Page 96 of Bloodhunter

“His property, you mean,” he said, quietly. “Look to herfamily for her killer. The captain won’t listen to me.”

“Listen to you lie?” I asked.

He changed tactics. “Let me go, and I will give you theincubus. I can tell you where he stays.”

“How wouldyouknow where the demon lives?”

The tiniest gleam of contempt sparked through his eyes,there and gone. “Every vampire in these woods is aware of the demon’s den.”

If that were true, I could simply ask Amias. If I could findhim. If I could stand being face to face with him, talking to him like nothinghad happened between us. Between me and a vampire.

I shuddered.

“Why wouldn’t Amias have told you?” Shane asked, as thoughreading my face.

“The master doesn’t want her facing the demon.” Gray didn’tlook at Shane as he answered the question. “He’s afraid the incubus will…” Thenhe darted his stare away and let his words trail off.

He didn’t have to finish his sentence, really. Amias wasafraid the demon would kill me. I wasn’t afraid he’d kill me. I was afraid ofthe dark despair he’d leave inside me.

“Release me,” Gray said. “Give me your word, and I’ll giveyou the demon.”

I guess he didn’t know who I was.

Why the hell did the vampires, the most depraved and cynicalamong us, keep thinking I was going to honor my word?

I glanced at Shane, who lifted his eyebrows. “If you don’ttake him in, you don’t get paid. If you don’t get paid, I don’t get paid. Don’tmake deals with the targets, Trinity.”

But I crouched beside our captive. “All right, Gray. You’vegot a deal.” And then I sat back and waited for him to tell me everything Ineeded to know.

Chapter Thirty-Four

I had to get rid of the demon, one way or another. If Icouldn’t kill him, I had to figure out a way to send him home.

The thought of going near him terrified the absolute hellout of me, but it had to be done. If not, he’d come back for me. And the nexttime I might not be lucky enough to chase away his influence.

I was pretty sure I wouldn’t, actually.

I had to end him.

The rest I’d figure out as I went along.

“Start talking,” I told Gordon.

“Silverlight can kill the incubus,” he began. “But there arethings she must do first. Changes she must go through.”

“Go on.”Whatchanges? If he said I had to wash theblade in the blood of a virgin, I was going to slice off his head.

His mouth shook when he blew out a small sigh. “The silverburns,” he noted, almost calmly.

“Hurry with your tale so I can take it off you.”

Shane stood back, his arms crossed, staring down his nose atme with a dark look of disapproval. “If Silverlight could destroy the incubus,Amias would have told you.”

“No,” Gray said. And finally, he looked at Shane. “He cannotlose his thrall—andyoucannot understand.”

“Tell me what I do to end the demon,” I said, impatient.

Before Gray could open his mouth, Shane spoke. “The othersare coming.”