Page 3 of Some Swans Don't Swim
“It’s important I catch him soon because he’s stepped up his game,” Luc said, ignoring him.
“How so?” I asked.
“Let’s just say that someone in my employ helped Krampus escape and made him rings. Seven of them. This someone is...no longer.” A dark, dangerous fire burned in the devil’s eyes. “Last night, Krampus kidnapped six kids. I’m sure there will be one more.”
“That’s a dick move.” I hadn’t even met this Krampus yet, and already I wanted to grab him by the balls until he sang soprano.
Eddie sat back next to me, a worried pinch between his eyes. “Seven rings. That can’t be a coincidence.”
“But to what end?” Sawyer asked. “What are the seven rings and not-quite seven children for?”
Luc shrugged. “It’s hard to say. He’s a slippery bastard, and I can’t find him or the children.”
“What makes you thinkIcan?” I asked.
Sawyer looked at me and frowned.
Luc gave me a look like his point had flown over my head by a mile. “You killed a god, Belle.”
“Oh, yeah. I did, didn’t I.” I tapped my fingers over the god bone speared through the bun on top of my head, the weapon I’d done it with. “So how would I kill Krampus?”
Cleo nudged the devil’s fingers for more ear scratches, and he obliged. “You don’t. I need him alive so I can send him back to hell.”
“Well, that’s highly irregular for me.” Actually, that was a lie. I’d recently started wrangling up vampires—just the newborn, dangerous ones—with a rope like a cowgirl version of a slayer. It had taken some retraining, but it made a hell of a lot more sense than staking one of my own kind. But vampires were different. This was Krampus. Whoever Krampus was. “I’m going to need to know thy enemy before I go guns a’blazing anyway. With gentle, sweet, non-killing guns, of course.”
Eddie’s lips twitched. “I have books about thine enemies.”
“Of course you have books.” I twined my arm with his and pulled him a little closer.
“I would leave gentle and sweet out of this. Krampus is no joke,” Luc said. “So, you’ll help?”
I nodded. “I can probably catch a goat demon. Sure.” It wasn’t like I could say no to helping kidnapped children.
“Great.” Luc slapped his thighs and stood. “Pack a bag. We can leave tonight.”
My eyes widened. “What? Tonight? Where are we going?”
Luc headed toward the door. “Krampus is in Wyoming.”
A burst of excitement lit up like Christmas lights in my chest. When I’d been the official slayer, I hadn’t been able to leave Podunk City. Like, ever.
Sawyer leaned forward and pierced Luc with a look that screamed he wanted to snap his neck like a toothpick. “You’re taking Belle to Wyoming, and you actually think we’re not coming too?”
“I don’t know.” Luc lifted his hands. “Are you?”
“Yes,” my vamps said in unison.
I grinned. “Damn right, you are.”
Cleo barked on her way toward her boyfriend.
“Yes, and Cleo, too, you little slut,” I said.
She sat and grinned up at the devil, completely ignoring me.
“Well, if you’re all coming, now might be a good time to mention that Krampus is quite fond of vampires.” Luc eyed all of us in turn. “To eat.”
“Oh. Nice,” I said.
