He slid his phone into his pocket. "The police found their remains this morning right out in the open for the world to see. Luckily, the demons were in a human form so we don't have to do cleanup with the mundanes. But that makes Ash think it was done as a warning to us and not to scare the humans. Why else leave them exposed for the police when they'd assume the killings were just a bunch of unlucky humans who were mugged?"
That made sense to her, but she did have one question. "If they're in human form, how does Acheron know they're demons?"
"Their remains were sent to the deputy medical examiner for Orleans parish. Simone's a half demon married to a half demon demigod and they live with two ghosts. If that's not enough, her boss is a Squire with a long history of covering up preternatural blips on the human radar. Believe me, she knows demons when she sees them--both before and after she autopsies them."
Sam gave a short, dark laugh. "This is an interesting town."
"Ain't it though? And you have to figure Acheron can tell the difference between a demon and a human too. Not like he'd mistake one for another."
That was a very valid point. But it still concerned her. "Any idea who killed them and why?"
"Not a bit. You got any ideas? Ash said they'd been completely drained of blood. Other than that, they looked normal. Simone thinks it's some kind of demon ritual where another group must have needed their blood for something. Why else would they drain it out of them? Not the usual modus operandi for demon deaths."
Sam fell silent as she remembered what she'd seen last night through the slug demon's eyes....
The demon on the floor as the Daimons fed on him. Oh my God. In that one moment she knew exactly what'd happened.
"Daimons did it."
He frowned. "What?"
She ignored his question as a wicked premonition went through her. There was no doubt in her mind what had happened and who this message was meant for.
Her.
"Can Acheron get me a photo of the demons they found?"
Dev scowled. "Why?"
"I have a bad feeling. I saw the Daimons kill a demon in their hall and I'm wondering if it was one of the two the police found on the street."
He frowned. "What are the odds of that? I think it's a long shot."
"What if it's not?" What if they really did want her to know what was going on? It could be some kind of head game or something else entirely.
Either way, she had to know.
Dev pulled out his phone and started texting. Less than a minute later, he received a text back. He checked it, then held the phone up for her to see. "Look familiar?"
The pictures expanded until she could clearly see the two vics on the ground. Their pale features were contorted by the last few horrific moments of their lives. Their faces were a permanent mask of their torture. The worst part was that she recognized one of them.
Oh yeah, this was really not good for them.
Sam met Dev's gaze. "The one on the right. I saw the Daimons killing him."
The color drained from Dev's face as he looked at the picture. "You sure?"
She nodded. "The slug demon was his servant. There were several Daimons feeding on him until he died. I saw the whole thing.... Well, not his actual death, but that I felt as the slug demon so there's no doubt that the Daimons feeding on him are what killed him. They did this."
Dev cursed. "They're taking demon powers the way they take a Were-Hunter's."
"That has to be what allows them to walk in daylight. It has to be. Nothing else makes sense."
Still there was doubt in his eyes. "But they don't get that ability when they take down one of us, and we walk in daylight."
"Why else do it then? The Daimons basically have the same powers as most demons. More so most of the time...except for daylight. There's no other reason for them to target the demon population. Not when humans are such easy prey for them. You know a demon doesn't just lie down and let them feast. Not without a brutal fight, hence the bruising on the bodies."
Dev considered that. She might be right. Why else would the Daimons feed on a demon? "You think that's why they were trying to get to you? See if they could pull some powers out of you?"