Page 9 of Huntress

Elsie scowled. The crap in the arena was obviously Mordane, but the demon itself? “Okay, let’s get into that. What the hell does Angus Cornick want with us?”

“He’ll explain that himself. He and Mordane will be here shortly.”

Elsie let out an exasperated groan. Marley glared at him too; the older girl’s sharp eyes cutting deep.

“Stop irritating my patient,” she commanded.

“It can’t be helped.” Albright shrugged. “She’s always irritable.”

Until his retirement was signed on paper, Albright was still captain of the first field squad, while Elsie captained the second. Technically, he outranked both women, but he knew better than to antagonize Elsie’s healer.

“He’d better have one hell of an explanation for this,” Elsie muttered, speaking of Mordane. The guy was the top-ranking general in the entire Hunter Clans, with command of the northern compound, but Elsie put him on edge. He wasn’t afraid of the girl herself, but of the goddess who’d birthed her.

“Oh, trust me, you’re going to hate it.”

A sharp knock came at the door, and Marley sighed. She was a field healer, capable of healing her patients under the wildest of circumstances, but it was easier to concentrate when her patient wasn’t running off and threatening to harm their superiors.

“Come on in,” Albright called out, uncaring that Elsie was only half dressed. Hunters had to change, bathe, shower, and heal out in the open regularly. Modesty and privacy were privileges, both in the field and the compound.

General Mordane came first. He usually spoke with her in his office, where he called her to visit monthly to make sure everything was going all right. The man was perpetually paranoid that she might be unhappy in her role among the hunters. Santa Muerte was a powerful enemy he wanted to avoid, though she hadn’t checked in for fourteen years.

She’d seen the other man around a couple of times, but she wasn’t familiar with him. He oozed the confidence of a man who starred in people’s nightmares. His hair was more pepper than salt, and a scar ran down one side of his face. He studied her with calculating eyes, his gaze lingering on the seal around her throat. Bold. Angus Cornick was far too bold.

Those eyes screamed that he was the type of person who enjoyed tearing people apart to learn how they worked, with no regard for whom they hurt. It was a human trait that tainted later generations of hunters with the inclusion of human bloodlines in the breeding program.

He stared at every inch of her body, lingering on the curves of her hips and breasts, his eyes leaving a cold, slithering feeling on her skin. Elsie snatched her tattered shirt off the floor and tugged it over a wealth of hip-length blue hair. Hiding her body because of a man? She’d never thought she’d see the day.

Mordane vibrated with excitement, instantly making her suspicious. He was always over-friendly in a fake way. His toothy smiles were something she was used to, but he was genuinely pleased about whatever the hell they were up to.

“That was quite the show you put on out there!” Mordane praised. “I’m told your most recent mission was a success. Congratulations.”

“It wasn’t difficult. A shifter with a rotten attitude figured out how to break into one of the nests. We sorted her out.” Elsie downplayed their victory.

Nests were where the humans lived outside of vampire control. Ten colonies, each with their own nests, were scattered around the center of the former American Midwest. Humans avoided the coasts, where witches and mages claimed the land; the south, where vampires ruled, and the frozen north, which had become the demon lords’ domain.

The demon hunters protected the nestlings from the crushing weight of a world filled with demons and other insidious beings who’d developed a taste for human flesh.

“You’ve come a long way, Chantraine,” Mordane said. “Not that anyone is surprised, we knew you would. Allow me to introduce you to Angus Cornick, he’s a weapons specialist and research coordinator from one of our installations in the south.”

A sniper-quick frown flicked from Cornick to Mordane. The General had just downplayed the creepy scientist’s importance to the hunter clans, and Cornick hadn’t liked it.

“I know who he is,” Elsie said, eyes narrowing when Cornick offered his hand. “I have a ‘no physical contact’ request on file. Too much witch blood,” she explained, tapping the small gold pin on the collar of her shirt.

The Goddess of Death was a witch, meaning Elsie was, too. Even before her ascension to divinity, Santa Muerte had been a deeply powerful bruja.

Since turning fourteen, the most innocent touch from the opposite sex held a potential mating bond. Many magical species formed them, but witches in particular were known for it. Often taking more than one bonded mate.

There were only two known options when a bond was initiated. Either accept it and get carried away in forced mating bliss, or reject it and endure the excruciating pain of ripping away part of your soul. Either way, it would suck hard. Elsie wasn’t ready for a mate. She was young and wanted to explore the world before the ancient magic chose a random stranger on her behalf. Or worse, someone she knew and hated.

She shouldn’t have to explain anything. The fact that he’d ignored the pin said more about him than she’d have learned in a regular conversation. He’d do what he wanted, regardless of others’ boundaries.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you too,” Cornick said, not bothering to apologize for his rudeness. There wasn’t a hint of pleasure evident on his sour face. “I’ve heard a lot about you and your career. You’re the youngest squad captain in hunter history, and you have the nearly unheard-of ability to trace magic trails as though you can see them.”

Unease crept through Elsie’s insides, her heart dropping into her stomach. He hadn’t just heard of her. The mad scientist had researched her history, maybe even her information files. He knew her.

“I see them as clearly as I can see you now,” she said, her voice tight.

“That’s fascinating.” Cornick leaned in, his words matching the interested gleam in his eyes. Elsie glanced at Mordane, wondering what this was about.