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down to you.”
    “I’m not that psychic, amigo. How was I supposed to know you wanted to talk to me?”
    Sin scowled. “Didn’t the valet tell you to wait?”
    “Nope.”
    It was Sin’s turn to curse.
    Obviously the Apollite hadn’t been as friendly as he pretended. Jess tsked. “That’s what you get for living with your enemies, Slim. Notice they don’t flinch from stabbing you in the back.”
    “Neither do friends.”
    Jess grimaced at the touché. “Now, that’s just cold, Sin. True,” he admitted, “but cold.”
    “Yeah, well, I was trying to get your attention on the street. It’s why I followed you down here. I wanted to warn you about them before you got into a fight with one.”
    That gave him pause. “You were following me?” And he didn’t know it?
    Impossible.
    “Yeah.”
    Jess frowned at that. “Why didn’t I sense you?”
    “Maybe the blonde distracted you.”
    It didn’t work that way. Never once had he failed to notice someone on his tail. Unless  … “What are you?”
    “Pardon?”
    Jess raked a look over him, trying to find something to confirm his suspicion. “You can’t be human, and I know you’re not a Daimon or Apollite.” Daimons, unless they partook of Clairol, were blond with lighter skin than Sin had. “You’re no longer a Dark-Hunter, so …”
    Sin gave a wicked half smile. “You’re right. I’m none of those.”
    “What, then? Are you a god?”
    Sin’s smile went full blown. “Remember, Ray, whenever someone asks you if you’re a god, the correct answer is always yes.”
    Jess snorted. “I saw that movie, and I think you misquoted it.”
    “The sentiment’s the same.”
    Which meant Sin wouldn’t answer. Fine. Jess wouldn’t press the issue. He more than understood wanting to keep some things to oneself.
    “Did you tell Ren about them?” Jess asked.
    “Yeah. I caught him when I came down, then I went for you.”
    Thank God for that. He glanced at the scorched stain on the pavement that was the only thing left of the Daimons. He met Sin’s gaze. “I appreciate the assist. And I have another question. Since I can’t throw flames out of my hands like you did a minute ago, how do I dispose of these new Daimons we’re fighting after I kill them?”
    “We haven’t worked out the kinks quite yet. But if you drop one, call me and I’ll send out a cleanup team.”
    Jess shook his head. “Damn, you really can get anything in Vegas.”
    Sin laughed. “You have no idea.”
    No, but Jess was beginning to.
    “Since you have so many of the enemy working in your casino  … Have you heard of a human working with Daimons to kill Dark-Hunters?”
    Sin’s eyes widened. “What?”
    That expression answered the question. “My Squire got word about it from the Oracles. I was just wondering if they might have misinterpreted whatever they got from the Powers That Be. I keep thinking if there was such a beast, Acheron would have called all of us with a warning.” As their unofficial leader, Acheron tended to watch out for them, and he had powers that defied belief and understanding.
    “Ash’s powers don’t necessarily work that way.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Think of it like having a fire hose turned on full blast,” Sin said. “The water flows so fast, it’s hard to control. He blocks his abilities unless he needs something, so that he doesn’t get overwhelmed by it.”
    Jess wasn’t so sure he believed Sin. Acheron was a walking contradiction who never spoke to anyone about himself. He couldn’t imagine Acheron having a heart-to-heart chat with Sin, never mind explaining to the ancient Sumerian how his powers worked. “How do you know this?”
    “Married to Artemis’s handmaiden, remember? She knows a lot about Ash.”
    Now, that he believed. Be hard for Acheron to keep secrets from the goddess they all served. Sin was right. If anyone knew some of those secrets, it was probably his wife.
    “So,” Sin continued with his explanation,