Page 57 of Slayer

Hunters?

“Down there?” the one with blond hair asked Celia.

She nodded. “Stalking a young woman in the bathroom.”

They gave her a small head nod and headed down the steps to the platform.

Whoa.

“Are there hunters all over here?” I peered around the city, scanning faces, half expecting to spot glowing eyes or a concealed blade on every passerby.

“We have about sixty thousand licensed hunters all over the world. Most work the night shift, but we still need a presence in the daytime for things like this,” she said, and my mouth practically fell open. Sixty thousand!

“And they all live in Veil Haven?” I asked.

She nodded. “And their families.”

“Can others see their weapons?” I indicated the stake and sword that hung from Celia’s hip.

She shook her head. “Permanent concealment rune on all weapons. Only fellow hunters or vamps can see them.”

That made so much more sense and explained why I had seen Asher’s sword that first night.

“All right, well, I’m gonna get going,” Asher interjected with a wave.

He moved to leave when Celia reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “Tell your mother I said hi, and I miss her snort laugh.”

A full-blown grin broke onto Asher’s face, and it nearly knocked me over. It completely transformed him, softening the sharp edges I’d grown used to seeing. He looked so handsome when he smiled, which I realized now he rarely did.

“And tell your father he still owes me ten dollars and he’s lousy at poker,” she added, and Asher’s grin grew wider if possible.

“Thanks. I will,” he said, his eyes growing a little misty before he turned on his heel and walked away toward Park Avenue with Silex in tow.

“Does Asher’s mom live in New York?” I asked, confused. I thought all hunters lived in Veil Haven. And I thought I’d heard that he lost his parents young too.

Celia’s face fell. “No, they don’t live here. His parents both died in a raid on Central Park when he was eleven. There is a hunter memorial there that he visits every year on the anniversary of their death.”

I gasped. Today was the anniversary of their death? No wonder he’d been in such a bad mood. And it explained the flowers. I suddenly felt like I should have given him a bit more grace, but also, mourning was no reason to treat people badly.

“That’s awful. Both of them in the same night?”

Celia nodded. “Gracie was a classmate of mine, a really sweet woman. After she and Collin died, leaving Asher an orphan, the Hunters Guild made a new law that two parents can’t be on the same night watch.”

Orphan. One word with so much weight. Ugly yet accurate. Asher was an orphan, and so was I. Parentless. Untethered.

“Come on. You have an appointment with a private banker, and we don’t want to be late.” Celia jerked her head to the left.

I nodded, a numbness settling in my chest. I’d grown up abandoned, never knowing if my parents wanted me or not. Asher had them, loved them, and then lost them both in a single night. Eleven years old. Old enough to remember them. That felt cruel in a way I couldn’t name.

I followed Celia a few blocks until we reached a gleaming high-rise. Glass and steel rose above us. Inside, everything smelled clean and expensive, like leather and freshly washed sheets. Celia checked us in with security, and we took an elevator to the top floor.

Number forty-seven.

“Steven can be trusted. He knows of our world,” Celia told me as the elevator doors dinged. “He’s married to a hunter. She lives in Veil Haven, and he lives here. They make it work. He’s been managing your mom’s inheritance with Judge Jason for years. You can speak candidly with him.”

I nodded, relief loosening the knot in my stomach. I had no idea how I would explain any of this to a normal person.

A thought struck me as we stepped off the elevator. “Do you need money? Are you and Derek…okay financially?”