"Because you're one of the ones who kills humans and then blames it on the Apollites," she repeated, stressing the words so that even he could understand them. "You use them as your scapegoats, and this must be the lie you tell to justify it."
"And that makes sense in what alternate universe? Really? Why would we blame something neither humanity nor Apollites know exists to cover up these supposed crimes we commit? Hell, it'd make more sense to blame little green men. Who told you this malarkey?"
Before she could answer, something bright flashed to her left.
Lifting her hand to shield her eyes, she cringed in pain. It was absolutely blinding.
When the light faded, there was another man in the hallway with them. One with an evil sneer, who looked like he'd been bred for no other purpose than to kill. Tall with jet black hair and icy blue eyes, he was gorgeous. Dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, he had a small goatee. He glanced at her, then locked gazes with Sundown, who seemed to know him. "Do I have to kill her for seeing me pop in?"
Sundown shook his head. "She already knows about us."
The unknown man tsked at him. "Risky, boy. Acheron finds out you've been spilling your guts to civs, he'll have your ass."
Sundown ran his thumb down the line of his jaw. He held an expression that said he was oddly amused. "It's not what you think, Z. Turn on those god powers and use them. I am not responsible for her knowledge of nothing."
Z scoffed. "Impressively screwed-up syntax there, Cowboy. Glad I could follow it ... Sort of. As for the powers, don't really have time to scan her and I really don't give a shit. Rather kill her and save myself the expended energy for something I might actually enjoy ... like picking my nose."
Ew. Someone was socially awkward. She wasn't sure at this point if she liked Z or not. He was rather off-putting.
"So why are you here?" Sundown asked.
"Got a huge problem."
Jess didn't like the sound of that at all. He slid his gaze to Abigail. "I already got one of those. Don't need another right now, little buddy."
Zarek laughed evilly at his term of endearment. Only Jess could call the Roman ex-slave that and live. The one thing about Zarek, it didn't take much to motivate him to murder. He hated all people and wanted nothing to do with the world at large. That being said, the two of them went way back, and but for Jess, Zarek would be dead now and not married to a Greek goddess.
It was a debt neither of them spoke about. Ever. However, Zarek wasn't the kind of man to forget it either. They had an unspoken bond of friendship that ran as deep as a blood tie.
Zarek sobered. "Well, that's just too bad, Hoss. 'Cause I'm here to drop this one right in your lap. Someone killed your buddy tonight."
His heart sank at the news. "Ren?"
"Other friend."
Jess scowled. Like Z, he tended to shy away from most folks. His past didn't exactly lend itself to trust. "I only have you and him. So I'm pulling a little blank here on who you might be referring to."
Zarek slapped him across the back. "Think, bud. Fierce immortal who likes to gamble in Sin's casino, wear tacky shirts and watch anime."
Jess sucked his breath in sharply as he understood. "Old Bear?"
"Give that boy a biscuit." Zarek's tone dripped with sarcasm. "He finally got it."
Jess couldn't believe what Z was saying. It wasn't possible. Old Bear was one of the four Guardians and powerful beyond belief. "How?"
"Some fool beheaded him around one A.M."
The woman frowned at them. "Are you talking about the Native American Dark-Hunter stationed here?"
A bad feeling went through Jess as he met her gaze. Surely she wouldn't have been so stupid as to ...
"Say you didn't."
"Kill him?" she asked. "Fine. I didn't ... but I did."
Oh yeah, this was bad. The kind of bad they made horror movies out of. In fact, he'd rather be naked in a zombie flick with no ammo or shelter, coated in brain matter and wearing a sign that said COME GET ME, than face what they were going to have to face now. "Honey, let me give you a quick lesson. Just 'cause someone's a few centuries old and fanged, doesn't make them a Dark-Hunter."
Zarek concurred. "And some of those fanged immortals we actually need. Old Bear happened to be one of them."