No Mercy (Dark-Hunter 18)

Chapter 8

Stryker stood over the smoldering remains of the Daimons who'd failed him. He really couldn't stand incompetence.

Zephyra beat a staccato rhythm on the arm of her chair with her long red nails as she watched him with an amused light in her eyes. "Feeling better, love?"

"Not really. Thinking I should reanimate them just so I can kill them again."

She wrinkled her nose in amusement. "I do so love you, bunny." Only she could get away with calling him that. Anyone else would be...

Another stain on the floor.

Stryker let out a frustrated breath. "Our little Huntress knows we're coming for her and that we have Aunt Artie's nets.... You know the problem with sending out morons who have no vested interest in accomplishing your goals?"

"They don't care," she answered. "But I would think breaking their eternal curse would make any Daimon have a vested interest in succeeding."

"You would think." He gestured to the steaming remains on the floor. "But obviously you're wrong. They were more concerned about who was cheating on whom than saving our race. Pathetic imbeciles."

Zephyra didn't comment on that. "Do you want me to go after her then?"

He would say yes, but to get Samia now would require they go into Sanctuary and drag the bitch out. That place was teeming with preternatural predators who enjoyed bloodletting as much as he did. He'd just gotten his wife back. He wasn't about to risk her to such a venture.

He would go himself, but that would violate a treaty he had in place....

Alliances sucked. One day he'd learn better than to make them.

"No. I think I have a better idea."

Zephyra stopped tapping her fingernails. "Which is?"

"Someone who wants the Huntress more than I do. He will bring her to us. Of that I have no doubt."

Stryker only hoped his messenger didn't dismember her first.

Sam fastened her jeans, then froze at a peculiar sound she hadn't heard in a long time.

A little girl giggling.

She turned fast to see the door open a quarter inch then slam shut. The giggling got louder.

What in the world?

Using her powers, she opened the door gently so as not to hurt her Peeping Tom. The girl stumbled into the room in a flurry of blond curls and bright blue eyes and dimples. Around four years old in human years and dressed in a cute pink dress with some cartoon character on it that Sam didn't know, she was absolutely beautiful.

"You weren't supposed to see me," she said in a whispered shout. "Uncle Dev said he'd have my entire tail section if I bothered you. I'm not bothering you, am I?"

Yes. The sight of her tore through Sam viciously. It made her ache for her own daughter and was strong enough to form a lump in her throat and to cause her eyes to water slightly. It was so harshly wrong how even after all these centuries her arms felt empty and itched to pick up and hold a baby close. To have one of those precious moments back when she used to bury her face in her daughter's curls and inhale that sweet baby scent...

I sold my soul for the wrong thing.

And that hurt most of all.

Sam offered the little girl a smile. "No, sweetie. You're not bothering me at all."

That thrilled the little girl as she slammed the door shut and ran into the room, closer to Sam. She grinned wide as she held her hands behind her back. "Uncle Dev said that when people touch you, you can tell things about them. Can you?"

"I can."

She jumped up and down in her excitement as she clapped her small hands. "That's so neat. I don't have my powers yet. I keep hoping they'll come in...along with my breasts, but so far nothing. How long did it take you to get big breasts?"

Sam hesitated before she answered a question that strangely made her laugh. "When I was about twelve."

"Hmmm, I wonder what that makes in Were-Hunter years? I can't ever keep that straight." She looked down at her flat chest. "Obviously I'm not there yet. At least that's what I hope. Otherwise I'll have to stuff my bra like my cousin does. Her breasts look really, really lumpy. Like oatmeal lumpy. But I think it's 'cause what she uses to stuff them with. Kara says toilet paper isn't as good as socks. It's really gross and it makes her papa really angry."

"Yessy! What are you doing in there?"

The little girl jumped as the door swung wider to show an older version of herself. It was like looking into a time warp to see Yessy around the age of twenty. Tall, slender, and yes, big boobed. Dressed in baggy jeans and a green pullover, the older girl was stunningly beautiful.

Yessy backed into the wall. "I'm not doing anything wrong, Josie. You're just being mean."

Josie let out a long-suffering breath as she met Sam's confused frown. "First thing this morning she tries to bake Remi's Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake in the oven 'cause she thinks that's what a Baked Alaska is, now she's defying orders and disturbing you. I am so sorry." She looked back at her sister. "I swear, Yessy, you're trying so hard not to live. I keep telling you, Papa eats the dumb ones."

Dev snorted as he came up behind her. "Well, that can't be true, Jo-Jo. You're still here."

She rolled her eyes at him in a way only someone close to Dev could do and live. "You have no idea how trying she is."

Dev scoffed. "Of course I do. I was here when you were her age."

Josie stiffened in indignation. "I never acted that way."

"No," he said in a dry, flat tone. "You never behaved like that ever. You were a perfect angel. Always. Why is there still a hole in the north stovepipe again?"

If looks could kill, Dev would be seriously wounded. "That was different. Alex was bothering me and he was the one who bought the firecrackers."

"Uh-huh. God help us and our customers when your dad decides you're old enough to wait tables. Now get out of here, both of you, before I feed you to Remi."

Josie grabbed Yessy's hand. "See, I told you they eat the dumb ones."

As Dev moved to shut the door, Yessy came running back in to hug Dev on the leg. "Love you, Uncle."

He pulled her up into his arms and gave her a tight hug and kiss on the cheek before he set her down again. "Love you too. Now you better run, muff, before Josie goes grizzly on you."

Yessy cocked her hip and held up two small fists in a fighting stance. "I can take her."

"Yessy!" Josie called from out in the hall.

Dropping her arms straight down her body, Yessy made a small O with her mouth before she darted out of the room.

Dev laughed as he closed the door behind her. He smiled at Sam. "Sorry about that. Didn't know Yessy had gotten off the chain. You gotta watch that one like a hawk. I swear she moves so fast she leaves a vapor trail most days."

Sam used to feel the same way about hers. God, to have one day back where she had to chase after Agaria...

She forced herself not to think about it. "She's adorable. Who does she belong to?"

"My brother Zar."

"And who's Alex?"

"Josie's older brother. Zar is a breeding machine. Don't ask. He's been turning out cubs for so long that we're dizzy from it. Luckily they're all cute enough that we tolerate most of their crap."