Dark Side of the Moon (Dark-Hunter 9)

His own mouth dropped as he met her gaze and she finally saw a set of fangs that she'd somehow failed to notice during the two years she'd trained in his studio. "Susan?"

Ravyn darted a curious gaze between them. If she didn't know better, she'd swear she saw a hint of jealousy in those dark eyes. "You know Dragon?"

Susan nodded.

Ravyn looked less than pleased. "How well do you know him?"

"She was one of my students at the dojo," Dragon said as he smiled at her. "One of my best students, I might add."

Susan continued to stare at him in disbelief. "Wow, I can't believe you're here. Then again, this explains so much."

Finally relaxing, Ravyn laughed at that. "Let me guess, never a day class available, and a lot of family emergencies that had him running out at odd times?"

It was true. Dragon had been a great teacher, but he'd also had two assistants and they'd often joked that he dashed off like Superman after a criminal. Who knew how close they'd been to the truth?

Susan shook her head. "Jeez... you guys really are everywhere, aren't you?"

"Yes," Dragon said. "Which explains why I'm here, but not how it is that you're in our company."

"She's a new Squire," Leo said as he sat down at the head of the table.

Coming forward, Dragon held his hand out to her. "Welcome to our world. It's good to see you again."

She shook his hand and smiled. "You, too."

As Dragon started to take the chair beside her, Ravyn cleared his throat.

Dragon arched a single brow as he hesitated with his hand on the back of the chair. She could see his inner debate of whether to sit there and irritate Ravyn or not. Winking at her, he moved to sit on the other side of Ravyn.

"Have you known Ravyn long, Susan?" Dragon asked.

"Just met."

"Uh-huh-"

"Drop the subject, Dragon," Ravyn said as he picked the tomatoes off his sandwich.

Dragon put his hands in the pocket of his black windbreaker and cast a knowing look at them.

Susan felt the heat sting her cheeks before Dragon started chatting with Leo over the latest story in the Inquisitor about an alien baby being found in Greenland.

While they talked, Susan noticed Nick's hand. Like Leo and the others, he had the same spiderweb tattoo. How very interesting...

The next Dark-Hunter to join them was a former Nubian priest named Menkaura. Tall and lean, his skin was a perfect shade of mocha. He wore his long black hair in braids that were tied back at the nape of his neck. But what fascinated her most was that he was dressed in black jeans and a black sleeveless vest that showed off a tattoo of the eye of Horus on his right biceps. There was also a line of tiny hieroglyphics beneath it.

"I have to know what that says," she said, indicating the tattoo.

He glanced at it before he answered, " 'Death is a doorway. Think before you knock on it.' "

"That's profound."

He inclined his head to her as Jack made an aggravated noise.

"Dang, and I always thought it said something like 'Die, Scum, Die.' How disappointing."

By his pained expression, Susan could tell Menkaura didn't appreciate Jack's humor. Unlike Dragon and Ravyn, Menkaura was completely reserved and said very little. Something about him reminded her of a cobra lying in wait for its next victim.

Susan took a second to glance around at the men... "You know, I suddenly feel like I'm on that Cover Model show. Is it just me or is there some unwritten rule that says all the Dark-Hunters have to be really hot?"

Erika snorted. "C'mon, Susan, think about it. If you're an immortal goddess and you're putting together an army of warriors to fight the undead, are you going to fill it with slugs or with the hottest pieces of cheese you can find? Maybe I'm shallow... okay, I'm highly shallow, but in this I give Artemis two thumbs-up."

"You have a point," Susan said as she let her gaze wander over the four Dark-Hunters who were present. Then she looked at Leo. "You know, this would have made a good headline, huh? 'Greek Goddess Commands Army of Hot Cheese.' "

Leo flipped her off before he returned to sorting through his folder.

"Ooo," Susan said, feigning hurt. "I think I've been dissed by the Master of Sleaze."

Menkaura had just taken his seat when the door was suddenly thrown back.

"Dammit, Belle!" Leo snapped as he jumped completely out of his seat. "Don't do that."

Susan had to force herself not to laugh.

"Aw, sit your ass down, Leo," Belle said in a voice that was thick with a Texas drawl before she slammed the door shut with the heel of her foot. Tall and blond and also dressed in black jeans and a black blouse, she reminded Susan of an angel... one that was chewing her gum like a cow going to town with cud. She moved forward to set two bottles of unopened tequila on the table. "Now boys and girls, let the party start."

"All right, Annie Oakley," Ravyn said in a teasing tone. "Last time you threw a party, half of Chicago burned down."

Belle narrowed her eyes playfully on him. "That was not my fault."

Ravyn leaned back in his chair and gave her a doubting stare. "Uh-huh. The least you could have done was take the blame yourself and not put it off on Mrs. O'Leary's cow."

"Hey now, they couldn't hang old Bessie for starting the fire." Belle moved to stand by Susan. She folded her arms over her chest as she stood there with her feet slightly apart. The stance reminded Susan of a gunfighter about to draw his gun. "You're new. Who the hell are you?"

She glanced about nervously, but the men didn't seem concerned at Belle's antagonistic nature. "Susan."

"Uh-huh," Belle said in a tone that was less than impressed.

"She's a Squire," Leo said.

"Uh-huh." Belle sized her up again. "Can you shoot a gun?"

Susan frowned at the odd question. "Yeah."

"Can you hit anything after you pull the trigger?"

"Most of the time."

"Cool." She held her hand out to her. "Welcome to our little group here."

Susan shook her hand as Belle's entire demeanor changed over to friendly. "Thanks."

Menkaura shifted in his chair. "Belle used to travel with a Wild West show."

Belle opened the bottle nearest her with her teeth. "Yeah," she said as she pulled a small shot glass from her pocket and filled it, "and I kicked Annie Oakley's ass in my last show, but do they ever mention that? No. I got the shaft and she got the fame. Life's just not fair, I tell you."

Kyl opened the other bottle before he poured the tequila into the plastic cup he had before him. He held the cup up in toast to Belle before he met Susan's gaze. "Belle shot the reporter who failed to mention her as the winner." He knocked back the drink in a single gulp.