Talon nodded even while Amanda grabbed Kyrian's arm. "Kyrian," she whispered, "I don't want you out there alone."
"I know, Amanda. But he's too powerful and dangerous to go unchallenged. He almost killed Rosa." Kyrian left out the part about how she'd almost killed him. They didn't need to know that.
Thank the gods D'Alerian had sensed Rosa's subconscious turmoil and come when he had. If not for the Dream-Hunter's intervention, Kyrian would still be trapped in his bed.
And trapped in his bed without Amanda was not something he wanted.
"Nick," he said, looking past her to his Squire. "Call me the instant you hear from the doctor." He started to leave, but Amanda stopped him.
Before he realized what she intended, she pulled him to her lips and kissed him blind. Her lips tugged at his while her tongue stroked his. He felt her hands clutching the lapels of his coat. Felt her fear for him, and it scorched his wounded heart with pure bliss. "You be careful," she said in a stern voice.
He touched her lightly on the chin. "I will."
Amanda watched him walk off with a sick feeling in her stomach. "Talon, are you sure you can't help him?"
"Believe me, I hate the 'no help' rule as much as you do. But if I tried to help, I'd only weaken him."
Nick handed her his phone. "Call Tabitha and warn her."
As Amanda dialed the first number another thought struck. "Who is D'Alerian and how can he guard our subconscious?"
"He's one of the Dream-Hunters we told you about," Talon said.
She frowned. "So do you guys get to pick which one you are?"
Talon shook his head. "Dream-Hunters are a whole other species. They're born of the gods and not made from humans."
"And the Were-Hunters? Where do they come from?"
"They are half human, half Apollites who got a hold of some seriously bad mojo."
She swallowed the fear that rose up to choke her. That didn't sound good at all. "I thought they were good guys."
"Some of them are, but some of them are slayers."
"With the powers of a sorcerer who can walk through time and space," she said, her stomach knotting.
"And occasionally dreams," Nick supplied.
Amanda laughed nervously. "You know, I was a whole lot happier when I didn't know about any of this."
"Which is why we do our best to keep this silent," Talon said. "Believe me, humans would never be able to sleep at night if they knew what was out there waiting for them."
Amanda nodded, wondering if she'd ever be able to sleep again.
Terrified, she finished dialing her sister's number. Now that she knew more about what they were dealing with, she needed to get her sister to watch out for Lord King Badass, and the Dark-Hunter who was their only hope.
Kyrian spent the entire night hunting the streets of New Orleans to no avail. Desiderius was still in his bolt-hole and there was no sign of him or any other Daimon anywhere. It may have been that his powers still weren't up to their full capacity or that the Daimon had some way of shielding his location. Whatever it was, Kyrian couldn't find a trace of him. Not even his electronic tracker helped.
He cursed his luck.
Never in his Dark-Hunter existence had he been so uncertain.
He didn't like the feeling one bit. Especially not when Amanda's life balanced on whether or not he could find the fiend and stop him.
Disgusted and weary, he made his way into his house. Everything was dark and silent. Amanda was upstairs in the house. He could feel her presence like a touch and it soothed him in a way he didn't want to contemplate.
Just knowing she was here...