The Demonslayer (Seven Sins MC 4)

“What do you know about the old gods?” Jo asked.

“Not nearly enough to deal with them being real, living creatures,” he admitted. “I read the myths about them, of course. But more like a story, not like a history text.”

But we could bet that he would spend the coming days and weeks poring over every book and internet article ever written about the old gods.

He would be a foremost expert on them. And Josephine would be right there at his side, learning along. They had that interest in common.

“I’d be less worried about the gods, and more worried about the monsters,” Daemon piped in. “What? Just saying,” he added with a shrug when everyone looked in his direction.

Gods.

Demigods.

Monsters.

Heroes.

Spirits.

Daimons.

There was a lot to worry about.

And while I knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy for Dale, given her new position at the demonslayer Academy, and all the responsibilities that came with that, I did know that it would all be much more tolerable now that we were together.

“Where are you going?” Ace asked when Aram suddenly jumped to his feet and started making his way toward the door.

“I have to find Red,” he said, and I was sure it wasn’t just me that time that heard the anguish in his voice. “She doesn’t know. Someone has to tell her.”

With that, he was gone, not even stopping to pack any supplies, just rushing out the front door, hopping on his bike, and pulling off.

“Something tells me that is going to end up with more moping and shitty emo music blaring all hours of the day,” Drex grumbled, shaking his head. “Thought we might finally get a break from that now that she’s got her head out of her ass,” he said, giving a smirk to Dale.

Who didn’t rise to the bait.

“You didn’t see that?” Ace asked, looking over at Seven who’d been silent the whole conversation, as was his nature. He liked to absorb shit before having an opinion on it.

“I saw that his search was borderline obsessive. It took a lot to convince him to come home here even for a short break. But, no, he didn’t show any signs of a Claiming.”

“Maybe it’s not. Maybe he’s just worried about her. We all are,” Ace said, shrugging.

“Should I catch up to him?” Seven asked, and that sounded as tempting to him as a full-body waxing.

“Maybe he’s better off on his own this time,” Ace said, shrugging. “We can contact him if we need to. Better to have more of us here, putting out feelers to get as much information about what is coming as we can.”

“Okay,” Seven said, dropping down in a chair.

“I’ll do some research at Sanctuary,” Daemon volunteered.

“Don’t know how much information you can do with your mouth full of pussy,” Bael grumbled at his brother.

“Just because no one wants your grumpy ass between their thighs doesn’t mean—“

“Enough,” Ace cut their squabbling off. “Yes, try to get some information at the club between fuck sessions.”

“What about me?” Bael asked.

“There’s a professor I want you to talk to,” Ace said, patting Josephine’s leg until she hopped off, so he could get up to grab a pen and paper. “She specializes in this sort of shit. I need you to pick her brain about it. But, if possible, don’t let her know what you are,” he said, holding out the paper to Bael.

“How am I supposed to get her to talk to me?”

“I don’t know. Tell her you’re a fellow professor or some shit. Or that you read her book,” he added, finding it on the shelf and tossing it to Bael. “It doesn’t matter. Just get her to talk.”

Bael opened the book to the back page to slip the address inside and froze. Then snapped the book shut and rushed off.

“The fuck was that about?” I asked.

“We have that book at The Academy,” Dale declared. “The author is stupid hot,” she said, smiling.

“That can’t be it,” Daemon said through a mouthful of cereal. “He’s blind when it comes to women.”

Maybe usually.

But not in this one case.

“So, are you moving in?” Ace asked, situating Josephine on his lap again.

“Um, well, part time, I guess. I have a new position at The Academy. I will need to be there some nights.”

To that, Ace nodded.

Like it was no big deal.

Because, like I told her, it wasn’t.

Lycus, Ace, and Drex understood the Claiming. They knew the need to be close to the woman they Claimed. They weren’t going to take an issue with my woman and me.

“Can I suggest reinforcing your bedroom wall with fucking concrete?” Drex asked with a smirk.

He was joking.

But it wasn’t a terrible idea.

“Well, welcome to the house, Dale,” Josephine said, giving her a smile. “It will be nice to have another girl around,” she added.

“Can we trust you to share any pertinent information about what is coming?” Ace asked.