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Stryke paused before taking another dart. “I didn’t know about Draven.”
“His fiancée was one of the people killed.”
“So that was why Kynan wanted DART’s demon detector software upgraded withtormentusDNA. I had a tech take care of that a few hours ago.” Gripping the dart in his fist, Stryke stared blankly at the board. “I’m sorry.”
Logan believed him, but it wasn’t enough. Sorry didn’t bring people back from the dead.
“If you were really sorry, you’d give us something we can use to stop him.” Determined to get this jerk to give up the goods on The Aegis’s secret demon-killing pistol, Logan pressed harder. “What’s with the new Aegis weapon, Stryke? And why did you give it to them but not us?”
Unfazed by Logan’s anger and still clutching the dart, Stryke fetched what looked like a child-sized pistol from a glass cabinet on the far side of the room.
“It’s called a Smiter,” he said, handing the gun to Logan. “It’s invisible to most metal detectors and weapons sensors. The pistol and bullet shells are constructed from metals found only in Sheoul. If DART gets the fragments analyzed, they’ll find that out.”
The pistol weighed practically nothing, its black surface as smooth as glass. It looked fragile, incapable of the kind of destruction Logan had seen in the cafeteria. “It’s at Sabre’s lab as we speak.” He handed the thing back to Stryke.
Stryke inclined his head. “I would expect Ky to send it to the best.”
“What’s inside the bullets that makes it so lethal to demons?”
“That,” Stryke said, “is a secret.” He placed the weapon back in the case. “The reason I gave it to The Aegis instead of you is because they contracted it. And they provided the sacrifices required to bring it to life.”
Logan stared at the guy. “Sacrifices?”
“It’s exactly what you think,” Stryke said as he finally unloaded the dart. Bullseye. “DART would never have asked that of its people. But The Aegis?” Stryke shrugged. “They’re True Believers. They’ll gladly offer up their blood for the cause.”
Holy shit. Talk about dedication. And brainwashing. “How much blood?”
Stryke waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m not discussing my business with you. You’ve brought the bracelet. Thank you. Are we done?”
Jackass. “Do you have any questions for me?”
“No.” Stryke popped the darts out of the board and repositioned himself to go again.
“Nothing? You don’t want to know how your family is doing? Your mom? Dad? Not even Crux?”
“I thought you were leaving.” Fucking bullseye.
“Are you for real?” Logan closed his fist around the stinging lowball glass and let the pain soak up some of his anger. He was on the verge of jamming every one of those darts down Stryke’s throat. “Crux misses you, though for the life of me, I have no idea why. He’ll be going through his change soon, and where will you be? Hiding in your mountain paradise?”
Stryke remained unmoved. “Don’t be dramatic. He has Blade, Rade, and all his cousins.” He gestured to the lonely jade vase on the shelf. “And Masumi. She’ll guide him through it.”
“You’re a selfish piece of shit, man.”
Stryke snorted. “That again? You don’t have an original insult? You’re losing your touch, Ponyboy.”
Ponyboy. Logan hadn’t heard that nickname since he was a teen. The Sem boys had called him that. All of them except Stryke. Stryke had considered it to be demeaning.
“Dammit, Stryke!” Logan shouted. “Work with us! Make a fucking effort to ensure your friends and family are safe. It wouldn’t hurt you to ask us how you can help more. We need better soul traps. We need a way to track down Draven. We need you to give a shit about us, you asshole!”
In a sudden, lightning-fast motion, Stryke launched a dart. It missed the bullseye and hit the wall.
“Fuck you.” He rounded on Logan, red embers burning in the black of his eyes. “I do care!”
“Then you should’ve warned us about the Aegis weapon.” Blood pumping hotly, fists more than ready to start pounding, Logan got up in the demon’s face. He hadn’t tangled with Stryke since high school, either in battle-training or in a real, knock-down brawl, and he was ready to make up for lost time. “Good people are dead because of that weapon, and we’re about to lose Draven too.” He jabbed the demon in the breastbone, ignoring the other male’s warning growl. “This is onyou.”
It wasn’t entirely fair. Logan knew that. Didn’t care. He needed to release the fury and pain inside him, and Stryke had been number one on Logan’s list of people who needed an ass-kicking for years.
They were nose to nose, eye to eye, and then Stryke smiled, even as the crimson flecks spread in his eyes, forming a spiderweb of fury.
