Amanda nodded. That made sense to her. "You guys are the slayers."
Hunter snorted. "What? Were you born with a remote in your hand?"
"No," Talon corrected her while ignoring Hunter's sarcasm. "Slayers are the nastiest of all the vampires because they don't want anything from their victims. They merely destroy for the sake of destruction. Not to mention, they are the strongest of the vampires."
A shiver went down her spine. "Is Desiderius one of them?"
Hunter shook his head negatively while Talon continued to explain it to her. "To protect the world as we know it, there were three races of hunters created to police and destroy the Daimons. We are called 'the Pyramid of Protection.' Dark-Hunters pursue those who feed on human blood and souls. Dream-Hunters go after the energy- and dreamsuckers, and Were-Hunters stalk the slayers."
Amanda frowned. "I guess what I don't understand is why you don't have one group that does it all."
"Because we can't," Hunter said. "If one person or group was strong enough to walk all four realms of existence, they would be able to enslave the world. Nothing and no one could stop them. And the gods would be greatly pissed."
"What four realms?"
"Time, space, earth, and dreams," Talon said.
Amanda let out a deep breath. "Okay, now that is scary. Some of you guys walk through time?"
"And space and dreams."
"Ah." Amanda nodded. "So Rod Serling was a Were-Hunter?"
They didn't look particularly amused.
"Okay," she said. "Bad attempt at humor. I'm just trying to figure all this out."
Talon laughed. "Don't. I've been trying to understand it all for over fifteen-hundred years and I'm still learning things."
Hunter grimaced. "You? Every time I think I have it pegged someone like Desiderius comes along and completely alters the rules."
"True," Talon said with a short laugh. He rolled his shoulders. "And speaking of scary things, I need to leave. My guides are fading even as we speak."
Hunter faked a shiver. "I hate when you commune with the dead in front of me."
Talon gave him a droll, unamused stare. "Are you the asshole who sent the 'I See Dead People' T-shirt to me?"
Hunter laughed. "That would be Wulf. I thought he was joking about it."
"He wasn't. I got it three days ago. I am going to get him back for that." Talon looked at Amanda. "Keep her close."
Hunter nodded.
Talon glanced over his shoulder at one of the fire crews. "Is it just me or is the Apollite fireman behind me paying a little too much attention to us?"
"Yeah, I caught that, too. I think I should question him."
"Not tonight. Secure her first. I'll interrogate the Apollite."
Hunter cocked a brow in amusement. "Don't you trust me?"
"Hell, no, Greek. I know you too well." Talon headed back to his black Harley-Davidson and retrieved his helmet from the ground. "I'll e-mail you later with the results."
"E-mail?" Amanda asked. "Should I ask?"
Hunter shrugged. "We've come a long way. We used to pay runners to carry information between us."
"Ah," she said, then she noticed a solitary man standing across the street in the shadows. Instead of watching the fire, he seemed more concerned with Hunter and Talon.
Talon rejoined them.
"Question," Amanda whispered as she studied the gorgeous blond shadow across the street. "Are all Daimons blond?"
"Yes," Hunter said. "As are all Apollites."
"Then how can you tell an Apollite from a Daimon?"
"Unless they have us blocked, we can sense them," Talon said. "But the only way for a human to tell is that when an Apollite crosses over, a black tattoo-looking symbol appears in the center of their chest where the human souls gather."
"Ah," she said again, still watching the man who was watching them. "Tell me, do you think your targets are purposely putting the two of you together to drain your powers before they strike?"
The men gave her a puzzled look.
"Why do you say that?" Talon asked.
"Well, I'm no expert, but that guy behind you looks like a Daimon to me."
The words barely left her lips before a flash of light hit Talon straight in his back and sent him to the ground.
Hunter cursed as he shoved her toward the car. He leapt over it, and ran straight at the Daimon who had attacked Talon. The two of them locked arms and fell to the ground in a fierce struggle.
Amanda made her way to Talon. He was covered in blood. Her heart pounding, she tried to help him up, but before she could another Daimon attacked them.
Reacting on instinct, she grabbed the Celtic dagger from Talon's belt and caught the Daimon across the chest. The man hissed, then shrank back.
Talon came to his feet. Grabbing his dagger from her hand, he sent it flying into the back of the Daimon as he fled. The Daimon vanished in a flash of light.
Hunter came out of the darkness, his breathing labored as he retrieved Talon's dagger from the ground, then returned it to the Celt. "You all right?" he asked.
Talon grimaced as he flexed his arm. "I've bled worse. You?"
"I've bled worse."
Talon gave a curt nod to Amanda. "Thanks for the assist." He rubbed the back of his shoulder with his hand. "Secure your woman. We'll talk later."
"All right."
Amanda grimaced as she watched Talon sling his long leg over his motorcycle. His movements were slow and steady, and that alone was proof of the pain he must be in. "Is he really okay?"
"We heal fast. Most wounds vanish in less than twenty-four hours."
A siren sounded in the distance. Kyrian looked down the street where the lights were flashing. "The police are coming. We need to head out before they arrive."
"What about Allison?'
"She'll be all right once she wakes. Talon's touch can heal anything except death."
"And Terminator?"
Hunter gave a whistle and opened the door to his car. He put Terminator in her seat. "It'll be a tight squeeze, but I think we can manage."
Amanda got in the car and adjusted Terminator in her lap as best she could. It wasn't until Hunter sat next to her that she saw the blood on his hand and arm. "You're hurt?"
"Flesh wound on my forearm. It'll heal."
"Jeez, Hunter. How can you stand doing what you do?"
He laughed. "I've done it for so long, I honestly don't remember what life was like before I died."