Page 20 of The Satyr's Guilt
“Well, Hannya and I … she’s Hannya … wejacked my dad’s portal jumper. Just to have a good time.Everybody’s doing it. No biggie.” He ran his fingers through hishair again. “They’re just gonna kill me. I’ll be on permanentlockdown.”
“Once again, Roff. Not concerned one way orthe other. Let’s just say, I don’t give a shit. Leave it at that.Tell us the particulars as to why Hannya’s got a bullet in her leg.You worrying about your daddy removing your testicles or groundingyou until your Awakening ceremony is making me yawn. I realize youmay never have your big I’m-now-a-demon-stud party. Thus, you maynever turn into a full-fledged Aeternal with a brain and all.”
Roff’s shoulders slumped as he let a groanescape from his mouth. “I am so screwed.” He held up a hand. “Iknow. You don’t care. Anyway, Hannya and I went to New Orleans,drank a few, danced a little, glad-handed our way along thestreets, looking at all the weird humans until we decided it wastime to get home. We headed to the portal…”
“Which portal?” asked Tyr.
When the young male demon gave Hannya thehead tilt with the scrunched-up forehead, she managed theconversation. “Over by Jackson Square. It’s in a garage off analley.”
Ram nodded. “And then?”
Roff picked up the chit-chat again. “We werestill in the alley when we noticed three humans coming our way. Westopped what we were doing while we … uh … waited for them toleave.”
Hannya gave him an eye roll before shetwisted toward Ram. “We were making out. We thought they’d get thehint and leave, but they just kept coming. It’s not like there wasanywhere to go. The frickin’ alley dead-ended where we were.”
“Yeah. So, they’re moving in on us, and I …uh … reluctantly stop what I’m doing to ask nicely, ‘Can you giveus a little privacy?’ At which time, they draw out these big assguns and point them at us. Holy shit. I pushed Hannya behind mewhile I grabbed for the jumper in my pocket.”
“When did Hannya get shot?” Ram rested hispalm on the hilt of his Scottish dirk.
“I was getting to that part. When I shovedher behind me to open the portal, I think they shot at me butmissed. The bullet accidentally caught her. Anyway, we made a quickexit through the gateway and poofed back here.”
Hannya shook blood off her hand and returnedto cradling her leg. “The first thing we did was call theFirebrands. That was good, right?”
Tyr gave her a thumbs-up.“Abso-effing-lutely. You’re certain the guys were human? Can youdescribe them?”
“Definitely Earthers. Two big guys. One witha tat on his neck. He wore camo topped off with a muscle shirt.That’s why I could see the tat. Another had hair about my lengthbut pulled back. He was stylin’ with some swank jeans and a darkT-shirt. The shortest male was the leader, though. He had on abaseball cap. That’s all I got a look at before we jumped throughthe portal.”
“Why do you think Baseball Cap was theleader?” Ram cocked his head to the side.
“’Cause he was calling orders. The otherguys kept looking at him, too. You know, like they were taking hislead. He was about five-ten or eleven. Not very big.”
“How long ago did you cross back?” Tyrchecked out the female’s leg.
“Ew.” Hannya slapped her hand back in place.“I hate blood.”
“I can stop the flow for a bit, but youmight need to see a healer.” Tyr flicked his wrist.
Ram felt the air cool as he cast aspell.
Hannya fielded his question when Roffshrugged. “Thanks. Better. We got here about twenty minutes ago.I’m really tired. Is that normal with a bullet wound?”
Ram pulled his brows tight. “Not really. Didyou drink a lot?”
“No. But ever since I was shot, I keepfalling asleep.”
“She does.” Roff nodded.
Ram and Tyr locked eyes but shrugged. Beingsleepy after a minor wound from a bullet, even a bloody one, wasunusual.
“Tell me about the portal. When you exit thegarage, is there much cover in that alley? In case I check thingsout.” Ram thought he might have to soldier up.
“This one’s all yours, Roff,” said Hannya.“My lids were clamped tight.”
“A big green dumpster is on the right sideof the door coming out of the garage. Oil drums are on the otherside. About five. All lined up in a row. No oil in them, though. Ihave a pretty good sniffer for a demon my age.”
“Tyr, you stay here with the lovers. Calltheir parents. Hannya, check in with a healer even though it’s athrough-and-through. I’m gonna duck across to New Orleans. It’shighly unlikely their attackers are still there. Probably justbangers making their bones. Call when things are settled here.”
Tyr arched a pierced brow. “You think that’sa good idea?”
