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about it. And when he explained the past to you, it was actually interesting, especially since you knew he’d lived through it and was speaking from personal experience.
    “And one day, kid, that sense of humor of yours is going to get you eaten by something foul.”
    “So they keep telling me.”
    With an expression that said he was less than amused, Ash ran his thumb along the edge of his lips. “The best book I know is bound in human flesh and written in blood. Not sure you’d want it if I gave it to you, and even then, it’s written in cuneiform.”
    “Cune-wha…?”
    “Exactly my point, Nick.… Cuneiform. Ancient Sumerian. Not exactly something they teach in high school these days.”
    That figured. Nick scowled at him. “What good is it, then?”
    “A lot. It’s the definitive book on all subspecies of Eurasian and African demonkyn. There’s not a breed on those continents that isn’t well documented, right down to how to trap and kill them. But it has nothing about American, Australian, or Antarctican demons.”
    That last one floored him. Was Ash serious or joking again? “They have demons on Antarctica?”
    “Yeah,” Ash breathed. “It wasn’t always covered by ice, that was just a precaution when they buried them. Not to mention, there are a few sunken small continents around it, such as Mu, Asmayda, Lumeria, Vlaanderen, and the aptly named Satanazes, which translates to the Isle of Demons. There’s a really good reason no human wants to live on the South Pole. And why many have never returned from their trips there.”
    Nick narrowed his gaze at Acheron. “You’re screwing with me, aren’t you?”
    “No. There’s a lot of human history that wasn’t written down. Sometimes for good reasons, and there are tons of things the powers-that-be don’t want humanity to remember or rediscover. And even what’s written isn’t always right. People skew things all the time to make themselves look better.”
    “Such as?”
    “Well, if you ask the god Apollo what happened to Atlantis, he’ll tell you he sank it. Plato, on the other hand, blames the sinking on Poseidon. The Keetoowah say it was a blond-haired demon who annihilated it.”
    “And the truth?” Nick asked.
    Acheron shrugged. “Don’t know. I was temporarily dead when my home was sucked into the ocean. I keep watching the History Channel hoping for enlightenment, but so far … nada.”
    Nick laughed at his dry tone. “You’re lying to me.”
    Acheron arched a brow. “What makes you think that?”
    “I don’t know. It’s a feeling I have that tells me you know exactly what happened to your homeland, but that you don’t want to share.”
    Acheron’s stance and expression gave nothing away. Man, to have those evil poker face powers. “What can I say? I have a long history of not playing well with others.”
    Knowing Acheron was even less likely to share than Caleb, Nick changed the subject. “So how many classifications of demon are there, anyway?”
    “Thousands. Every culture has its own group.”
    “You can’t be more specific?”
    Ash shrugged. “If I thought about it, but really? Who cares?”
    “I do. So what’s the exact number?”
    “Nine thousand, two hundred and twelve subcategories.”
    Now that was a lot, and Nick was one of them. No, Nick was the king of them, or would be one day.
    But Acheron didn’t know that. And Nick wasn’t about to enlighten him. Especially since Acheron made a habit out of killing one particular demon class of beings.
    Still, it was impressive that Acheron could pull the exact number out of the ether. His powers really were terrifying. “Do you know them all?”
    “Not personally. Contrary to what you think, not all preternatural beings hang out at the local Supernatural Pub looking for humans and dates.”
    Nick let out an irritated breath. “That wasn’t what I meant. Do you know all the different kinds?”
    “Yes, and we’ve talked about this before. Would you like the