Unearthed Read Online Free PDF Page B

the more theatrical thing where I rub my hands together and laugh wickedly while you beg for your life. It’s a classic for a reason.” Was he actually waiting for that to happen? “Why aren’t you playing along, puppet?”
    “I don’t beg,” she said.
    “Suit yourself. I’m tired and hungry anyway, so let’s jump to the end.”
    Her knee jerked up and slammed into his balls. The skin on her hands sizzled as she shoved him back as hard as she could, knowing he might budge a whole inch if she was lucky. When he grabbed her arm, she fell sideways and heard something snap in her shoulder. But the movement—as painful as it was—screwed with his grip. As soon as she realized he no longer held her, she bolted.
    “I came here to kill something,” he shouted, “and kill something I shall.”
    She shouldn’t have glanced back. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have crashed into whatever she crashed into. As soon as she landed, facedown, she pushed off the ground, food scattered around her and squishing under her hands, her feet slipping out from under her. She hauled ass and ran towards the emergency exit. If there was ever a time she needed an emergency exit, it was now, because she wasn’t moving nearly fast enough to escape a demon. She looked down at her leg to see what was making her limp so badly and saw a fork sticking out of her thigh, blood running down her leg.
    Motherfucker ! With a big thanks to the adrenaline rushing through her veins, she yanked it out with the hand she’d already messed up. A metal utensil would barely do any damage to a demon, but it was better than a fist. At least she’d make him bleed a little before he killed her. She heard him land behind her—probably after a graceful leap over the dinner trays.
    She held out her good arm at the level of the release bar on the exit door and plowed into the thing. It didn’t even creak, but she sure as hell did. Solid, locked metal door equals at least a few broken fingers. Plus another painful shoulder and a big step closer to the Great Beyond.
    I’m going to die. Before she could kill Lamere. Before she could look into his eyes and remind him who she was as she shoved the stake into his heart. That’s pretty damn pathetic.
    Her arms hung limply at her side, still gripping the fork as if that was going to do anything at all. Then she turned to face the demon.
    Bastard. “Stop smiling!” she shouted.
    “People say I have a nice smile.”
    “Not people you’re about to murder.”
    “No, probably not.” He shrugged as he leisurely came to her. “What am I supposed to do? Look sad at the tragic loss of a human life?”
    She nodded. “That’d be nice.”
    “And that’s one reason why it’ll never happen.” His gaze swept down and then up again. “How about I look sad at the tragic loss of a truly hot body?” Then his smirk disappeared, and he looked up. “What are you?” His voice was bitterly cold in a way she’d never imagined a demon’s could be.
    “I’m a hunter.”
    “Not a very good one, but that’s not what I meant. What kind of being are you?”
    “I’m a seer.”
    “No.” He looked down at her leg again. One pant leg was gone from her upper thigh down, as if she’d put on short-shorts today. As if she’d ever wear short-shorts. The edges of the fabric looked melted and lines of blood ran down her leg, but the holes the fork tongs had made were closed and the skin where he’d burned her was already healing. “Seers don’t heal like that.”
    She sighed. “Does it matter? No one can heal from death.”
    “Tell me what you are.” Each word was clipped, impatient. Why tell him anything? It wouldn’t keep her alive. “There are a number of ways to die, puppet. Some much less pleasant than others.”
    She knew all too well, having done it as often as she had. But both times she’d come back. This time she wouldn’t. “I’m a seer but I’m…altered.”
    “Go on. Quickly, because I have a very short