Forget About Midnight (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #9)

“Not well enough,” I said, extending my arm. “Now, let’s make this snappy. My ride is on the way.”


Shya made a show of adjusting the cuffs of his suit jacket. He was stalling. “I must say, Alexa, I’m both pleased and disappointed. I never really thought you had it in you to hand over a human being to me.”

“Disappointed? You never really wanted me to bring you a dreamwalker, did you? You were just fucking with me.” Fury started to spin its web, stretching one thread to another. The demon hadn’t wanted the dreamwalker as much as he’d wanted something to hold over my head.

“Oh, make no mistake, I still have use for him. However, it was nice having you on a leash, so to speak.” Shya chuckled, constantly amused with himself.

Keeping calm was going to take me farther than losing it and hurling the expensive vase from the coffee table at Shya’s face. So I concentrated on keeping my voice smooth and even. “I upheld my end of the deal. Now get this thing off of me.” I thrust my arm out again as if that would hurry him up. It didn’t.

Shya clasped his hands together and regarded me thoughtfully. For a moment I thought he was going to refuse. Then he sighed, a sound heavy on the drama. He shouldered me aside, approached Briggs, placed a hand on Briggs’s head, and closed his eyes.

Briggs made a small sound of discomfort. Shya was searching him, seeking and discovering the piece of Briggs that was more than human. Nodding as he found what he sought, Shya stepped back.

“I never anticipated we’d meet again under such circumstances, Agent Briggs. I do apologize for your discomfort. You’ll be taken to a room where you can shower and rest.” Shya spoke as if he were the host at a fancy hotel instead of a warden in a demon prison.

“Yeah, it’s the epitome of luxury,” I said snidely.

Briggs continued to remain silent. Shya was going to have a hell of a time with him. For just a moment I wondered if I’d gone too far with this, fallen too far into my dark side. But I flashed back over everything, the lab, the video, my sister, and any remorse I might have had faded.

Shya turned to me with a nod. “A deal is a deal. Pity though. I’d hoped you would hold out.”

He waved a hand over my arm, never touching. The dragon began to fade as if the lines were being erased one at a time. When it was gone, I stared at my now unblemished forearm in disbelief and glee. It felt like having a ball and chain cut off after hauling it around for so long. Freedom.

“Well, I’ll just be going then. I’ll wait outside for my ride.” Staying in Shya’s presence a second longer than necessary was not ideal. I’d died to stop him from breaking open a powerful demonic kingdom. But looking at his smug, calculating face made it feel like that had been all in vain.

“Don’t be too hasty,” Shya said before I could take a step toward the door. “Have you seen Gabriel recently?”

“Trust me, if I had, I’d have probably killed him.” Crossing my arms, I braced, ready for whatever Shya was working up to.

“He’s proving difficult to reason with since his change. He’s refused to do any spell work with me. I’m trying to remain civil with him, but I’m quickly running out of patience.” Shya spoke as if he was discussing a problematic teenager, which he was, but this teenager was now a monster with a fuck ton of power.

I stared at Shya, wondering what kind of reaction he was expecting from me. “So what? Not my problem. Your vampire, your problem.”

I turned to go, knowing it was risky to turn my back on the demon. His displeasure stained the atmosphere with a heavy negative vibe.

“If I recall correctly, Gabriel is birthed from your bloodline. I know you and Arys can influence him.” The unspoken threat made Shya’s words darker than they should’ve been.

Pausing in the foyer entry, I turned back to find his expression stony and ice cold. “We won’t be doing that.”

We stared at each other. It was in that moment that I knew I would never be rid of Shya. He would always want something from me or those close to me. As ridiculous as it was to consider working with Falon, I didn’t feel that I had much choice.

Shya’s eyes flashed with anger. He didn’t handle it well when he didn’t get his way. “Tread carefully, Hound. You may have stopped me from accessing Lilah’s power, but I am still here, as are you. It would be wise to avoid pissing me off.”

“Or what? You can’t do shit to me, Shya. If you kill me, then I won’t be around for you to torment. You don’t have the advantage anymore.” As the words left my mouth, I realized the truth of them.

Tempting final death at the demon’s hand wasn’t what I wanted, but I knew that he couldn’t do it if he wanted anything from me. I was a rarity, more so than he’d ever be. Killing me would be folly on his part. And as he’d already informed me, he wanted to make me do some suffering in my undead life.