Dark-Hunter is a name from a paranormal romance and fantasy series written by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Kenyon started writing the series in 1986 for magazines that focus on horror, fantasy, and science fiction.

Definition

The Dark-Hunters are immortal warriors who give their souls to the Greek goddess Artemis in exchange for a chance to take revenge against the person who caused their death. After completing their revenge, they dedicate themselves to protecting humans from Daimons, a psychic race cursed by the god Apollo, and other supernatural enemies.

She knew that Acheron cared deeply for humans and would not let others suffer if he could help. Because of this, she created the Dark-Hunters and convinced him to lead, train, and oversee them. Not everyone can become a Dark-Hunter, and the process is not simple.

A person must die as a result of a severe betrayal, such as being killed by a close friend or family member in a violent way. At the moment of their death, their soul will cry out for revenge loudly enough for Artemis to hear on Mount Olympus. Artemis then offers the person a choice: to remain dead or to trade their soul to her in exchange for being brought back to life as a Dark-Hunter. In return for their service, Artemis gives them 24 hours to seek revenge against those who betrayed them. After this time, they must protect humans by hunting Daimons.

When a Dark-Hunter defeats a Daimon, they free any human souls the Daimon has stolen, but only if they find the Daimon quickly. If the Daimon is not defeated soon after taking a human soul, the soul will die permanently and will not be able to reach the afterlife it was meant for.

Each Dark-Hunter works alone and is responsible for guarding a specific area. They cannot stay near other Dark-Hunters for long, as doing so weakens their powers. If one Dark-Hunter harms another, the one who caused the harm will suffer the same injury ten times worse.

Dark-Hunters are night-dwelling immortals who cannot be in sunlight. This is because Artemis cursed them in the same way Apollo cursed the Daimons, making them unable to survive in sunlight. They were created to resemble the Daimons they hunt so they can fight them more effectively. Dark-Hunters have fangs, highly sensitive senses, and various psychic abilities.

Short stories and novelettes

• "The Beginning" (2002)
• "Dragonswan" (July 1, 2002)
• "Phantom Lover," in the collection Midnight Pleasures (November 2003)
• "A Dark-Hunter Christmas," also found in the book Dance with the Devil (December 2003)
• "Winter Born," in the collection Stroke of Midnight (October 2004)
• "Second Chances," given away for free (2005)
• "A Hard Day's Night-Searcher," in the collection My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (October 3, 2006)
• "Until Death We Do Part," in the collection Love At First Bite (October 3, 2006)
• "Fear the Darkness," available as a free e-book (January 2007)
• "Shadow of the Moon," in the collection Dead after Dark (December 1, 2008)