Ash cursed at the sight of them in his mirror. More demons. But he was grateful they were at least attempting to blend in. Stryker must have had a talk with them about keeping anonymity in the human realm. Their inhibition to blast him leveled the playing field since he couldn't use his powers outright either.
Downshifting, he cut through traffic, heading toward the interstate. He needed to get them out of the populated areas before an innocent was hurt. Something easier said than done as two more cars appeared and then opened fire on them.
Ash threw a shield up to protect the car. He tried to use his powers to flip over the cars chasing them or at the very least stall the engines, but because they were demons inside and not humans, they countered his abilities with their own.
Damn them!
"My God," Tory gasped. "Do they suck at shooting or what?"
He didn't comment as he caught sight of four sleek black Honda Blackbirds closing in on them. Two of the bikes had double riders and the rider on the back was loaded for bear with KACs 6x35mm PDW that they pulled out from under their jackets.
Ash cursed. "Looks like they're opening for business."
At least that was what he thought until one of the motorcycles opened fire on the cars after them.
Tory scowled at the sight of the bikers helping them. "Friends of yours?"
"Not that I know of." If not for the fact they were using guns, he'd suspect Were-Hunters since many of them used motorcycles to travel by while in human form. But Were-Hunters would be fighting with magic.
The bikes fell into formation, forcing the BMW to drive into the retaining wall. Then they moved on to the other Beamer before they made short work of it, too.
Ash gunned the engine as they approached. At least until he realized they were definitely on his side. He swerved to the shoulder, then slammed on the brakes.
"Wait here," he said as he got out to confront the riders.
They stopped a few feet behind his car. The two who were armed swung off first and turned their backs to him as they scanned the road for more demons. But what caught his attention most was the gold sun symbol emblazoned on the back of their Brazilian leather Stitch suits.
His mother's symbol.
The drivers got off the bikes in unison and approached him like a single trained unit. They stopped before him and stood wide legged until they each brought their right fist to their left shoulder and bowed their heads. Then they sank down to one knee right there in the street.
What the hell was this?
The one who was the leader got up and removed her helmet. She was breathtakingly beautiful with long blond hair that fell in waves around her shoulders. In the leathers, her broad shoulders would make her easily mistaken for a man, but there was nothing masculine about her. "Sorry we couldn't arrange a better introduction. I'm Katherine Zanakis, head priestess of the Apollymachi."
Ash looked over them as he realized they were all human women in service to his mother. "What are you doing here?"
Katherine moved to the side as the others rose and another one came forward and removed her helmet. Very cute and probably a good ten years older than Katherine, she had short black hair and warm eyes.
"Justina?"
He turned at Tory's confused call to scowl at the imp who was running to join them. "I thought I told you to stay in the car."
"I don't listen," she said dismissively as she joined him.
Justina came forward and pulled the messenger bag off her shoulder. "I was told to deliver this to you." She handed the bag to Tory.
Tory looked as confused by the gift as he felt. "What is it?"
"It's what Dimitri died for," Justina explained. "I was there when the Atlantikoinonia stormed in and I managed to escape out the back door with the journal and seal while he held them off." Justina crossed herself three times as her eyes filled with tears over their lost friend.
Ash cursed as he remembered seeing Justina in his vision. Only then he hadn't realized whose side she'd been on. He'd assumed she'd been working for their enemies.
"The Atlantikoinonia?" Tory asked Justina.
"A group of lunatics," Justina spat. "They've chased us all the way from Greece to New Orleans. Every time we turn around, there they are trying to nab the journal."
Katherine nodded. "They're a group of men who are sworn to protect the secrets of Atlantis and they're ruthless."
"They destroyed our boat," Justina told Tory. "I killed one of them as he fled and that's what made me run to Dimitiri to get the journal. I didn't realize how important our research was until then."
Tory shook her head as if all this was making her dizzy. "I am so confused."
Ash put an arm around her to hold her steady. "She also just had surgery and was almost killed earlier today. Not to mention, our friends might find us again and when they do, I don't want to be in the open where they can get her or take a clear shot at us. Do you guys know where Sanctuary is on Ursulines?"
"I do," one of the women with the KACs said.
"Then we'll meet you there." Ash went to open the door for Tory who gave him a hard stare.
"What exactly is going on here, Ash?"
"I'm not sure, but I think we're about to get a few answers."
"Good. 'Cause I'm tired of being in the dark." Tory got in and started to open the bag in her lap, but Ash put his hand on hers.
"I'd rather you not do that."
She looked up with a frown. "Why?"
Because you'll expose me. "Let's wait until we get to Sanctuary." And I can safely get it away from you.
"All right." Her blind trust sent a wave of guilt through him. She folded her arms around the bag and held it tight, not knowing it was his life and dignity she held so close to her heart. Every secret he'd worked so damn hard to keep was right there . . .
He wanted to curse. His stomach knotted, he went to the other side and slid in before he led the way back to the Quarter.
Tory ran her hand over the sand beige leather interior of his car as if she admired the German styling. "You know what I think is so off about these cars?"
He had no idea. There was nothing he found off about them. He loved his Porsche. "What?"
"The cupholders."
He laughed. They were tucked into the trim which had to be flipped down so that they could swing out and unfold. "Yeah. Transformers. Cupholders in disguise. But that's not really what's on your mind, is it?"
"No. I'm trying to distract myself from the fact that I'm holding something in my lap that someone is ready to kill for. That one of my dearest friends paid for this discovery with his life and that if I'd just left Atlantis alone, Dimitri would be alive now. His wife wouldn't be a widow and his poor mother wouldn't be burying her only son." She winced. "I can't believe my selfish stupidity killed someone. What have I done?"
Ash's heart lurched as he thought about Nick. "It's easy to make mistakes. It's living with the consequences of them that's the hardest."
"Tell me about it. Do you have any secret spy ring that helps with the pain?"
"I wish, but no. There are some pains that run too deep for anything to absolve them. The best we can do is pick up the pieces and hope for the strength we need to keep going."
"Is that what you do?"
"No, I beat shit up-that helps even more."
She gave a light laugh. "I can't see you being that harsh."
She had no idea, but he was glad she didn't know the part of him that was capable of complete destruction.