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“Right,” I said. “Camille and I came over Earthside a year or so ago in order to study the culture, particularly the educational structures. That’s how we got the idea to do a story for the Front Line, the Fae newsletter we work for.”
Larry looked at me again, and again there was the spark of recognition. I frowned. How the hell could he have seen me? I knew I’d stayed hidden the entire time I’d been in his room. Maybe I was just being paranoid.
At that moment, there was a movement at the entry to the parlor, and a gangly young man stood there. He was average height and must have been mid-twenties, with short-cropped hair and beard stubble the same color as mine. With black wire-framed glasses, torn jeans that looked all too expensive, and a T-shirt that read Fuck You, Too, he looked like the typical college geek. Except that his energy reeked of Demonkin.
I heard Camille gasp, then her hand fluttered to her throat, and she forced a smile as she stood. “Harold, I presume? Harold Young?”
He gave us the once-over and, with a thin smile that was anything but friendly, crossed to the sofa and held out his hand. Camille stared at it for a fraction of a second before taking it.
“Yeah, I’m Harold. You’re Camille, the reporter?” His gaze slid over her in a sleazy, possessive manner.
“Uh . . . yeah.” Camille tried to extricate herself from the handshake, but Harold wouldn’t let go until she yanked her hand away. He folded his arms across his chest, smirking as she wiped her hand on her skirt. I didn’t think she even realized she was doing it.
Morio bristled, and I slid a hand onto his arm. He sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Our little interaction didn’t go unnoticed. Harold raked his gaze over Morio, and then he turned to me, ignoring the youkai.
“And you? You’re Fae, too?”
I nodded. “The name’s Menolly.” I thrust my hand at him, wanting to see if I could pick up anything. I also wanted to give him a little taste of his own medicine. When he clasped my hand, I squeezed. Hard. He gasped and tried to let go, but I held on for a beat longer than necessary, squeezing again while flashing him a big smile. Oh yeah, this meeting was going hunky-dory, all right. Just like the meeting at the O.K. Corral.
Harold stared at his hand, then at me, and motioned for us to sit down again. He cautiously took a seat opposite in the chair that Larry had vacated. Larry sat next to him on the ottoman, and the hierarchy was clear. Harold was the big cheese, all right.
Camille pulled out her notebook and nodded to me. “If it’s all right, Menolly’s going to film you.”
“No.” Harold shook his head. “No film.”
“All right, then.” Camille frowned, motioning for me to put away the camcorder. “Will you tell me a little about the background of Dante’s Hellions? Why and when did you start the organization?”
Harold let out a loud snort. “I didn’t start it. My father belonged to it, and my uncle. I joined when I was a freshman.”
“Why not one of the other fraternities?” Camille’s eyes flashed, and I knew she was goading him. And she got a reaction, all right.
Harold let out a harsh laugh. “Because the sheep in this college are a bunch of idiots, and I have no intention on joining their fucking social clubs. I’m president of Dante’s Hellions because the university is run by a bunch of imbeciles. Because when the big one goes down, we fully intend to be the ones left standing in our little corner of the globe.”
He flashed us a dazzling grin, and in that smile, I saw the unmistakable signs of a predator. Harold Young was dangerous. And who knew what he’d been dabbling in over the years?
CHAPTER 17
Camille blinked and glanced at me. I gave her an imperceptible shake of the head. She swallowed and turned back to Harold. “The big one? And that would be—?”
“End of the world, baby.” He leaned toward her, way too close. I had a bad feeling about this dude. He ignored boundaries. The thought of him following Sabele at night gave me the creeps. And yet, she’d mentioned that it didn’t feel sexual with her. But whatever the reason, I now firmly believed he’d been stalking her.
“I’m talking about the Apocalypse. About Ragnarok. About end of the line, it’s over, lights out.” He let out a low chuckle. “When it’s all done, we intend to be the founding fathers of the new order. Of course, we’ll have to recruit a few women. Can’t birth a new race without the opposite sex, you know.” Again, his tone oozed over the words, making me want to jump in the shower.
I could tell Camille’s smile was forced, but hopefully this bozo wouldn’t pick up on it. He was so full of himself that he probably didn’t notice much beyond his own grandiose sense of self.
“So you believe that civilization is going to collapse?” I felt the need to intercede. He was too focused on Camille and not in a good way.
Harold’s gaze flickered to me. He looked annoyed. “Better believe it, Red. We know the end is coming, and it’s going to be bathed in fire, not ice.”
As I stared into his eyes, looking beyond the arrogance, I began to see something that scared me shitless. He smelled like Demonkin because he’d been dealing with demons. He had that look: the glow in his eyes that read demon fire, the sense of entitlement . . . Was he in league with Shadow Wing? Or was he just another stupid dabbler who’d been playing around where he shouldn’t have?
I stood up. “Excuse me; I have to make a call. I’ll just step into the hall, if you don’t mind.”
Camille gave me a confused look, but I just smiled. Morio let out a slow breath. “Do you need company?” he said softly.
I shook my head. “No, why don’t you stay here with Camille and the boys.” No way in hell was I leaving my sister alone with these creeps. Harold and Larry might be human, but they were up to no good, and I didn’t have any intention of putting her in danger.>I hit the floor with a soft thunk. “Will do, Ms. Iris. I don’t have time for anything now, but I’ll grab a drink when I get home. If I’m to be your camerawoman, I need a camera.”
“Use the camcorder,” Camille said. “They think I work for one of the tabloids, so it stands to reason we won’t have expensive equipment. I’m going to get dressed. Vanzir, you and Rozurial head over to the FH-CSI building and wait for us. We’ll need your help, as well as Smoky’s, to jump out on the astral.”
