Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2)

Deadly

pursuit

The
Blood
Hunter
Series

Book
Two

nina
croft

This
book
is
a
work
of
fiction.
Names,
characters,
places,
and
incidents
are
the
product
of
the
author’s
imagination
or
are
used
fictitiously.
Any
resemblance
to
actual
events,
locales,
or
persons,
living
or
dead,
is
coincidental.

Copyright
©
2011
Nicola
Cleasby.
All
rights
reserved,
including
the
right
to
reproduce,
distribute,
or
transmit
in
any
form
or
by
any
means.
For
information
regarding
subsidiary
rights,
please
contact
the
Publisher.

Entangled
Publishing,
LLC

2614
South
Timberline
Road

Suite
109

Fort
Collins,
CO
80525

Visit
our
website
at
www.entangledpublishing.com.

Edited
by
Liz
Pelletier

Cover
design
by
Heather
Howland

Print
ISBN 978-1-937044-89-3

eBook
ISBN 978-1-937044-98-6

Manufactured
in
the
United
States
of
America

To
Rob
–
who
puts
up
with
me
filling
the
house
with

vampires,
werewolves,
and
aliens!

Prologue

Twenty-four
years
ago…

A
pair
of
sickle
moons
hung
low
in
the
sky,
casting
a
sullen,
bloodred
glow
insufficient
to
light
the
path.
High
Priest
Hezrai
Fischer
swore
under
his
breath
as
he
tripped
over
a
tree
root
and
only
just
prevented
himself
from
sprawling
on
the
ground
in
an
undignified
heap.

“How
much
farther?”
he
snapped.

“Not
far
now,
my
Lord,”
the
guide
murmured
soothingly.
He’d
been
saying
the
same
words
for
the
last
hour.

The
procession
wound
its
way
up
a
steep
track
cut
into
the
side
of
a
mountain,
on
what
had
to
be
the
most
godforsaken
planet
in
the
known
universe.
Sweat
soaked
his
robes,
and
every
muscle
ached
from
the
unusual
exercise.
“Why
here?”
he
asked
the
world
in
general.
“Why
couldn’t
she
have
been
born
on
some
nice,
civilized
planet?”

“God
works
in
mysterious
ways,”
Sister
Martha
said
softly
from
beside
him.

Sanctimonious
bitch.

He
gritted
his
teeth
as
the
words
hovered
on
his
lips.
Personally,
he
would
have
preferred
a
little
less
mystery
and
a
little
more
common
sense
from
God.
Biting
back
the
blasphemous
thought,
he
peered
sideways
at
his
companion.
She
had
no
trouble
maneuvering
up
the
track,
seeming
to
glide
in
her
long,
black
robes.
Her
face
was
serene; only
the
subdued
glow
in
her
eyes
hinted
at
her
excitement.

Left
to
him,
he
would
have
chosen
a
different
companion.
Sister
Martha
always
set
his
teeth
on
edge,
but
as
the
head
of
the
Order
of
the
Sisters
of
Everlasting
Life,
it
would
be
her
duty
to
take
charge
of
the
new
priestess.
He
hadn’t
been
able
to
think
of
a
reasonable
excuse
to
leave
her
behind.

The
old
High
Priestess
had
died
a
month
ago.
They
had
immediately
sent
out
seekers
to
all
the
inhabited
planets
to
search
for
the
new
vessel—a
baby
girl
born
at
the
exact
moment
of
the
old
priestess’s
death
into
whom
the
holy
spark
would
have
been
transferred.

“We’re
here,
my
Lord.”

“Here”
appeared
to
be
a
tiny
hovel.
Dull
orange
light
flickered
from
the
single
window.
He
smoothed
his
robes,
raised
his
fist,
and
banged
on
the
wooden
door.

It
was
opened
seconds
later
by
one
of
the
brothers.
“My
Lord.”

Hezrai
nodded
brusquely.
“They
know
we
are
coming?
Have
they
agreed?”

“Yes,
my
Lord.
For
one
thousand
credits,
they
will
hand
over
the
child.”

“They
should
hand
her
over
for
the
glory
of
the
Church,”
he
snarled.

“They
are
not
members,
my
Lord,
but
they
are
poor.”

Hezrai
detected
a
slight
censure
in
the
words.
He’d
ignore
it
for
now,
but
made
a
mental
note
of
the
man’s
name.
“Let’s
get
this
over
with.”

He
followed
the
brother
into
the
house,
though
“house”
was
an
ambitious
word
for
the
single,
dingy
space
he
found
himself
in.
The
air
held
a
sharp,
sour
smell,
and
he
wrinkled
his
nose.

At
the
far
side
of
the
room,
a
man
and
a
woman
huddled
together.
The
man
held
a
baby
in
his
arms.

“At
last,”
Hezrai
muttered.
Perhaps
now
they
could
finish
this
and
get
back
to
civilization.
He
stepped
closer
and
peered
down
at
the
baby.
He
didn’t
know
much
about
babies,
and
wasn’t
sure
what
he’d
been
expecting,
but
some
sense
of
holiness
at
the
very
least.

“Are
we
sure?”
It
was
an
ugly
little
thing
with
a
squashed
up
face,
strange
gray
eyes
rimmed
with
black,
and
a
shock
of
dark
red
hair.
Hezrai
frowned.
“Has
there
ever
been
a
red-haired
priestess?”

“Not
that
I
remember.”
Sister
Martha
sounded
dubious.
“Can
we
see
the
sign?”

The
father
parted
the
robes.
A
purple
birthmark
showed
clearly
on
her
right
thigh
in
the
perfect
shape
of
a
cross.

Hezrai
nodded.
It
was
enough
for
him.
“Make
the
transfer.”

He
waited,
tapping
his
foot
on
the
rough
wood
floor,
trying
to
ignore
the
stench
of
the
place.
Finally,
the
transaction
was
complete.
“Right
then…Get
the
girl
and
let’s
go.”

The
parents
hadn’t
said
a
word,
but
now
the
mother
stepped
forward.
“Please,
I
don’t—”

Her
husband
halted
her
with
a
hand
on
her
arm.
“Shut
up,
Lisa.
There’ll
be
other
babies.”

“But—”

“We
discussed
this.
What
sort
of
life
will
she
have
here?
With
the
Church,
she’ll
have
a
chance—a
future.”

Hezrai
rolled
his
eyes.
Yeah
right,
they
were
doing
this
for
the
infant,
nothing
to
do
with
the
thousand
credits.
He
really
hoped
the
woman
wasn’t
going
to
be
difficult.
Before
she
could
say
another
word,
the
man
edged
closer
to
Hezrai
and
shoved
the
baby
into
his
arms.