They spent the next couple of days searching the college grounds. Nora ghosted around and couldn't sense it. She was getting frustrated and wanted this over with. She had a bad feeling about this whole thing and nothing made sense.

"It was here, Ryker, but it is gone. I can smell it but it's gone." Nora said. She was worried. "It feels like it was...watching."

"How can you tell that?" Poppy asked.

"I can tell it stayed in one spot. It didn't hunt, it watched. I'm worried, Soren." Nora said. She wasn't leaving his side. He slept in her bed with her both nights they were hunting, even though Nora didn't need the sleep.

Poppy pulled Ryker aside. "Can I ask a favor?"

"Sure. Maybe. Depends on what it is." Ryker was skeptical and didn't like doing favors for anyone.

"Can I stay in your hotel room? I don't want to be in the way." Poppy was trying to be tactful.

"You mean you don't want to watch the lovebirds having sex." Ryker wasn't tactful.

Poppy blushed. "Right. That is what I mean. I won't be in the way. I just need a place to stay."

"How do you know I don't have a couple of women of my own?" Ryker challenged.

"Something tells me I'm safe." Poppy teased. Ryker liked her.

"Ouch. That hurt, Poppy." Ryker smiled when she laughed. "Sure. I can't put you through that torture. You're a newbie. I don't want to scare you away before we get to hunt."

Poppy was nervous about staying in a room with Ryker but he was a complete gentlemen. She followed him into the room. It was small but sufficient. It had two twin beds. It was plenty of room for her.

"That is my bed." Ryker pointed at the bed on the left. "We can share if you want." He smiled.

Poppy laughed. "You couldn't handle me."

Ryker chuckled. "Probably right. So, the bathroom is there. Make yourself at home." He wondered what she did in her spare time.

"So.." Poppy plopped on her bed. "What do you do for fun?" She had to ask.

Ryker chuckled and looked embarrassed.

"What?" She thought it was an innocent question.

"Uh, I read." Ryker looked down.

"You read?"

"Yes." Ryker walked to his little side table and pulled out a book. It was a romance novel.

"Really! I love romance novels. I think I have read that one. Let me see it." She smiled at him. She was surprised that he read them. He handed it to her and watched her read the back. "I have. I remember this one. It's really good. Juicy!" She smiled.

"So far it is." Ryker smiled and took the book. "So, what do you do for fun?"

"Uh, I don't...really. I, uh....nothing really. I don't know when I had fun. I dated a guy last year that was serious and I haven't done anything since."

"Oh, not seeing anyone right now?" Ryker looked down. "I just mean..."

Poppy blushed. "No. Not right now. I don't want to. I don't want a serious relationship. I never want kids and marriage like everyone else does. I don't want to be attached and owned by some guy. I don't need some ass to tell me what to do and control me. I don't want another dad!" She took a breath. "Sorry, I got carried away."

"Well, I understand that. I don't want a wife because I have a fear that she will make me quit my job. I love being free to go and hunt. I don't have to check in with anyone or listen to her complain that I work too much or how my job is too dangerous. I don't want to be controlled either. I will probably be alone for the rest of my life." He sighed.

"Me too." Poppy smiled. "I'm okay with that. I have romance novels."

"Right!" Ryker smiled. "Maybe we can trade when we find good ones. I can mail them to you."

"I would love that. Oh, I just finished a series set in Ireland. It was hot!" Poppy smiled. "It got me through my break up."

"Send it to me. I have a P.O. Box, I can get you the address." Ryker put his book back.

Poppy smiled. "I didn't really expect to have that much in common with you, Ryker."

"Me either. I figured you would annoy me for the next two days. This may be fun. We can read our books together." Ryker cleared his throat. "So, I need a shower, I take a long one if you need in the bathroom, now is the time. It drives Soren crazy. He is in and out. I take like forty-five minutes."

"I can respect that. I usually take long baths like that. I love a long hot bath. Sometimes I take my book." Poppy smiled again. She blushed and wasn't sure why.

"Hadn't thought of a bath and a book. Might be longer than. There is no bath here though. Just a shower." Ryker got a picture of taking a bath with Poppy. He was a little turned on. He needed to make that shower colder.

"Mind if I shower first then?" Poppy opened her bag and pulled out a shirt and fresh underwear. It's what she always wore to bed and that wasn't changing.

"Be my guest." Ryker waved a hand and walked to the kitchenette. He hunted for a beer while he heard the bathroom door close. He was trying not to picture Poppy in the shower.

He drank the first beer in the kitchen and grabbed a second and gathered his clothes. He heard the shower stop and was trying not to picture Poppy drying off.

Poppy opened the door and walked out of the bathroom and Ryker held his beer bottle tighter. He tried not to notice her nice legs and pale skin. She was gorgeous and all wet. He grabbed his clothes and rushed to the shower with his beer.

Ryker and Poppy walked around campus for the day while Soren and Nora hunted for the demon. Nora loved walking around with him because they got to talk. She enjoyed the day.

They were hoping to draw it out. They failed and had to come up with a plan. There was a lot they still needed to demon out.

Everyone was frustrated. They quit for the day. Ryker drove Poppy to the hotel and ordered some room service.

Poppy was enjoying her veggie burger. "So, what do you do besides read and hunt scary things?"

"I whore around. That's what Soren calls it." He smiled.

"Come on. I know there has to be something else to you. Maybe not." Poppy looked at him.

Ryker smiled. "Nope. Just whore around and hunt." He smiled. He kind of wanted to see if she knew him. She said she was a fan.

"I read somewhere that you flip houses?" Poppy glared at him.

Ryker smiled. "If you already knew then why did you ask?"

Poppy sighed. "I wanted to pretend that I didn't know anything about you but you had to be a jerk. So you flip houses?"

"Oh. Most women don't want to really talk, they just want me for my body! You're different." Ryker smiled at Poppy and winked. "So, what do you do?'

"Nothing like that? I love to garden. I have a greenhouse at home. It pretty substantial. I kind of wanted to get into botany. I love plants." Poppy looked at her food and took a bite.

Ryker took a bite from his hamburger. "Does it bother you that I eat meat?" He was curious.

"No." Poppy didn't even think about it. "Does it bother you that I don't?"

Ryker smiled a devilish smile. "Yes!"

Poppy glared at him and took a bigger bite of her veggie burger. Ryker smiled. He just fell in love. He was keeping that to himself though. Poppy smiled at him and took another bite and laughed with Ryker.

Poppy thought it was the perfect night. They finished their food and read their romance novels until they fell asleep. Poppy thought it was perfect even though they didn't talk. Ryker couldn't believe that he spent a night in a hotel room with a woman and just read a book. It was a great night that he wanted to do again.

The group met at the hotel room after breakfast. It may be safer to talk there.

"We have nothing!" Hyde stated the obvious as he locked the door.

"We know that." Ryker agreed. They indeed had nothing.

Nora had been everywhere and was pretty sure that it was gone. It worried her that the demon was watching. "I just have more questions. Who was it watching? College kids or the brothers? Our group? Did it know you guys had help?" Nora didn't know the answers. "Or just Soren?"

"Why single me out?" Soren had to ask.

"Because when we fought it last time, it said you were special, stronger. It said it would be stronger when it ate you. I heard it." Nora knew what it said. Soren had ignored it.

"He said powerful. He used the word invincible." Ryker agreed.

"Well, I think we need to start with what we know." Soren started. "That just opens up more questions that we don't have. Let's deal with this first. Okay?"

"The Abraxas charm or spell. Right. We know Hyde's parents are using it." Nora smiled at Soren.

"Do you guys practice doing that in your spare time?" Hyde asked.

Nora laughed. "No, why?"

"Just figured that you did it to annoy me." Hyde smiled.

Ryker put his arm around Poppy. "It annoys all of us!" Poppy just laughed. She liked having Ryker's arm around her. She wanted to lean in but resisted.

"I think we need to have a talk with your mom and dad, Hyde." Soren said and looked at Hyde waiting for a reaction.

"Me too. I'm driving!" Hyde was already at the door. Soren pulled Hyde back.

"No, we take our car. I'm driving." Soren smiled.

"I'm driving." Ryker demanded.

"Oh, right now?" Poppy asked as Ryker was dragging her to the door. Guess she was going too.

Soren and Ryker were giving everyone a crash course on demons on the way. They had six hours.

"Do you remember the difference between a demon and a spirit?" Soren asked Nora. He was holding her hand the whole way.

Nora rolled her eyes. "Yes. Spirit is a clear entity. The essence of a person and they can't be killed because they are dead already. A demon is a being. They can be touched and killed. Basically." Nora stated.

"Good." Soren was thrilled that this didn't freak Nora out. "I just realized that I have never hunted with a woman before."

"Oh, well, I'm not a woman." Nora smiled.

"You are more than a woman. You are my woman. My phantom." Soren almost melted.

"Pay attention!" Ryker glared at his brother. "Hunting right now!"

"Oh, is that what we are doing? I was confused, sorry." Soren hated being interrupted by Ryker and he loved flirting with Nora. He never enjoyed a woman's company so much. He heard Poppy laugh. They had to make a plan on the way.

Thanks very much for reading and please don't forget to vote! ;)