He looked stunned that she had jumped to that conclusion. "How did you know that?"
"I'm a woman and that is pretty much the only thing that would cause a woman to destroy her own people."
He didn't comment. In fact, he seemed to be extremely uncomfortable about the turn their conversation was taking. If she didn't know better, she would think he was hiding something from her.
Suddenly, Alexion went rigid in the seat beside her.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Turn right."
His tone told her it was urgent. Deciding not to argue, Danger turned off Creelman Street to the small road that ran in front of McCarthy Gym. At the end of the road was a series of parking lots.
"Stop the car."
As soon as she did, the car's engine turned off on its own and Alexion was out of the passenger side, headed toward the Holmes building. Danger immediately ran after him.
She caught up to him just behind the gym. As she slowed down, her heart hammered at what she saw there.
Deep in the shadows, Kyros was coming to his feet over the body of what appeared to have been Marco, a Dark-Hunter who was from the Basque region of France.
"What happened, Kyros?" she asked, her tone breathless from her sprint.
She knew Kyros hadn't killed Marco. No Dark-Hunter could harm another. Whatever blow or wound one Dark-Hunter gave to another, the one who gave it felt the pain ten times greater than the one who received it.
Had Kyros killed Marco, he would be dead too.
Kyros turned slowly to face her. He looked pale and shaken. "Don't mess with me, Danger. Not tonight."
"Kyros?"
His head snapped toward Alexion. If she thought he'd been pale before, it was nothing compared to what he looked like now. He stared at Alexion as if he were seeing a ghost... and that's exactly what he was doing.
"Ias?"
Alexion walked toward him slowly. "I have to talk to you, brother."
She saw Kyros's gaze narrow as he took in Alexion's white coat.
"You?" he asked, his voice disgusted and yet she heard a note of hurt beneath it. "You're Acheron's right hand? You're the one who delivers his ultimatum?" He shook his head in disbelief. "It's not possible. You're dead. You've been dead."
"No," Alexion said calmly, moving another step toward him. "I'm alive."
Kyros stepped back. "You're a Shade."
Alexion held his hand out to him. "I'm real. Take my hand, brother, and see for yourself."
Danger held her breath. Given his hostility, she half expected Kyros to attack Alexion.
But he didn't.
He reached his hand out methodically until he could shake Alexion's. But the instant he touched Alexion's hand, he let go and stumbled back.
She could tell that Kyros still didn't want to accept what was right before him.
"It's okay," Alexion said, as he moved another step closer to the angry, terrified Greek.
"Don't touch me!"
Alexion drew up short. She could see the pain in his eyes that Kyros's harsh words caused.
Kyros continued shaking his head as if he couldn't believe it. "It can't be you. You can't be Acheron's destroyer. You can't."
"I'm not his destroyer. I'm here to help you avoid making a fatal mistake. Whatever you do, you can't trust Stryker. He's lying to you. Believe me, Kyros. We were brothers once. You trusted me then."
Kyros's eyes snapped fire at his former friend. "That was nine thousand years ago. We were human."
Alexion searched his mind for the words it would take to make his friend believe him. But he could tell it wasn't working. There was too much anger and mistrust. It was as if Kyros were looking for a reason to hate him.
"C'mon, Kyros. Trust me."
"Fuck you."
"Then trust me," Danger said, moving nearer to Kyros. "You've known me for five years. You trusted me enough to introduce me to Stryker and let him spiel his bullshit about Acheron." She looked over at Alexion who stood with an anguished glint in his eyes. He wanted to save his friend and she wanted to help him. "I believe Alexion, Kyros. Completely. Stryker is lying to us. He wants you to die."
Kyros glared at Alexion. "I made myself sick over your death. Why didn't you ever tell me that you were alive and well? Why didn't Acheron?"
"Because I can't live in this world," Alexion explained in that same rational tone. "What would have been the point of telling you?"
Kyros returned the words with even more rage. "The point was that we were brothers. You owed it to me to let me know you were all right."
"Maybe I was wrong then, but I came here now to save you."
"Bullshit. This is just a game to you, isn't it?" Kyros looked up at the sky as if searching for something. "Are you watching this, Acheron? Fuck you, you lying bastard. How could you not have told me?"
Kyros started away from them.
Alexion grabbed his arm. "What happened to Marco?"
He shoved Alexion away from him. "What do you care? You were sent here to kill him anyway."
It was true. Because he'd killed the college student the night before, Marco was destined to die. "He'd crossed over to the point there was no way back for him, no reprieve. But you... there's still time. I can save you, Kyros. If you'll let me. Don't be stupid, adelfos."
Kyros curled his lip at him. "I don't want your damned help. I don't want anything from you."
Alexion fought his own temper down. He had to remain calm and rational to get through this. But really, what he wanted to do was shake Kyros for being so blind and stupid. "Acheron isn't a Daimon."
"Then what is he?"
Alexion looked away, unable to answer. Yet he was torn. Part of him wanted to betray Acheron and tell his friend the truth that he needed to hear to save his life.
But if he did that...
No, he owed Acheron too much to betray his trust.
"He is one of you," Alexion said with a calmness he didn't feel.
"Yeah, right," Kyros said sarcastically. "Then why can't I walk in daylight?"
He had to give him that. "Okay, so Acheron is a little different."
"A little? And what are you?"
"I'm a lot of different."
"And I'm a lot of pissed off." Kyros pushed past him and headed toward the parking lot.
Alexion closed his eyes as he debated what to do. What to say.
What would make Kyros listen to him?
Then suddenly he thought of something. "It wasn't your fault Liora killed me."
That succeeded in stopping Kyros's retreat. He froze in place. "I should have told you she was a whore," he said without turning around.
Alexion was grateful that he was at least talking to him in an almost civil tone. "I wouldn't have believed you. Ever. I would have hated you for trying to save me. Please, don't make my mistake, Kyros."
He turned to face him. "Don't worry," he said as his black gaze burned Alexion with its intensity, "I won't. Your mistake was that you wouldn't have believed your friend had he told you the truth. My mistake would be listening to my 'friend' now... Then again, you're not my friend, are you? My friend died nine thousand years ago, and had he lived, he would have told me and not left me to live centuries with guilt over his death."
Kyros turned around and renewed his angry stride toward the parking lot.
"Kyros-"
"Dialegomaiana o echeri," Kyros said without even looking back.
"What language is that?" Danger asked.
"It's our native tongue."
"And what did he say?"
Alexion let out a disgusted breath. "Briefly put, 'talk to the hand.'"
She looked as deflated as he felt. "Should we follow him?"
"To do what? I can't beat sense into him, much as I would like to. The choice has to be his."
Damn fate for that. He hated free will at times. No wonder Acheron cursed it constantly. His boss was right, free will sucked.
His gaze went to Marco. The poor, hapless Dark-Hunter still had a dagger protruding from his chest, where someone, probably a Daimon, had stabbed him. Shaking his head in regret at the man's foolishness, Alexion went to the fallen Dark-Hunter and pulled the dagger free. Of course it wasn't the dagger that had killed him. His decapitated head lay a few feet away.
Danger moved to stand just behind him as she examined the body too. He could sense her revulsion, but like a trouper she kept herself calm and professional. "You don't think Kyros did that, do you?"
"He couldn't have."
"Then who?"
The voice that answered her question wasn't his and it came from the other side of the shadows. "Just your friendly neighborhood Daimon patrol."
Alexion leaned back ever so slightly so that he could see behind Danger.
There in the shadows was a group of six Daimons...