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

“Are you still on about that damn dreamwalker?” Kale moved with undead grace that drew my appreciative gaze. He joined me as I stood facing off against the demon. “You should just cut your losses and move on.”


The sound of feathers ruffling was both soothing and threatening in the quiet. Shya stretched his wings before resettling them against his back. I eyed him warily. The Japanese man he appeared to be was a total lie. I’d seen him become a massive, terrifying dragon.

“The dreamwalker is not the point. It is the fact that Alexa owes me a debt. A debt that will be paid.”

“So why not just strike a new deal?” Kale suggested. “How much can the dreamwalker really mean to you now anyway? I doubt it’s your biggest concern at the moment.”

I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that. I liked it even less when Shya appeared to consider it. Giving him a person had never been something I was ok with doing. Part of me had hoped I’d find a way out. But anything Shya would take instead couldn’t possibly be any better.

Shya pondered me for far too long. I couldn’t help feeling like Kale had just sealed my fate. Finally, the demon shrugged and said, “What do you think, Alexa? Are you willing to change the terms of our deal?”

I laughed, a bitter sound that left a sour taste in my mouth. “That depends on what kind of change you have in mind.”

“Oh, there are many things I’d love to have you give me. However, what I’d like most is for you to ally with me. As the vampire queen of the city, you have many powerful creatures at your disposal. I still need the vampires and the wolves. Which if I can recall correctly, you already promised to me.” Shya stood there, openly gloating and loving my growing rage.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I snarled. My fingers crackled with power demanding to be used. “I said I would make connections with them. And I have been. But not for you. Never for you. I will never be your ally, and I will never rally the vampires and werewolves for you.”

Shya nodded and beamed happily. He’d expected this reaction. “Then a dreamwalker it is. Your month has become less than three weeks I’m afraid. Better get on that.”

“Or what?” My entire body hummed with the force surging inside me, seeking to be released. We’d had a similar conversation recently. “You threaten my sister? Please tell me you have a new threat at least.”

A shadow enveloped Shya. His face went blank as he stared at me. He moved unseen, one moment several feet away and the next, slamming me into a blood-spattered wall.

His hand on my throat didn’t affect me as it once would have. I didn’t need to breathe. It still hurt like hell when he smacked my head off the wall with enough force to crack the stud behind the drywall.

Kale moved to intervene, but Shya flung out his free hand, nailing Kale with a hot blast of demon power. He never took his red gaze from me as he glowered into my face.

“Don’t provoke me, Alexa. I have very little left to lose at this point. I don’t doubt that your demon will surface soon enough and still attempt to protect you. But demons can’t interfere in another’s deal.” Shya pressed close, pinning me with his body, making me feel the overwhelming pressure and heat of the power he could so easily scorch my insides with. “And Willow can’t protect everything you love.”

I understood his meaning, loud and clear. He didn’t have to hurt me. He could make me suffer by hurting others. My mind went immediately to Kylarai and the baby she was carrying.

“I get it, Shya. You’re the bigger bad. Fine. You’ll get your dreamwalker. Now get the fuck out of my face.” My voice was hoarse due to his hand crushing my windpipe.

My power ran at a much higher frequency than it had as a mortal. Holding it back began to hurt. Using it felt so much better. It burst out like a caged beast finding a weakness in the bars that held it. It hit Shya dead center, and I braced for the moment it would throw him off me. That never happened.

Anticipating the hit this time, he took it into him, absorbing the blow. His eyes flashed an angry, deep red. “Well I’ll be damned. That actually hurt. A lot. Good for you, Hound. You might actually be a force to be reckoned with.”

“Thanks for noticing, demon,” I spat, giving him a shove. “But I already was. I stopped you, didn’t I?”

“With the help of Falon’s sword. Don’t make the mistake of getting too cocky for your own good.” Baring his perfect teeth in an ugly grimace, Shya grabbed me by both arms and threw me. I let out a yelp as I sailed through the air, arms flailing. My back cracked against the side of the island counter in the kitchen. I hit the floor, landing in a puddle of blood.