Not like this.
Paul pulled the gun out of the holster at the small of his back and unloaded it into his hand. Then he handed the bullets to Susan.
Ravyn narrowed his gaze on Paul. "Fire the gun at the wall so that I know it's empty. "
His features disgusted, Paul did as he said. The gun merely clicked, proving that he was abiding by the agreement. "You satisfied?"
"That your gun is empty, yes. With this solution, not hardly." He turned to look at Susan.
She stopped struggling. Her heart froze at the sad resolve she saw mirrored in his black eyes. The grim determination that marked his handsome features. "Don't do this, Ravyn. We can find another way out."
Ravyn offered her a comforting smile, but what he really wanted to do was touch her one last time. To feel the softness of her skin. "It's okay. I've had a really long life."
Susan felt the tears prick the back of her eyes. She couldn't believe he'd be willing to do this for her. That he'd damn himself to being a Shade simply to save her life.
And in that moment, she realized that she really did love him.
More than that, she didn't want to live if he died.
The Daimon led her to the window.
"Open the latch, Susan," Paul said snidely. "Then Ravyn can join you at the window to help you out."
She parted the curtains only enough to let her hand reach the latch. But as she did that, a thought struck her. She knew how to get out of this.
How to save Ravyn.
"It's unlocked," she said.
Nodding, Terrence stepped away from the window to a safe corner of the room near Ben.
"Good," Paul said with a laugh. "Now go check out the daylight, Dark-Hunter."
Her heart pounding, Susan felt Ravyn at her back as he approached her. She closed her eyes and savored the strength of him. The heat of his body warmed hers.
And her conviction grew.
"I know I just met you, Susan," Ravyn whispered against her ear. "But I think I love you."
She froze her hand on the latch as a wave of anger went through her. Instead of warming her, those words went over her like ice. Looking at him over her shoulder, she glared at him. "You think? You think you love me? You don't know?'"
His face baffled, he scowled at her. "Why are you so angry? I'm trying to die here... for you. Nobly."
"Then you should have just dropped dead and not opened your mouth to piss me off. You think? Think? What is that? Obviously it's only wishful thinking on your part, because if you had thought for a single second, you'd have known it would upset me. Ugh!" Wanting to really kill him, she grabbed the heavy drape and before anyone realized what she was doing, she jerked with all her strength.
The curtain rod was torn free from the wall. Still angry at the beast behind her, she stepped back so that the curtain would fall over Ravyn to protect him as the room was flooded with daylight.
The two Daimons screamed out in pain as the light struck them and set them both on fire. Susan shielded her face from the horror of their deaths. If only she could protect her nose. The stench of burning flesh was revolting.
And in less than a minute, both of them were dead. Black, smoldering piles of ash on the green Persian rug.
"Ben!" Paul shouted in an agonized cry. "No!" He turned on her with his fury blazing. "You fucking bitch! I'll kill you for this."
He rushed at her, only to have Ravyn, now in leopard form, launch himself at him. The two of them hit the floor hard. Ravyn caught him a vicious swipe on the shoulder.
Rolling over, Paul pushed himself to his feet and held his injured arm to his side, then ran pell-mell to the interior of the house, toward the staircase, with Ravyn bounding up the stairs after him.
Susan followed them, then pulled up short as a hugely tall man stepped out of the shadows at the top of the landing. He was dressed in a pair of jeans with a black turtleneck and motorcycle jacket. Ravyn stopped halfway up the stairs as Paul continued on to the man's side.