Blood Promise (A SkinWalker Novel #4) (A DarkWorld SkinWalker Novel) by T.G. Ayer Page A

After he killed them he simply left. It seems he was certain enough that were all dead."
    "How many?" My voice still shivered. Much more to death talkers than I'd ever hoped to learn. Right now my head hurt too much to think about the specifics of mind-melding.
    "Twelve."
    "Hunter."
    The word vibrated with tightly-controlled fury.  
    "Yes, Kira?" I blinked and the rest of the mist cleared away.  
    What the hell?
    She stood before me now with dark circles under her eyes, and slight tremor rippling through her stiffly-held frame. She looked as though the last few minutes had sucked out her arrogance and strength and left behind a fragile shell.  
    "You have had enough time to recover," she said, and no matter what her body looked like there was nothing frail in that granite voice. "Now I will have your word. You will find that monster and kill him."
    I stared at her, my ears ringing. She wanted me to assassinate someone? Given what I'd seen the killer do I was inclined to hunt him down anyway. But having Kira--anyone--use a Blood Promise to force me to kill was a different thing entirely.
    Before I could tell her so, Gaia came to her side and slid an arm around her shoulders. "Come. I think it's time you rested a little. You need your strength."
    Kira glared at her but didn't shrug her off. Instead she submitted without complaint and let Gaia guide her out of the room.  
    Through the open door I caught a glimpse of Lily. She frowned at the two death talkers and shot me a questioning look. Before I could respond, the door closed.
    "You do not have to do this," said Sini.  
    I angled my body so I could look up at her. "Of course, I do. I made a Blood Promise. I have no choice."  
    Although it sounded like I was reluctant to fulfill the promise, she must know it wasn't because I thought the dead shouldn't be given justice.
    Sini shook her head, a sad smile curving her full lips. "Kira is not herself. Grief blinds her."
    I glanced at the closed door, pieces slowly falling into place. "She knew one of the people he killed?"
    Sini sighed. "Your vision came from a death talker teenager. Kira's daughter, Mika. Her youngest, most rebellious child."
    Kira's daughter? Blood drained from my cheeks and when I turned back to Nerina her twisted expression said she understood exactly what I was feeling. "I'm so sorry."
    "Mika was rebellious long before she came into her powers." Sini sounded regretful as she continued. "She and her mother had numerous arguments. Finally, the child left the estate to live on her own. She still attended her school but refused to live at home."
    "Where was she . . . when it happened?" I asked softly.
    "In Cicero," Sini said. "On the outskirts of the abandoned quarter. A set of loft apartments above a bar and restaurant; all abandoned, of course. The young people fend for themselves and though Mika had money from her mother she refused to use it."
    "Did she and Kira reconcile?" I asked, this time feeling sick to my stomach for a totally different reason.
    Nerina shook her head. "It was only after her death that they made their peace." She spoke softly as if she was afraid Kira would hear.  
    I hoped Kira didn't have the ability to hear through walls. I didn't handle grief well myself. The idea that an enraged, grieving mother might come running back into the room and demand I kill for her was difficult enough. Facing that emotion from someone who disliked me--and who I didn't care for either--somehow made it worse.
    I got to my feet slowly, feeling my stomach tilt but not as badly as it had. Beside me, Nerina rose too.
    "Tell Kira I will find her daughter's murderer and fulfill the promise," I said. "The killing felt like . . .  part of a plan to me. He needs to be found before he strikes again." And before more paranormals died.
    Sini nodded, her honey eyes troubled. "Unfortunately, the problem is not limited to this one incident."  
    That stopped me cold. "He's killed before?"
    She nodded again. "Gaia