Zarek's figurines lay there, and as she traced the lines of them with her fingers, she realized what they were.
Each one was a character from The Little Prince. There were six of them in all: the little prince himself, the sheep, the elephant, the rose, the fox, and the snake.
They were exquisite pieces that had been given even more attention to detail than the others she'd "seen."
"He even gave me a can opener so I don't have to use my fangs. I like that. Metal is hard on the teeth." Simi smacked her lips. "Pork and beans popsicle. Yummy! My favorite."
"Simi?" Astrid said, sitting up. "Where is Zarek?"
"I don't know. I woke up a few minutes ago and found this yummy food he left for me."
"Zarek?" Astrid called.
He didn't answer.
Of course, for him, that was typical.
"Simi, is he in the cabin?"
"I don't know."
"Would you please go see?"
"Zarek!" Simi shouted.
"Simi, I could have done that."
The demon gave a heavy, irritated sigh. "Okay, but don't let my beans thaw out." She paused, then added, "Akri said to protect you, Astrid, not to fetch for you. Zarek a big Dark-Hunter and he can walk about on his own."
Astrid felt the demon vanish.
After a few minutes she came back. "Nope, he not there, neither."
Astrid's heart pounded.
Maybe he had just gone for more food.
"Did he leave a note, Simi?"
"Nope."
Zarek kicked open the door to the first Apollite house he reached. The small community of Apollites had been here for several decades now on the outskirts of Fairbanks, but he'd left them alone.
Dark-Hunter Code forbade any Hunter from harming an Apollite until they turned into Daimons who fed off humans. So long as they kept to themselves and didn't harm humans and lived out their lives until they died at twenty-seven, they were afforded the same protection as any human being.
It was why, at least according to Simi, Zarek had been banished. To Artemis and the gods, killing an Apollite was as serious a crime as killing a human.
But at the moment, Zarek would gladly break that law and any other to keep Astrid safe.
As soon as the door crashed open, the female occupants of the house screamed and ran for cover while the men rushed him.
Zarek used his telekinesis to pin them to the walls.
"Don't even try it," he snarled at them. "I'm in no mood to deal with you. I'm here for Thanatos."