Hammer Down: Children of the Undying: Book 2 Read Online Free PDF

from ruined eye sockets, the face that had started preternaturally beautiful marred by gore and a twisted expression of rage.
    Devi rose. “Juliet.”
    Juliet tossed her a machete. The demon couldn’t see her, but he could still sense her if she gave him time, so she moved quickly. She stepped up behind him and swung, gritting her teeth as the blade hesitated, then sliced past flesh and bone alike.
    The skin’s head hit the ground with a thump, and Devi fought hard not to follow. Adrenaline had already started to fade, leaving her numb and shaking.
    A strong hand curled around her free arm. “The demons who survived are retreating. Our ADS finally cut through the battle frenzy.”
    “That’s got to hurt.” Silver eyes, somehow dark even in the slanting afternoon light, stared down at her, and she choked on a sigh. “I thought I got to him in time.”
    He said something in response, but she couldn’t hear him over the loud buzz that built again in her ears. He frowned and lifted his other hand to brace her.
    She wasn’t making any sense. She took a deep, fortifying breath, and it cleared her head a little. “Cache is hurt. Do you have a doctor at your settlement?”
    His gaze jumped from her face to the flat ground where Juliet hovered over Cache, only a few feet away from Shane’s still body. “Lorenzo! One down over here.” Those outrageous eyes fixed on her face again. “The man who got popped. He was one of yours?”
    “Shane.” She shuddered. “He was trying to distract— He… I thought I got to him in time.”
    “I’m sorry.” Simple words, but the understanding and sympathy there was as tangible as the warmth of his hands on her arms.
    A flurry of shouts echoed inside the trailer, and a woman dragged out one of the passengers they’d brought from Nicollet. “Zel, this one’s on the Known list.”
    His fingers tightened briefly on Devi’s arms, and he released her with a curse. “Who is he?”
    Devi recognized him easily. “Elan Cyrus. He was on your manifest. We picked him up on the edge of town with the rest of the passengers.”
    “Cyrus?” Zel pulled out a handheld and touched the screen. His frown deepened as he read, his eyes flicking from left to right. “He met one of our women at a bar in the Global four months ago. He was coming here to be with her.” He lifted his gaze to the woman standing behind Elan Cyrus. “This is the one Kate’s been waiting for. Supposedly.”
    She lifted her chin stubbornly. “I’ve studied that list until my eyes burned, Zel. He’s an operative.”
    “I believe you. Cuff him and Trip’ll scan his chip when we get back. We’ve got to get out of here before more demons show.”
    Devi closed her eyes and tried to shut out the sound of the passenger’s protests as they dragged him away. “How far is it to your settlement?”
    “Twenty minutes if we bury the needle. Probably more like forty in your truck.” A pause, and the sound of boots scraping against dirt. “Lorenzo! How’s the girl?”
    His answer chilled Devi. “Needs a healer about five minutes ago.”
    “We have a healer.” The emphasis Zel put on the word made it clear he wasn’t talking about an ordinary doctor, but someone with magic.
    “Not a halfblood.” She’d heard of demons who could heal with a touch but, as far as she knew, the talent didn’t extend to their half-human offspring.
    “Not a halfblood.” He didn’t elaborate, just gestured to his Jeep. “I can’t promise you full run of the settlement, but we have an area for visitors. Help Lorenzo get her into one of our 4x4s and we’ll ride ahead. My people will help yours get your trucks moving and bring them behind us. It’s the only way to get her there fast enough.”
    She knew she should send Juliet or Tanner ahead and stay with the trucks and the cargo, but her head throbbed and Cache was dying.
    Devi braced one hand on the side of the trailer and took a deep breath. “Tanner!”
    He appeared, covered in