Cheyenne McCray - Demons Not Included: A Night Tracker Novel

Demons Not Included

Night Tracker Series Book 1

By Cheyenne McCray

Meet Nyx. This half-human, half-Drow private eye investigates paranormal crimes by day and is an elite Tracker of demons by night. She prefers working solo - and playing rough. So when a terrifying force starts murdering innocent humans and paranorms, and leaving strange demonic symbols burned into their buildings, it's a case Nyx takes very personally.

Meanwhile, Nyx's fellow Trackers are being killed one by one - and a sexy new Tracker named Torin is shadowing her every move. Torin has powers Nyx can't read, and sometimes she wonders whose side he's on. Nyx's instincts tell her something's brewing in the city's meanest supernatural streets, and that it's ready to unleash hell on Earth. Who can she trust? Now it's five minutes to permanent midnight and Nyx's last chance means risking everything - even her own life.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK CITY'S UNDERWORLD

Present Day

Here's a primer. Take notes. Dark Elves/Drow: We'll get to that.

Doppler: A paranorm who can shift into one specific animal as well as their human form. Fae: Do we really want to be here all night going through the list?

Gargoyles: Pretty damned ugly.

Light Elves: Pious pricks.

Metamorph: Slimy paranorms who can mirror any human. And not in a good way.

Shadow Shifter: A paranorm with the ability to shift from human form into shadows. Arrogant SOBs.

Shifter: Can transform into any animal of their choosing as well as their human form.

Vamp: Bloodsucker.

Werewolves: Can take wolf form almost any time; however, at the full moon they become dangerous creatures that resemble neither man nor wolf.

We'll get to Magi, Succubae, Incubae, Necromancers, and Zombies (shudder) some other time.

Demons: Not included.

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

A burn hit the back of my throat and I almost snorted my vanilla latte through my nose when I caught a glimpse of Olivia's T-shirt. Instead I choked and coughed as the PI firm's door slid shut behind my partner with a soft whoosh over the doormat.

"You okay?" Olivia's dark eyes looked more amused than concerned as she tugged off her blue New York Mets sweat jacket. She bypassed the two chairs in front of her desk and tossed her jacket next to her computer monitor. Her Sig Sauer was firmly in its shoulder holster.

The dark waves of her hair were swept up in a clip as usual, the style accentuating her high cheekbones and her beauty. A few strands had escaped due to a cool New York September breeze and she brushed them out of her eyes.

"You'd better be okay," she said. "I'd hate to lose my partner and go back to working for Captain Leiferman, the NYPD's finest jerkwad."

"You'd just miss being around the Vamps." I drummed my fingers on my polished desk, made from beautiful wood a Dryad would eventually make me pay dearly for. "I saw you with that bloodsucker, Seth, at the Pit Saturday night."

Worn blue jeans and the red T-shirt tightened against Olivia's full curves as she plopped in the black leather chair behind her desk. She put her feet up on the desk and crossed her legs at the ankles, her Keds red to match today's T-shirt.

Olivia leaned back in her chair and raised her arms, her skin like dark golden silk. She stretched her five-foot-two frame and tilted her head back before looking at me with eyes so dark brown they were almost black. With my enhanced Drow senses I caught her freesia perfume.

"Seth and I were only talking while we had a few drinks." Her expression was one of total innocence when she added, "We're not having sex until next Saturday night."

This time I almost spit out my latte, only it would have speckled my cream Dior blouse. "Olivia"

"I'm kidding." She grinned as she settled herself in front of her wide-screen monitor and gel pad. "Sort of."

"Sort of, my ass."

Even though she was unassuming and down-to-earth, Olivia kept me guessing what she'd do next. She had a wit as sharp as a Drow blade and a bit of mischievousness that had gotten us both into trouble on a couple of occasions. Actually, mischievousness was too mild a word.

Olivia's mother was Kenyan, her father from Puerto Rico, and Olivia could speak several languages. Over the past year and a half, since she'd become my partner, she'd even picked up quite a bit of Drow, especially the curse words that I used when I exploded over one thing or another.

She refused to wear anything designer and prided herself on hitting the sales racks at just the right time. She was jeans and cotton from bargain stores, and the shirts usually had amusing sayings like the one she was wearing. Today's was perfect considering all of the paranormal dangers that existed without most norms having a clue.

The T-shirt that worried me was one she wore once to the Pit There's too much blood in my alcohol system. Those damn Vamps.

Where Olivia was sales rack, I was Neiman Marcus and designer all the way from my Hermes silk scarf to my Fendi crepe jacket, and even my leather holster, specially crafted by the Dark Elves, that held my 9mm Kahr. A girl's got to spoil herself when she can. And I don't mind admitting it, being who I am, I was pretty spoiled already.

I brushed my fingers over the neckband that I wore as a concession to my father, so that any Drow male would know I'm a Princess. Which meant off-limits without the King's permission, or off with the warrior's head.

Like some kind of morbid fairy tale.

And it wasn't a bluff. One Drow male found that out the hard way. Not that he was around anymore to complain about it.

I drew my slim XPhone from my favorite Dolce & Gabbana handbag, which matched today's outfit. "You're human and you should be with some great-looking norm," I said. "There are plenty of decent guys out there." I made a sweeping gesture with one arm as if encompassing all of Manhattan before I pointed my finger at her. "But if you're going to go for a paranorm, why not a nice Doppler? Preferably one without fangs and claws when he shifts. A Doppler beagle would be perfect."

"Ha." Olivia snorted. "Serving Purina Dog Chow for dinner isn't in this girl's future. Besides, Vamps are so hot" she said with a totally serious expression even though I knew she was working to get a rise out of me. She so liked to give me a hard time.

The XPhone screen felt like cool gel beneath my index finger as I touched the screen and it lit up. I wrinkled my nose when I looked back up at her. "Vamps are actually pasty, creepy bloodsuckers. You just can't see them hiding behind handsome glamours because you're a norm."

"We can't all have gorgeous Elvin bosses we can screw just because we feel like it." Olivia obviously enjoyed the sudden rush of red behind the heat in my cheeks. "So how is Rodn these days?"

"I'm not seeing him in that way anymore." I cleared my throat. "He's just my mentor and friend."

"Ah." Olivia nodded like she knew the exact reason. And of course she nailed it. "Detective Adam Boyd. You've had the hots for him since you met him. So why haven't you done anything about it?"

The warmth in my face blossomed to my chest.

"He's human. Not so sure he'd be crazy about me if he saw me after dark."

"Eh." Olivia waved me off with a dismissive gesture. "Purple and blue are cool colors. He'll be all over you once you give him a chance."