"I'm aware of that."
"No, leopard, you're not. I was just paid a visit by the chief of police, who dropped by with two Daimons."
Ravyn went cold with dread as he looked at Susan, who was watching him with a curious frown. "What?"
"You heard me. They busted up the place pretty badly and killed Amaranda's sister."
Ravyn winced at the news. Granted protecting Apollites had never been a mandate of his, he still hated to see anyone killed so needlessly. "What about you? You okay?"
"I'm hurt, but I'll live."
"And your wife?"
Cael paused. When he spoke, his voice actually broke. "Thanks, Rave."
"For what?"
"For the kindness of asking about her without having venom in your voice."
Ravyn glanced over to Susan. He was actually beginning to understand Cael's stupidity. "Yeah, well, I might not like it. But we've been friends for a long time. "
"I know, which is why I'm calling. While they were here I learned some interesting things."
"Like I killed the chief's wife who was also a Daimon?"
"Yeah," Cael said, his voice full of disbelief. "How did you know that?"
"Lucky guess."
"Well, it gets better. He wants you like there's no tomorrow. "
Ravyn had pretty much figured that one out, too. "Did you tell him where I was?"
"You know me better than that. I told him you were at the Last Supper Club. I assume he's there now, looking for you. The man won't stop until you're dead. "
Ravyn scoffed at his dire tone. "I don't think he's going to stop until we're all dead, Celt."
"Probably."
Ravyn pulled the phone away and checked the ID again as Nick's words and their earlier encounter with the Daimons went through his mind. "Just out of curiosity. How do I know this is you?"
Cael paused before he answered. "Because I know you have three knitted gloves. It was the last pair your mother made for you, and on the night you took your vengeance, you found the third glove that she'd made to match the other two because she knew you were going to lose the left one soon. For some reason, the left one was always the one that got misplaced."
It was Cael. He was the only person who knew Ravyn still had them. "Hey, Celt?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for not ratting me out to the chief. I owe you."
"Don't worry. Just make sure you kill the bastard before he kills anyone else." And with that he hung up.
Amaranda stared at her husband as fear held her close. "Are you sure that was the right thing to do?"
"Yeah. Ravyn needs to know who's gunning for him. And we need the chief dead before he realizes we're alive and tells someone that he killed us both."
Amaranda walked herself into his arms, where he felt her trembling against him. "I'm so sorry I did this to you, baby. I just didn't want you to suffer. "
"I know." He leaned his head down so that he could rest his cheek against her hair and let her touch soothe the fear he felt, too, about a future that was even more uncertain than the one they'd had before.