Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter 11)

Eris gave her a pout that any spoiled toddler would envy before she vanished.

Kat stepped forward as Xypher tried to grab the whip again, only to have the same thing happen. She could see and feel the frustration from him, the pain. Every lash cut through his body. But he didn't cry out.

Closing her eyes, she summoned as much of her powers as she could. The sfora heated on her chest as she wished the skeleton out of the chambers.

To her amazement, it worked.

Dressed only in a pair of black leather pants, Xypher lifted his head to look over his shoulder. He turned to her with an angry glare. That glare lacerated her with its hatred as he rose slowly to his feet. "Bring it on, bitch."

His anger baffled her. "Bring on what?"

"Whatever torture you've got planned. I'm ready."

She felt bad for him that he would expect nothing else from a visitor. "I'm not here to punish you."

"Sure you're not..."

"Really. I'm not."

"Then what are you here for? Fun and games?"

"Information."

He laughed cruelly. "Since I've been stuck for centuries in this hole, I find that hard to believe. I don't even know what year it is, so what information could I possibly have that would be of any use to you?"

"I was told that you're a Phobotory Skotos. I need to know if you've ever been inside the dreams of demons."

He hesitated before he answered. "What of it?"

"I need information about what scares one of them."

No sooner had she spoken than two more skeletons appeared-both holding barbed whips.

Kat cringed while Xypher backed up, eyeing the two of them warily. She would tell them to go away, but she held no authority here to order them, and what little power she had left she needed to conserve until the Tablet's effects wore off.

When the first skeleton swung the whip, Xypher dodged it. But it didn't do him any good. Vines grew out of the earthen ceiling to wrap themselves around his arms. He fought as best he could, but in the end, they dragged him up and held him for his beating.

Cursing in frustration, Xypher leaned his head back and tensed an instant before they both lashed him with the whips. He tried to kick at the skeletons, but it did no good.

Finally, he lifted his head to stare at her. "You want my help. Get me out of here."

"I can't do that."

"Then I don't know anything." He hissed as they lashed him again.

Kat turned away, sickened by what was going on. He was right, she couldn't leave him like this. It was cruel beyond cruel. She didn't know what he'd done, but surely it didn't warrant this amount of abuse.

Very well, she could hope for the best and try to negotiate. "Hades?"

The dark god appeared before her. Tall and lean, Hades was gorgeous. His black hair curled becomingly around his shoulders as he eyed her with an amused gleam in his eyes. "You again? Don't you have anything better to do than chafe my tolerance?"

She frowned at him. "I haven't seen you in more than a decade."

"Really? It seems like yesterday. Oh well." He stepped around her to grimace at the skeletons. "What are you? Girls? Learn to hit like you mean it. Damn, my wife could beat him harder than that."

Kat winced as the skeletons picked up speed and vigor. "Could you please stop with the beating?"

Hades scoffed. "He's being punished. Hello? This is Tartarus, remember the purpose of this part of the Underworld? We're not really warm and fluffy over here."

"And I need a favor from him, which he will not do so long as you're beating him."

Hades looked less than pleased. "What favor could you possibly need from something like him?"

"Information about a dream."

He dismissed her request. "Get it from one of the other Oneroi."

"I tried, but they sent me to Xypher. They said he was the only one who could help me."

"Poor you, then."

"No, Hades," she said sternly, wanting him to understand what was at stake. "Poor all of us. The Sumerian gallu demons are breaking out and they're about to unleash the Dimme. We are currently powerless to stop them, and I need someone who can get me inside their heads and tell me how to stop them."

Hades held his hand up. The skeletons stopped moving. "Do you know what happened the last time one of the Dimme went free?"

"No, but given what I've seen of the gallu, I imagine it was rather rough."

"You have no idea." He left her to approach Xypher. The only way anyone could tell he was hurt other than his wounds was by his ragged breathing. "Do you know about the gallu?"

Xypher didn't answer.

Hades punched him fiercely in the side.

"Hey!" Kat said, closing the distance between them. "I think he's had enough."

"No, he hasn't."

Xypher spat at Hades, only the spittle didn't make it to the god. It reversed course and went straight to Xypher.

Hades smirked at him. "Nice try, dick. Think you're the first one to attempt that? Now answer my question."

She couldn't believe the angry look on Xypher's face. He was practically goading Hades. "Why should I tell you shit?"

"Because I can make your stay here even worse than it already is."

"I look forward to it."

Hades drew back, but Kat grabbed his hand. "Please, Hades, can we try this my way?"

"You're a fool, Katra. He only respects violence. It's why he's here. Did you know it took eleven Oneroi to kill him? Eleven and they barely survived it."

"Yeah," she breathed, "and the last Dream-Hunter I sent in after the gallu was killed by them."

By his face she could tell it wasn't news to him. "Kytara. She's in the Elysian Fields now."

Kat was grateful for that at least. She couldn't stand the thought of Kytara being punished like this. "I need someone who can go into the demons' sleep and not be taken out by them."

Hades cut a glare at Xypher. "He is already dead."

"Yes." Kat stepped around Hades so that she could speak directly to Xypher. "If we give you back your life, will you help us?"

"No!" Hades growled. "I will not allow something as monstrous as him to walk free again."

"What did he do that was so awful?"