"Did you make him do this, or was it really his choice?" she asked at last.
"It is as it should be." Xander's eyes glinted as he gazed down at Jonny. "Your pity is a weakness."
"I mourn the loss of what made him human," she returned. "I know you can't understand that."
"He was never human to begin with." His gaze shifted to her.
"You don't have to be a human to have a human trait," she said and looked up at him.
"Interesting. Human or vamp, he had a choice. All of them do."
"So do I. I choose to kill those that hurt others. Creatures like you, whose hearts I would cut out with my nails if I had nothing else."
"I look forward to it." The slow smile, the one that made her shiver, spread across his face.
"Anytime, shithead," she said. "You got twenty-five days left."
"You'll start to feel your world shrinking soon, Guardian. I disabled your beacon and removed your weapons from your room. I'll be watching the wolves circle you."
"I'm not afraid of you, Xander."
"I'd be disappointed if you were." He turned and walked away.
Jenn watched him go. The creature walking away from her wanted something, and she couldn't figure out what. He could have her killed or sent her away at his wish, but he didn't. Her eyes returned to Jonny, who was lapping up what was left of the dead woman's blood.
Hardening, Jenn turned away and retreated through the forest and rocks to the compound. As she hopped the short distance from rocks to the ground leading up to the compound, she caught the silhouettes of two men against the cloudy sky. One was plainly Xander by his size, and the profile of the second was familiar to her. He glowed with a different sort of power. For a moment, she wondered if Darian had followed her here, too, like he did everywhere else.
She crept near enough to make out the second man's features and was surprised to see the White God's commander of the Eastern Hemisphere, Jule. Half a head shorter than Xander, Jule was speaking quietly to the vamp, whose arms were crossed and head tilted in consideration.
"Jenn?"
She turned at Jonny's voice. The Black God absorbed the darkness around him, glowing eerily. He smelled of fresh blood.
"Hi, Jonny," she said softly. "Trouble sleeping?"