She turned away so he wouldn't see the way his reply crushed her. She knew Oscar hated her, she just never knew how much.
"He had to keep you safe." The caressing tone of his voice slashed through her defenses, and her head snapped up.
"Safe is not what comes to mind when I think of Oscar." Bitterness thickened her words. She wished she'd never brought up the subject. He didn't know the truth, and if she had her way, he'd never find out about her past.
Ruman shook his head slowly as if sensing an undercurrent in her words. "You don't know, do you?"
She refused to look at him, almost wishing the elevator would drop them. Anything to escape. "We're going to be late."
"Everything Oscar did was to protect you. The old fool used the wrong methods, but he did what he thought best by raising you as one of his men."
He'd raised her the way he did to study her. Hadn't he? Buzzing filled her ears. "You weren't there, didn't see what he did." He had to be wrong.
He gave her a pointed look. "I know he managed to keep you alive after numerous demon attacks. That's nearly an impossible thing."
Steam rolled out from under her collar, but she couldn't tell him the truth. Her past had to remain in the past if she had any hope of protecting her friends. Part of her knew if he learned the truth, he wouldn't touch her again. He made no secret of his hatred of demons.
"You don't understand." And she would do anything to keep it that way.
"He gave you the tools you needed to stay alive." Ruman pressed the lobby button then stood by her side as they descended. Neither looked at the other. "Forgive him or don't, but you needed to know that he thought you were worth saving. Even at the cost of his own life."
Caly couldn't speak past the lump in her throat. Oscar wouldn't give his life for a demon. Could she be remembering the past through the eyes of a frightened child? Memories cascaded in her mind, seen through new eyes, a new perspective. Could the old man actually have been trying to protect her, searching for a cure instead of experimenting on her for answers to his precious cause?
Ruman turned everything she believed on end. Even what she believed about herself. A chink appeared in her armor, and he kept wrenching it open, making her vulnerable.
Making her care about him when she knew it was the worst possible thing for either of them.
Just standing close to him had her body humming. She wanted to push him away, but feared it was already much too late.
The bell dinged, and his hand settled at the small of her back. Caly jerked at the contact. The touch was light, comforting, with only her blade and a thin shirt separating them. The warmth from his hand spread, making her very aware of every inch of her body and every subtle move of his. It put her on edge, both with the need to run and the ache to get closer.
"Ready?"
Caly jumped at the sound of his voice. Realizing he held the elevator door open, she blushed harder and hurried into the lobby.
Then jerked to a halt.
"What-"
Caly held up a hand. "Someone's here."
"Where?" Ruman crowded closer, his body between hers and the would-be attacker. Idiot man.
"Close." Narrowing her gaze, she swept the posh lobby. The café was clear, only a few people lingered. The place had a clean but empty air. They both moved cautiously forward, weaving around the few plush chairs. Caly slipped her fingers over the blade's handle, cool leather met her fingertips like a reassuring presence, but refrained from pulling the weapon in public.
When they neared the entrance, the dark world outside came into focus. A petite woman with an exotic look that drew the gaze waited by the ancient stone fountain in the courtyard. Their contact. She'd bet her blades on that. Black hair shimmered in the light from the nearby street lamp. If she moved back a few more inches, she'd disappear into the darkness. Smart.
The girl couldn't be much older than herself. It was the way she held herself, the lack of movement, that drew Caly's gaze. "There." She tipped her head, and Ruman nodded when he spotted her.
Deciding the direct approach would be best, she strode outside, Ruman a comforting presence at her back. The woman lifted her chin in acknowledgement, but her hand remained hidden under the jacket next to her, a subtle warning she was armed. Caly glimpsed a rough, badly healed scar across her right cheek before the woman tilted her head. Strands of dark hair slid forward, hiding her in shadows.
"Parthina Armor?"
"You would bring a demon?" Narrowed eyes focused on Ruman, rendering judgment from her ice-cold blue gaze.
Caly shifted in front of him, unnerved, but not surprised, at the animosity coming from another hunter. She let the blade strapped to her arm slide into her palm. No one touched him. "He's my guardian."
Her expression turned reflective. "Something like a guardian angel?"
The woman's interest unnerved her more than the threat. Caly forced herself to relax. They needed this meeting. "You've seen another." It wasn't a question.
Parthina laughed. "I couldn't get rid of the overprotective brute if I tried."
A sigh escaped Caly. "I know what you mean." She cast an annoyed glance at Ruman, then looked back. "Where's your protector?"
Before Parthina had a chance to reply, Ruman wrapped an arm across her upper chest, shoulder to shoulder, pulling her back into his embrace.
"No." The possessive growl came low in his throat, startling her almost as much as his action.
Although she couldn't see his expression, she heard the threat. The woman paled but didn't otherwise react.
"He's right. Angels work best unseen." She looked around the small square. "All the better to keep watch."
Though Ruman slowly released her, he remained pressed tight against her back. Caly tried to stand firm, but her body melted into his. "You have some information on the killings?"
Parthina nodded sharply. "They've hit a few areas in America and need to be stopped. If your group can't do it, they'll send others who won't care who's caught in the crossfire. The killings are selective, targeting men and women who've survived demon attacks."
Caly froze, the implications striking her mute for a second. "They killed my men."
Wisdom shone through Parthina's almost too-pale blue eyes. There was something eerie about looking directly into them, something not quite of this world. Something bad. "They were only in the way."
"How do you know?" Caly stuck out her chin. Parthina had to be wrong.
"Did the demons test the blood of those they killed?"
"No." The night of the temple remained imprinted on her mind. She didn't have to think about the answer.
"They slaughtered your men because they got in their way. The ones they search for are special. The demons test the blood of the ones they capture. Fail the test and die." She turned away, letting her hand trail in the water.
"Has anyone passed?"
A bitter smile curled her lips. "None they caught."
Caly's heart jumped at those dark words. Surely she must've misunderstood. "What do you mean?"
She looked up from under her lashes. "Do I need to spell it out?"
Horror cracked through her composure. David's conversation this morning now made sense. The woman was not part of a main group. She was an assassin, a cleaner of sorts, called in to handle matters when things went bad and needed to be swept away. "Is there no other way?"
The dark headed woman shook her head, surprised at being asked. The answer was obvious in the sadness that swirled in her eyes.
"And me? Are you here to answer questions or kill me, too? Am I a complication that needs to be fixed?" Ruman's absolute stillness let her know his whole attention was centered on the answer.
A nerve jumped in Parthina's jaw. She cast a glance at Ruman, her gaze calculating. "I think not."
The answer baffled Caly, and she moved away from Ruman for more room. She couldn't allow herself to relax. Parthina agreed to the meeting to either warn her away or kill her. Neither was acceptable. "Why the special treatment?"
"Let's say you're different and leave it at that."
"Let's not." She couldn't afford to be looking over her shoulder every second to see if a trained assassin was on her ass. Enough people wanted her dead already.
The woman had the audacity to smile, although it faded quickly. "We're much alike, I think." She held up her hand before Caly could interrupt. "Answer me this first. How did you know it was me here when you first left the elevator? You knew in seconds."
"You've been touched by a demon." Even as she said it, Caly knew it wasn't the whole true. In a flick of her wrist, Caly flipped her blade forward and crouched into a smaller target. "You still carry the demon." The darkness surged forward, her demon snapping at the restraints. She was an idiot for not suspecting sooner.