Night Play (Dark-Hunter 5)

Determined to try, he stopped in front of a small store on Royal Street. It was a doll shop, of all things. He didn't really know why he was here except one of the dolls in the window reminded him of the one Bride had in a box by her TV. "Well, don't just stand outside, young man, come on in."

A tiny old woman stood in the doorway. Her hair was gray, but her eyes were sharp and intelligent.

"It's okay, I was just looking," Vane said.

And then he caught a scent of something strange. A fissure of power in the air that was even stronger than that of a Were-Hunter.

Acheron?

The old woman smiled at him. "Come inside, wolf. There's someone I think you want to talk to."

She held the door open as he entered the small, dark shop, lined with shelves and cases of custom-made dolls. Without a word, she led him behind the counter and through a set of heavy burgundy curtains.

Vane drew up short as he saw the strangest sight of his entire four hundred years of life. The mighty Dark-Hunter Acheron Parthenopaeus sat on the floor of the back room with his legs crossed as he played dolls with his demon companion and a human infant.

Vane couldn't move as he watched the infant girl sitting on Ash's bent, leather-clad knee while the Dark-Hunter held her there with one large hand on her belly. Dressed in a frilly pink pinafore and black Mary Janes, she was beautiful, with short, dark auburn curls and a plump, angelic face.

Ash held a male doll in his right hand while the little girl chewed on the head of a red-haired Barbie that looked strangely like the Greek goddess Artemis, who had created and ruled the Dark-Hunters. The demon sat in front of them holding a blond doll. The demon herself had black hair with a red stripe in it that matched Ash's hair perfectly.

"See, I knew baby Marissa was quality people," the demon said to Ash.

"Look how she eating the head off the redheaded Artemis doll. Simi needs to teach her to belch fire, then introduce her to the real heifer-goddess herself."

Ash laughed. "I don't think so, Sim. Marissa isn't quite ready for that, are you, sweetie?"

The little girl reached up and placed a wet hand to Ash's chin as she laughed at him. Ash playfully nipped at her hand while the demon took his doll and made it dance with hers.

"I think my doll needs a pair of horneys, akri," the demon said to Ash. "You think Liza will make me a demon doll like me?"

Horns appeared instantly on the doll's head, along with red and black hair. The demon squealed in delight. "Oh, thank you, akri. It's a Simi doll!"

Cocking her head, the demon looked at the little girl in Ash's lap. "You know, Marissa is a cutie baby, but she be even prettier with horneys too."

"No, Sim, I don't think Amanda or Kyrian would appreciate getting their daughter back with a pair of horns on her head."

"Yeah, but she look so so deprived without them. I could make them really pretty. Maybe pink to go with her dress?"

"That's okay, Simi."

The demon pouted. "Oh pooh, you no fun, akri" She held up the male doll.

"See this, Marissa? Okay, now here's what happens when he make Barbie mad.

She gets her barbecue sauce and she eats him."

Ash quickly took the doll from Simi's hand before she could place it in her open mouth. "No, no, Simi. You're allergic to rubber."

"I am?"

"Don't you remember how sick you got when you ate those tires off the truck that made you mad?"

The demon looked really disappointed. "Oh. Is that what made me ill? I thought it was because the heifer-goddess was there."

Ash placed a quick kiss to the top of the baby's head, then handed her to Simi. "Watch Marissa for a few minutes and don't eat her or let her eat anything."

"No worry, akri. I would never eat baby Marissa. I know how much you would miss her if I did."

Ash gave the demon an affectionate hug before he got up and sauntered over to Vane. Tall and lean, Ash was the epitome of a young man in the prime of his life. There weren't many people taller than Vane, but Ash was one of them.

And it wasn't just his height that was intimidating. There was something primal and powerful about the Dark-Hunter. Something that even the animal in Vane feared.

Even so, they had known each other for centuries. In fact, Ash had been the one who had helped Vane to find his mother. To this day, Vane wasn't sure why the Dark-Hunter had helped him.

But then, no one understood Acheron Parthenopaeus.

"You know, it's not nice to spy on people, wolf."

Vane snorted at that. "As if anyone could ever spy on you." He looked back at the demon and little girl. "I never pegged you for a babysitter."

Ash glanced down at Vane's hand, then met him with a level gaze. There was something extremely disconcerting about Ash's liquid silver eyes that swirled with mystical power and ancient knowledge. "I never pegged you for a coward."

Anger sizzled through Vane at the insult. He lunged at Ash, only to have the Atlantean spin out of his reach.