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My mind reeled. “We’re experimenting on demons?”
Fuck a duck, demons. Yes, demons existed, too. In fact, all your worst nightmares did. Humanity was insanely lucky that demons tended to be rare enough that hunters didn’t have to go after them. Well, rare on the earthly plane. There were plenty in hell.
“Tara kept muttering one name over and over. Dr. Stryker.”
“Stryker?”
“Do you know him?”
“You could say so.”
Ancient and reed-thin, Stryker was one of our lead scientists. And Becca’s supervisor. While I had to admit that he was brilliant, he’d always given me the heebie-jeebies. Shitty timing to find out my gut might have been right.
“I want you to understand if you let me in there, I’ll kill people.”
Briefly I closed my eyes, wondering if I was doing the right thing. My sister’s face flashed before my eyes. Two years younger than me she was my best friend. Well, my only friend. I had a tendency to push people away before they could hurt me. Even back at the academy I always felt as if I didn’t fit in.
“I know.” I took out the keys to his cuffs. “But if you touch my sister, I will kill you. And I’ll make it hurt. Do you understand?”
“I’m only here for Stryker.”
For a few seconds I stared at him, looking for any sign of deception, but I saw none.
“Good, let’s go,” I said, grabbing my favorite hot pink leather jacket. I went over my weapons one last time. My usual arsenal wouldn’t cut it here. Tranquilizer gun, taser, knives and several sets of cuffs was what I’d packed. As safety measure: A real gun. One last time I checked the chamber for bullets.
I wasn’t here to kill anyone, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t if necessary.
Stealthily I slipped a stake up my sleeve. No matter what Redmond said his motivations were, I wasn’t about to take a vampire by his word that he was going to let my sister and me walk out unharmed. He might find himself hungry after dishing out his revenge.
Steeling my resolve, I squared my shoulders and marched to the elevator, setting out to betray everything I ever believed in. Well, not everything. Protecting humanity was what I treasured above all. I knew what lurked in the darkness, the monsters that preyed on the weak. Now evil had found its way into my home. And I wasn’t talking about the red-haired devil in my backseat.
And I intended to throw that evil out on its ass. One way or another.
Chapter Five
I’d walked these mint green corridors countless times. Inhaled the sharp scent of disinfectant and… other things. Surprised my sister with her favorite coffee and home-made jam-filled donuts, brought in vampires and potentially dangerous magic objects for testing and safe keeping. I knew them as well as the back of my hand. They were always teeming with people. Scientists rushing about with their long, white coats and clipboards, discussing the newest discoveries; guards stationed in front of doors holding the most dangerous vampire prisoners (witches and other supernaturals that broke the laws were kept elsewhere).
And always a steady hum of magic that made my skin prick.
Tonight, was different. Hallway after hallway was deserted, the only sounds my own footsteps – the vampire moved so silently, I kept straining to hear him, the prick – and the faint humming of machines. The faint hair on my arms stood on end and it had nothing to do with the vampire breathing down my neck.
I’d long learned to listen to my instincts.
A sudden onslaught of magic made me drop to my knees and all I could do was not cry out in pain. Motherfucker. That was not like anything I’d felt before, not even the night of my initiation.
Redmond was at my side in an instant, helping me to my feet. “Are you alright?”
“Fine,” I muttered, yanking my arm out of his hand. “What the fuck was that?”
“What do you mean?” If I didn’t know better, I’d say he looked worried. About me.
“Didn’t you feel that? Something’s happening.”
“I felt nothing.” Oh right, other supes didn’t always feel magic. Neither did humans.
“Where is everyone?” I whispered.
Redmond closed his eyes and cocked his head. “This way.”
