Chapter Four

We drove along in silence, save for the faint strains of the radio. I wanted so much to talk to Balthazar, I had so many questions, and I was sure he had just as many for me.

"Cat got your tongue love?" he asked softly.

I worried my bottom lip. "I don't know if this is the place or time for the conversation we need to have. Balthazar, I…" I sighed, trying to gather my thoughts.

"You are worried about how this will affect us, and more importantly, David. He is just as precious to you as he is to me."

I swallowed hard. "And what am I to you?"

"Do you even have to ask? Putting aside your infamy as a hunter, and mine as a less than stellar member of the garrison, I believe the three of us are more than meant to be together. You are just as precious to me." I could hear the emotion in his voice and it resonated inside me.

I took a shaky breath, now wasn't the time to lose my cool, and hearing Balthazar's words only strengthened my resolve.

I pulled into the warehouse district, cutting my headlights as we pulled alongside some containers. I reached for my door handle as Balthazar grabbed my arm. I turned and again his eyes were dark and foreboding.

"Listen to me, your one and only job is getting David out safely. If you get him back to the car, you leave, do you hear me?" His grip on my arm tightened.

"I am not leave…"

He interrupted. "Neither of you are waiting for me, I will find my own way out. You get David and get to this address, haul ass and don't look back."

I pocketed the scrap of paper, grabbed the front of his blazer and crashed my lips into his. Our kiss was hot and rough, and I tried to not think of it as possibly being our last one.

But the briefest look in his eyes made my heart clench.

~0~

I kept my crossbow close as I moved into the warehouse. Balthazar had been specific on where I would find David, and my fingers were itching to take down as many black eyed Bettys as I could on my way to him.

My father had always told me that I had a sixth sense when it came to hunting, he claims it is due to our bloodline. When I was younger I had thought he was making it up, but over time I realized I had very little competition when it came to being top dog. I actually had exactly two hunters I could name who I would never want to piss off.

I rounded a corner and felt a Betty coming closer, completely oblivious to my presence. Thunk-thunk, and the Betty hit the ground, the holy bolts burning the demon from the inside out.

I moved quicker now, taking out two more as I saw the door that would lead me to where David was. I jogged quickly towards it, then immediately cursed myself as a Betty lunged at me.

We hit the ground and rolled until I was on top, I began swearing and punching the bitches face unrecognizable. As a final touch I grabbed a holy bolt, snarling "no time for Exorcizamus Te omnis immundus spiritus for you whore!" and slammed it into her throat for good measure.

I was off and through the door, and running down the corridor towards the door that held David. I only had to body check it twice before it came open. I felt nauseous when I saw my beloveds face, beaten and bloody.

"David!" I cried as I came towards him.

He looked up, eyes wide and fearful. "No…" he gasped.

"It's okay baby, it's me, its Amanda." I moved slower towards him.

"No," he gasped again, "Behind you…"

There was an explosion of pain in the back of my head, then darkness.