Immortal Hunter

by Kait Ballenger

  Relief so powerful his knees felt weak washed over David. His heart beat rapidly against his chest. Thank God. As shitty as the situation was, at least there was that small bit of good news.

  “I need some air,” David said.

  Without another word, he stepped outside, welcoming the cold night air against his face.

  His phone rang a second later. Allsún’s name flashed across the screen.

  He hesitated, staring at the display, then hit the talk button and forced himself to act as normal and unsuspecting as possible. He couldn’t let on that he knew there was a demon on the other end of the line. “Hey, Allie.”

  His greeting was met with a demented laugh. “Don’t play coy with me, exorcist. I know the magical games you’re up to. You thought you could hide your activities from me? You’re pathetic.”

  David grasped the phone so hard that his hand hurt. “If you hurt a single hair on her head I swear I’ll—”

  “You’ll what? Exorcise me? I would love to see you try. Exorcising a demon like me would kill your lady love in the process. You know very well that a demon as powerful as I am can withstand an exorcism ritual, even one performed by the likes of you. I suggest you let me go about my business.”

  “And what exactly would that business be?” He fought to stay calm, to keep Lilith talking until he could get her to reveal something—anything—that could help him.

  Lilith let out another laugh—a sick, twisted version of Allsún’s normal, cheerful giggle. “So far behind with the program,” Lilith taunted. “It’s no coincidence I chose to possess the last Fae outside the Isle of Apples. This cold war between us and those faerie cowards hiding away in their own private dimension is over. Your sweet Allsún will be the perfect vehicle for me to reach the Isle. I’ll have Fae to slaughter as far as the eye can see. It will be...delicious.” Lilith let out another twisted laugh. “Goodbye, exorcist. And for the record, you’re quite the kisser.”

  David resisted the urge to empty the contents of his stomach into the garden. Instead, he pocketed his phone and stood there in silence, immobile and stunned.

  A moment later, Jace stepped outside. “You okay, man?” He put a hand on David’s shoulder.

  David shook his head. “It called me. Lilith called me.”

  “What? David, what did it say?”

  David stared off into the distant night, unable to focus. “I was right. She’s going to use Allsún to get to the Isle of Apples to start a war with the Fae.”

  “Fuck,” Jace swore. Then he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Damon.

  * * *

  SOMEWHERE IN THE recesses of David’s mind, he was vaguely aware of riding with Jace and Shane to an emergency Execution Underground meeting after they’d dropped off Vera. He stared straight ahead, completely zoned out as his fellow hunters debated the possibilities of what to do about Allsún’s situation. He ignored them all, instead opting for tunnel vision as he put together his own plan. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he needed to follow Lilith. And that meant he needed to get to Ireland, where Allsún had always told him the portal to the Isle of Apples was located. Luckily, the demon wasn’t smart enough about technology to turn off the GPS on Allsún’s phone, and Shane had been able to track her...it...whatever the hell it was. They could tell that she was somewhere over the Atlantic.

  They needed to get to Ireland quickly. If Lilith was able to reach the Isle of Apples, there would be no way for them to stop her. She would be out of their reach unless she chose to return to this dimension. Because of Lilith’s strength, she would cling to Allsún’s soul and body, and a normal exorcism wouldn’t do any good. Even if he managed to catch Lilith off guard with an average exorcism, it would be like tearing her from Allsún’s body. That could potentially kill Allsún, or worse, leave her in a catatonic state. The thought sent a shudder down his spine. He couldn’t let that happen, but he also couldn’t let the demon continue to possess her and steal her away from him just when there was finally a hope of rekindling their relationship. The only kind of exorcism that might be strong enough against a demon like Lilith would require a blood sacrifice, which would weaken Lilith and make her unable to cling to Allsún during the exorcism like the demonic parasite she was. Yet he knew Allsún would never want an innocent person to die to save her. He paused. His fellow hunters’ voices buzzed in his ears. He forced himself to ignore them, and that was when it hit him.

  He would be the blood sacrifice.

  He would die so Allsún could live, so her entire race could live.

  He pondered the possibility for a moment before a smile crept over his lips. That wasn’t a bad way to go, all things considered, dying to save the entire Fae race and, more importantly, the life of the woman he loved.

  “David. David? You with us?” Jace waved a hand in front of David’s face.

  David snapped to attention and focused on the present. “Yeah, I’m here. I have a plan of sorts.”

  Damon nodded as if to say “go on.”

  “We’re going to need a jet from HQ in order to get there fast enough. As you all know, a regular exorcism isn’t going to be strong enough to get rid of Lilith, at least I’m not expecting it to be. But at the moment, that’s the only possibility we have. When we find them, I’ll try it, but if Lilith’s too strong, then we’re just going to have to take her down in a group effort, find some way to hold her—maybe a powerful ward of some sort—until we can figure this out. That’s all I’ve got.” He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. Damn, he hoped they’d all get on board. He knew very well there was no way they would be able to take Lilith down with physical power alone, but if he could convince them that he believed it, maybe they would, too. Then, he would be free to go ahead with his true plan—the one he knew they’d never approve of.

  Trent shrugged. “I agree with David. It’s not a great plan, but it’s the best we’ve got, and we don’t have time to waste.”

  “Agreed,” Damon mumbled. He straightened to his full height, prepared to take leadership. “In order to get a jet that fast to save only one person, I’m going to have to call in a favor, but I’ll take care of it. Shane, go ahead and map out our flight route and continue to monitor Allsún’s GPS. The rest of you, prepare to leave, and if Shane tells you to jump, then jump.”

  Damon indicated the entrance to the control room with a nod. “David, come with me.”

  * * *

  ICY RAIN POURED over Rochester in a thick heavy sheet. The kind that couldn’t make up its mind about whether it wanted to freeze into snow or melt into real rain. Ultimately, it sucked worse than either. Cold and wet, David and Damon trudged across Franklin Street to the Temple Building Apartments, the same building where Allsún’s ransacked apartment was.

  Once the two hunters were inside Damon’s lush bachelor pad, Damon nodded for David to follow him down a narrow hallway. He punched a code into a keypad beside a door, waited for a small beep, then pushed the door open. He stepped inside, and David followed.

  Damn. David let out a low whistle, stunned by the communications system Damon had rigged up.

  “I came to Rochester with the intention of hunting alone,” Damon said. “Becoming head of a division was an accident.”

  Despite everything on his mind, David couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, aren’t you a loving mother hen? Telling your babies they weren’t planned....”

  Damon ignored him, flipped several switches to start the system, then sat down in the desk chair and typed in a code.

  Moments later Chris, their division operator, appeared on the screen. “Hey, Damon. What can I help you with?”

  “Can you connect me through to the sergeant?” Damon asked.

  The guy on the other end of the screen swore under his breath. “You must be in deep shit if you’re calling the sergeant inst
ead of waiting for him to call you. What’s going on?”

  Damon gave him a dismissive look. “Nothing that concerns you. Just put me through.”

  Chris rolled his eyes. “Jeez, aren’t we in a pleasant mood?”

  “He’s always an absolute peach,” David said.

  Damon glanced over his shoulder. “Don’t speak unless you’re spoken to. Got it?” he snapped.

  “Yeah. Fine. Got it.”

  A moment later a silver-haired man appeared on the screen. “Why in shit’s sake are you calling me?”

  “I’d like to request your help, sir.”

  The older man’s eyes widened. “My help? What in the blazing hell gave you the idea that you would get my help?”

  Damon didn’t respond.

  The sergeant crossed his arms over his chest. “Spit it out, operative.”

  “One of my division members—one of his loved ones is in danger, and we need a faster jet than anything HQ has access to. We need a military-grade jet and clearance into Ireland, fast.”

  “Balls.” The sergeant frowned. “Why the hell do you think I’d approve that?”

  “Because you owe me for that time I saved you and your whole team in Brooklyn, not to mention that we can’t afford to have another team member lose a significant other. It’s...bad for morale.”

  David saw the sergeant’s face soften slightly, almost as if he pitied Damon? Had Damon lost someone? That would explain a hell of a lot about Damon’s attitude to a lot of things, now that he thought about it.

  The sergeant cleared his throat. “I’ll take care of it, operative, but don’t expect any more favors from me in the future. This evens the scales.”

  Damon gave a single nod. “Yes, sir.”

  The screen went black, and the rigid set of Damon’s shoulders relaxed. He waved his hand in dismissal. “There. You have what you need. Call your team members and tell them to be prepared to fight outside their normal parameters. I’ll call you with further instructions.”

  “Thank you.”

  Damon didn’t respond.

  David cleared his throat. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this. The thought of never seeing her again... I’m just so glad I told her I loved her before everything happened, you know?” He paused, waiting for Damon to respond, but he still didn’t say anything. “Anyway, thanks again.” David turned toward the door.

  “David...” Damon said.

  “Yeah?”

  A long moment of silence passed before Damon finally spoke. “I know what it’s like to lose someone, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I missed my chance to tell her I loved her, and I’ll regret it every day for the rest of my life.”

  David’s breath caught in his chest, and he couldn’t manage to say anything else, so he just nodded and left. The pain in Damon’s voice was enough for David to know one thing: whatever had happened to Damon was the reason the man always had a look of anger and pain behind his eyes.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  DAVID PACED OVER the tarmac as the jet pulled to a stop. The deafening thrum of the engine drowned out the steady beat of his heart. Even though he knew he was headed to an early grave, he’d never been more sure of his course. Anger and nausea filled him at the thought of the horrors Allsún was enduring, but he gathered every ounce of mental strength he had and forced himself to remain focused. All six hunters boarded the plush private jet. In less than five minutes they were airborne.

  A strange sense of calm enveloped David all through the flight to Ireland. He felt a sense of satisfaction in knowing that his death would save the woman he loved. He had to be honest with himself. As a hunter, he’d never expected to live to old age anyway. He’d always figured he would be lucky if he managed to reach sixty, like the sergeant had. And if it meant saving Allsún, he would welcome death. He knew he hadn’t always been perfect. Hell, he’d made loads of mistakes, and he certainly hadn’t been what you would call religious, but somehow he felt a sense of peace.

  He took solace in knowing that he was ultimately a good person, or at least someone who tried to be. And for his own sanity, he needed to believe that when he reached heaven, God would deem that enough.

  * * *

  “THE GPS TELLS me we’re getting close to her location,” Shane announced.

  Ash tapped David on the shoulder. “Just where are you expecting us to land?”

  Shane spoke up. “There aren’t a lot of options, but I think our best bet would be—”

  Jace interrupted with a grin. “No, that’s not what we’re doing. I have a better plan.”

  “What are you talking about?” Shane asked.

  “I’ll show you.” He stood and walked to the back of the plane. A moment later he returned, carrying several large packs in his arms. He tossed one pack to each of the men.

  David caught his and examined it. A parachute. “I’m not sure I like where this is going.” The last thing he wanted to do before he marched to his own suicide was jump out of a plane.

  Jace smiled. “Let’s go skydiving, motherfuckers.”

  Trent grinned from ear to ear. “Hell, yeah. I only got to do this a handful of times when I was in the army—fun as shit.”

  Ash shook his head. “Aw, hell, no. No way I’m jumpin’ outta any damn plane.”

  Jace threw him a questioning look. “Why not?”

  Ash tossed the parachute back to Jace. “Cause only idiots with a death wish willingly jump outta planes, that’s why.”

  Damon gave Ash a stern look. “You won’t be doing it willingly. It’s an order. Jace is right. This is a better plan.”

  Silence fell over the group. Ash was the first one to speak. “Hooooly fuck.”

  Trent’s jaw dropped. A moment later he recovered and said, “Hell must have frozen over. Did I just hear Damon say Jace was right?”

  Damon glared. “Don’t make me say it again.”

  Jace sat down, leaned back and propped his boots on a table. “I’m savoring this moment.”

  Trent laughed. “You sure you can’t say it one more time so I can record it?”

  Damon frowned. “Shut up, all of you.” Jace opened his mouth to speak. Damon pointed a finger at him and stopped him before he got the chance. “Especially you.”

  Everyone but Jace and Damon chuckled.

  Once the official plan was in place, they continued the rest of the ride in silence. Only the roar of Shane’s furious typing accompanied the sound of the plane’s engine. David sat back in his seat. He wasn’t quite sure if the weight of what was about to happen to him had fully sunk in yet.

  “We’re nearly there. Time to get ready,” Shane said.

  All six men stood, strapping on their parachutes and preparing their weapons, making sure everything was secure.

  Jace clapped David on the back. “You ready to save the woman you love?”

  David nodded. “Always.”

  “Five minutes,” Shane called out.

  David checked his parachute one more time. Five more minutes. That meant that it was probably less than twenty minutes until he met his death.

  Damon told the pilot to open the door. The sound of metal shifting over metal echoed through the plane as the door slid open. Miles and miles of what David assumed to be green Irish hillside lay below them.

  “Don’t jump until my cue!” Shane yelled.

  David shifted his parachute on his back. He’d always hated doing this in basic training, but this was for Allsún, and he was willing to do anything to save her.

  “On my count,” Shane said. “Three. Two. One. Jump.”

  David didn’t think twice. He threw himself from the plane, allowing the cold Irish air to whip past him as he free-fell down toward the countryside. He admitted to a feeling of relief when he pulle
d his rip cord and the chute opened above him.

  David hadn’t expected that Shane would be landing them in the middle of pure demonic chaos, and as the others landed nearby he briefly wondered if Shane had expected it, either. Then there was no more time for thinking, only action.

  He slipped off his parachute as fast as he could before wrenching his knives from his boots. Lilith was far from the only demon they would be battling today.

  A small army of at least fifteen demons surrounded a small hill. At the top of the hill, Allsún stood, hands raised in the air, Lilith already using her to recite a Fae incantation to open the astral gates to the Isle of Apples. David’s only goal was to get to Allsún’s side and exorcise Lilith from her body. Any other demon that stood in his way was merely cannon fodder.

  He and his fellow hunters charged forward with a roar. Each man went hand to hand with one demon after another, punching, slicing, fighting with the holy weapons David had given them.

  The first hell-crawler to approach David died within seconds as he plunged his blessed blade straight into its heart. He spared a brief thought for the human body that died with the demon, then moved on. The second sulfur-sucking beast was not deterred so easily. It dodged David’s knife, throwing a punch that landed square on his jaw. Pain seared through him, but he didn’t care. His only focus was saving Allsún. He threw his own punch straight into the demon’s gut, and the monster doubled over in pain, giving him the perfect chance to slash straight through the thick artery in its neck. Blood spurted, staining his clothes. No matter, he would be dead soon anyway. He threw a roundhouse kick at the next demon that approached him, knocking the vile bastard upside the head and straight on to the ground. He used that moment to plunge the blade of his dagger straight into the demon’s stomach.

  He looked up. Allsún stood at the top of the hill, just a few yards away, still under Lilith’s control. He ran forward as fast as he could, pausing only when yet another demon threw itself at him. He smashed the creature straight in the jaw, knocking it backward and off its feet. He didn’t even stop to kill it. He needed to save Allsún, and he needed to save her now.