Sherrilyn Kenyon: No Mercy

Chi joined her laughter. “True, very true.”

Sam narrowed her eyes as she noticed the shiny silver sticks at the top of Chi’s braid. Reaching out, she touched one with her gloved fingertip. True to her intuition, it was sharp as a talon as it snagged the leather on her glove. “Nice weapon disguise.”

Chi took a sip of her own drink. “You have to be creative these days. Humans are more suspicious than ever. If you want, I can give you a set.”

“Love to have them. But I should probably pass.” Wearing them on her body could be a major hassle since she’d pick up on the emotions of whoever had created them. It was why everything she wore, drove, or used had to be created by Acheron specifically for her—untouched by the hands of another creature. Thank the gods their fearless leader had the powers he did. Otherwise she’d be completely screwed. It was why she didn’t like food. Beverages weren’t so bad since most of them were done by machines.

Meat for her was out of the question. Gods, how she missed eating steak….

Pushing that thought away, Sam took another swig of beer as she considered what Chi had told her about her latest assignment. “So how many of us have been relocated to New Orleans now?”

“Last I heard, Acheron has eight of the Dogs here.”

The number was impressive. “Eight? Isn’t that overkill?”

Chi shrugged. “I guess the Atlantean is expecting something big to happen.” They’d all been sent here to guard one man in particular. Nick Gautier. That was the extent of what they knew.

Nick had to live even if it meant they had to die.

“But of course Acheron isn’t telling anyone what that is.” There was more venom in Sam’s voice than she’d intended. All things considered, she loved Acheron. She just wished he’d be a little more open with all of them.

Chi held her bottle up in silent salute. “Exactly.”

Typical Acheron. He lived for secrets and it made Sam wonder what exactly was up in the preternatural realm that the Atlantean would risk bringing in so many of the Dogs of War at one time. They weren’t exactly friendly and most of them were highly territorial. The last time there had been two Dogs in one city, they’d almost destroyed it.

And contrary to the online rumors, it hadn’t been her and Ethon going at it.

Chi narrowed a curious stare her way as if she picked up on that thought. “Have you seen Ethon yet?”

Sam grimaced at the reminder of the ancient Spartan general who, after a night of battle, had been forced to take refuge in her house centuries ago. “Not yet, but I did see Roman on the street a few nights back.” She spat his name with all the disgust she felt scalding her throat. Roman was a gladiator and while she could appreciate his skills, she despised everything he stood for.

Chi gave her a gimlet stare. “You planning a rematch with Ethon?”

Sam shuddered at the thought. “Do I bring up your old flings?”

“He’s really gorgeous.”

“And so not what I’m looking for in anything. Even for a single night.” Not to mention Dark-Hunters were completely forbidden from sleeping together. She and Ethon had gotten caught up in a moment, spent one night together, and had regretted it ever since. If Acheron ever found out what they’d done, he’d probably kill them.

Artemis definitely would.

And that night had taught her to stay away from lovers forever and Ethon in particular. She still couldn’t get the images of Ethon’s brutal past out of her mind. Never again did she want to be that assaulted by someone else’s damage. She had enough of her own.

Guilt tore through her. She winced, shoving it away before it did any more harm to her.

Chi passed an amused glance over to the bar where the Dev lookalike was pouring a drink for another customer. “What about the bears?”

Sam forced herself not to react in the slightest. “What about the bears?”

“Oh c’mon, don’t tell me you haven’t thought about being a cub sandwich with them. Especially with the quads. Oh my God, the one at the door is absolutely droolicious.”

“Droolicious?”

Chi playfully rubbed up against her, making sure not to touch her skin. “Don’t play coy. I know you better than that. Dev is definitely worth a brush of emotions.”

Sam snorted. “Yes, you do and yes, I thought about it.”

“But?”

“I’m having Ethon flashbacks and throwing up in my mouth as a result. I don’t want to relive that damage. Ever.” Not even for something as scrumptious as Dev.

Chi snorted. “One night won’t kill you.”

“Isn’t that what Geitara said right before the Battle of Tortulla? As I remember, it didn’t go well for her when they slaughtered her and all her troops.” Sam jerked her chin toward the bartender. “If you’re so hungry, why don’t you take one home?”

“One? Honey, I’m waiting for the whole six-pack.”

Sam laughed. “You are evil.”

Chi sobered instantly as she jerked to her right and scanned the club with her gaze. “Did you feel that?”

Sam turned her head and lowered her chin, listening. There had been a strange sensation that cut through the air around them. Inhuman and feral. It’d gone down her spine like a razor. “I did.” It was similar to a Daimon tremor, but different. More powerful. She looked around the club to see if anyone else felt it.

If they did, they didn’t react.

How weird.

She met Chi’s narrowed gaze. “I’ll take the back.”

“I’ll head out the front.”

Sam used her powers to search the ether around them as she headed for the back door of Sanctuary. The Dark-Hunters also had an electronic tracker for Daimons, but she’d never needed one. Her senses and powers had always allowed her to hone right in on them.

But not tonight.

Tonight she lost the scent almost as soon as she walked outside.

How was that possible? And yet there was no denying what she felt. Or more to the point, didn’t feel. The air was crisp with a hint of autumn in it. She smelled the gumbo and steaks that were cooking in the kitchen and the scent of the river that was only a few blocks away. But there was nothing here to do with the Daimons.

With all her senses fully alert, she crept around the outside of the building, trying to locate what had called out to them.

Nothing was here. Everything appeared normal and yet in her gut she knew it wasn’t.

Chi doubled back to cut her off. She met Sam’s quizzical stare, then jerked her chin up toward the sky.

Sam followed the line of her gaze. The moment she focused on the sky, her stomach headed south. Above their heads hung a moon so red and cloudy, it appeared to be washed in blood.

Hunter’s Moon. Scientifically, she knew it meant nothing more than the way the sun’s light was bending around the earth to illuminate the lunar surface. But she’d lived long enough to know it wasn’t just that simple—that science didn’t explain everything. Mostly because science didn’t know about everything.

It definitely didn’t know about the protective veil that separated the worlds from each other. A veil that thinned during a blood moon. Most of all, it didn’t know that sometimes ancient man had feared ill omens with just cause.

In the heart and in the soul,

Evil takes its wicked toll.

When moonlight shines like flowing blood,

Over the earth the demons will flood.

The old Amazon poem went through her head. A moon just like that one had once shone down on her home. She’d dismissed it then as unfounded superstition.

And she’d died regretting that stupidity.

“I’ll call Acheron,” Chi said, pulling out her cell phone.

Sam nodded as she felt the hand of evil slide over her. Something was coming for them, she could feel it. The only question was, what was it?