Tabitha paused, then said something to the man and woman. She kissed the man on his cheek and hugged the woman, then joined him.
"Let me guess, Romans have no rhythm?"
"Not any that I wish to share."
She smiled even wider. "I would put that to the test, but having seen you dance, I..." Her voice trailed off as her gaze went past his shoulder.
Valerius turned his head to see what had her transfixed. He spied the Daimons instantly.
There were five of them.
And they were headed toward the exit with a small group of women.
Tabitha headed for the Daimons without thought until Valerius pulled her to a stop. "What are you doing?" she asked him indignantly.
"It's a trap."
She frowned up at him. "What?"
There was a strange look on his face as he tightened his grip on her arm. "Can't you feel it? Even without powers I sense this one."
"No and if we don't go out there, they're going to kill those people." She tried to twist her arm out of his grasp, but he held tight.
"Tabitha, listen to me. This isn't right. Daimons are never that bold and they had to know I was in here."
He was right. It was too obvious. In this crowd Valerius stood out like sunshine in darkness. "What do you suggest we do, then? Just let the innocent die?"
"No. You stay here and I'll go."
"Bull-"
"Tabitha," he snapped at her, his black eyes burning into her. "I'm immortal. You're not. Unless one of them is wielding an ax, they can't hurt me much. Whatever they do to me, I will survive. You might not."
She wanted to argue with him, but she knew he was right. Not to mention she could feel inside that he was sincere. This wasn't some macho move to prove himself superior to her.
He was concerned for her safety, and if he was worried about her, he wouldn't be able to fight clear headedly.
"Okay," she said. "You go and I'll try not to follow."
A tic worked in his jaw. "For my sake, please do more than try. Succeed." He released her and before she could blink, he was out of sight.
Valerius hurried through the crowd, after the Daimons. He paused at the entrance long enough to ask Ty to keep Tabitha in the bar for her own safety. He wasn't sure if the man would help him with that or not, but if Ty could slow her down some, maybe it would give him enough time to kill the Daimons before she got there and endangered herself.
Leaving the bar, he hesitated on the street. The loud music still rang in his ears. But even so, he could sense the Daimons...
At the end of the block, he turned down Royal and headed in the direction that he was certain they had vanished. The Daimons were moving fast, drawing him into the darkness.
Unless he was mistaken, which was unlikely, there was a large group of them.
He slowed a bit as he approached St. Louis Street and turned onto it. He hadn't gone far before he came upon a gate slightly ajar.
They were inside. Quiet and still.
Waiting.
Had they killed the humans already?
Pulling out a dagger and holding it so that the blade was in line with his forearm while the hilt rested lethally in his palm, he pushed the gate wider, taking care not to make a sound as he slipped inside the pitch-black courtyard.