“It means that the more we know about what’s going on with you and the Sons of Darkness-what kind of hold they have on you-the better prepared we’ll be to fight them.”
Why did she feel like a guinea pig here? She didn’t like this. “So you want me to bring out the demon?”
He shrugged. “We’ll just take it as it comes, one day at a time.”
She rolled her eyes. “So not helpful. A plan of attack would be better.”
“You can’t plan for what you don’t know, Isabelle.” He pushed back from the chair, refilled his cup, and started dragging bowls, pots, and pans out of cabinets. She rose and went to the refrigerator for eggs, bacon, and butter, working silently alongside him fixing breakfast.
It felt … good. Normal. Cooking and eating together. They even did the dishes side by side. And she found it all enjoyable, which was strange since she hated all this domestic stuff. A few months back she’d dreamed of being successful enough to have servants to do all this for her, or to live out of hotels and eat in the finest restaurants. Now she just wanted a chance at having a normal life where she could cook and do dishes. Funny how one’s outlook could change so drastically. What used to be so important to her wasn’t anymore. She’d once wanted to be rich, famous, a successful archaeologist.
Now she just wanted to be human. And alive. She wanted to do dishes.
“So when do we start?”
Dalton wiped his hands on the dish towel. “Feel strong enough today?”
She nodded. “Definitely. Anything’s better than sitting around doing nothing.”
“You’d better change clothes.” He glanced down at her khaki shorts and white tank. “You’re going to get dirty.”
“I can handle getting dirty. Clothes are washable.” Besides, none of these were her clothes anyway. Every thing she wore now Dalton had bought for her along the way from Sicily.
He shrugged. “Okay. Put on boots and I’ll meet you in the back.”
After putting on socks and her boots, she met him outside. He’d changed into camo pants and a muscle shirt, along with those heavy shit-kicker boots he liked to wear. Those things must have weighed ten pounds each. Isabelle didn’t know how he walked in them, let alone managed to sneak around like a ghost.
“So what are we going to do today?” she asked.
“See those woods back there? We’re going to hike.”
She tilted her head. “Hike? That’s it?”
His lips curled. “Yeah. That’s it. Come on.”
They set out down the walkway from the front of the house, side by side along the path leading east. Away from the main house, into the dense trees and foliage of the woods where there was no path, where it looked like no one had been before.
Isabelle found herself behind Dalton, stepping wherever he stepped, because soon they were in the thick of overhanging cypress and gnarled bushes with thorns, and she suddenly wished she’d worn long sleeves. Though the thought of it made her sweat even more than she already was. She was thoroughly drenched through her bra and tank top, and her shorts clung to her. The humidity was unbearable, and the sun had long ago disappeared from under the canopy of treetops bunched close together overhead. She couldn’t imagine how bad it would be if the light and heat were blasting down on them from above.
But despite the discomfort, Isabelle was happy for something to do to occupy herself. It was mindless effort and she found herself enjoying the push of her boots against the mushy swamp soaked earth, stepping up over a twisted branch every few feet, keeping her focus sharp for roots coming up from the ground so she wouldn’t trip. Dalton kept a brisk pace so she had to hustle to keep up. And he didn’t say much, which was fine with her since she had to use all her lung power just to keep moving.
All in all, this was quite a workout. Physical activity felt great after so many weeks of sitting around alone with her thoughts. Being lost in her own head was a scary place these days. She wanted to spend as little time there as possible. Outside, she could focus on the sounds of birds, the whistle of tree limbs in today’s hefty breeze-and thank God for the breeze that had kicked up an hour or so after they’d started this trek. She wasn’t sure she’d survive it otherwise. She could smell the damp earth sinking into her nostrils, feel her muscles tighten and ache from inactivity. It was awesome.
Dalton finally stopped after a couple hours, turned to her and pulled his backpack off, then reached in for two canteens.
“Water. Stay hydrated. Don’t drink too much.”
She unscrewed the lid and took a small sip, watching him as he rested against a wide fallen tree trunk. “This strikes me as survival training.”
He put his own canteen away, then hers. “You’re right. I’ve chased a few demons through jungle like this, or been chased by them.”
She imagined trying to run from demons out here in this tangled jungle, then shuddered at the possibility. “Do you think that could happen to us? Out here?”
“It’s possible. I can guarantee that if demons show up here, we won’t be standing still or fighting them within the confines of the house. Plus I’m going to want to lure them away from Georgie’s place.”
She nodded, looked down at her feet. “I understand.”
He tipped her chin with his fingers. “No, I don’t think you do. They won’t be coming just for you, Isabelle. They’ll be coming for me, too.”
She blinked. “You? Why would they want you? Why not just me? I’m who they want.”
He paused, his gaze so intense her body heated up a few more degrees.
“Because I’m a demon hunter and they want us all dead.”
“Oh. Of course.”
“Which means you need to familiarize yourself with the area. First, in case we have to set out in a hurry, and second, in case we get separated. I don’t want to worry about you getting lost out here. You need a sense of direction, to know where you’re going.”
“Does it matter which way I go if demons are chasing us?”
“Yeah, it does. You don’t want them hunting you down and trapping you in a corner, like a snake-infested swamp.”
“Oh. Good point.” That’s why he was the expert at this.
“I know this area; I’ve hiked it before. You don’t. You need to know the landmarks so you can find your way around.”
She nodded. “Okay.” She glanced around, but it all looked the same to her. Then again, she’d mapped desert regions before on a dig. She could do this. “I don’t suppose you have a GPS handy.”
“Actually I do have something that might help,” he said with a slight smile. “A couple units that will allow us to keep track of each other.”
“Handy.”
“Very. Plus comm units that we can use to stay in verbal contact.”
She was going to enjoy this. “You have all kinds of fun tech stuff.”
“Babe, you have no idea. Wait til we get to weapons.”
“Now I’m drooling.”
He laughed. “Come on, let’s get moving again.”
This time, she made note of where she was, where the sunlight filtered in through the treetops, tried to memorize twists and turns in the landscape of the path they traversed. Somehow, it made sense, at least to her, which was really all that mattered. But could she do this at night? She didn’t know, wouldn’t know until it came time to do it. But if she was on the run from demons, she’d damn well do whatever it took to get away.
She even knew when Dalton circled and headed back. By that time, she could have led them, and she bit back a triumphant squeal because she actually knew where she was going. He brought them around to the back of the house where they pulled off their muddy boots and soaked socks. Isabelle sat in a chair on the porch and watched him.
His shirt was soaked, clinging to his chest and back. Dirt smudged his face and his hair was dripping wet.
Oh, man, did he look sexy. She shook off the visual of licking the sweat beading against his neck.
“I’d say that’s enough for now,” Dalton said.
