virtue. But one thing he did hate was being around people he didn’t know. Then again, he didn’t like being around people he did know, either. He much preferred solitude—it couldn’t betray him.
She cocked her head. “So how long have you known Leo, anyway?”
“Leo who?”
“Kirby.”
He frowned at her. He’d known Leo vicariously for years. Like his Squire substitute, Erika, Leo was one of the humans who served the Dark-Hunters. Paid employees, they helped to keep the paranormal world hidden from the rest of mankind, who would most likely panic if they ever learned what inhuman beasts prowled the night, waiting to prey on them. “Are you a Squire?”
“No, I’m a Michaels.”
He rolled his eyes. She had to be the biggest smart-ass on the planet; well, maybe second only to Erika. “That’s not what I mean and you know it. Do you work with Leo?”
“Of course I do. Why else would you be here?”
Ravyn nodded. It explained her snotty attitude. For some reason, the latest generation of Squires seemed to have a problem with their duties. “Why didn’t you tell me you worked for him?”
“I assumed you knew it.”
“Yeah, right. The way you guys come and go, it’s impossible to remember more than one or two of you at a time.”
She nodded in agreement. “Leo does have a way of burning people out. So how did he talk you into this?”
“Into what?”
“Showing up here, naked to yank my chain.”
Yeah… like Leo could have
ever
done that. “He didn’t. I assumed he sent you to me to get me out of the shelter.”
“I guess in a roundabout way he did. So tell me something, how did you do that earlier trick?”
Ravyn grimaced. “What trick?”
“The cat thing. How did you switch?”
Why did humans always want that question answered? Even if he explained it, it wasn’t like they could do it. “It’s magick,” he said sarcastically. “I mumble hocus-pocus and the next thing you know, I’m a cat.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I suppose it’s a step up. The last guy I had in my house could only turn into a beer-drinking Pig.”
In spite of himself, he gave a short laugh at her dry tone. He had to give her credit, she had a quick sense of humor, and he was quirky enough to appreciate that in other people.
Suddenly, he was exhausted. He hadn’t been able to sleep since the Apollites had captured him—to have done so would have caused him to revert instantly to human form, which would have resulted in head explosion. Now he felt the deep need to rest. “So can I take the bed until tonight?”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“I need sleep. You know? Whole point of you getting me from the shelter? You said Leo sent you, right?”
She put her hands on her hips and gave him a sharp glare that said she wasn’t keen on that idea. “Yeah, but not to let you sleep in my bed. This isn’t a flophouse, you know?”
That raised his ire. “What is happening to the Squire’s code? I remember a time when that actually meant something.”
“What Squire’s code?”
“Up the ginkgo, babe. Don’t you remember the one you had to take when you went to work for Leo?”
Her eyes snapped blue fire at him. “Leo didn’t make me promise anything other than to leave my sanity at home.”
His disgust tripled. “That figures. You must be first-generation.”
“What has that got to do with anything?”
“It explains why you don’t know your job any better than you do.”
She crossed the floor to stand right in front of him as she glared her anger at him. “Excuse me? I don’t know
my
job? At least, I’m not the one standing naked in a stranger’s house, clutching a throw to cover
my
vital parts.” She raked him with a less than complimentary glare. “Who the heck are
you
to lecture
me
on what
I
should be doing?”
“I’m a Dark-Hunter.”
Susan stiffened. He said that as if it explained everything. “And that’s supposed to mean something to me?”
He curled his
She cocked her head. “So how long have you known Leo, anyway?”
“Leo who?”
“Kirby.”
He frowned at her. He’d known Leo vicariously for years. Like his Squire substitute, Erika, Leo was one of the humans who served the Dark-Hunters. Paid employees, they helped to keep the paranormal world hidden from the rest of mankind, who would most likely panic if they ever learned what inhuman beasts prowled the night, waiting to prey on them. “Are you a Squire?”
“No, I’m a Michaels.”
He rolled his eyes. She had to be the biggest smart-ass on the planet; well, maybe second only to Erika. “That’s not what I mean and you know it. Do you work with Leo?”
“Of course I do. Why else would you be here?”
Ravyn nodded. It explained her snotty attitude. For some reason, the latest generation of Squires seemed to have a problem with their duties. “Why didn’t you tell me you worked for him?”
“I assumed you knew it.”
“Yeah, right. The way you guys come and go, it’s impossible to remember more than one or two of you at a time.”
She nodded in agreement. “Leo does have a way of burning people out. So how did he talk you into this?”
“Into what?”
“Showing up here, naked to yank my chain.”
Yeah… like Leo could have
ever
done that. “He didn’t. I assumed he sent you to me to get me out of the shelter.”
“I guess in a roundabout way he did. So tell me something, how did you do that earlier trick?”
Ravyn grimaced. “What trick?”
“The cat thing. How did you switch?”
Why did humans always want that question answered? Even if he explained it, it wasn’t like they could do it. “It’s magick,” he said sarcastically. “I mumble hocus-pocus and the next thing you know, I’m a cat.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I suppose it’s a step up. The last guy I had in my house could only turn into a beer-drinking Pig.”
In spite of himself, he gave a short laugh at her dry tone. He had to give her credit, she had a quick sense of humor, and he was quirky enough to appreciate that in other people.
Suddenly, he was exhausted. He hadn’t been able to sleep since the Apollites had captured him—to have done so would have caused him to revert instantly to human form, which would have resulted in head explosion. Now he felt the deep need to rest. “So can I take the bed until tonight?”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“I need sleep. You know? Whole point of you getting me from the shelter? You said Leo sent you, right?”
She put her hands on her hips and gave him a sharp glare that said she wasn’t keen on that idea. “Yeah, but not to let you sleep in my bed. This isn’t a flophouse, you know?”
That raised his ire. “What is happening to the Squire’s code? I remember a time when that actually meant something.”
“What Squire’s code?”
“Up the ginkgo, babe. Don’t you remember the one you had to take when you went to work for Leo?”
Her eyes snapped blue fire at him. “Leo didn’t make me promise anything other than to leave my sanity at home.”
His disgust tripled. “That figures. You must be first-generation.”
“What has that got to do with anything?”
“It explains why you don’t know your job any better than you do.”
She crossed the floor to stand right in front of him as she glared her anger at him. “Excuse me? I don’t know
my
job? At least, I’m not the one standing naked in a stranger’s house, clutching a throw to cover
my
vital parts.” She raked him with a less than complimentary glare. “Who the heck are
you
to lecture
me
on what
I
should be doing?”
“I’m a Dark-Hunter.”
Susan stiffened. He said that as if it explained everything. “And that’s supposed to mean something to me?”
He curled his
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