Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter 11)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It was one thing to plan an attack, but an entirely different matter to implement it.

Kat stopped them before they could span out and start toward the chamber where the tomb was. "I'm going to do some quick recon. Let's see if they know the seal is breaking and are waiting for us."

Sin held her hand for a full minute. He stared at her with every part of his heart in his eyes, shining there for her to see. "Don't you dare get hurt."

Kat grinned playfully. "You keep talking like that and I'm going to think that you actually like me."

"I love you, Katra, and I don't want to bury you."

She knew exactly how hard it was for him to say those words. The fact that he said them before so many witnesses...

Nothing had ever touched her more. "Don't worry, I'll be back to torment you before you can even miss me."

"You better be. Without you, I might actually manage to grow an ego-May the gods forbid." He kissed her quickly, then sent her off.

Kat changed to her Shade form to float through the winding caverns unseen and unheard. Everywhere she went, there didn't seem to be much activity. The demons didn't appear to be gathering their forces at all.

"When should we start rounding up the humans?"

She froze at the sound of a sharp, feminine voice coming from a room just ahead of her.

She approached it carefully, then peeped around to find Kessar and a woman lounging before a fire.

"End of the week," Kessar said. "No need to have them here any sooner. I hate listening to them whine and cry. Mewling, pathetic creatures."

Kat felt a giddy rush. He had no idea the seal was broken... Oh this was good. Finally, some luck for all of them.

Smiling, she took a step back.

And bumped into something solid.

Kat's heart stopped beating as she reached around and touched an arm. Please be one of us, please be one of us... She turned slowly, hoping to find Xypher or one of the others.

It wasn't.

It was a tall male demon who eyed her like the roasted turkey on a Thanksgiving's Day buffet. He shouldn't be able to see her, and yet somehow he did.

"Kessar! We have a spy in our midst." He reached for her.

Kat vanished instantly and returned to Sin and the others. "Houston, we have a problem. A demon spotted me and is calling for help."

Sin cursed.

"But," she added quickly, "the good news is, they don't know about the timer speeding up."

Deimos met Sin's gaze. "With any luck, they'll think Kat was alone."

Sin nodded. "We need to split up to keep them from learning how many of us are here." He turned toward his servant. "Kish, stay with Simi and Xirena and follow me and Kat. We're headed for the tomb to stop the clock."

"We'll divert the demons," Deimos said. "And raise all manner of hell."

"Thank you."

Deimos inclined his head to Sin. "Are we all ready?" He looked around at his brethren who all appeared to relish the coming fight. Letting out a blood-chilling war cry, he and the rest of the Dolophoni ran through the caverns.

Thank the gods they weren't on a snowy mountain top with all that noise. There would be an avalanche for sure.

M'Adoc put one finger in his ear and waited until they'd vanished. "I hate their dramatics... and the decibel level."

Then he and D'Alerian and M'Ordant headed after them at a much more subdued pace.

Kat looked around. "Where's Xypher?"

"He went to keep an eye on you."

"I didn't see him."

"That's because I was doing recon of my own."

They turned to see him looking pale.

"Where did you go?" Sin asked.

"Zakar. I know why the clock is ticking and you're not going to like it in the least. They embedded the lock in his chest."

Sin felt sick at the news. "You're kidding."

He shook his head. "I assume that whatever spell makes the lock work-"

"Caused it to accelerate. Zakar is part demon and god. The combination must have been what caused it."

Xypher nodded.

Kat squirmed at the thought of poor Zakar and the pain he must be in. "Can we get the lock out?"

"You can look, but I don't think so."

Sin's face was harsh, cold, and furious. "Kessar's paying me back for his brother's death."

"No," Xypher said, his voice thick, "he's paying Zakar back for helping me. Bloody bastard."

Kat put her hand on Sin's arm to comfort him even though she knew he was past that. How could a simple touch alleviate the pain he must be in?

"Take us to him," he said raggedly.

Xypher did.

Sin felt his face go pale as he saw his brother on his knees next to the tomb that held the Dimme. Dressed only in a pair of jeans, Zakar was slumped against the stone with his hands chained apart.