No Mercy (Dark-Hunter 18)

As they moved across the floor, Sam realized something. She was walking barefoot and not picking up anything from the floor.

How odd.

Her head was still completely quiet. Was it from Dev or something the Charonte did? She had no idea, but she was grateful for it. It was really nice to live as a normal human again.

Even for a few minutes. For that alone, it was worth being a Daimon magnet. But the madness did need to cease soon--she was tired of them popping in without an invitation.

Rude, insensitive bastards.

Xedrix took them to a small room halfway down the upstairs hall where there was a bed, a chest of drawers, and a small nightstand with an old-style electric lamp. One that was decorated in pinks and Victorian frills--very feminine and sweet--a complete dichotomy to the testy, overtly masculine demon.

Pausing in the door frame, Kerryna gestured toward the door over her shoulder. "Our room is just across the hall if you need anything."

Xedrix made a noise of protest, but Kerryna ignored him.

Sam tensed as she heard the sudden cry of a toddler wanting its mother coming from the room next to theirs.

Kerryna vanished immediately while Xedrix's look turned even more fierce. "Like I said, Bear, you bring war to my family and I will make sure it's the last mistake you make."

Dev held his hands up. "Peace, brother. I would never hurt anyone's family. You know that."

His features stern, Xedrix closed their door and vanished.

Sam pushed away the pain inside her as the toddler stopped crying. Bittersweet memories washed through her, making her wish again for one more second of time with her daughter. Gods, how aggravating those cries had seemed at the time, especially when Agaria had colic. Sam had feared she'd lose her mind as she dreamed of a time when she wouldn't hear that sound ever again.

Now she'd give anything to hear it one more time. To be able to carry her screaming infant and rock her through the night even with frazzled nerves and sleep deprivation.

If only she'd known at the time just how precious it was, she'd have savored every heartbeat and headache. Every messy diaper...

She flinched, wishing mistakes had a do-over. It was the cruelest act of Fate that there was no rewind at all.

And thinking of the past achieved nothing. So she made herself focus on the present and what was important now. "Kerryna's not a Charonte, is she?"

Dev shook his head as he made sure there was no window under the faux curtains that opened onto a brick wall. "No. The Charonte are Atlantean. Kerryna's a Sumerian dimme demon."

Now that was a combination you didn't find often and there had to be a story in how the two of them had met and ended up mated with a child. "How did she get to New Orleans?" It was a long way here from ancient Sumeria.

Dev turned to face her. "Like you, she was being chased by her enemies and wound up here. Actually that's an oversimplification. Kerryna and her sisters are fierce killing machines and they were cursed and bound."

Ah, now that didn't sound good. "Where are her sisters?"

"They're still trapped. She alone escaped."

"And she's okay with that?"

Dev laughed. "Yeah, freaky, huh? Apparently family togetherness wasn't her forte. I'm not sure what drew her to New Orleans, but once here, she met the Charonte and more to the point, Xedrix. Somehow they settled in and decided to protect her. Makes me glad I'm not a demon. 'Cause I don't want to know what kind of funky monkey stuff went down that they let her in...if you know what I mean and I know that you do."

Sam let out a "heh" at his semi-humorous words. "And her enemies? Are they still after her?"

"Probably, but only a fool would try to pull her out of a home filled with Charontes ready to lay down their lives for her."

That made the least amount of sense to her. "Where did they come from? Why are the Charonte here in the middle of the city?"

He laughed. "Mardi Gras, baby. Mardi Gras. Time when all manner of weird shit cuts loose and parties down."

"Dev..."

He sobered before he gave her the real answer. "A few years back, one of the gods opened the portal between their realm and this one, wanting to unleash destruction on the world. They escaped and Acheron sealed it, then allowed them to stay. They've been living here happily ever since."

"Even though they were going to destroy us?"

"Well, not them per se. Their mistress was. They were just following orders and now that they're here, they obey Acheron, who set up the rules they have to follow--such as no eating humans--or he'll send them back to their realm. They've been here for a while so the arrangement seems to be working." He gave her a cute grin.

Shaking her head, Sam was still trying to get a handle on all of this. "And how do you know them?"

"They tried to eat my kid brother, Kyle, who talked them out of it. He showed them how to start a club and function in the human world as normal citizens--the hanging from the ceiling thing notwithstanding. They've been friendly with us ever since...at least most of the time."

Sam sighed. "This town is so strange."

Dev laughed as he pulled her to him. "Yes, but...there's no place else quite as exciting."

True. Very true.

He traced the line of her lips with his finger. "We've got to find out what the Daimons want from you."

"Well, we both know it's not world peace."

"Definitely not." Dev traced the line from her mouth up to the corner of her eyes. "Are you aware of the fact that your eyes are green?"

Sam gasped. "What?"

"Your eyes are green."

She pulled away from him to run to the mirror. Sure enough he was right. No wonder she'd been unable to pull anything from the floor. She had no Dark-Hunter powers left. The very fact that she could see herself in the mirror was testament to that. To help them retain their stealth while they hunted, no Dark-Hunter could cast a reflection unless they used their powers to do it.

And right now, she was human. At least temporarily. "Is that why you pulled me from the fight?"

He nodded.

Because he knew the one truth she did. In this form, she could be killed.

Ethon Stark had cut his teeth on battle. It was what had succored him as a human being. As a Dark-Hunter, that need for blood always simmered just below his surface. Nothing gave him more pleasure than stomping his enemies into the ground and watching them bleed all over his expensive shoes. It was what the warrior in him lived for.

All it lived for.

His friends were counted on the fingers of one hand and right now one of them was in serious trouble.

Sam.

She hated him, he knew that. But he didn't blame her. He was a monster and she'd glimpsed the darkness that lived inside him. The darkness that made him insane on his best day.

Even so, he still counted her as a friend. He always would no matter what her feelings might be for him. So he would give his life to keep her safe--even if it meant eternal damnation and an existence so foul that he would spend the rest of time screaming in utter misery.

She was worth that to him.

With that thought foremost in his mind, he teleported from Sanctuary to Nick's house on Bourbon Street. It was a power he didn't use often since he didn't like for anyone to know what he was capable of. Knowledge was power and the less anyone knew about his powers, the fewer people he'd have to kill to keep his secrets.

He materialized at the foot of a hand-carved staircase. "Nick!" he shouted, stalking up the stairs and through the house in search of the one who'd betrayed them and jeopardized Samia's life.

No one answered.

"Nick!"

Again it was silent.

Closing his eyes, Ethon used his powers to crawl through the house.

There wasn't anyone here.

Nick must still be with the Daimons, plotting who knew what against them. Rage over that ripped through him as it opened wounds that Ethon struggled every day to keep closed.

"Fine, you little bastard. You better stay in hiding."

Sooner or later, Nick would be back and Ethon would kill him.

Dev stared down as Sam finally slept. Even though she was tall and a fierce fighter, something about her looked incredibly vulnerable while she slept.

Why am I so attracted to you?