It wasn't.
Daimons couldn't make deals of that nature. Only the gods and demigods could, and Samia was lucky Artemis had covered for her after Sam had slaughtered Lazaros's brother. But for that one rare act of altruism on Artemis's part, Samia would have been killed immediately. Instead, Artemis had locked Lazaros in Tartarus to keep him away from her pet Amazon warrior.
Now Stryker held the key to the demon demigod's existence.
"Fine. Just make sure you pull her to me before you kill her. My needs take precedence over yours and if you fail me in this, I swear what I do to you will make Prometheus's punishment look like a joyride at the beach."
Samia was his key to killing his father and owning the world. Nothing was going to stop him this time.
Fang flashed them into a wickedly dark corridor. But for Dev's honed vision, he'd be blind. He put his hand on Dev's shoulder to keep him from walking on. "Remember, Bear, let me do the talking. You don't speak unless Thorn asks you something."
Dev shrugged his touch away. He didn't know who Thorn was--Fang had refused to elaborate. Honestly, he didn't care. All that mattered was the fact that this...person had pulled Sam into custody and that alone warranted his death. "I don't play this cryptic shit, Wolf."
"And I don't want to clean up your entrails. Nor do I want to tell Aimee her beloved older brother was splintered on the floor. Comprende?"
"Got it."
"I don't think you do. Thorn is evil incarnate. Think Savitar on steroids."
That managed to give Dev pause. Savitar oversaw the Omegrion council that all Were-Hunters answered to. No one knew who or what he was. Only that he was about as close to omnipotent as a being could get and anyone who crossed him didn't live long enough to regret it.
In fact, Savitar had extinguished one entire Were-Hunter species when they'd dabbled in something that irritated him. Since then, everyone tried to give him a wide berth.
"Got it. Thorn rules here. Keep my mouth shut."
Inclining his head to him, Fang stepped away to lead him down that dark, eerie hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. There was no light at all. Yet Fang navigated the hall like a pro. It wasn't until they approached a door that Dev could see the firelight dancing through the crack at the bottom.
Dev still wasn't sure where here was. One minute they'd been in the freezer while Fang "talked" to his people, and the next Fang had teleported him into some lightless void that reminded him of the Nether Realm.
Or a bad Night Gallery episode.
Yet it wasn't that either. This was almost like a vacuum...like space without stars.
Pulling him to a stop, Fang knocked on the door. The sound echoed around them. A heartbeat later, a light came out of the ceiling to illuminate the door so that Dev could see the medieval construction that even had rivets around the outer side of the door. The steel at eye level swirled and formed the face of a demon woman complete with fangs and blazing red eyes.
She scanned them before she spoke. "The master is busy."
Fang didn't hesitate. "I need to see him."
She hissed, baring her fangs.
"Let me pass, Shara. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important."
She tsked at him. "You're brave, Wolf. Very brave. Or perhaps stupid is a better term. Of all beings who serve here, you should know better." She melted back into the door.
"Who is she?" Dev asked Fang.
Before he could answer, the door opened slowly on a well-oiled hinge that made not even a whisper of a sound.
Light spilled into the hall, hurting his eyes until they adjusted.
The demon was now a beautiful, slender woman around the age of twenty-two. With pointed ears and short black hair, she was dressed in a sheer red sheath that left every part of her body exposed to them.
Licking her lips, she gave Dev a hot once-over that left him strangely cold. He wasn't interested in any woman right now, except a certain Amazon.
She closed the door and led them from the small spartan antechamber into a dark room where ancient weapons hung as decoration on the walls. Swords, axes, spears...Some others that Dev couldn't identify. There was a huge, ornately carved desk in one corner with an overstuffed chair. The carvings were so intricate that it looked like the gargoyles on it would come to life any second and attack.
Fang led him to a single chair...or throne would be a more appropriate term. Like the desk, it was huge and carved with the heads of dragons. As they drew nearer, the carvings opened their eyes to show yellow and red pupils that focused on them with interest.
One of the dragons let loose a belch of fire, stopping Fang from getting any closer.