Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter 11)

"He tortured people, Katra. He drove them mad with nightmares and didn't care who he hurt. He is without conscience or morals."

"I don't want my life back," Xypher snarled, interrupting them. "You can shove that up both your asses."

Kat was baffled by his anger. "Then what do you want?"

"My freedom."

Hades snorted. "Freedom for you? Never."

"Hades, please," Kat begged. "I know you're able to negotiate. Do I need to get Persephone in on this?"

At the mention of his wife, Hades tensed. Since Kat and Persephone were longtime friends, Seph always sided with her and it never boded well for Hades.

Luckily, he knew that. "Fine, what do you want?"

Kat took a deep breath in relief that she was going to win this. She looked up at the Skotos. It was a gamble she was taking here, but with any luck it might work out. "Xypher, if you will help me, Hades will set you free and make you human." With him a human, they could always kill him again if he went back to being Rogue.

There was doubt in his eyes, but it was mixed with a tiny amount of hope. "You swear to free me from here?"

She nodded. "By the river Styx."

"Then it's a deal."

Smiling, Kat turned toward the god. "Hades?"

He hesitated as if debating whether or not he should agree. When he spoke, his voice was stern. "If he helps you, I will grant his freedom. But he will only be human for a month. If at the end of the month he hasn't shown himself worthy of humanity, he comes right back here."

By Xypher's expression it was obvious he wanted to tell Hades where to shove his pact. But in the end Xypher knew this was the best he could hope for.

"Fine. Let me go and I'll help."

The vines released him so suddenly that he fell against the floor. He rose slowly to tower over Kat. Even wounded, he made a formidable sight. "What do you need?"

"I need to know where the Tablet of Destiny is and I need a weakness for the demon Kessar... and I need it yesterday."

Xypher nodded before he looked at Hades. "I need all my powers returned to me."

He curled his lip. "You're dead."

"And I need my Oneroi powers back if I'm to help her."

Hades narrowed his eyes. "Don't think you can escape me even with them. You made a bargain and you are bound by it."

"And I will abide by it."

Hades snapped his fingers.

Relief flashed across Xypher's brow before he dressed himself. When his gaze met Kat's, she saw sincerity and gratitude there. "I'll be in touch." He vanished.

Kat smiled in contentment until Hades shook his head. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I think I do."

"No, Kat, you don't. Did you even bother to ask anyone why he was served with a death sentence?"

"You said it yourself. He was a Skotos who refused to be reined in."

"Yes, he was. He would also hunt down humans and terrorize them until they went mad from it. Not a few people, Kat. We're talking more than a hundred. His last victim set himself on fire, trying to escape the nightmares Xypher had caused."

Kat covered her mouth as horror filled her. "Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Because you said you knew what you were doing. Nice to know you lie like everyone else."

That stung on more levels than she wanted to acknowledge. She hadn't meant to lie to anyone, and she hated the fact that Hades knew just where to attack someone.

But she wouldn't let him know that he'd struck a nerve. "Thanks for your help, Hades."

He inclined his head before he left her alone with her own fear over what she'd done. By trying to make things better she had a bad feeling she'd just unleashed another menace into the world.

At the rate she was going, who needed to fear the gallu? It appeared she was the biggest threat to humanity.

Her guilt churning, she left to go tell Sin the latest good news.