No Mercy (Dark-Hunter 18)

She traced the image on her palm that marked her as a bear's mate. She should be horrified by what had happened, yet it somehow seemed right. In a weird way she felt like Ioel was happy about it too.

But if she went ahead with this, there would be a major problem. She didn't want to be human again. Ever. There was no need. To be human wouldn't get rid of her powers. They would remain, but she would be mortal.

She would die.

Yes, she could have children, but that was the only benefit. And having died while pregnant...

She never wanted to be that vulnerable again. And if she didn't have children, she'd be robbing Dev of that pleasure.

You could always adopt.

Could she? She would still be a Dark-Hunter who owed her service to Artemis. Would the goddess understand or would she demand Sam's head for this?

The entire thing was giving her a migraine as she tried to unscramble the mess.

She jumped in startled alarm as her phone started ringing. It was from Dev. Smiling, she opened the phone and answered it. "Yes?"

"In the heart and in the soul,

"Evil takes it's wicked toll.

"When moonlight shines like flowing blood,

"Over the earth the demons will flood."

Her blood ran cold as someone in a demonic voice whispered over her phone. "Who is this?" she demanded.

"Someone who misses you. Isn't that right, Bear?"

"Don't come near me, Sam. Don't--" Dev's words broke off into a sharp growl that sounded like he wanted to go for someone's throat.

"If you want to see your mate again, leave the house right now, tell no one, and go down the street to Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar and I'll be waiting for you outside."

"How will I know it's you?"

"You'll know, Dark-Hunter. And you better come alone. Dev's life depends on it." The demon hung up.

Fury and fear mixed inside Sam and it made her want to kill something. But worse, it brought out her nightmares and shredded her confidence.

How had they captured Dev? How had they known to go after him?

I jeopardize everyone I love...

Tears gathered in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She would not cry. She would not go down without a ferocious battle.

And right now, she wanted blood from Thorn and Nick. Had they known he'd be captured? Was that what they'd been trying to tell her?

Would Dev have been all right had she stayed with him instead of listening to them? They'd promised her that she was getting him out of the line of fire and instead, she'd handed him over to her enemies.

This isn't your fault.

Dev's a big boy.

Yeah and Ioel had been one too.

Right up to the moment they'd killed him.

Her heart hammering, she dressed in her warrior's garb and had to sneak out of the house without Nick seeing her. It was just after dark as she crept down Bourbon Street toward the corner where it intersected with St. Philip's. There was already a nice crowd there. Friends and couples drinking and laughing.

How she wished she could be so carefree.

Sam looked around for her contact, but all she saw were humans. Tons of humans which would make for a lot of collateral damage in a fight. And right now, all their residual emotions and thoughts were playing havoc in her mind.

She stopped on the corner, scanning the people at the tables while she debated what to do.

A dark shadow fell over her. "Keep walking, Huntress."

Her blood ran cold as she turned to see the lethal killing machine.

It was Stryker.

She wasn't about to let him know how he affected her. Putting up her guard, she sneered at him. "So you came yourself."

"I'm not here to talk." He jerked his chin to her right. "You go through my bolt hole or I'll feed your mate to a mob of hungry Daimons who would kill to dismember a Were-Hunter. Literally."

She lacked all appreciation for a joke he was proud of. And she had to force herself not to attack him. "Do I have your word that you'll release him if I obey you?"

"Would you accept my word?"

That was a tough call. How could someone trust evil incarnate? And yet Stryker was an ancient warrior--like her.

Sam flinched as that thought triggered her powers. She saw Stryker in a home she'd never seen before. He was with another Dark-Hunter....

Ravyn Kontis.

Stryker had him and his woman trapped and outnumbered.

"Do we kill him, my lord?" one of the Daimons asked.

Stryker cocked his head as if considering it. "Not today, Davyn. Today, we show a bit of mercy to our worthy opponent. After all, he taught me that you don't trust the human cattle. Only other immortals understand the rules of war."

And in another flash, she saw Stryker battling with Nick and Acheron....

For them against a common enemy to save everyone.

Even though Stryker was her enemy and didn't shirk to commit heinous kills on innocent people, he was strangely a man of honor and he followed a very screwed up code.

Once he gave his oath, he would abide by it.

Even so, it was hard to utter the words she knew he wanted to hear. "I'll trust you, Daimon."

Stryker inclined his head to her. "Then yes. I will release both of you once this is over...if you obey."

Sam knew from her powers that she could trust him. But that was easier said than done. Not to mention one small fact, he was the one holding Dev.

So while her common sense screamed at her to run, she did what he said and stepped into the bolt hole. The force of the vortex ripped at her skin and clothes. It was painful and terrifying as she spun and fell without anything to give her any sort of orientation.

I'm going to be sick.

No wonder the Daimons were always in such a foul mood when she ran across them. If she had to travel like this, she'd be grouchy too.

She finally fell out of the vortex and slammed into the ground where she landed unceremoniously as a lump on a cold, black marble floor. She hit it so hard, it knocked all the wind out of her. Groaning out loud, she looked around to find herself in the hall she'd seen through the slug demon's eyes. Dozens of Daimons were there, along with Zephyra. All of them eye balled her like the top sirloin on a hamburger buffet.