“Save it, Hannah.Use this to our advantage.If he thinks you’re his, you can easily get what we want.If Rogan is behind those murders, I want him to pay.”
“Fine.Fine.And what am I supposed to do about the demons on his payroll?And about the fact that he may have set me up?”
“Demons are difficult to identify,” Dad says.“They’re masters of illusion.They can make you think they’re human, vampire, lycan, ghost.If Rogan is in league with demons—”
“What do you meanif?You just said he’s got some on the payroll.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s in league with them.Rogan owns a hotel and casino and runs a multi-million dollar enterprise.”
“Uh…still not explaining why he has them on the payroll.”
“A lot of businessmen employ demons, Hannah.”
“Why, exactly?”
“Security.They’re great at it.”
I lift my eyebrows.“Aren’t they inherently evil?”
“Of course, but they can control that if they’re disciplined enough.Demons have incredible internal strength.”
“Really?You’re praising demons?”
“I’m simply stating fact, Hannah.Demons have a wide range of abilities.”
“So why does it matter, then, if Rogan has demons on his payroll?”
“It matterswhichdemons are on his payroll.You’ll need to identify them.”
“And exactly how do I do that?You just said they’re hard to identify.”
“They are.They have no natural scent and the ability to create illusion.But you have one thing that they don’t.”
I roll my eyes at myself in the bathroom mirror.“And that is…?”
“Your human side, Hannah.Most humans have the internal fortitude to fend off the evil of demons.”
“They do?”
“Of course they do.Otherwise there’d be a lot of possessed people walking around, and there aren’t.”
“Maybe there are and we don’t know it.”
He laughs.Laughs!I’m getting even more ticked off.
“We’d know it.And believe me, there are plenty.Mostly in Washington D.C.But statistically it’s an insignificant number.Find a way to use your strengths as a vampire and your strengths as a human, and you’ll be able to identify the demons.”
“If you can’t, how can I?”
“I don’t have a human side.”
“But you’re the vampire king!”
He laughs again, this time even more uproariously.“You’re damned right about that, daughter.Now find the demons.Find out why they’re on the payroll.I have a hunch they’ll lead you to the information you’re looking for.”
“Fine,” I huff.“Is that all?”
“For now.Get back to business.”