Demon Huntress

"I should point out that you begged me for s.e.x. Not the other way around."

There he went with the unnecessary reminders again.

"And what? You couldn't resist the injured, weakened human having a s.e.xy dream?"

Something in his gaze went all smoldering and hot, and her body answered with an inappropriate return of heat. "Call it a peculiarity of my species. I couldn't resist your scent. You had a need. I responded."

"But you didn't fulfill it." A cruel blow, meant to injure since she had no other way to do so, but he merely frowned, looking troubled.

"Could have something to do with your biology. I could run tests . . . try again . . ."

"No!" She wondered if his apparently keen sense of smell would pick up the odor of her failing deodorant. She knew why she hadn't cl**axed, but she wasn't about to share. "Just answer my question. What are you going to do with me?"

He finally glanced at his pager and then back at her. "Some of my colleagues want to take you elsewhere and torture you until you talk." The way he said it, all calm and matter-of-fact, frightened her more than the actual words did. "I'd rather they didn't do that. I worked too hard to save you."

Shu lan poked at her mystery egg sandwich, knowing she wouldn't eat now. "Yeah, I can see how torturing and killing me after all your efforts would be a bummer."

"Then give me something, Hunter."

"And what? You'll let me waltz out the front doors?"

"I'll make sure no one tortures you."

"If you think I'm going to say one word about The Berus, you're on crack." She looked down at her hand.

"Where's my ring?"

"Consider it a partial payment on your hospital bill."

"You . . . bastard," she sputtered. "That ring has sentimental value."

Upon joining The Berus, every Hunter chose a piece of jewelry—rings, watches, necklaces, anything personal—to have imbued with magical enhancements, and her ring had belonged to her mother.

"Much of what The Berus took from me had sentimental value."

Great. Just great. If the enemy learned how the sorcery attached to her ring worked and what gifts it bestowed upon the human wearer, demons could find a way to neutralize the Berus magic.

Clenching her fists, she cursed the antiviolence spell. "I'm not telling you anything."

"Tell me about your parents."

She blinked, caught off-guard by the change of subject. "Why?"

"If you won't give me anything about The Berus, tell me something about yourself. What can it hurt?"

Surely it was a trick, but she didn't see the harm in discussing people who no longer existed. "I never knew my dad. My mom died when I was sixteen."

"Did you ever see your father? Pictures, maybe?"

"What the hell kind of question is that? And not that it's any of your business, but no. My mom never even gave me a name."

Shu lan doubted her mom had known the guy's name. she had been born addicted to heroin, so her old man could have been one of any number of losers her mom screwed while doped up.

Hellboy looked thoughtful, as if what she'd said had been fascinating. He must not have a life beyond patching up other evil demons and boinking human patients.

"How did your mom die?"

Memories she'd battled for years twisted and rolled like a living thing inside her head. She didn't bother to tamp down the rage. The bitterness tasted too good, and she needed the reminder of why she hated this man. "She was killed," shu lan said. "By a demon."

***********

Hui yin had no intention of taking the life of the man standing at the junction of a shadowy sidewalk and a dark alley, even though he deserved death for being so stupid. His expensive trench coat, slacks, and dress shoes all but screamed, "Rob me, beat me, and then stab my liver."

No, she wouldn't kill him. The Vampire Council imposed strict guidelines regarding the butchering and disposal of humans, as did the councils for most demon species, and though the rules allowed her one kill per month, she hadn't killed in several.

Perhaps her reluctance to take lives had something to do with the fact that she'd been a nurse since before she turned vamp. Or maybe it was because she rarely achieved the high her kind experienced at the moment of death.

She simply didn't have an addictive personality, as long as chocolate didn't count.

Even when she had killed, the victims had been woman-abusing sc.u.mbags and child molesters who deserved to die. Now, that gave her a high.

Unfortunately, she rarely dined on sc.u.mbags anymore. They had a tendency to drink or do drugs, and ingesting either left her dizzy for days. Smokers were the worst; their blood tasted nasty and gave her migraines.

Her intended victim tucked his hands in his coat pockets and watched the traffic light two blocks away, probably expecting a ride. He looked as if he might be heading to one of the hangouts where the electric-blue drinks cost more than she'd made in an entire month as a human nurse.

Hui yin smiled and moved toward him, let her h.i.p.s sway in her tight hunting dress, the classy red one that showed lots of skin and attracted both men and women. She'd changed out of her scrubs before she left the hospital, as per policy, though she didn't usually dress to kill.