The Hunter by Theresa Meyers Page A

and yet she’d fought back-to-back with him against the hellhounds. He owed her something. A little information about his past seemed harmless enough. “I was born into it. My family is part of the Legion. Has been since way back when.” The trail she left as she touched him was cool and relaxing, soaking into him like water into the parched desert sands. Something he’d needed desperately but hadn’t known he had until it was given to him.
    “You’re famous in our world, you know.”
    From the light throb, just below the black velvet ribbon around her throat, Colt could tell the touch affected her too. She glanced up at him, her green eyes bright and wide, shining with something more than just admiration.
    “Hardly a hero, I’m sure.”
    “But you’re part of the Chosen.”
    “Isn’t that like the bringer of destruction to your Darkin world?”
    She latched the top back on the jar, then waved her hand over it, making it disappear into thin air. “No. The Chosen are the bringers of balance. We need you as much as you need us. What would light be without darkness?”
    Colt had spent enough time out in the desert to know exactly how that felt. The sunshine could seem unrelenting in its intensity. There were times where the darkness came as a blessed relief after a long day. “Monotonous,” he answered. His mind opened to the possibility that perhaps he needed her to be with him for longer than just finding the Book. Maybe there was more he could learn from this delectable demon.
    Unable to resist any longer, he pulled her closer. His shoulder stung, but Colt didn’t give a damn. He just wanted to hold her for a moment before all hell broke loose again. “So what are you going to do once we find that door?”
    She looked up at him, her eyes luminous, her chest pressed close to his so that he could feel her heartbeat against his ribs, just as real, just as rapid as his own. “That’s a silly question, Colt.” This time when she said his name there wasn’t any animosity in her tone, and her fingers slid along his jaw, testing the texture of his lips and making him ache with a longing that wasn’t physical alone. “When we find that door, I’m going to open it for you.”

Chapter 8
    In every con there came a point where you had to take a risk. That point had just arrived.
    Despite her promise to open the door for Colt, Lilly still hadn’t figured out precisely what she was going to do once he got his hands on the pages from the Book of Legend. Rathe had demanded it. Furthermore, he wanted Colt dead. Just how far was she willing to go? Certainly she could seduce Colt into giving her the Book, but was she willing to turn Colt over to the archdemon and lose her one chance at becoming mortal again because she feared Rathe?
    “Where are we?” Colt cast the light from the coil illuminator, exposing the uneven rocky ceiling of the shaft, which had begun to widen and slope upward. The temperature had markedly increased, causing Lilly to worry some at the trickle of moisture between her breasts and the possibility that her state might be evidenced on the calico of her dress. The fetid, damp smell of stagnant water combined with the earthy scent of wet rock to saturate the air in the humid heat.
    “My best guess is we’re nearing the second cavern.”
    He shook the coil illuminator a few times, but it refused to produce any brighter light. “Could you snap us another oil lamp?”
    “I can do one better.” Lilly balled up her hand, blowing on it until her palm grew warm and the flutter of small wings beat against the cage of her fingers. She opened her fist slowly and released the red fireflies into the air.
    Their dancing lights scattered far and wide, soaring out through the tunnel opening and into the chamber. Lilly followed, with Colt quickly falling into step beside her. The fireflies seemed to multiply until there were thousands of them. Their individual light bounced in small dots of color off the rocks