She did and found him standing on the other side of the bar. At six feet eight and wearing a pair of tall Goth boots that added a good three inches to his height, he was impossible to miss.
In spite of what he said, she felt a wave of relief at seeing him there. Hanging up her phone, she crossed the room to meet him. "What are you doing here?"
"I knew you were going to head off after Valerius and I'm here to go with you."
"Then you think he's in trouble, too."
"I know he is. Let's go."
Tabitha didn't ask him to elaborate. She knew him better than that. Acheron Parthenopaeus seldom ever answered anything. He lived life on his own terms and was eerily secretive about everything.
Ash led the way out of the club and into the street. Tabitha didn't know where they were headed, but he seemed to know instinctively.
"I have a really bad feeling," she said to Ash as they practically ran down the street.
"So do I," he said, ducking into an open gate. Tabitha followed him inside, then skidded to a halt as she caught sight of the most incredible thing she'd ever seen in her life.
Valerius fighting. He held a sword in each hand as he fought off four Daimons who lunged and parried with consummate skill of their own. It was fluid, violent, and morbidly beautiful.
Spinning about, Valerius caught one of the blond Daimons with an uppercut that tore through his chest, piercing the dark spot over their hearts where the human souls gathered. It caused the Daimon to explode into a golden powder.
Ash joined the fight by catching two of the Daimons with a staff. He drove them away from Valerius, allowing the Roman to concentrate on the other Daimon.
Tabitha took a step forward only to feel something cold and evil brush up against her.
"Predictable," came that sinister, haunting voice again.
A flash of something sizzled past her, heading toward Acheron.
One moment Ash was piercing a Daimon with his staff and in the next, he was on his knees as Valerius killed his own Daimon.
The second Daimon Ash had been fighting moved to stab Ash, only to have his blow intercepted by Valerius, who kicked the Daimon back, then killed him.
Tabitha ran to Ash, who was on the ground, hissing as he held his arm as if it were broken.
"Simi," he panted. "Human form. Now!"
The large dragon tattoo on Ash's forearm peeled itself off his skin into a dark red shadow that quickly transformed into the demon Tabitha knew so well.
"Akri?" Simi asked as she caught Ash's head. "Akri, what hurts?"
Tabitha knelt down beside them and tried to see Ash's arm. It was literally turning into stone, only it wasn't growing hard. His skin was turning a grayish-white color and it was spreading up his arm, toward his shoulder.
His face battered from his fight, Valerius fell to his knees on the other side of Ash. "What is that?"
Ash writhed as if he were on fire. "Simi... Akra... Thea Kalosis. Biazomai, biazomai."
Tabitha saw the terrified look on Simi's face before the demon vanished.
"Ash?" she asked, panicking. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," he gasped. He grabbed Valerius's shirt. "Get Tabitha home. Now!"
"We can't leave you," they said in unison.
"Go!" Ash snapped an instant before the grayish stone-like skin crawled over more of his body.
They didn't.
Ash fought and screamed as the grayish color spread all over his body. Tabitha laid him out flat on the ground. Ash panted as if trying to fight off whatever had him.
It was a losing battle.
His swirling silver eyes bulged before they too turned gray and he was as still as a corpse. Ash wasn't breathing. He wasn't moving. It was as if something held him completely paralyzed.
"What do we do?" she asked Valerius.
"You die."
Tabitha spun at the malevolent voice behind her to face the ghost again. It was surrounded by more Daimons.
"Good Lord, who spread the Daimon fertilizer around? They're cropping up like a bad horror flick," Tabitha said.
Valerius rose to his feet.
Before she could move, Valerius engaged them.
Tabitha rushed to join the fight.
"Don't kill the woman!" the ghost snarled to the Daimons. "I need her alive."
Another blond Daimon laughed. "Yeah, but feel free to rough her up all you want."
Tabitha turned to find yet another Daimon behind her. She struck out with her arm only to have him dodge her blow, then straighten up to deliver a staggering strike to her ribs.
The pain drove her straight to her knees.
Valerius cursed and started for her. Two Daimons cut him off.
With nothing more than sheer strength of will, Tabitha regained her feet.
The Daimon looked impressed.
Tabitha went to hit him, only to have him move away, lightning fast. This time when he tried to strike her, he was slammed into the building beside her.
"Leave her alone," Valerius snarled. He put himself between her and the rest of the Daimons.
Tabitha pulled her sleeve back and shot a crossbow bolt into the nearest Daimon. He disintegrated.
Suddenly, something ricocheted through the Daimons, killing two instantly before it vanished.
Tabitha looked past the Daimon horde to see a cavalry. Julian, Talon, and Kyrian were coming in, weapons drawn. She'd never been happier to see any of them. Alone each one of the blond men was dangerous. Together, they were invincible.
Side by side with Valerius, she fought the Daimons while Kyrian, Julian, and Talon joined the fight. With the five of them, it didn't take any time at all to finish the Daimons off. In truth, it was a colorful display as one by one the Daimons disintegrated.
Except for the one who had struck her. The ghost wrapped itself around that particular Daimon and the two of them appeared to evaporate into nothing. Tabitha frowned at the peculiar sight. Until she heard Kyrian's resonant curse. One moment Valerius was beside her, the next he was being slammed face-first into the wall.
"You bastard!" Kyrian snarled as he pummeled him. Valerius ducked the blows and whirled to the side. He slammed Kyrian into the wall and would have pinned him had Julian not grabbed him from behind.
The next thing she knew, Julian was hitting Valerius, too. Without thinking, Tabitha rushed Julian, knocking him back. She put herself between the Roman and the two Greeks.
"Get out of my way, Tabitha," Kyrian said as he glared his hatred at Valerius. "I don't want Amanda pissed at me because I hurt you for being stupid."
"And I don't want Amanda pissed at me because I permanently maimed you for being an idiot."