Blood Debts (The Temple Chronicles Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

unconcerned as I studied the gang of swords. They were professional. Not a single wrist quivered, and eyes of cold, merciless justice met mine. They were pros. And they each wielded Crusade Era swords. The creature I had sucker-punched strode back into the bar a minute later, shaking off dust and debris from his trench coat, his face a thunderhead. For the amount of force I had dished out, he looked perfectly… unaffected. “Did you need some fresh air?” I sneered.
    He halted before me and his gang lowered their weapons. “Do you have any inkling of what you just did, and who you did it to?”
    “Man, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that line.” I muttered.
    “Don’t be coy, wizard. You just struck an Agent of Heaven. I have every right to carve out your eyes.”
    “But then that would make me the holy one, and I was under the impression that was your shtick.”
    The man scowled at me with disgust, not amused by my blasphemy. I could take any number of insults, but disgust ? That was just… confusing. Who had the balls to feel disgust to wizards? I mean, we were some pretty heavy hitters on the block of the supernatural community.
    He stared me dead in the eye as I somehow managed to formulate a parting threat in retaliation to his disgusted look. “Words have consequences. You should be careful how you speak to one such as me.”
    He met my gaze, shaking his head with arrogant disdain. “One such as you…” he mimicked in amusement as if at a child. My anger was only growing stronger at the lack of respect he was showing my kind. He didn’t acknowledge my threat, but sniffed the air curiously. “You stink like Demons. This whole town does.” He leaned closer, taking in a big whiff of all the glory that is my aroma. “Especially you.” He added. His mob of thugs inched closer as if to protect him, despite the fact that I had just laid him out with my best punch, and he had merely shrugged it off.
    I blinked at the change of topic, uncomfortable with a strange man smelling me so deliberately. “Do dragons count as Demons?” I asked, feeling the weight of the new bracelet against my forearm. The bracelet that held the late Dragon Lord’s teeth.
    The stranger cocked his head. “It’s not your trophy. It’s you . Have you been consorting with Demons in your search for the murderer?” He accused, somehow seeming to gain a few inches of both height and width. His thugs grew tense, swords slowly rising again, ready to stab on command.
    “No.” I answered honestly, too surprised to take offense. “Listen, you probably shouldn’t hulk out here. Achilles wouldn’t like it. He’s territorial like that.” My mouth wouldn’t stay closed.
    He grunted, slowly returning back to his normal size. “It would behoove you to wash the smell away, lest it offend your betters. We believe that your parents’ murder was directly caused by Demons, which you stink of. We have people on the case, but these people,” he smiled proudly, holding out a hand to his gang of backup dancers, “are the kind to stab and exorcise first, saving questions for later. We wouldn’t want any damage of the… collateral nature now, would we?”
    “Okay. If you want me out of it, that’s fine. But I demand progress reports.”
    The man blinked. “Only One commands us, and you are not H -”
    “Daily.” I continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “Yes. Daily progress reports should suffice.”
    The man actually let out a stutter of disbelief, then a momentous silence. I managed to control the urge to fidget. Barely. Then he finally spoke. “I would be cautious if I were you, mortal. Everyone has limits. Everyone should know their place in the world.”
    “Hmm. I’ll take that as a No on the progress reports then. If that’s the case, I will not drop my investigation.” I leaned forward. “I need answers to this. There is more at stake than my grief. Although that is reason enough.” I leaned back into the bar, reaching