The Savage Grace: A Dark Divine Novel(52)

I put my hand on top of his. He stopped pulling me toward his truck and looked down at our two hands touching.

“Come on, Grace. You and me on the demon hunt again. Just like what we trained for. Just like it was meant to be.”

I gave him a slight smile. He really was happy about the idea of our hunting together again. “How are we even going to find Pete?”

“New Akhs are predictable because of their hunger. He’ll seek out whatever place has the most psychic and sexual energy wafting off of it. He’ll be able to smell it. Somewhere like a big party. Normally, new Akhs flock to the Depot. That’s how we recruited so many of them to the Shadow Kings. But now that the Depot is no more, he’ll have to find somewhere else.” He snapped his fingers. “I know just the place.”

“Where?” I stepped closer to him.

“There’s a trance party tonight.”

“A what party?”

“Trance party. You know how Akhs can put their victims into trances by staring into their eyes? They do it to feed off a human’s psychic energy and mess with their free will.”

“Yeah.” I knew all to well. I’d almost been killed the last time it happened to me.

“Well, a trance party is kind of like a rave, except humans use Akhs to get high instead of Ecstasy.”

“You mean people go to these parties and willingly let Akhs feed off of them?”

“Pretty much. The Akhs get to feed without a hunt. The humans get high and let someone take away their free will for a night. Some people get off on that.”

“Eww.” I made a gagging face. “But aren’t people afraid the Akhs will feed too much off of them and they’ll die?”

“It happens,” Talbot said. “Especially if new Akhs are in the mix. They don’t come just to get a quick fix; they feed to kill. But I guess the danger is part of the thrill for some people. And a lot of them are just stupid kids who don’t really know what’s going on. Most don’t remember in the morning.”

“And we’ll be able to hunt down Pete there?” I gazed up into his green eyes. At the same time I reached into my jacket pocket and clicked a button on my phone.

“I’d bet my truck on it.”

“But where is the party?”

“There’s always one a week or two after Halloween in a haunted house that’s just been closed down for the season. Before they strike all the creepy sets. Rumor has it, tonight’s trance party is going to be at Frightmare Farms.”

“That old farm outside Rose Crest? Didn’t that place get shut down for being unsafe?” April and I used to frequent the corn maze at that old farm-turned-Halloween-attraction, but we didn’t make it this year because it got shut down opening night after some kid fell through the rotten floorboards in the haunted barn. I’d heard the owners had left it abandoned the way it was, rather than spend the money to get it up to code.

“You can see the appeal for this kind of party then?” Talbot reached out like he wanted to caress his fingers along my cheek. “But we’re going to have to cover up that pretty face of yours, find you a disguise. The party will be crawling with Gelals and Akhs. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few Shadow Kings showed up for recruiting.”

Shadow Kings. That’s what I was afraid he was going to say.

“People wear pretty crazy stuff to these things, so you won’t stand out in a costume,” Talbot said. “I don’t want any SKs getting wind of us being there. I imagine I’m the last person they’ll feel like being friendly to.”

“That’s okay,” I said, taking a large step back, away from him and his truck. “Because you’re not coming.”

“What? You think I’m going to let you go alone?”

“I won’t be alone.” I glanced over at the motorcycle driven by a lone rider pulling into the parking lot next to us. The green Corolla followed just behind him. Right on cue. “You’re just not coming with us.” I backed away quickly.

“What’s going on?” Talbot started to come after me, but he stopped when the motorcyclist got off his bike and removed his helmet. Talbot’s eyes widened as he recognized Daniel. The four lost boys got out of the car and stood behind their alpha.

“So he’s back?” Talbot asked.

“Yep.” I couldn’t help smiling a bit and thinking of that song from the oldies station my Grandpa Kramer used to listen to. My boyfriend’s back, and your gonna be in trouble.…

“Despite your best efforts, I hear,” Daniel said, tucking his helmet under his arm.

Talbot’s mouth hung open with shock, but his hands balled into fists.

“Do you need any help here?” Daniel asked me.

“Nope. I got what I came for.” I looked at Talbot. “Thanks for the information. We’ll be taking care of the Pete problem without you.”

“This was a setup?” Talbot asked. I could see the storm brewing behind his eyes. He took a stride toward me, but the four lost boys stepped forward, creating a barrier between us. Talbot stepped back slightly. “But I thought … you and me, Grace. This is what we’re supposed to do together.…”

“There is no you and me, Talbot.” I got on the motorcycle with Daniel. “You’re not a part of this anymore.”