Stryker clenched his teeth as his virulent emotions threatened to overtake him. But he wouldn't show weakness to his people. They relied on him to be strong and he would be rock solid for them. "Our brother has fallen to a human hand."
Curses and whispers of shock filled the room as the news went over everyone like a pall.
"The experiment with humans is off. If we're going to die, then we'll die as soldiers fighting Artemis's army, face-to-face with our worthy enemies. We will not die by being stabbed in the back by cattle. As soon as Acheron is gone from Seattle, it's feeding time for the zoo, and we're starting with Paul Heilig and his sons."
"But, my lord," Arista said from her place with the Illuminati, "his sons are one of us."
"Not anymore they're not. I'm calling for vengeance on the human and his spawn. I want his head and the lives of his sons."
He beat his right hand against his breast before holding it up in salute to Trates, who'd died carrying out his orders.
His army followed suit.
"Sleep well," he told them. "And be prepared to attack."
Susan was tired and more than ready for bed as she left their small room to head across the hall to the bathroom. All she wanted was a cold cloth for her face to help her wake up so that they could formulate a plan of attack against Chief Heilig.
So used to it just being the two of them in the basement, she didn't even think to knock before she pushed open the door.
She froze instantly. Acheron was standing with his back to the mirror as he tried to rub ointment down his spine. But it was the sight of his tawny, muscled back that held her enthralled. Never in her life had she seen anything like it. It was raw and bleeding, with vicious welts covering every inch of it. They disappeared below his belt and even curved around his biceps, except they'd somehow missed hitting his small dragon tattoo.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. She knew she should leave him to his privacy and yet she couldn't make her feet obey her. All she could do was stare at his ravaged skin and try to imagine how badly it must hurt him.
Before she could lose her courage, she stepped forward and held her hand out for the tube.
He moved so quickly that she barely saw him before he had grabbed his shirt from the towel rack.
"Ash," she said, reaching for the tube again. "I can help you smear that. "
His face blank, he shrugged his shirt on. "It's okay. I don't like for people to touch me."
She was dying to know what'd happened to him, but due to his demeanor and the aura of "don't mess with me or I'll kill you" that he wore wrapped around him like a tight glove, she refrained from asking.
There was something extremely powerful and at the same time highly vulnerable about him. More than that, he oozed an unnatural wave of primal sex. He was completely compelling, captivating. And a part of her actually wanted to touch him.
He sidestepped her as if he knew her thoughts and was made extremely uncomfortable by them.
As he started for the door, she stopped him. "Ash?"
"What?"
"How do you punish a Dark-Hunter who breaks the rules?"
He scowled at her. "Depends on the rule and the circumstances. You have something in mind?"
She clenched her hand into a fist, afraid that he might see her palm and the telltale marking there. "No. I was just wondering."
"I see." Once again, he started to leave, then paused in the doorway. His eerie silver eyes burned into her. "But you know something, Susan... I personally don't believe anyone should be punished because they want to share their life with someone." His gaze turned empty as if he were thinking of something from his past. "No one should have to pay for love in flesh or in blood."
And with that, he left her alone to think about what he'd said.
Ravyn was right. Acheron was one spooky man. And it made her wonder what price he must have paid to hold that view.
As she reached for a washcloth, she heard Ash knocking on the door across the hall.
"Hey," he said to Ravyn in that strange lilting accent of his. "I just wanted to let you know that I have to leave now."
"You just got here."
"I know. I told you that my time here was extremely limited. But don't worry. I'll be back in a few days."
"Don't worry?" Ravyn asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why would I worry? We only have humans and Daimons dropping out of the sky to murder us. Nothing to fret about at all."
"Yeah, well, it could be worse."
"How so?"
"You could be mated to a human."
Susan's stomach hit the floor at those words. Her eyes wide, she moved to the door and cracked it open to see Acheron heading down the hall while Ravyn watched after him with his face stern.
She quickly closed the distance between them and waited until Ash had vanished out of sight. "Do you think he knows?" she whispered.
"I have no idea."
Her heart hammering, she looked back down the hallway to make sure Ash was really gone. He was, but those words lingered and left them both unsettled.
So much so in fact that when Ravyn's phone rang two seconds later, it actually made her jump.
Ravyn scowled as he saw Cael's number. Given their earlier words, he was rather amazed to have his friend calling him so soon again.
He flipped the phone open. "Yeah?"
"Hey, Rave. We have a serious problem."
"I'm aware of that."
"No, leopard, you're not. I was just paid a visit by the chief of police, who dropped by with two Daimons."
Ravyn went cold with dread as he looked at Susan, who was watching him with a curious frown. "What?"
"You heard me. They busted up the place pretty badly and killed Amaranda's sister."
Ravyn winced at the news. Granted protecting Apollites had never been a mandate of his, he still hated to see anyone killed so needlessly. "What about you? You okay?"
"I'm hurt, but I'll live."
"And your wife?"
Cael paused. When he spoke, his voice actually broke. "Thanks, Rave."
"For what?"
"For the kindness of asking about her without having venom in your voice."
Ravyn glanced over to Susan. He was actually beginning to understand Cael's stupidity. "Yeah, well, I might not like it. But we've been friends for a long time. "
"I know, which is why I'm calling. While they were here I learned some interesting things."
"Like I killed the chief's wife who was also a Daimon?"
"Yeah," Cael said, his voice full of disbelief. "How did you know that?"
"Lucky guess."
"Well, it gets better. He wants you like there's no tomorrow. "
Ravyn had pretty much figured that one out, too. "Did you tell him where I was?"