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“We have a better chance of making him surface again now. If he comes at me directly, we’ll all be waiting for him. And, more importantly, I’ll have the blade with me—Grams even gave me a knife sheath to strap on my thigh so that I can carry the blade at all times, but I prefer tucking it inside my boot. He doesn’t know about the knife yet, which gives us an advantage.”
Keenan curved his hand around the side of her neck. “It should make me feel better, but it doesn’t. You’re forgetting one very important thing. If he manages to rip that blade from your hand and stab you with it, there’ll be no healing your wound. The steel is fatal to all demons—that’s the only reason it can kill him.”
A line creased her brow, and he could see she hadn’t thought of that. “But I’m more at risk from dying at his hand if I don’t get rid of him fast,” she said. “There’s only so many times he and I can do the same dance before he gets lucky and manages to kill me.”
“I know. That’s exactly why, from now on, I’ll be shadowing you whenever you go somewhere. No, don’t argue. I know you’re powerful, and I know it’ll be hard for him to get to you here. But I won’t be able to function if I don’t at least escort you from place to place. I don’t trust anyone else to protect you as vigorously as I will.” He stroked his thumb down the column of her throat. “Give me that peace of mind. I need it.”
She would have fought him on it, but she could see that he really did need it. And since it wasn’t as big of a deal to her as it was to him, she sighed and said, “I don’t think it’s necessary, but fine. You want to follow me around, knock yourself out. But don’t whine when you get bored.”
“You’re many things, Khloé, but you’re never boring.”
“Why, thank you.”
He took her hand. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
*
Khloé ambled along the footpath, passing house after house after house. All looked the same, just like every car and driveway and lawn looked the same.
It was the house at the end of the street she needed to reach, but it seemed so far away. She sped up, eager to get there. But the street seemed to stretch and elongate, keeping the house away from her. She walked faster and faster but couldn’t seem to get any closer to it.
She began to jog and slipped her hand into her pocket. No key. She’d lost it. Which meant she’d only get inside if Penelope let her in.
Khloé slowed as she noticed a man lounging on the roof of a car up ahead. Realizing it was Enoch, she hissed.
He turned his head and pinned her with his gaze, smiling. “I’ll bet you’re pleased with yourself, aren’t you, Miss Wallis?”
“Pleased?”
“Well, you killed all those people I sent your way.”
“They weren’t exactly people.” But he was not getting that. “I made their state of death more final, though, yeah. And I think they would have thanked me for it. But since I destroyed the corpses of people who’d never done a damn thing to me, no, I’m not pleased.” She planted her feet. “I’d much rather fight you. But you’re hardly ever around.”
“I was at every attack.”
“Not always bodily.”
Humor lit his eyes. “And you think that means I fear you.”
“No. I think you want to draw this all out as long as you can; make us suffer as you feel that you’re suffering.”
He gave a slow clap and sat up. “Clever girl.”
“But you’re still a chicken shit.”
He stiffened but didn’t drop his smile. “Really?”
“Well, it’s not like I can actually kill you for good. You could fight me in person and survive it just fine. Instead, you use puppets.”
“It hurts to die, and then I’m weak for days until my body regrows—not something I enjoy. Why not get my revenge from the comfort of a chair?”
She tilted her head. “You really think Molly would want you to do this? To turn on your lair? To try to kill the sister of one of her best friends? To live as a stray and always be looking over your shoulder?”
Fury flashed across his face. “I think she’d rather be alive. But your grandmother killed her. Jolene will die soon, too. And she’ll die at your decomposing hands, but not before she’s felt the pain of your passing. We’ll see just how easy it is for her to accept someone she loves is dead; we’ll see if she can bring herself to destroy her resurrected granddaughter.”
“Jolene didn’t kill your little girl. Molly was already gone.”
“No, she was gone after you sliced through the shield that protected her, leaving her vulnerable. I couldn’t keep my psychic grip on her after that. I lost her. And it is something that both you and your grandmother will pay for.”
