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that?”
    “An ancient creature. Something that is as old as time. A kind of demon. It’s called a soul eater. The creature had been vanquished from this world over two millennia ago. Sent to a limbo world where it slept. But times have changed. The world is a noisy place. Wars and corruption have clamored for too long. The anger and hatred in the world has awakened the creature and guided it back to this place and time.”
    “And he’s hungry. I remember him saying how very hungry he was. I thought he was a homeless man. He looked weak. Shaky.”
    “Really? Weak? It’s fed for the past three days. It should be near full strength.”
    Holly shook her head. “No, he was desperate. Starving.”
    “Hmmm...”
    “What does it mean?”
    “I don’t know,” he said.
    Despite the questions and confusion pouring through her head, Holly closed her eyes for just a moment. She was so tired. So needed to rest...for just a moment.
    She didn’t know how much time had passed when she woke up. Hadrian was shaking her shoulder.
    “I’ve got to leave.” He looked worried.
    She rolled over on the sofa. “Will you be coming back?” she asked with a wide, jaw-cracking yawn. Her heavy eyelids were sliding closed again.
    “No,” he said. “And I’m not leaving you behind.”
    He barely gave her enough time to brush her teeth, comb her hair, and check the dark bruises on her cheeks and temples before rushing her out the door.
    He drove her to a small apartment complex not far from her apartment building. Though the sun wasn’t yet up, the complex was softly lit with an array of landscape lighting. It was an upscale place. The line of police cars in the parking lot with their red and blue lights flashing looked sorely out of place.
    “Stick by me,” Hadrian said as he helped her out the car. She was still drowsy and stiff and felt as if she could sleep for a week.
    He led her to the center of the activity near the fenced-off hot tubs. Hadrian didn’t pay attention to the yellow tape. He crossed it and passed the policemen as if he—and Holly—belonged there. No one stopped him.
    A tarp covered what could only be a body sprawled out in the bushes.
    She felt Hadrian close down as he stared down at the covered form. A muscle in his jaw ticked.
    “I expected you earlier.” She recognized Detective Newton right away. “You were right, of course. Another body. And the press are on their way.”
    “Don’t tell them anything.” Hadrian knelt down and pulled back the tarp.
    Holly gasped. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth. She recognized the dead man. He’d been in the café the other day.
    “Justin Davies,” Hadrian said. He glanced up at Newton. “He’s one of ours.”
    “His soul?” Holly whispered the question. “Did the same thing that had attacked me get to him?”
    Newton snapped to attention like a birddog. “You saw the monster who’s been doing this? You actually saw him?” He grabbed Holly’s arm, took a good look at her, and frowned. “Why do I know you?”
    “We spoke last night about”—she flashed a guilty glance at Hadrian—“about him.”
    “Right,” Newton said. “You reported that he was stalking you.”
    Hadrian raised a brow at that.
    “Miss Post, you’ll have to come back to the station with me. I need to take your statement. Get a description of this bastard. He’s been plaguing the streets for nearly a week now.”
    “Take a good look at her, Newton. Her face is bruised. Someone beat the hell out of her. None of the other victims have even a mark. It’s not the same man.”
    The detective cursed. “But perhaps she could—”
    “I’m taking care of the situation.” Holly felt a wave of power rolling off Hadrian. “Davies was one of ours. Call off your team. We’ll take over from here.”
    Several men and women emerged from the shadows. Though a most of them were strangers, Holly recognized Jake’s long face and a few others from the café. They moved silently.
    “Now