Page 50 of From the Shadows
Despite what had happened earlier, Diego’s heart felt a bit lighter after talking with Shay. He had a way that could help Diego see things from a different perspective.
He and Martin entered the garage. When the door closed, Sparks groaned. “What do you two want?”
It was always funny how he seemed to know who was in his space.
“Need a car. Driving to town to speak to the Fates about our current case. The vampires struck again and killed fifty-three people. That brings the total we know about to nearly two hundred, including kids.
Sparks’s nostrils flared. He had kids of his own and was a doting father. He reached up to take a set of keys off one of the hooks, then turned and tossed them to Diego. “Take the Demon,” he growled. “And find these fuckers and kill them.”
Sparks was an odd duck in a pond full of odder ducks. He never came into the big house, preferring to stay out in the garage and tinker on the cars because, he said, they were nice and quiet and didn’t talk back to him. Diego wasn’t sure how true that was. The man was a genius when it came to anything automotive, and Diego had a hard time believing he and the cars didn’t actually talk to each other.
“Thanks, Sparks. We’ll do our best to find justice for the victims.”
He clutched Diego’s sleeve. “You’d better.” His eyes softened. “For the kids, especially.”
Diego knew Sparks was a Domovoy, a being believed to be a mythical creature that was the personification of kinship. They were said to protect the well-being of a house and those who live in it, especially protective of children and animals by constantly looking after them. Since they couldn’t leave their area once they declared their intentions, Biggs had a house built on the property for Sparks’s family. His wife was a human, who Sparks absolutely doted on. Diego had seen her at a distance, but never spoken with her. He would need to rectify that at some point, especially now that he wasn’t starving.
“For the kids,” Diego agreed.
He and Martin got into the car. He loved the Demon. Zero to sixty in 1.66 seconds, top speed of 215 miles per hour. What wasn’tto be awed by? He didn’t think they’d need the speed today, but always better to be safe than sorry.
The trip to Chicago went quickly, despite the snarled traffic on the highway. Diego pulled into the lot of the nondescript All Seeing Palm Reading, Massage, and Tattoo Parlor. He shook his head in amusement at the combination of businesses, but the Fates were constantly busy, so there had to be something they were doing right.
Martin got out first and froze, his eyes flicking side to side. “Can you feel it?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
There was someone—or several someones—watching them, but Diego couldn’t pinpoint their location. With the large numbers of factories and warehouses in the area, whoever had eyes on them had a serious advantage. Ranna would have been a big help on this, as she’d be able to sniff out their stalkers.
“Let’s get inside.”
“No.”
Martin stopped. “What? Why?”
“We would be bringing it to their door. The Fates, and all those who are within, have done nothing to deserve the kind of pain we could be dropping on their doorstep.”
A grumble from Martin, but then he spun on his heel and headed back for the car. “I hate it when you’re right.”
And at the moment, so did Diego, because now he knew they were keeping tabs, and that scared the crap out of him.
The door openedand Ranna stepped gingerly over the threshold. A moment later, Hal was there, holding out a cup of what smelled like tea laced with brandy. She took it and gave him a smile.
“Thanks, Hal.”
“I’m so glad you’re home, Miss Ranna.” He reached out and put a hand on her arm. “And that you’re safe.”
Shay rushed to where she stood and stared at her. He wanted to hug her, but had no idea how bad her injuries were.
“Shay…,” she breathed out, then clutched him with one arm and dragged him into a tight embrace as she kissed his hair.
“Good to see you, Ran,” he whispered, overcome with the idea he could have lost a friend.
“I need food. Like a ton of it. Especially protein.”
He pulled away. “Of course. Let me get you something. Take a seat in the great room, and I’ll bring it out.” He turned to the stairs. “Jeremy? Ranna is home!”
A few seconds later, hoofbeats stomped down the stairs as he rushed to her. Shay was about to admonish him to be careful with her, but when he got to where she sat, Jeremy climbed on the couch and snuggled in beside her, his head on her chest.
