Demon Huntress

The demons attacked, mouths gaping wide, claws extended. Shu lan met them, moving like a dancer, blade flashing, and though he was no slouch when it came to fighting, thanks to his Justice Dealer background and lessons with Yuan, Shu lan left him in the dust. She ripped through the demons, punching, slashing, death on s.e.xy legs.

Moving in what felt like slow motion compared to her, Ming jie took down the largest of the enemies, smoothly, efficiently, breaking the demon's neck. Shu lan took a hard hit and slammed into him, and they both crunched into the wall.

One of the brothers lay writhing nearby, his head nearly severed by Shu lan's blade. The other two advanced, limping, bleeding, one holding his forearm awkwardly. Light flashed in the Demongate, and son of a bitch, a Anzu burst from it. And, as if things couldn't get worse, a cl.i.c.k.i.n.g noise came from behind them.

"Hunger . . . Hunter . . ."

"Shit," he muttered, because now the remaining demons knew what they were fighting.

The moontapers pounced, their fury billowing from their pores in clouds of bitter scent. Ming jie spun, lashed out with a foot, and knocked one of the brothers off his misshapen feet.

"I've got the Obhirrat," he shouted, as Shu lan opened up a deep gash in one moontap's c.h.e.s.t.

"Don't break its skin!"

Breaking the skin was the idea.

In a quick series of moves, he shifted behind the slower creature and shoved. The Obhirrat slammed into the Anzu, which yelped and scrambled backward. Even Anzu were smart enough to avoid injuring an Obhirrat.

"Shu lan! Cut it!"

She paused for a split second to stare at him as if he was insane, a pause that cost her. The Anzu raked its claws across her face, laying open her cheek. Snarling, Ming jie plowed his fist into the beast's snout, reveling in the crunch of cartilage beneath his knuckles.

"Do it," he yelled, and though indecision flashed in Shu lan's eyes, she buried the knife in the Obhirrat's belly and yanked up, opening the creature like an unzipped coat.

It screamed, a high-pitched, ear-shattering sound. Shu lan leaped back as squirming, ricelike grains spilled from the wound. The maggots moved with unnatural speed and purpose; unlike their nondemon counterparts, these fed on living flesh.

Ming jie seized Shu lan's arm and yanked her up the tunnel that led to Hui yin's lair, leaving the sounds of battle and pain behind.

When they burst into hui yin's purple nightmare, Shu lan slammed the door shut, and he bolted it. Blood dripped down her face from the Anzu's clawmarks, but she didn't seem to notice.

"We took a risk, cutting that thing open," she said, doubling over to catch her breath.

We. Interesting. "You okay?"

Immediately, she straightened, her chin jutting out stubbornly. "I'm fine. Been through worse."

"You never stop fighting, do you?"

She watched him warily as he slid his palm over the curve of her cheek and pinched her torn flesh between his fingers. The familiar warm tingle traveled down his arm. Her lids flew up as the power ripped into her flesh. Beneath his fingertips, her tissue knitted together, the torn blood vessels fusing. In moments, he wiped the blood away from new, unmarked skin.

"How . . . how do you do that?"

"Members of my breed share three different gifts, all with some healing ability." The healing abilities were, however, secondary to the primary purpose . . . which was to aid in reproduction once the s'genesis was complete. Chen could use his gift to stimulate early ovulation, Yuan practiced mindseductions, but could also heal mental disorders. Ming jie could create favorable conditions for fertilization of eggs.

She touched her face, awe reflecting in her expression. Man, she was beautiful, all wild-haired warrior with the scent of battle clinging to her skin. The sight of her, the smell of her, triggered a primitive reaction deep in his core, one that both disgusted and intrigued him. He hated everything about her. But he wanted to bed her. Over and over.

She'd been spot on when she'd said his ego had taken a blow because he hadn't brought her to cl**ax, but his d.e.s.i.r.e to take her again went beyond patching his pride or even slaking the ever-present l.u.s.t that plagued his breed. He'd never encountered anyone who radiated such a fierce will to live. Her life force drew him, her fire fascinated him, and her sensuality held him in an iron grip he couldn't break.

He wanted to f**k her when what he should do was kill her.