A Tale of Two Demon Slayers Read Online Free PDF Page A

don’t know. Diana didn’t get a good look. And she hasn’t been able to inspect my office. My wards are too strong for her.”
    “Great. Nice work.”
    “I made inquiries today. All day. There were a few who knew I was using the thread to find you.”
    “Like Grandma?”
    “No. I never told her. Although she suspected when JR blew into town.”
    “What? So now you’re calling in the werewolves?” Sure, JR was Dimitri’s friend, but his pack had also tried to kill me. If I was somehow exposed, I’d rather keep it to ourselves.
    “Lizzie, it’s not like that.”
    “Well, what is it like?”
    “I’m trying to explain,” he insisted. “We don’t have much more time.”
    He was right. The plane had started to level out.
    Dimitri noticed it too. “I only told trusted allies. JR. Max.”
    “Max?” Dimitri despised Max.
    “We used the thread to help track you down when you went missing in Las Vegas. Besides, as a hunter, he’s sensitive to your energies. I needed the help. Now, do you want to hear how it went?”
    “Of course.” And I would have appreciated knowing before now.
    “From what I found today, I don’t think you’re compromised. Yet.”
    “Gee, thanks.”
    He ignored my sarcasm. “We’ll know for sure once we get to my home. I’ll take you to my study, show you the light box, and then you can watch me destroy it.”
    “You didn’t have any right to create it in the first place.”
    “I know,” he said softly. “Do you want apologies or information?”
    “Both are overdue.”
    “We couldn’t do anything about it before now. Itwould have only fed into your fears. You were feeling weak already.”
    “Thanks for reminding me.” Here I was, worried about visions of danger, when he had my rear end out there for the world to see.
    Then I asked him the worst question of all. “So what happens if somebody did steal it?”
    Dimitri swallowed hard. “The possibilities for destruction are limitless.”

Chapter Three
    I spent the rest of the flight lavishing attention on Pirate and ignoring Dimitri. Once the plane leveled off, we couldn’t discuss the risk Dimitri had taken with me. We didn’t know who could be listening. And I certainly didn’t feel like talking to him about anything else.
    Pirate nudged my wrist with his cold nose. “Lizzie. Did you hear me, Lizzie? I said B-five.”
    I tried to shake off my dark thoughts and focus on the travel-size game of Battleship on the tray table in front of us. A weak overhead light shone down on our game, while the rest of first class slumbered in the pockets of black that was night on board an airplane.
    Inhaling, I flicked my eyes to the expectant Jack Russell terrier making swirls on the window with his stubby tail.
    “Hit,” I said, trying not to smile. One must not grin when losing the battle.
    “Ha!” He danced in place. “I knew it. I knew you liked to play ’em high. You’ve been playing ’em high all night.”
    “Now that you’ve got most of my ships—” I began.
    “Again,” he added with no small amount of glee.
    I threw one hand up in a mock gesture of surrender and placed a round red peg into my largest battleship. “We should really be getting some sleep.”
    “Oh no. No way I’m sleeping when I’m winning. Besides, I’m not going to shut one eye with that weaselly looking thingamabob ready to jump us.”
    I followed Pirate’s narrowing eyes past the sleeping Dimitri to the gremlin, legs splayed and snoring on the seat across the aisle. “I think he’s out.”
    Pirate twitched his ears like he did when he was thinking hard. “He could be faking. A watchdog can never be too careful.”
    Times like this, I wished I could borrow some of Pirate’s energy. “I could have sworn I wore you out before the flight.”
    “Um-hum,” Pirate said. “Good for you I can power-nap.” He studied the flip-up game board in front of him. “B-six.”
    “Hit.”
    I let Pirate obliterate the rest of my fleet before I