Watch for
The Darkest King
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CHAPTER ONE
“You want a piece of me? Because your girlfriend certainly does.”
Sipping sugar water from a wine glass all classy-like, Sunday “Sunny” Lane snuck through a shadowy hotel bar overcrowded with youngish and oldish code breakers, hackers and hobbyists, her longtime friend…er, acquaintance Sable at her side. The six-foot black beauty came from the same realm and ancient village as Sunny. Most of the others were humans who’d flown into New York City early that morning to network and party. Tomorrow, everyone would attend workshops hosted by the world’s premiere cryptanalysts.
Sunny and Sable would be setting honeytraps for any immortals who hunted their kind.
A waiter approached with a bottle of white. “May I refill your drink, ma’am?”
Ma’am? The worst insult known to man. “No thanks.” Asterhole. Every creature like her was born with an innate magic that prevented them from cursing, changing obscenities into flowers. ‘Daisy’ replaced D.A.M.N. ‘Hellebore’ replaced H.E.L.L. ‘Sage’ replaced S.H.I.T. ‘Bluebell’ replaced B.A.S.T.A.R.D. and B.I.T.C.H. ‘Aster’ replaced A.S.S, and ‘freesia’ replaced F.U.C.K. “As a self-appointed superhero and proud vigilante, I prefer to stay sober and scumbag-aware.”
The waiter offered her an unsure smile before rushing off.
Sable clinked her glass of sugar water against Sunny’s. “Here’s hoping the duality serves us well tonight.”
Oh, yes. The duality. Half their nature demanded they hunt and kill immortal and human baddies. That side of her—Horror Show Sunny—worked as an assassin. A girl needed a purpose, right? The other half demanded she spread love, joy and peace—Roses and Rainbows Sunny—who worked as a decoder. The two sides were forever locked in a brutal tug-of-war.
“I posted online to let the world know I’d be here,” Sunny said. Stage one of their honeytrap.
As extremely rare “mythical” creatures, poachers hunted them for sport while collectors hunted them for pleasure. The very reason Sunny never stayed in one location more than a couple weeks. The very reason she trusted no one, ever. Not even Sable. Not fully, anyway. The very reason she constantly looked over her shoulder and rarely slept. If any of those POSs did attack…
They will die screaming.
“Once we’ve exterminated the remaining poachers and collectors, we won’t have to worry about ambush every second of every day,” Sable said, excitement crackling in her tone. “And we can turn our sights to the underworld royals.”
“All nine kings and every last prince of darkness.” Two princes of darkness in particular topped her list. Lucifer the Destroyer and William the Ever Randy. Even their names filled her with blistering rage. The terrible things Lucifer had done to her people… things he’d done while shouting, “For William!”
The two might be at war now, but they’d been inseparable back then.
Focus up. You’re here for a purpose, remember? Right. As she and Sable continued meandering through the crowd, she scanned the sea of faces. Some attendees ambled from group to group. Some remained in place, talking, laughing and clogging the pathways. Others stayed at their table, nursing drinks. Many were relaxed and at ease. Oh, to be uninvolved, unconcerned and untouched by the world’s evil, as oblivious to the surrounding danger as everyone else. Sunny couldn’t recall a time she’d ever felt safe.
Someone dropped a cup, glass shattering, jolting her from her musings. Both Sunny and Sable jolted. Deep breath in, out. Good, that’s good.
Able to read auras, she could distinguish immortals from humans. A life-saving skill. Ninety-nine percent of the time, poachers and collectors were immortal. Humans lacked the strength, stamina and skill to challenge creatures like Sunny. But enough was enough!
Sunny was determined. No more running. Finally, blessedly, she would live her life the way she dreamed. She’d buy a house and plant a garden. She would adopt a dog and a cat. The oldest, crankiest, ugliest mutt and tom at the pound. For the first time in years, she would go on a date; she just had to find the right guy. Someone willing to put in the work to earn her trust. One day, she would fall in love. Never again would she be forced to suffer through Mating Season alone. A time of clawing, gnawing, and uncontrollable sexual arousal.
“Hopefully we cross every name off our kill list in the next two weeks, before the start of the next Mating Season.” A time when sexual desire overtook every synapse in their brains and lust controlled their bodies. A total body shudder rocked her on her feet. “I’m tired of chaining myself in a locked room, so that I won’t jump unsuspecting or unwilling males, poachers or collectors.”
When she found her dream man … Sunny smiled.
“You and me both, girl,” Sable said. “One day, I’m going to melt down my chains and make them into a butt plug that I’ll gift to Lucifer. If he still lives, of course.”
Sunny’s smile widened. “I like the way your mind works.”
They ventured deeper into the bar. Clashing perfumes blended with cigarette smoke. Flicking lights illuminated a sea of unfamiliar faces. Human. Human. Human. Human. Vampire. Witch. Human. Human. Human. Werewolf. Though no one seemed to pay them any undue attention, Sunny kept a wary eye on the vampire, witch and werewolf.
Across the room, booming male laughter rang out. Warm shivers raced down her spine, and she frowned. What a strange reaction to something so ordinary. Considering the number of voices tangled together, why note this one? Yes, it was sexy hot, but she’d heard hotter. Surely!
Sunny scanned the bar for the laugher—there! Him. He kept his back to her. He had thick black hair, broad shoulders, and a unique aura. One she couldn’t read.
“Daisy,” she muttered. The woman on the man’s left side leaned closer to whisper in his hear, and he shifted, presenting Sunny with his profile, and she sucked in a ragged breath, recognizing him in an instant.
A woman never forgot a face like his. He looked like he’d been made from a catalogue of parts. I’ll take that face, that hair and those eyes. Oh, and don’t forget those muscles. Everything about him seemed tailor made for sex. Flawless golden skin, jet-black hair, and vibrant eyes framed by the longest, spikiest lashes of all time. His irises were a color she’d never before beheld. Like a sapphire-diamond hybrid. Broad cheekbones tapered to a strong jaw shadowed with dark stubble. Perfect nose, perfect lips, perfect everything.
Hello, William the Ever Randy, brother to Lucifer. The bluebell.
“What? What’s wrong?” Sable asked, already reaching for the dagger hidden beneath her sleeveless jacket.
Rage sparked, quickly catching fire. An inferno blazed through her veins. “Look,” she grated, motioning to William. Had he heard about her vendetta against his family and come to stop her? Maybe, maybe not. But why else would he be here?
Why not sneak up on her? So many questions, so few answers.
“Speak of the devil,” Sable ground out, “and he appears.”
Sunny had done her research and knew he was an infamous mercenary and legendary womanizer who disdained the sanctity of marriage. A few years ago, he’d helped slay a god king. More recently, he’d gotten drunk at a nightclub and shouted, “I consider myself a pleasuretarian. I only eat organic pussy.”