Seducing the Demon Huntress
By Victoria Davies
Kerilyn is nearly the last of her demon-hunter family, her parents and siblings killed by the creatures they resolved to destroy. Alone on Halloween, the one night spirits and demons escape the Netherworld to wreak havoc on the mortal world, Kerilyn tries to stay safe at home, protected by spells and weapons. But one spirit is waiting for her right outside her gate: Arawn, Lord of the Spirits.
Arawn has visited her every year, determined to seduce her. Though Kerilyn tries to resist her forbidden attraction to him, he vows to win her by dawn and draws her into a sensual dream world that tempts her to drop her barriers and indulge in his touch.
But Kerilyn still believes Arawn is her enemy—especially when his brother, the Lord of the Demons, kidnaps her niece. To get her back, Kerilyn will have to risk abandoning her defenses and trust Arawn completely...
26,000 words
Dear Reader,
I’m writing this just after having returned from Disney World. It wasn’t my first trip to Disney and it won’t be my last. Even though I’m not fond of big crowds, I get sick if I even look at a twisty ride (though I still like to ride a few) and by the end of our visit we’re all invariably cranky, I still love it there. Disney truly has created something magical.
Luckily, for those of you who don’t have a trip to Disney in your future, they’re not the only ones who can create something magical. Every month, Carina Press authors deliver us books that transport us to new times, new places and new adventures. This month is no different!
I’m pleased to introduce New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Tyler’s new series, launching this month. This romance, set in post-apocalypse America, centers around the survival of the fittest: the motorcycle gangs of the future. Dark, edgy and steamy, Defiance is the first in this can’t-miss new series.
Another New York Times bestselling author, Marie Force, is back with the next installment in her bestselling romantic suspense series. An error on the baseball field leads to murder in Fatal Mistake.
And I’m happy to welcome Victoria Davies to Carina Press with her newest paranormal romance, Seducing the Demon Huntress.
Joining these three is a lineup of fantastic authors returning to Carina Press. Don’t miss the latest installment of Love Letters Volume 3: Wicked Whispers. Verbal foreplay goes a long way in these four steamy stories. From author Christine d’Abo comes Sexcapades. Sparks fly between two rival internet bloggers in this erotic contemporary romance.
Our last erotic offering for the month of June is the long-awaited sequel to Dana Marie Bell’s Blood of the Maple. In Throne of Oak, dark forces are converging on Maggie’s Grove, and a horde of hunters stalk supernaturals from the shadows.
If you’re looking for more paranormal romances, Sheryl Nantus, PJ Schnyder, and Eleri Stone all have releases this month. Check out the new installments from Sheryl and Eleri respectively, Family Pride and Witch Bound. Meanwhile, join PJ on a new adventure as she kicks off her London Undead series with Bite Me. Zombies have taken over London and a werewolf finds himself protecting a woman who seems determined to put herself in harm’s way.
Still in the “other world” genres, we have two releases: Fae Sutherland’s Sky Runners, a delicious male/male space opera; and the conclusion to Vivi Anna’s steampunk romance trilogy. The League of Illusion: Destiny wraps up with sorcerer Sebastian Davenport’s story.
If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, you’ll want to make sure you’re not missing out on Julie Rowe’s War Girls books. World War I generated many heroes—only some of them were men. Check out Enticing the Spymaster, her newest release, and go back and catch up with Saving the Rifleman, the first in this series. And while you’re in the past, why not stay there? Wendy Soliman’s Beguiling the Barrister also transports readers to a past time in this regency romance.
Last but not least, two powerhouse authors have new releases to center you in the here and now. HelenKay Dimon explores love and lust in her return to Holloway with contemporary romance Just What He Wanted. Sexy Travis is the story we’ve all been waiting for!
Adrienne Giordano rounds out our month of magical releases with Opposing Forces. In this romantic suspense, when a pharmaceutical distribution manager uncovers secret drug shipments at work, she and a savvy executive with political ties must risk everything—including their hearts—to stop the criminals and stay alive.
No matter where your reading tastes take you, whether it’s the past, the future, or an alternate world, we’ve got an extensive catalog to help give you a magical experience without ever leaving the comfort of your own house (or needing to stand in line!).
We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.
Happy reading!
~Angela James
Executive Editor, Carina Press
www.carinapress.com
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Dedication
For my incredible parents, who are always willing to help me think up countless titles or unique ways to get my characters out of sticky situations. Thank you for your unwavering love and support.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
About the Author
Copyright
Chapter One
“Trick or treat, give me something good to eat.”
Kerilyn jerked toward the singing children skipping past her gate. They laughed as they hurried home, no doubt eager to change into their colorful costumes. They’d never know the danger they courted with their song.
But she did.
With a sigh she continued with her ritual, stepping backward around her home.
“Three times around the house,” she whispered to herself. “Counter clockwise. Always walk backward.” It was a simple protection ritual, one she’d cast over the house every year since she was old enough to understand why it was necessary.
Tonight was All Hallow’s Eve, the one night when the dead walked the earth. And the spirits had never been particularly fond of her family.
Completing her third rotation around the home, she glanced up at the setting sun. Time was running out. Grabbing her lighter, she quickly lit the eight jack-o’-lanterns lining her front gate. Several others ringed her house, already lit. Most people set out jack-o’-lanterns for the fun of Halloween. They’d long since forgotten the lore of glowing pumpkins warding off evil spirits. Kerilyn, however, had been raised to remember all the tricks of Halloween. She was well aware of the power within the flickering candlelight.
Every year she waited for this night with a mixed sense of terror and anticipation. From the time she was born, she’d been kept safely indoors every Halloween while her parents and older siblings guarded the house against the beings who always tried to get in.
Kerilyn wasn’t an average woman, after all. She came from a very long line of demon hunters. Every year her family and others like them did their best to rid the world of the things that go bump in the night. And every year on Halloween, those things crept back from the Netherworld to take their vengeance.
Wiping a hand across her brow, she studied her front gate. The superstitions were simple but the magic inherent in them had kept her family safe for generations. Of course, times changed. She walked to the corner of the fence and knelt. A small but powerful laser sensor ran t
he perimeter of her property. She adjusted the invisible beam before slipping the touch screen interface from her pocket.
Kerilyn waved her hand in front of the laser, breaking the beam, and saw the alarm system leap into action around her house. On the screen she saw the computer run through her designated protections. Automatic locks clicked into place on every door and window. Electrical current flowed into every outside doorknob, ready to temporarily incapacitate an enemy foolish enough to touch the metal. If she were inside, she’d hear the whistling alarm warning her trouble was coming. Glancing at her windows, she saw the lights flare on in the house. The brightness would hinder a demon. Once the system was set up for real and not a test run, flood lights would switch on to illuminate the yard. Nowhere for demons to hide.
As she tapped the interface, images from video feeds jumped onscreen. Every angle of the house was monitored with small cameras. Another tap and the images changed to heat sensors set to detect the low temperature of the creatures hunting her.
Perfect. Everything was in place and running properly. A few more taps reset the system and readied it for the night ahead. If the alarm went off she’d have more than enough time to grab her weapons and prepare to fight.
Magic was all well and good but it sometimes failed. Government-grade security and a bullet in the brain never did.
Kerilyn headed back toward her porch. There was always more to be done on a Halloween night.
When Kerilyn had first learned of the Netherworld as a child she’d thought her parents had been playing a joke. After all, who would believe another realm existed? A shadowed, twilight world ruled by two immortal brothers. One king controlled the demons, the other ruled the spirits. Together they represented every dark nightmare mankind had ever dreamed. Neither king had been thrilled when a select group of humans had decided to fight back, bent on annihilating their races.
Kerilyn glanced at the security camera above her door as she stepped out of the cool October air. Seeing it was working properly, she let the door click shut behind her. The sound was loud in the quiet house. On a night like this, her family should have been racing around, casting spells and cleaning weapons.
But this year it was only her. For the first time in her life, she was going through the motions alone.
She made her way to the empty living room and sat down on the lumpy sofa. Her weapons were laid out neatly on the coffee table. An array of swords, guns and knives waited in case of emergency. She wanted everything to be close at hand if she needed it.
Glancing around the room, Kerilyn struggled to relax. Everything was set. Her house was protected. Her weapons were prepared. She was ready to withstand a siege if she had to.
Her eyes drifted to the framed picture sitting next to the television. Behind the glass, it showed a large family smiling brightly for the camera. In the middle knelt a very young Kerilyn and behind her stood her parents. Three brothers and two sisters ringed them, everyone crowding together to fit into the photo.
Eight people stood frozen in the picture. Only one was still breathing.
Grief welled up in her and she hastily looked away from the picture. She barely remembered her eldest brother. He’d died fighting a fire demon when she’d been only five years old. Kerilyn always thought his death had been such a waste. No one ever defeated the fire demons. She left them the hell alone.
Both her sisters had been lost when she was twelve. They’d been caught by spirits in a cemetery one Halloween, trying to make it back before dark. There hadn’t been enough of them left to bury.
Her brother Dave had died in an ambush right before her twentieth birthday. He’d never even had a chance to see his daughter born just two months later. Kerilyn remembered how her parents seemed to age before her eyes when they heard the news of his death. Out of six children, only two remained—Kerilyn and her brother Patrick.
Dave had been the only one of their family to leave anyone behind. Kerilyn closed her eyes and thought of her niece. Sarah would be five now, not that Kerilyn was able to see her often. Her mother, Jessica, had made it plain she wanted nothing to do with the freakish family who had cost her the father of her child. Jessica didn’t want her daughter raised as a warrior. Kerilyn secretly applauded her decision.
“Life without war,” she whispered, thinking of Sarah. The little girl would get chances she’d never had. She’d get to go to friends’ houses after school instead of racing home for weapons training. Hell, maybe the little girl would get a chance to go to college or move away from her hometown when she grew up. Those were options no hunter ever had.
And now Sarah was all the family she had left. Eight months ago, Patrick and her parents had gone out on a routine patrol. None of them ever came back.
So here she was, alone on the most dangerous night of the year, wondering if she had even the slightest hope of surviving.
Heading for her room, Kerilyn quickly changed into her fighting gear. Tight black pants encased her long legs and she pulled a form fitting black shirt over her head. Baggy clothes could get you killed. No use giving the bad guys something extra to grab. For that exact reason, she kept her black hair cut short to her chin.
At twenty-five, she had the body of a soldier. A lifetime of fighting had honed and toned every muscle in her lithe body. She couldn’t afford to go soft. Sloppy hunters were dead ones.
Jogging back downstairs, she slipped on her weapons with practiced ease. If all her protection spells and technology held, perhaps she wouldn’t need them.
But she knew who would be waiting for her once night fell. Now, since she was alone, she doubted he’d leave her in peace.
She leaned on the window ledge, looking out at the rapidly setting sun.
“Arawn,” she whispered, unable to help the smile curving her lips as she said his name.
Shadows crept along the streets. Some of the younger children were already out trick-or-treating with their parents before bed. A pot of candy waited before Kerilyn’s front gate, ensuring no child would come knocking on her door.
Kerilyn fingered the dagger strapped to her thigh uneasily. Dusk was rapidly turning into evening and she knew what the darkness would bring.
“Game on,” she said, wishing the thought of the night ahead didn’t make her heart race with such excitement.
* * *
Night had fallen when the candle flames in the jack-o’-lanterns started to flicker. Grabbing her touch screen she checked the heat sensor readings. Something was definitely out there, prowling by the garden gate.
Anticipation filled her before she ruthlessly fought it back. Every year it was the same. Her heart beat raced, adrenaline surged in her veins. She tried to remain seated but the energy in her body forced her up from the couch.
She wanted to go outside. It was almost a compulsion more than a desire. The dangers were clear and even so all she could think about was getting to the gate. To him.
“Hell,” she whispered, pacing. How many times had she stood at her window and fought the inexplicable need to run outside? To cast personal safety to the wind in hopes of a stolen moment or two with the being waiting for her? She’d duped people who loved her to earn a few minutes outside. Every damn year.
And every year it’d been worth it.
But now there was no one to stop her. No voices of reason to hold her back.
“Arawn,” she whispered again before giving in to the pounding desire. Even knowing she was being foolish, Kerilyn grabbed her coat from the hook, threw it on and stepped out into the night. Both pockets were filled with salt. The mineral had been used for centuries to ward off evil and provide protection. It would help her as much as her silver blades if she needed to fight tonight.
Warily, she approached the white gate. It remained firmly locked but that gave her no comfort. Around her the candles continued to flicker, indicating a powerful spirit was near.
“I know you’re out there,” she said, scanning the shadows of her street.
A lo
w chuckle greeted her words.
“So impatient,” a dark, sensual voice teased.
Kerilyn glanced about the street, trying to see where the voice was coming from. She’d turned to scan the dark trees ringing her home when the jack-o’-lanterns flickered wildly.
Whipping back to her gate, she saw Arawn standing before her.
“Hello, Keri,” he greeted.
Kerilyn stepped back hastily. “Arawn.” Her heart thundered in her chest.
Before her stood the man who had haunted her dreams for years. Arawn, Lord of the Spirits and partial ruler of the Netherworld.
She’d been sixteen when they’d first met. As a teen, she’s tried to rebel against the family tradition. Finally fed up, she’d renounced her life as a hunter and run to the gate on a Halloween night, bent on escape.
Arawn had been waiting on the other side. The most beautiful man she’d ever seen in her life.
She gazed at him now, noting that still hadn’t changed. Arawn had always looked as if he’d stepped from some lucky girl’s wickedest fantasy. Towering over her tall frame, he stood proud and arrogant, silently challenging those around him. His face was perfectly chiseled but hard, as if made from granite. Piercing black eyes always burned into her as if he could see her soul. His midnight black hair fell long down his back, but he always wore it braided in an elaborate style. It might have looked effeminate on other men but on him it only added to his powerful, warriorlike presence. Arawn was as awe-inspiring as he was terrifying.
Kerilyn shook her head, remembering her younger self. Having no idea who he was, she’d nearly opened the gate and stepped into his waiting arms before her mother had caught her and pulled her back to safety.
After all, those foolish enough to fall for the Lord of the Spirits never lived long enough to tell the tale.
The spirit lord smiled. His eyes seemed to drink in the sight of her. “Did you miss me?” he purred, stepping closer to the gate.
Automatically she stepped back. “What do you think?”
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