When I thought about the shade, I thought about the poor man that had crumpled to the ground with a broken jaw. I knew that, once possessed, there was no saving the mortal, but knowing that didn’t make it any easier to really deal with. That was another life lost, and for what? Did the man even know what happened to him? Would his family be looking for him?

I sighed, rubbing my fingers along my right brow. The dull pounding of a headache was back again after being gone the last couple of days. It was weird. I was a demigod, so I figured headaches shouldn’t plague me. The only thing I could think of was that maybe it was tied to my lack of sleep.

We followed Gable into a beautiful kitchen, complete with Shaker-style white cabinets, marble counters, and a gorgeous gray backsplash. The island could seat six, and the eat-in kitchen featured a table nearly as big as the one we’d passed in the formal dining area.

“Is anyone hungry?” Gable walked around the island.

“We’re always hungry,” Deacon replied. “Always.”

Gable smiled at that as he turned to the double-door fridge. “I think I have some frozen pizza I can pop in the oven.” He paused, glancing over his shoulder at us. “Or we can order out.”

“I don’t think that would be wise,” Aiden replied, leaning against the island. “Frozen pizza is cool.”

Gable hesitated and then nodded. “Cool.” He pulled out two frozen pizzas, turned on the double oven, and then faced us. “I can show you guys around if you want.”

“Yes.” Solos appeared in the kitchen doorway. “I want to check the place out.”

I glanced at Seth, but he was watching Gable like a hawk. All of us shuffled back out into the atrium. The tour was surprisingly quick. A movie room was behind the staircase, like a real movie room, complete with a projector and a popcorn machine. Adjacent to the theatre was a billiards room. Aiden lingered at the pool tables. I found that funny, because I really couldn’t picture him playing pool. The dartboards had caught Deacon’s eye. Alex was checking out an arcade game. Looked like it involved shooting asteroids or something. The wall sported a TV as big as the one in the living room. We’d briefly lost Hercules outside by the lit pool. Upstairs there were more than enough bedrooms for everyone. I stopped counting at six. The strategically placed cameras throughout the house impressed Solos and Aiden.

Rich people took security seriously.

Seth and I ended up in a guest bedroom that looked to have been decorated by a professional designer. It was a tranquil mix of pale blue and white. Reminded me of the photos in Good Housekeeping. Granny was a huge fan of that magazine.