Slayer (Slayer 1)

“I didn’t kill anything except the hellhounds and the zompires!” I say defensively. “Serves you right, throwing a Slayer in the pit!”

“She was in on it.”

“She was not!”

“Okay, maybe not in on it. She’s done jobs for me, here and there. But she got rid of a zompire nest I had quarantined and marked for the fights, and then she ran afoul of one of my vampire allies. She knows how things go—she cost me money, so I used her to make more. If she has a problem with it, she can come talk to me herself. I would have cut her in on the profits if she had won fairly. She’s even fought willingly a few times before.”

She participated? Willingly? Then why did I have the dream about her in trouble? Maybe because that was her first unwilling event. Or maybe because I was supposed to bring her back with us. To save her from what was coming after the fights. I slump in one of the chairs facing Sean. It’s a beautiful chair, all clean lines and utterly rigid bottomly discomfort. No matter how I shift, I’m sure my entire butt will be asleep within seconds. “I’m actually not here about Cosmina. I’m here about Doug.”

Sean sits up straight, intense greed lighting his face. “You know where Doug is?”

“I did. He, uh, got away.”

“Dammit. I sent two of my best-trained hellhounds after him.”

“Those were yours? They attacked my friends and me!”

Sean holds out his hands in an oops sort of gesture. “Hazard of the trade. I make certain they’re well fed before they go out, but some of their instincts can’t be avoided. They were only trained not to rip apart their actual target. If something else gets in the way, well. It can end poorly. If it makes you feel any better, they’re an endangered species now.”

“Good riddance.” I might have some weird compassion for the caged demons and for Doug, but not hellhounds. “Your hellhounds aside, we’ve got two dead bodies we need to figure out. And the last one led us here.”

Sean looks genuinely surprised, peering past me. “You have a zombie? How much do you want for it?”

I’ve got to start being more specific. “No, I mean, clues at the scene led us here. And you’re connected to everything that’s happened. You and Doug.”

“Could Doug have killed anyone?” Leo asks.

Sean scratches at his artful stubble, frowning at Leo. I half suspect Sean forgot he was here. “Nah. He only eats happiness.”

“Maybe your hospitality pushed him too far.” Leo cocks an eyebrow. He didn’t sit and is standing ready and alert in the center of the room.

“Wouldn’t be unprecedented, but it’s unlikely. Doug is just . . . Doug. I can’t see him killing anyone, and I’ve known him for years.”

I have the sudden urge to raise my fists in triumph. Score one for the Slayer instincts.

“My guess is it was another demon entirely. Tell me where you’re located and I’ll pop up and take care of the problem,” Sean continues.

I glare at him. “And profit from it.”

“Naturally.” He smiles. “Who are your dead people? Any connection to Doug?”

“One of our Wa—one of my relatives.”

“A Watcher, huh?” Sean grins at my cringing reaction. “You mentioned them earlier too. Best be careful with those secrets, love. Wouldn’t want the wrong type to know that there’s still a group of Watchers, alive and well. Wasn’t just followers of the First who had it out for you. But I’m safe as churches with that secret. How did this bloke die?”

“In his sleep. No marks. The other death was similar.”

“Another Watcher?”

“No. Cosmina.” I watch for his reaction.

He leans back again, letting out a long exhaled curse. “That’s disappointing, innit? I don’t have any other Slayers. There’s good money there. Used to be fantastic money, but then the market got flooded with them. Still, people will pay a lot for a Slayer.”

“You’d sell a Slayer?” I’m ready to punch things now. I actually believe that he didn’t know she’s dead. His disappointment is too callous to be faked. No one could pretend to be this awful.

“Not sell, employ. Like with Cosmina. I do all sorts of things in this brave new world, and Slayers are useful. And okay, I might also sell if the conditions were right. What can I say, I’m a businessman.”

“Tell us about it,” Leo says dryly.