Tabitha sucked her breath in at the quality of his weapon. "Very nice piece of work. Is it Kell's?" she asked. Kell was a Dark-Hunter stationed out in Dallas who made a lot of the heavy weapons the Dark-Hunters used.
"No," he said with a deep breath. "Kell doesn't deal with anyone from Rome."
"Excuse me?"
He took the weapon from her. "He's from Dacia and his people waged war against mine. He and his brothers were captured and taken to Rome to be gladiators. Two thousand years later, he's still rather upset at all of us."
"Okay, I've had it with this. Why doesn't Ash stop them from treating all of you like dirt?"
"How can he stop it?"
"Beat some sense into them?"
"It wouldn't work. My brethren and I have learned to just leave the rest of them alone. We're few in number and there's no need in even arguing."
Tabitha growled. "Fine, let them all rot then."
Valerius placed his sword on her dresser and left it there before the two of them went back outside.
Tabitha quickly led him away from the sidewalks so that no one else could toss a bucket at them and kept her arm wrapped around his. "You know, I don't see how you can do your duties with Zarek taking potshots at you from Olympus and the rest of the losers on the street gunning for you."
"I learned quickly to avoid Bourbon Street and leave it for Talon or now Jean-Luc to patrol while I take the areas where no one knows Nick."
"And Zarek?"
He didn't comment.
They turned down Dumaine Street. Neither spoke. They hadn't gone far when Tabitha felt a weird sensation whip through her. "Daimons," she whispered, unaware she had spoken until Valerius let go of her.
He pulled a dagger from his pocket as he turned around in the street as if trying to catch a scent.
There was nothing.
Tabitha could feel the evil presence, but she couldn't pinpoint it either.
Something whistled before an unexpected wind danced down the street. It carried the sound of faint, maniacal laughter.
"Tabitha..."
Her blood ran cold at the sound of her name whispered out of darkness.
"We're coming for you, little girl." The laughter echoed loudly, then faded into nothing.
Terrified, Tabitha couldn't breathe.
"Where are you?" Valerius called.
No one answered.
Valerius wrapped Tabitha in his arms as he reached out with every sense he possessed, but could find no trace of who or what had spoken.
"Tabitha?"
Valerius turned sharply at the sound of a voice directly behind him.
It wasn't human. Nor was it Daimon. It was a spirit. A ghost.
It opened its mouth as if to scream, then evaporated into an eerie mist that ran over and through her, leaving her body completely cold.