Several members of the crowd visibly tensed and recoiled as Acheron moved through them with the fluid long-legged gait of a dangerous predator. Those who dared to look at him quickly averted their gazes.
It was ironic, really, since Acheron was the last person on earth who would ever harm a mortal. He was the oldest protector mankind had.
For centuries he had fought the Daimons single-handedly.
Alone.
Without friend or Squire.
Talon had heard rumors that Acheron had been trained to fight by Ares himself. Other rumors claimed Acheron was the son of a god and a legendary Atlantean hero.
But basically no one knew anything about Acheron other than he was tall, private, intimidating, and very, very strange.
As Acheron drew near, Talon inclined his head toward Acheron's purple hair with its four small braids that framed his face. "You know, I think I need to drop the T-Rex and start calling you Barney."
One corner of Acheron's mouth quirked up. "Don't start on me, Celt." He raked an amused look over Talon's leather pants, T-shirt, and jacket. "Nice to see you fully dressed for the occasion."
Talon winced at the underlying meaning of that comment. "Kyrian told on me, huh?"
"Oh, yeah. The pink towel bit was my favorite part."
Kyrian would pay for this. Even if Talon had to hunt him down. "I swear... Does Nick know?"
Acheron smiled a real smile that flashed a tiny bit of fang.
Damn, he was screwed now.
Oh, what the hell, it'd been worth it. Spending the afternoon with Sunshine had more than made up for any embarrassment.
T-Rex looked over his shoulder as if sensing something, and a corner of his leather jacket fell away from his throat to show the hand print was gone again.
Talon followed his line of vision to see Valerius approaching them. He'd only met the Roman general one other time when Valerius had first arrived to assume Kyrian's Dark-Hunter duties.
Valerius had taken one look at Talon's jacket and tore, and sneered the word Celt, thus letting Talon know friendship with this Dark-Hunter was about as likely as finding a parking space for a tank on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras.
And just think, he was doomed to spend eternity in New Orleans with this prick. As Nick would say, yee-freakin'-haw.
The Roman's black hair was pulled back into an impeccable queue. He wore black pleated pants, loafers, turtle-neck, and a long cashmere coat. If one didn't know better, he would appear to be an affluent attorney, not a Daimon executioner.
And it was all Talon could do not to laugh at how out of place Valerius looked standing next to him, and most especially Acheron, who was a poster boy for the goth movement. Right down to the silver stud in Acheron's nose and the silver buckles that decorated the side of his pointy-toed boots.
"How very punctual you are," Acheron said to Valerius as he looked at the cracked pocket watch he'd pulled out of his jacket pocket. The watch had suffered a mishap about a hundred years ago during a major Daimon uprising. The watch had survived, the Daimons hadn't.
Valerius's black eyes smoldered with resentment as he looked up at Acheron. "I might not like the fact that you are my commander, Greek, but as a soldier I will obey you regardless of my personal distaste for your company."
Talon smirked. "Gee, T-Rex, doesn't it make you all warm and fuzzy just to be near him?"
"Show respect to your betters, Celt," Valerius snarled, curling his upper lip. "Or I'll show you how we Romans dealt with your barbaric kind."
The words didn't elicit any emotion other than bored amusement, but Talon had never been the kind of man to let an insult pass without comment.
He was certainly too old now to change his ways.
"Ah, respect this," he said, flipping Valerius off.
Acheron barely caught Valerius as he lunged for Talon. He placed himself physically between them; not that Talon needed it, but judging by the fury in Valerius's eyes, the Roman certainly did.
"Children, don't make me separate you again." Acheron glared at Valerius and forced the Roman to take a step back. "Believe me, Val, I don't need you to fight my battles and I take no offense to Talon."