Christine Warren - Huntress

Sitting at the right foot of the devil could give a girl a complex about her pedicure. At least, thats what Lilli Corbin had to assume when she walked into the designated meeting place and surveyed the tableau laid out before her. The small strip-mall nail salon had five nail stations ranged along the right wall and an equal number of pedicure chairs opposite. While three of the pedicure chairs were currently occupied, only two of the customers in them appeared to be availing themselves of the services of the frighteningly efficient nail technicians. The third lounged in the high, faux leather chair as if it were a carved and gilded throne.

Rounding the front desk, Lilli leaned back against the black laminate surface and crossed her arms over her chest.

Busy night, Sam?

Neither of the female patrons glanced up from their toes or the workers bent over them, but the man between them moved his mouth in a smile as dark as envy.

Lillith, Sam purred. Im so glad you could make it. I was afraid your schedule might place too heavy a burden upon you.

His voice was as smooth as velvet, sweet as honey, warm as affection. And as deceptive as his fair, angelic features.

Lilli gritted her teeth and ignored the instinctive tug in the pit of her stomach. She couldnt stop herself from responding to himno living woman, and very few men, couldbut she could use her knowledge of him to nip that response in the bud. When she got home, she could try to shower off the memory of it.

I suppose I could say something about how Ive always got time for old friends, she said, but youre not my friend, and we both know why I made it a point to rearrange my schedule for this.

His smile never wavered. You would consider it a matter of honor, of course.

That, and after this one, Im done. Ill be off the hook for good. Thats way too good to pass up.

Youre certain you wouldnt like to sign a longer-term contract?

Lilli leveled a sardonic stare at the devil. Thanks, but Im afraid Im using my soul at the moment.

Hmm, pity.

She left the bait alone. Shed already had almost twenty-four hours to revel in the idea of finally fulfilling her bargain with Samael and being free of his influence; there was no way in Hell she would risk that freedom now. Not when she could already taste it.

Seven long years ago, Lilli had made a deal with the devil: in return for his permission to enter his portion of the underworld and bring out a fugitive shed been hired to apprehend, she agreed to do him three unspecified favors in the future. He could not ask her to kill anyone, nor to maim, torture, or deliberately injure or scar anyone. He couldnt ask for a task beyond her abilities, and he couldnt bind her soul in any way, shape, or form. He also could not demand or require any sexual favors from her, nor ask her to procure them on his behalf. Beyond that, Lilli agreed to grant Samael her assistance three times between the date the bargain was struck and the date of her physical death, without the option of refusal.

Shed regretted it immediately, of course, but at the time shed had very little choice. The fugitive shed been after had been a particularly nasty one, but then, when werent they? When you specialized in the identification, tracking, and apprehension of visitants (as the polite world liked to call the kind of preternatural things she dealt with, in spite of their inconveniently native origins), you learned that nasty could be a disturbingly relative term.

In the end, Lilli had caught up to the visitanta goblin that time, one who had decided to branch out from the usual mischief-making to more fatal activitiesand turned him over to the proper authorities. Without Samaels help, the goblins killing spree would have been ten times worse, and Lilli would have had ten times the number of souls on her conscience, so she supposed the bargain shed struck had been worth it. It had saved lives, and so far it had cost only one weeks duty as a personal bodyguard during a council of devils, and a thirty-six-hour imp hunt that had left her with nothing worse than a small scar on her left ankle and a four-day headache.

Judging by the glint in Samaels eyes today, so far were likely going to be the key words in that particular thought.

Lilli knew better than to look directly into those eyes, though. She focused on a spot just between the devils toffee-colored eyebrows and decided it was in her best interest to move this little interview along.

Im a busy girl, Sam, she said, her tone even and business-like. Why dont you just cut to the chase and let me know what you need from me this time?

Now dont be hasty, my dear. Samael accepted the hand towel a technician handed him with absent grace. Youll make me think youre overeager to end our association.

Thats because I am.

Im hurt. He pressed carefully buffed fingertips to his chest. But hardly surprised. You always were a stubborn little thing, so determined to draw a line in the sand between you and me.

Lilli reflected that shed actually have preferred a line in the reinforced concrete, but she kept the thought to herself. If he really was going to request his third favor tonight, she didnt want to jeopardize her chances at freedom.

Personally, the devil continued, Ive always thought we had more than a few things in common. Our determination, our focus the sense of pride each of us takes in our work. His sharp obsidian eyes sliced toward her, hooked deep into her face. Our ancestry.

Lilli flinched beneath her mask of indifference. She knew better than to let Samael see a reaction. Exploiting weaknesses was his bread and butter, and she had no desire to satisfy his hunger.

It shouldnt surprise her that the devil would bring up her heritage, or even really that hed been able to dig up the truth she normally kept hidden. Few people outside of the underworld felt comfortable face-to-face with the daughter of a devil, even if her mother had been a completely average human. Being half Hell-blooded was enough to make most distrust her on principle, and she couldnt blame them. If she were human, shed probably distrust someone like her, too. It would be hard not to, considering her line of work. Bounty hunters routinely dealt with the dregs of humanity, but since Lilli specialized in hunting visitants, she saw the dregs of that population as well. She wouldnt trust a devil farther than she could throw him, and a devils spawn only an inch farther than that.

On bad days, she even wondered if she could trust herself.

Its not like were cousins, Sam, she said, forcing her dark thoughts back into the mental closet theyd escaped from. Were in no danger of meeting up at the next family reunion. She had no desire to think about the rest of his comments, or to contemplate things they might have in common. If she did, shed end up collecting a bounty on her own head. You might have guessed as much if youd thought about the fact that the only way you can get me in the same room with you is to call in one of the favors I owe you.

The devils eyes narrowed. You sought me out first, Lillith Corbin. Remember that. I would have remained in blissful ignorance of your existence if you hadnt sought me out.

Lillith saw a spark of genuine anger in his eyes and fought the urge to shift her weight to the balls of her feet. Fight or flight. Either way his mood shifted, she wanted to be ready; but in the meantime, maybe focusing him back on the business at hand would diffuse the situation long enough for her to walk out with her intestines