Hunting the Dark: Hunter Elite, #8

By J.C. Diem

Ari finally gets a chance to contact the pixies. It is her hope that they will give her some of their magical dust so she can cast the spell that will nullify Spencer's control over the people she loves. Their assistance won't be free. They require her to perform a difficult and dangerous task before they'll hand over their dust.

Before she can tackle that problem, Von Hades sends the Hunter Elite out on a new mission. This one is stranger than most and their foes are both deadly and elusive. It isn't going to be easy to hunt the Dark and survive. Jake Everett and his small sidekick, Rudy, will be joining them. Until their war with the demon, the witch and the druids is over, they'll be sticking together.

Morgwen returns from her journey through the portal to another realm. She had brought allies that can kill with one touch with her. The Earth has never seen their like before and even Spencer is fearful that the witch's army might not be stoppable. Enemies will have to band together to have a chance of defeating their mutual nemesis.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seize The Night Agency
• Release date: Aug 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386289609

Book preview

Chapter One

WHEN I’D FIRST JOINED the Hunter Elite, our unit had consisted of five members. That number had increased to eight now that Jake, Rudy and Brandi were with us, even if it was only temporary. We were currently gathered in the living room, about to discuss our options and to try to work out a plan of action. Jake caught my eye and winked. A warm glow settled inside my heart that my foster father was with us. I could sense his newly unlocked power as a faint hum in the air. Half-fae, he still hadn’t discovered his full potential yet. Something told me he would shortly begin to test his limits.

Ari, Quin said from her favorite armchair, do you know of a spell that will short out any unfriendly surveillance? I want to make very sure no one will be able to eavesdrop on our conversations. It was a hint that she thought Spencer Von Hades had our place bugged.

Leaning against Connor, I sorted through the spells that were now catalogued in my head, glad I still had access to them. I’d only been a full vampire for a short time, but it had been long enough to change the way my brain stored knowledge. A spell came to mind and I nodded in confirmation. It was simple enough and didn’t need any components. All I had to do was concentrate, chant a few words, then use raw power to cast it. The spell burst from me, sweeping through the room and then spreading out to the rest of the building. I sensed listening devices and cameras that hadn’t been installed by Quin being shorted out. The place was bugged all right, I said darkly. They’ve all been destroyed now.

Only two feet tall, Rudy had climbed up onto the couch next to Mirra. Your demonic overlord will find another way to spy on you, he warned us. You might be his thralls, but he doesn’t trust any of you.

The feeling is mutual, Mirra said, then rolled her eyes as the leprechaun ogled her boobs. Her rose quartz pendant was currently clear, which meant her power was switched off. The tiny red-headed and red-bearded man didn’t need her magical allure to be drawn to her. She was exotically beautiful even without it.

Stretching out his long legs, Jake crossed them at the ankles. He was a picture of relaxed calm, but I could read the tension in his body when he looked at me. Now that we can talk freely, I have a message for you, darlin’.

Connor tensed and put his arm around my shoulder. Who is the message from? he asked.

A pixie, my foster father replied with a hint of a grin.

You saw a pixie? Jonah asked in amazement. Where?

In the fae realm, Jake told him in his sexy Texan drawl. He was at ease being the center of attention. Probably because he was used to it. He was the male equivalent of Mirra, turning female heads wherever he went. One of them told me to tell Ari that she will find what she needs in the demon’s woods. She said they’ll help you, but you have to do something for them in return.

I knew they weren’t really fireflies, I said in satisfaction that my hunch had been proven correct.

What the hell are you talking about? Brandi asked with a scowl. Her hair was pink and her frilly blouse, jeans and Doc Marten boots were black. Eyeliner had smudged around her eyes, making her look like a racoon. As the newest recruit, she was still learning about our world. She’d been stuck in an old abandoned fallout shelter for the past ten years, but I’d bound her to a lighter and had freed her from her confinement.

I was lured into the woods at the back of Von Hades’ mansion a while back, I explained. They’re enchanted, so anyone who enters them becomes lost forever if they don’t have Spencer or Harrow to guide them. While I was running from a couple of hellhounds and a gargoyle, small clusters of what looked like fireflies guided me to the exit. I had a hunch they were pixies, but I wasn’t sure until now.

Jonah shook his head in wonder. Only you could stumble across creatures that went into hiding thousands of years ago and somehow manage to get them to help you.

Rudy scowled at the mention of the miniscule beings. You can’t trust them, he warned me. Pixies only look after themselves. They never do anything for anyone without a price.

Sounds a lot like how leprechauns operate, Jake pointed out and raised an eyebrow at the little man when he squawked in outrage. Unable to come up with a suitable retort, Rudy’s lower lip pooched out in a pout.

Not to sound unwelcoming, but why are you still here? Quin said to the leprechaun. It was a good question. Normally, he turned up to either warn us or to annoy us, then vamoosed again.

Crossing his arms, Rudy’s expression became grim. As much as I’d like to vanish into thin air and pretend I never met any of you, there’s too much at stake. A war is coming and you are all at the center of it. You’re the only ones who have a chance of stopping the witch, the demon and the druid from tearing this world apart in their quest for dominance.

Why us? Jonah asked. What makes us so special?

How the hell would I know? the leprechaun said crossly. Do I look like a soothsayer?

Jonah opened his mouth to make a snarky comeback, but it snapped shut when Quin shot him a warning look. We already had enough enemies and pissing off a neurotic leprechaun wasn’t the best idea.

Did you manage to get some unicorn blood? I asked Jake.

I did indeed, he replied and delved into his pocket. I also got some of the fae bark you asked for. He handed a small flask and piece of bark about the size of my hand to Quin, who passed them to Connor. He handed them to me and I had to suppress a surge of excitement.

You’re a resourceful man, Jake Everett, Mirra said in admiration. Not many beings could convince a unicorn to give them their blood.

They knew my intentions were good and that my need was great.

Ignoring their light flirting, I studied the bark first. It looked like it could have come from any tree on Earth, except it gave off an eerie energy. Next, I opened the flask and peered inside to see silver liquid glimmering strangely. A heavenly smell wafted out and I hurriedly closed it again. With a few words and a small trickle of power, I enclosed the flask in a preserving spell to keep the blood as fresh as possible.

Will that be enough to break you all free from being Spencer’s thralls? Jake asked.

It should be, I replied. I only need a couple of drops per person.

Unicorn blood is highly coveted, Rudy told me. Keep it on you at all times, girly, or someone could snatch it away. Another spell floated to my mind and I whispered an incantation. You’ve become quite the accomplished little witch, he said in admiration that was tinged with wryness. I remember another young witch who had an affinity for magic just like you. I hope for all our sakes that you don’t begin dabbling in the dark arts and end up like her.

Ari will never become like Morgwen, Connor said with unshakable certainty. Even when she was a vampire, she wasn’t like the rest of her kind.

That was because of your bond, Jake reminded us. If you hadn’t become mated to each other, she would have been lost to us.

I’m not going anywhere, I said firmly. I now had the ingredients I needed to break us free from Spencer Von Hades’ thralldom, but it was going to be tricky. First, I needed to get my hands on some pixie dust so I could break his control over us. I wanted to prevent him from giving us any orders that we wouldn’t be able to defy. Then I would be able to focus on rescuing us all from his clutches permanently.

Chapter Two

OKAY, QUIN SAID TO draw our attention back to her. We know where the pixies are now, but how is Ari going to travel to Spencer’s mansion and speak to them without him knowing about it? He’ll want to know why she visited his property if he catches her and he’ll know if she’s lying.

I know a spell that will hide me from most beings, I told her. I’ll have to go after dark, but before the hellhounds are let off their leashes. The spell would cloak me in shadows, making me almost invisible.

We need to make sure Von Hades isn’t home when you arrive, or he might sense you, Mirra said. We still didn’t know what the demon was really capable of. I knew he could sense it when I drained people’s energy. For all I knew, he might be able to sense my presence as well.

I can spy on the demon at the Main Archives and make sure he’s distracted long enough for you to speak to the pixies, Rudy offered reluctantly. My kind are very good at causing havoc.

Don’t cause too much havoc, or Spencer might become suspicious, Quin warned him.

I’ve been around the block a time or two, Quintessa, the leprechaun said, grinning when she grimaced at him for using her full name. I managed to avoid being taken by the witch’s undead minions when they captured my kin four millennia ago. I’ll be able to keep Von Hades preoccupied without being discovered.

Will I owe you a favor for your help? I asked him warily.

He waved his hand dismissively. We’re all in this together now. We’ll all have to use whatever talents we have at our disposal if we want to survive the coming horrors.

Jake shuddered slightly and his dark blue eyes seemed to focus on something else for a few moments. He shook it off, but looked haunted. He sometimes had visions or premonitions and I wondered exactly what he’d seen coming our way. When are you going to cast the spell that will free you all from Spencer’s thralldom? he asked.

I’ve been thinking about that, Connor said before I could reply. He’ll probably know it the moment the spell kicks in.

We know too many of his secrets for him to just let us walk away once he figures out we’re not his thralls anymore, Quin mused.

He’ll start hunting us down like rabid dogs, Jonah said. For once, he wasn’t joking and his expression was serious.

I want to make sure we’re protected from being controlled first, I said. Once I have the pixie dust to craft us all something we can wear, then I can focus on the other spell.

The girl is right, Rudy said broodingly. The pixies will want her to jump through hoops before they’ll hand over any of their precious dust to her.

Are all magical creatures so tricky to deal with? Brandi asked. She and Jonah had taken seats next to each other. He’d taken her under his wing like she was his little pink-haired sister.

Aye, Connor said dryly. Every one of them that I’ve met so far has been a pain in the ass. Jonah and I sniggered when ass came out sounding like ‘arse’. Rudy sent him a glare, but he didn’t dispute it.

I have a question, Brandi said, then wilted a bit when we all looked at her. She was used to being invisible and it would take time for her to adjust to being seen again.

Ask away, sweetheart, Jake said, making her blush. He was so handsome that even ghosts were affected by him.

What did the demon want with the dragon heart? Brandi asked. Why did he send us to the Deadworld to get it in the first place?

Rudy’s little nose scrunched up and we all switched our attention to him. He was the one who was most likely to have an answer for her. I’d heard dragons were extinct, he said. The last one disappeared eons ago. It’s news to me that it hid itself in the land where ghosts are banished to.

So, that was what happened to phantoms who were evicted from their haunting places. He’d just answered a question that had been on my mind for some time.

What’s he going to use it for? Jake asked.

Nothing good, of that we can all be sure, Rudy replied sourly. Dragon blood is almost as magical as unicorn blood. There are many dangerous spells he could use it for. He’d just need someone strong enough to cast the incantation. His forest green eyes came to rest on me. Someone like you, girly.

Right now, I wouldn’t be able to refuse if my demonic master ordered me to cast a spell for him. Even if I hadn’t been his thrall, he could use my friends and loved ones as leverage. He would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, whatever they were.

At least his creepy butler can’t cast the spell for him, Mirra said. From what I understand, Harrow was banned from using magic hundreds of years ago.

A smile tugged at my mouth that Spencer’s number one manservant was unable to cast even the simplest of spells. Then again, Harrow had been plotting against his master ever since he’d lost his ability to use magic. He’d formed a group of druids and had made a bargain to assist Morgwen. They’d spent the past three hundred years assassinating the various Hunter Elite groups that Spencer had employed. They’d also tried to find Morgwen’s prison so they could break her free. I’d inadvertently been the one who had released her and her reaper from captivity. Now Harrow and his insane band of druids were out there somewhere, turning humans into monsters to form their own private army.

If the witch brings back that mask Harrow was talking about, things could get very ugly, Connor said, almost reading my mind.

What mask? Brandi asked in confusion. She had a lot to catch up on.

Harrow said it’s infused with the power of an ancient god, Jonah told her. He thinks it will give him the power to break free from being Spencer’s thrall.

Connor shifted slightly and drew me against his side. Von Hades didn’t seem to be terribly concerned about that. He said nothing has the power to break a thrall free from a demon.

He’s wrong, I said, patting my pocket that held the flask of unicorn blood. I have the means right here.

The mask is bothersome, Rudy said, grabbing a handful of his long red beard. I’ve heard of beings who lived long before my time that were powerful and warlike. If even one of them were to be resurrected, it wouldn’t bode well for our world.

Harrow thinks he can control the mask, Connor said. He was a druid for four thousand years. Maybe he can pull it off.

That’s doubtful, Jake said, shaking his head in denial. He might be powerful, but at the core, he’s still just a human. It would take something a lot stronger than him to harness a demigod’s power.

We fell into silence, musing over the long list of dilemmas we would be facing.

Chapter Three

IT WAS DECIDED THAT we would wait until tomorrow night before I would attempt to sneak onto Spencer’s property to speak to the pixies. Rudy would spy on the demon in the Main Archives in Rosethorn and keep his beady eyes on him. He would make sure to delay Spencer when he left for the day to give me time to make a deal with the tiny sprites.

Exhausted from the events of the past few days, Connor and I turned in early. Jonah and Brandi took turns checking up on us, but largely left us alone. I tossed and turned, caught in a chain of nightmares about Morgwen, Spencer and Harrow wreaking horrors on the world.

Waking at six when the alarm beeped, I groaned and reluctantly rose. I saw we were already back to our usual routine of eating healthy cereal for breakfast when we entered the dining room. Jake would be staying with us from now on. He’d put someone else in charge of leading his usual team of hunters in his absence. Sitting next to Mirra, he eyed the bowl of cereal without enthusiasm. How is a man supposed to live on squirrel food like this? he complained.

Now you know the torture I’ve been going through, I joked as I spooned some of the offending cereal into my mouth.

Rudy had conjured up himself a tall seat so he could reach the table. Glowering at the food on offer, he snapped his fingers and a plate of bacon, sausages and eggs appeared. Jake raised an eyebrow and a second plate appeared in front of him. Thank you, my little friend, he said in genuine gratitude. "Now this is real food."

You know I hate it when you call me little, the leprechaun grumbled, but Jake was already focused on eating. He didn’t eat like an animal like I tended to, but he ate quickly and methodically, ignoring everything else until his appetite was appeased.

Now I see where you get your manners from, Ari, Mirra teased.

All hunters are the same, Quin said dryly. Put a plate of food in front of them and the entire world disappears.

Jake paused in chewing long enough to sweep a sardonic look at them both before returning to his meal. Her dig hadn’t been worthy of a response.

Since I had the entire day to kill before my mission to visit the pixies tonight, I headed to my conjuring room after breakfast. Quin came with me and the two ghosts accompanied us. From the warmed up container of blood in her hand, I could guess where my boss was headed. None of us want Alakay here, but he could be useful, she said when the elevator reached the basement level.

Personally, I would have let him starve to death, but she was our leader and she called the shots. Do you want us to come with you? I asked.

Assessing me and the two spirits, she nodded. "It’s daytime, but there’s a chance he might still be awake. Master vampires rest