Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter 11)

"No. They tried it once and it almost killed him. Damien's cursed-that's a whole other animal to skin, and Sin's powers don't extend to it."

"But he saved you," she said, her heart melting at the thought. "You must have been a good man."

He scoffed at her. "I was the worst sort of trash. A liar, a thief. For pocket change I would have cut the throat of anyone, man, woman... child. It didn't matter. I'm not proud of what I was. Had Sin cut my throat and left me for dead, I would have deserved it." He looked up, his eyes filled with turmoil. "I've never been able to understand why he saved me. God knows I didn't deserve it. I had no concept of compassion until he spared my life."

The more Kat learned about Sin, the more she was amazed by him. And she wanted to fully understand what had made Sin spare Kish. She reached out and touched Kish's arm. In an instant, she was there in that moment.

Kish was on the ground, bleeding while Sin stood over him fingering the knife he'd taken from Kish's hand while Kish had tried his best to kill him.

"Do it," Kish had snarled.

Sin had pulled the smaller man up from the street by his tunic front. He held Kish by his fist as he stared into Kish's dark eyes. And it was then Sin saw the life Kish had lived. The terror, the pain. A runaway slave, he'd lived his life wanting freedom and comfort.

Wanting something he didn't have to fight for, and it resonated in Sin's own soul. He understood just how much something so inconsequential could mean.

Sin had set Kish on his feet. "Life only has the value a person gives it. If I killed you here and now, yours would be worthless and no one would mourn you. Is that truly what you want?"

Kish had curled his lip at Sin. "I don't own my life. It means nothing to me."

"Then it means nothing to anyone." Sin had narrowed his gaze on Kish. "But if you had your life again, would it still be worthless?"

"I don't understand riddles. I'm only a servant."

"Servant or master, you're not stupid. The question is simple... if I give you back your life, will you throw it away again or will you make it worth something?"

Kish hadn't spoken, but the hopeful glimmer in his eyes had said it all. And so Sin had spared him.

Kat let go of Kish's arm and smiled at the warmth that filled her.

He made a noise of disgust. "You know that's kind of rude to spy on someone like that and not to ask. Not to mention really intrusive."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to know."

And still he looked less than placated. "So that's supposed to excuse you just traipsing into my past and my emotions?"

"Okay, sorry. I get it. Damn, you are a lot like Sin. I promise I will never do that to you again."

"Good, 'cause I didn't like it. How would you feel if I went frolicking through your past without your permission?"

"Kish..."

He moved away from her, his face sullen. "I'm just saying you should put a leash on that power. That's all."

She held her hands up in surrender. "It is leashed. Now drop the subject or I'll tell Sin you've seen me naked."

That instantly cleared the sullen look. "I will never bring this topic up again. Oh wait. What topic? I have Alzheimer's. I know nothing at all." He ran to the food and held up one of the silver domes, then changed the subject, "Do you want the rest of this or can I take it to the demons now?"

"Have at it."

If a man could leave skid marks, Kish would have as he whisked the cart out of the room to Simi's.

Laughing at his haste, Kat finished her breakfast, showered, then dressed before she headed downstairs to find Sin, who was supposed to be in Damien's office. Instead she found Damien sitting at his desk, talking on his cell phone.

He hung up the instant she appeared.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," she said sheepishly.

He shrugged it off. "You didn't. I was only bitching."

"About?"

"Sin's family, who thought they could contain and control demons."

Ah, that explained it. "I have that same rant about my family some days. Only mine usually involves their tempers."

Damien put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his office chair as he watched her with an odd half smile. "You really sent a Skotos in to spy on the gallu?"

"You have a better idea?"

"Not really. Seems my bright idea only served in getting my ass handed to me on a platter. I don't want to repeat that humiliation, if you know what I mean."

At least he had a sense of humor about it. She looked around his office that was decorated with cult movie figurines and posters. He looked so normal and nice... like anyone you'd meet on the street, and yet at the same time he was lethal. And he lived on people's souls. "Do you know how disturbing it is for me to be having a conversation with a Daimon?"

"About as disturbing as it is for me to work for a Dark-Hunter. But you do get used to it eventually."

"You do seem to have adapted."

He straightened up in his chair. "We all do what we have to, to survive."

"I suppose, and speaking of survival, have you seen Sin?"

Damien straightened a stack of folders on his desk. "He left a short while back, why?"

"I was just wondering. Any idea where he went?"

He shrugged. "We were talking about next week's schedule when he got that weird demon-sensation he gets whenever they've busted loose. Told me to stay here and that he'd be back."

She was surprised by that. "You let him go alone?"

He gave her a duh-stare. "Well, given the fact that it was in this time zone and there's a little thing outside called the sun... yeah. Burnt-up Daimon wouldn't be helpful to nobody, least of all me and my tailor."

She narrowed her gaze on him. "Damien..."

"Kat." He dragged her name out the same way she'd done his. "What?"

"Why didn't you come tell me he was heading out alone?"

" 'Cause he does it all the time. Didn't think anything about it. But now that you're here I'll make sure and keep you updated on everything he does. That way you can cut his meat up for dinner and help him tie his shoes and use the potty, too."

She wasn't sure if she should be irritated or entertained. "You know, I never thought I'd ever meet my sarcastic match. Still haven't, but you come dangerously close."

He smiled. "I will take that as a compliment." Damien got up and pulled his jacket from the back of his chair. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go make rounds on the floor. See you later."

Kat shook her head as he left her alone in his office. She had a childish urge to boot up his computer and start deleting files, but she was above that...

At least for the moment.

Besides, she had an ex-god to locate. Closing her eyes, she used her powers to find him. She honed in and flashed herself to his side. Or rather, a few feet from his back as he held a man down on the street and was beating him for everything he was worth.

It wasn't until she took a step closer that she realized the man on the ground was a gallu. Even so, Sin was relentless as he rained blow after blow on him.

This was the madman she'd met that night in Central Park.

"Sin!" she snapped, trying to get him to focus. "Just kill him already."

Sin got in one last blow before he did as she asked. When he turned to face her, his expression was hell born and honestly scared her. He set fire to the demon with relish.

When they'd first met she would have thought Sin an animal for doing such a thing as this, but she'd learned enough about him to know he would never do such a thing without a good reason. "What happened?"

"He was trolling a day care."