No Mercy (18 page)

            In fact, Savitar had extinguished one entire Were-Hunter species when they'd dabbled in something that irritated him. Since then, everyone tried to give him a wide berth.

            "Got it. Thorn rules here. Keep my mouth shut."

            Inclining his head to him, Fang stepped away to lead him down that dark, eerie hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. There was no light at all. Yet Fang navigated the hall like a pro. It wasn't until they approached a door that Dev could see the firelight dancing through the crack at the bottom.

            Dev still wasn't sure where
here
was. One minute they'd been in the freezer while Fang "talked" to his people, and the next Fang had teleported him into some lightless void that reminded him of the Nether Realm.

            Or a bad
Night Gallery
episode.

            Yet it wasn't that either. This was almost like a vacuum...like space without stars.

            Pulling him to a stop, Fang knocked on the door. The sound echoed around them. A heartbeat later, a light came out of the ceiling to illuminate the door so that Dev could see the medieval construction that even had rivets around the outer side of the door. The steel at eye level swirled and formed the face of a demon woman complete with fangs and blazing red eyes.

            She scanned them before she spoke. "The master is busy."

            Fang didn't hesitate. "I need to see him."

            She hissed, baring her fangs.

            "Let me pass, Shara. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important."

            She tsked at him. "You're brave, Wolf. Very brave. Or perhaps stupid is a better term. Of all beings who serve here, you should know better." She melted back into the door.

            "Who is she?" Dev asked Fang.

            Before he could answer, the door opened slowly on a well-oiled hinge that made not even a whisper of a sound.

            Light spilled into the hall, hurting his eyes until they adjusted.

            The demon was now a beautiful, slender woman around the age of twenty-two. With pointed ears and short black hair, she was dressed in a sheer red sheath that left every part of her body exposed to them.

            Licking her lips, she gave Dev a hot once-over that left him strangely cold. He wasn't interested in any woman right now, except a certain Amazon.

            She closed the door and led them from the small spartan antechamber into a dark room where ancient weapons hung as decoration on the walls. Swords, axes, spears...Some others that Dev couldn't identify. There was a huge, ornately carved desk in one corner with an overstuffed chair. The carvings were so intricate that it looked like the gargoyles on it would come to life any second and attack.

            Fang led him to a single chair...or throne would be a more appropriate term. Like the desk, it was huge and carved with the heads of dragons. As they drew nearer, the carvings opened their eyes to show yellow and red pupils that focused on them with interest.

            One of the dragons let loose a belch of fire, stopping Fang from getting any closer.

            Dev frowned at the man who sat there. Impeccably dressed in a black silk and wool suit, he'd left the top button of his black shirt open. Dev saw a hint of a scar that ran across his collarbone where it appeared someone had once tried to cut his throat.

            His features were so perfect, he would have looked feminine but for the lethal aura of I'm-planning-on-picking-my-teeth-with-your-spine. He narrowed a cold dark stare on Fang, then shifted it to Dev. "You can't have her."

            "Excuse me?" Dev asked in an offended tone.

            He swept a dismissive gaze over Dev. "If I let you have Samia, Lazaros will kill her. Painfully. Believe me, I'm doing both of you a favor by keeping her here."

            Dev shook his head. "I can protect her."

            "And you're doing such an admirable job of it too. If I were Samia, I'd be tickled pink by your care." That tone was so patronizing that it took all of Dev's control not to go for his throat.

            Thorn ignored Dev's anger as he continued speaking. "Arrogance...how I love the sound of rampant stupidity after a long, dreary day." He held his goblet up and the female demon came forward to fill it with something that looked more like blood than wine. "Tell your bear, Wolf, that he's not equipped to deal with our enemies."

            "I tried, Thorn. He won't listen."

            "Pity they never do. At least not until it's too late to do anything more than scrape up their remains." Thorn sipped his drink as his eyes changed from a freakish luminescent green to a bright yellow which matched some of the dragon eyes that continued to stare at them. "You know the problem with seeing the future?"

            "You run out of enough banks to hold all your lottery winnings?"

            Thorn gave a short, dry laugh at Dev's sarcasm even as Fang sucked his breath in sharply and gave him a warning glare. "You can't circumvent free will.
That
is the curse of your existence."

            Dev put his hands on his hips. "Funny, I always thought of free will as a gift."

            "
You
would. Just goes to show exactly how naive you are."

            Naive maybe, but right now this asshole was really starting to piss him off with his B-grade movie theatrics and warnings. It was all he could do not to leap at his throat.

            As if sensing his intent, Fang put a hand on his shoulder to remind him that reserve was the key to getting what he wanted out of Thorn. If he was like Savitar, overt aggression might get Sam killed.

            For her and her alone, he'd corral his temper.

            Fang cleared his throat. "You once told me that there's more than one kind of death."

            Thorn savored a deep draught before he answered. "There is indeed."

            "Then what kind of death will they have?"

            One corner of Thorn's mouth quirked up. "You know I can't answer that, Wolf. Well...I could, but it might change things and that might suck. Might not, but who am I to tamper with such odds?" He looked over his shoulder. "Shara? Be a dear and fetch our latest two guests here at the Hotel California."

           
"You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave...."
The reference to the old seventies Eagles song wasn't lost on Dev.

           
What is his deal?
Dev mouthed to Fang.

            Fang's eyes widened in warning for him to behave--something that was virtually impossible for someone who lived to irritate others.

            Thorn rose to his feet.

            Dev stepped back, not out of fear, but awe. There was a solid aura about him that was ancient and lethal. Something that said, in spite of his impeccable manners and speech, he was much more at home slashing throats than chatting. And for some reason, Dev had an image of him engulfed by flames.

            Thorn glanced to Dev. "Forgive my rudeness. I'd offer you both something to drink, but trust me, you don't want any of what I have. Ever."

           
Okay...Nice boss, Fang.
This guy was not Acheron. He was spooky as shit and definitely out to lunch. Dev had never thought he'd ever meet someone who could make Savitar or Ash appear normal, but Thorn...

            Gods help them if the two of them ever combined forces.

            And it made him wonder what Thorn might have done with Sam. Was she safe?

           
I haven't harmed her. Scout's honor.

            He tensed at the sound of Thorn's voice in his head. He locked gazes to find a knowing look on Thorn's face.

           
Yes, Bear, I hear all, and Sam is quite safe.

            Dev ground his teeth, reminding himself to keep his thoughts on the weather and not the freaky power of Thorn.

            A few seconds later, Shara returned with...Dev wasn't sure what the two of them were. On first impression, they appeared to be Daimons, but he was picking up on something else. Another layer of powers that made no sense whatsoever.

            Thorn indicated them with his goblet. "Amaranda. Cael. Meet Fang, who is one of your colleagues, and his brother-in-law Dev."

            Amaranda was a stunning creature. In a pale pink summer dress, her tawny skin belied her nocturnal race. And with a feral aura that would give Thorn's a run for his money, Cael was dressed in a black vest with no shirt underneath and a pair of ragged jeans.

            Dev's gaze went straight to the bow-and-arrow mark on Cael's exposed hip. "You're a Dark-Hunter?"

            Cael flashed him a fanged grin. "Sort of."

            Uh-huh...Dev narrowed his gaze on him as all of his defenses ran into high gear. "What's
sort of
a Dark-Hunter?"

            Thorn gave an evil laugh before he explained. "A Dark-Hunter who foolishly falls in love with an Apollite who turns him into a Daimon to save his life." He turned to Fang. "See why I tried to tell you love is far more sinister than anything I could ever do? I'm convinced it's why Acheron's wedding ring is black with skulls and crossbones on it." He paused to give Fang a pointed stare. "But you didn't listen to me either." He indicated Amaranda and Cael with a jerk of his chin. "I couldn't stand to see such warriors wasted so I took them under my wing."

            Dev had a feeling that being taken under Thorn's wing was only slightly better than being run down by a Mack truck. And then backed up over just for good measure. "How so?"

            "He saved us," Amaranda said. "We were on the run from my people and Cael's."

            Dev gave her a droll stare. "Ya think? You live on human souls and people tend to get a little pissed off about it. Damn rotten bastards. Can't imagine why that would be a bad thing."

            Cael tensed as if he wanted to slug Dev for daring to use sarcasm against his woman. "Actually we don't touch humans and never have. We feed on corrupt demons. They're much more palatable to all involved. Less calories. More filling."

            Oh...now he felt stupid. Cael was right. No one could fault him for that meal.

            "So they're Hellchasers like me?" Fang asked Thorn.

            Thorn saluted him with his goblet before he handed it over to Shara to dispose of.

            Fang exchanged a puzzled frown with Dev. "But why are they here?"

            Thorn tsked. "You're asking things that are above your pay grade, Wolf. Stand down and don't worry about it. All you need to know is that they're your playmates. Share the sandbox or get spanked for it."

            Yeah, there was an image Dev could have done without. Where was a gallon of eye bleach when you needed it?

            But that still left Dev completely confused. "How can Cael serve both Artemis
and
you?"

            Thorn scoffed. "Artemis doesn't care one way or another, especially now."

            Dev was surprised by his cavalier attitude. The goddess could be extremely ruthless when crossed. "What do you mean?"

            Thorn patted him on the shoulder. "Do you want to continue discussing them or would you rather talk about
your
girlfriend and her future well-being?"

            "Sam's not my girlfriend."

            "My mistake then." Thorn stepped back. "I will release her into your custody since it's what the two of you want. I think you're effing idiots. But it's your choice. God forbid
I
ever interfere with your free will."

            Instead of relief, a tremor of apprehension went through Dev. "It's that easy?"

            Thorn laughed. "Nothing is ever
that
easy, Bear. Stryker wants your honey so he can destroy the world as we know it. You arrogantly claim that you can protect her better than
I
can even though I command an army and live in a place they can't reach. I say we should put it to the test. Best beast wins and all that."

            Dev's hackles raised as his suspicions mounted. This had to be a trick. He didn't trust Thorn enough to even blink with him in the same room--the weasel was that crafty.

           
Wait for it....
There was definitely a trick coming.

            "What do you have in mind?" Dev asked.

            Thorn snapped his fingers and a portal opened in the wall. "I have a task for you, Bear. Have you ever heard of Hippolyte's Girdle?"

            "The one Hercules had to fight the Amazons to get?"

            Thorn inclined his head to him almost respectfully. "An expected oversimplification, but yes. It's the one Hercules had to fight to claim. And I don't know if you realize this or not, but Samia just so happens to be Stryker's cousin."

            Now there was an intriguing off-topic tidbit Dev really wasn't expecting to hear, and it was one he wasn't sure he hadn't misunderstood. "What's that?"

            Thorn spoke more slowly, again in that patronizing tone that made Dev want to bury his fist straight in the man's jaw. "Hippolyte--Samia's grandmother--the fabled Amazon queen? Her father was the god of war, Ares. Since Ares is Samia's great-grandfather, it makes her and Stryker cousins, as it were."

            That explained a whole lot about Sam's fighting skills. "Does Sam know this?"

            "I should hope she knows who her great-grandfather is. Not like
that
was ever a secret. Hippolyte was quite proud of the fact she was a demigod."

            Dev couldn't blame her for that. He'd spread it around too if he could claim such, but none of that was pertinent to what was going on right now. "What has this to do with me?"

            "Nothing really, except that after Hercules stole the girdle, it fell into human hands for a time because they believed it would imbue the wearer with certain powers."