Vane couldn’t move as he watched the infant girl sitting on Ash’s bent, leather-clad knee while the Dark-Hunter held her there with one large hand on her belly. Dressed in a frilly pink pinafore and black Mary Janes, she was beautiful, with short, dark auburn curls and a plump, angelic face.

Ash held a male doll in his right hand while the little girl chewed on the head of a red-haired Barbie that looked strangely like the Greek goddess Artemis, who had created and ruled the ark-Hunters. The demon sat in front of them holding a blond doll. The demon herself had black hair with a red stripe in it that matched Ash’s hair perfectly.

“See, I knew baby Marissa was quality people,” the demon said to Ash. “Look how she eating the head off the redheaded Artemis doll. Simi needs to teach her to belch fire, then introduce her to the real heifer-goddess herself.”

Ash laughed. “I don’t think so, Sim. Marissa isn’t quite ready for that, are you, sweetie?”

The little girl reached up and placed a wet hand to Ash’s chin as she laughed at him.

”

—	Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon