STRYKER LAY ABED WITH ZEPHYRA IN HIS ARMS as he listened to her soft snore. Smiling to himself, he traced the outline of her features with his fingers. She was so beautiful. Delicate. He'd missed her so much. And it felt so good to hold her again. There was nothing in his life that he'd ever cherished more than these quiet hours alone with her like this.
He was just dozing off when a sharp knock startled him. "Enter."
Davyn came in with a look that told him something was seriously wrong.
"What?"
Davyn swallowed. "We were routing the gallu and . . ." He flinched and looked away as if terrified of continuing.
"And what?" Stryker growled from between clenched teeth.
Davyn swallowed hard. "War brought in reinforcements."
No shit. Why would that cause him to be so afraid? It was only to be expected. The surprise would have been for him to continue fighting alone. "We can get the-"
"They captured Medea."
Zephyra shot up in the bed, fully alert as a wave of rage singed him. "They what?"
"Took Medea," Davyn repeated, his voice hollow. He met Stryker's gaze and the shame in his eyes would have touched Stryker had he not been so angry at the man. "War wants you to surrender to him or he will kill her."
Stryker's curse matched Zephyra's. "Rally our men," Stryker ordered.
Zephyra caught his arm as he started to leave the bed. "We can't fight him. He'll kill her."
Davyn nodded. "She's right. War was clear. He wants you to come alone or her life is forfeit."
Stryker ground his teeth as he hated himself for putting his own daughter in harm's way. He met Zephyra's gaze and saw the fear that hid behind her anger. "I started this and I will finish it. I swear to the gods that I won't let him hurt her."
"You'd better both return. I don't like funerals." Her tone was a quiet whisper in the darkness.
Stryker pulled her close and kissed her forehead. No words had ever meant more to him. "Don't worry. I've buried bigger assholes than this and I intend to laugh on that bastard's grave."
NICK COCKED HIS HEAD AS HE FELT A FOREIGN sensation flutter over his skin-like a delicate butterfly's wings dancing against his flesh. He turned quickly to find a woman behind him. Tiny and lithe, she held a power to her that warned him she was as lethal as she was beautiful. "Who are you?"
An evil smile played at the edges of her lips. "Call me Ker. War sent me to tell you that we hold the goddess Menyara. If you want her returned, you're to come unarmed and alone to the St. Louis Cemetery at midnight."
He scoffed at her. "Rather cliche, isn't it?"
"Not really." She vanished.
Nick sat down slowly as he watched the skin on his arm change to the now familiar red and black pattern. He was stronger than he'd ever been before. His power felt absolute . . . if he knew how to control it. But the problem was, the strength was followed by great weakness. He could feel it, he just couldn't really utilize it.
His heart heavy, he looked around the room of the tiny house Menyara had called home since the days of his childhood. Drawings and statues of ancient gods and goddesses were littered about and now he saw the writings of protection on the walls that had been invisible to his human sight. This was where she'd kept him safe . . . as a child and as the monster he'd become.
The humble shotgun shack was hardly fit for a goddess, yet this had been Menyara's abode of choice. And it was here she'd partially raised him alongside his mother.
Wincing, he saw his mother's lifeless body in his mind. Felt her cold flesh as he'd tried to revive her. Her blood had soaked him as his world shattered in one hollowed-out heartbeat. He didn't know if he'd ever be the same again. The anger. The hurt. The betrayal. It was all still fresh. Still biting.
"I miss you, Mom," he whispered as bitter agony washed through him. She'd died because of him and him alone. He knew that. He just didn't want to face that fact.
Now Menyara's life was in his hands.
He could either swallow his pride and save her or he could charge in and watch her die . . .
The choice was his alone to make.
ASH STOOD ON THE BALCONY OF SAVITAR'S walkway, which overlooked the great hall below. Hidden by shadows, he watched as Tory, Danger, and Simi laughed while they ate ice cream sundaes. Indescribable emotions tore through him. But the one thing he could name was the feeling of warmth he had every time he saw them. The feeling of family.
Not once in his life had he ever thought to have this sensation of peace and happiness. To know the gentle touch of a woman who truly loved him. A touch he could trust to never turn painful or brutal. Truly, it was a miracle.
Tory looked up as if she sensed him and smiled a smile that struck him like a hammer. He took a step forward, then froze as he felt the last presence he would have ever expected.
Nick.
Ash didn't move as he sensed Nick at his back and waited for him to attack.
He didn't. Instead, Nick let out a deep breath before he spoke in a low, lethal tone. "I trusted you, you bastard, and you let me down."
"I know," Ash said quietly as he tightened his grip on the banister. "I should have told you about Simi and I didn't. But then, I knew how you were around women."
"I would never have touched her had I known she was your daughter."
Ash turned to face him. "We both fucked up, Nick. We were both trying to protect ourselves from harm, and in doing so, we ruined the very things we wanted to shield. I should have trusted you more, but my past has never lent itself to such openness." He let out his own tired sigh. "So are you here to fight me?"
Nick's eyes sparkled red in the shadows. "Believe me, nothing would give me more plea sure than killing you. But I need a favor and I don't have anyone else to turn to."
Ash arched his brow at that. He knew the bitter pill Nick was swallowing and the last thing he would do was make it burn more. "What's happened?"
"War took Menyara. I need to know his weakness so that I can help her."
Ash let out a light laugh at the irony. "You are his weakness."
"At full strength. Maybe. But I can't stop him like this, can I?"
Ash shook his head.
"Can you?"
"Not alone."
Nick took one step closer to him. "Then tell me what I need to do."
"Ash!"
Ash stepped back to look down where Tory was calling him. If he'd thought Nick was a shock, it was nothing compared to what waited for him there. He had to blink twice just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
"Damn. Lucifer must be sitting on icicles today." Ash glanced back to Nick. "Stay here for a few."
"Ash-"
"Trust me, Nick. Stay hidden and I'll be right back." Ash flashed himself down to the table where Stryker was standing next to Tory.
The Daimon looked less than happy to be there, but that was nothing compared to Ash's feelings, especially since the Daimon stood practically on top of two of the six most important people in Ash's world.
Ash narrowed his gaze. "What are you doing here?"
"Savitar sent me to speak to you."
Ash arched a brow, but he knew Stryker wasn't lying. There was no other way for him to have gotten in here unchallenged. "So what's up?"
Stryker's features were completely blank. "War has taken my daughter and is holding her." There was a crack in his voice to let Ash know the man wasn't as ambivalent as he was trying to appear.
Ash shook his head. "There seems to be a lot of that going around suddenly."
"Has he taken Kat?"
Ash laughed at the very thought of War trying that award-winning act of stupidity on his daughter . . .
But that thought scattered as he realized how simple the solution to all their problems was.
Kat. There was a weapon War wouldn't see coming and by the time he realized it, he'd be defeated and back under their complete control.
Deadening his expression, Ash folded his arms over his chest as he met Tory's gaze and winked at her. She, Simi, and Danger were completely composed and silent as if waiting to see whether they should attack Stryker or let him live on in peace. "I assume you're here to beg a favor."
"I beg for nothing. I'm merely proposing a temporary truce."
Ash scoffed. "A truce to deal with the very thing you unleashed in an effort to kill me?"
Stryker shrugged nonchalantly. "Why bicker over split hairs?"
"True. After all, we have much larger grudges against each other than that."
Stryker's eyes turned dark, his expression deadly. "Then you refuse?"
"No. War has to be stopped, and it will take the whole of us to do it."
"The whole of who?"
Before Ash could answer, Nick appeared beside them.
Curling his lip, Stryker stepped forward to attack him.
Ash forced Stryker back and put himself between the two. "Think of your daughter. You kill him, we're screwed and she's dead."
Stryker cursed. "Fine. But once War is put down, I'll be after the two of you again."
Grinning snidely, Ash let go of Stryker and stepped to the side of the two men. He held his hand out. "Works for me. For the ones we love, today we're allies. Tomorrow we resume our natural order of mortal enemies. Gentlemen, and I use that term loosely for all of us, have we an accord?"
Nick covered his hand with his own. "I'm in."
Stryker hesitated. "For Medea." He placed his hand over theirs.
Tory gave a light laugh. "What a freaky alliance this is. So what do we do now?"
Ash didn't hesitate with his answer. "You stay here."
She growled at him. "Acheron-"
"No arguments, Sota. I swear, it'll be fine."
"We've had this macho discussion before, and you normally lose."
It was true, he did have a hard time saying no to her, but for all that, she was more than reasonable, which was why he loved her. "And I know you're fully capable of holding your own. The gods know, I'm not strong enough to stand against you for long, but in this, I need a clear head which means I need you out of harm's way."
"Fine. But anything goes wrong and I'm coming in."
"Nothing's going to go wrong."
She looked at Nick and then Stryker before she returned her gaze to him. "You are such an optimist. My Spidey-sense is tingling all over the place."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "That's from eating the ice cream. Relax."
Danger snorted. "Relax. Trust me. It'll be all right. Isn't that how I ended up dead?"
Ash grimaced at the reminder. "Stop feeding her anxiety."
Simi perked up at his comment. "Anxiety. The Simi's never eaten that before." She looked at Danger. "Is that tasty?"
"Not really."
"Oh. Maybe we should put barbecue sauce on it. Everything's better with barbecue."
Ash shook his head. "And on that note, we're going to plan our strategy."
Tory moved to his side. "That I can do."
Yes, she could. Taking her hand, Ash led her and the others to Savitar's office where they could outline their attack and share what each knew about War and his weaknesses.
KER TSKED AS SHE WATCHED THE MEN AND ONE woman adjourn to a paneled room where they sat plotting War's demise. "How quaint. The mice are herding together in an effort to take us down."
War laughed at Ker. "I expected no less. But they underestimate us. By morning, they'll all be dead, and with the blood of the Malachai, we'll be able to revive our brethren. While mankind prepares for their Christmas Day, we're going to celebrate with a feast of their souls. At midnight, the veil between the worlds is thin and Nick is going to open up a new era. Let the bloodbath begin."
Ker smiled brightly. "I can't wait."
ASH CHECKED THE BLADES IN HIS BOOTS TO make sure they were working. He turned his head as he felt someone enter the room to his left. It was Urian.
"You're helping my father?" It was more an accusation than a question.
Ash made sure to keep all emotion out of his voice. "We have to stop War."
"Stryker murdered my wife," Urian snarled.
"I know."
Urian shook his head as his eyes flared with anger. "How could you help something like him?"
Ash had had enough with both the accusations and the self-pity. There was a lot more at stake here that just hurt feelings and past betrayals. "You helped him for centuries. Need I remind you of how many lives you took under his command? Lives who were related to you-you killed Phoebe's mother and her sister."
He flinched at the truth. "I loved my wife. I never meant to hurt her."
No, but it didn't change the fact that he had. Repeatedly. Urian had taken from his wife the very people she loved more than anything. It was hypocritical of him to hold that same action against his father. For too many centuries, Urian and his brothers had been a tool that Stryker had used more than effectively.
But times changed.
And it was time the man learned about Medea. "By the way, you have a sister."
Urian tensed. "What?"
Ash met his gaze levelly and kept his expression completely stoic. "It's the life of your sister we're going to protect. Not your father's."
He shook his head in denial. "My sister died eleven thousand years ago."
"Medea is a half-sister."
That wiped the disbelief from his face and returned anger to his cold eyes. "And I should care, why?"
Ash held his hands up in surrender. "You're right. You shouldn't care at all. She's nothing to you which is why I haven't invited you to join us." Ash started past him.
Urian pulled him to a stop. His eyes were harsh and biting. They accused him even more than Urian's words had. "How would you feel if my father had killed Tory?"
Ash answered honestly and without hesitation, "I would feel soulless. Lost and hurt beyond repair."
Urian looked away. "Then you understand me. And why I want him dead."
Ash pulled Urian's hand off his arm. "He knows that too. But have you ever considered that he might regret what he did to you?"
"My father? Get real. The bastard has never regretted a single thing in his entire life."
Even as corrupt as Stryker was, Ash had a hard time believing that. "We all have regrets, Urian. Nothing that lives is immune from that nasty emotion."
"So what? You want me to go kiss and make up?"
"Hardly. But I want you to set aside your own hurt and anger to see clearly for a minute. This isn't about you and your father anymore than it's about me and Nick hating each other over something we can't change. This is about saving the lives of a million innocent people. People like Phoebe who don't deserve to be hunted and killed. If I can stand at the side of my enemies for the greater good, so can you."
Urian scoffed. "Well, I guess I'm just not as special as you are."
"No one knows their true mettle until it's been tested. This is yours. Whether you pass or fail is entirely up to you. I can't tell you what to do, but I know where I'll be tonight . . ." He hesitated before he asked the most important question: "So what do you choose?"
"Gory death."
Ash shook his head. "You stubborn bastards. Take it from someone who knows firsthand, there's a lot to be said for forgiveness. Grudges seldom hurt anyone except the one bearing them."
"And there's a lot to be said for knocking enemies upside their heads and cracking their skulls open."
Ash felt a tic start in his jaw over the man's obdurate nature. "To everything there is a season, and tonight ours is to stand together or lose everything. I'm not fighting for Stryker or to save your sister. I'm fighting to protect the ones I love. The ones who will suffer most if War isn't stopped . . . children like Eric and-"
"I get it," he snapped at the mention of his nephew.
"Do you?"
Urian's gaze hardened. "I will be there, but once our enemies are put down-"
"We fight each other. Understood."
Urian nodded. He took a step back, then paused before he stepped even closer to Ash. "I want the honest truth about something. Could you really fight with someone who did as much damage to you as my father has done to me?"
Ash met his gaze without blinking. "I subjugated myself to the goddess who drugged me to the point I couldn't protect my sister and nephew the night they were brutally slaughtered, and they were the only two people in the universe who'd ever given two shits about me. Later that same day, she stood back and let her twin brother butcher me on the floor like an animal, yet within hours after that I sold myself to her to protect mankind. For the sake of the Dark-Hunters, I subjected myself to her cruel whims for eleven thousand years. So, yeah, Urian, I think I could manage to suck it up for an hour to protect the rest of the world."
Urian let out a slow breath. "You know you're the only man alive I'd ever follow after what I've been through. You're also the only one I respect."
"And you're one of the extremely few I trust."
Urian held his hand up to him. "Brothers?"
"Brothers to the end," Ash said, taking his hand and clutching it tight. "Now before we get all girly and cry, get your ass upstairs and prepare for what's coming."
STRYKER STEPPED BACK AS HE ADJUSTED THE brace on his left arm. It wasn't often he wore the titanum-laced armor, but since they were about to be up against the gods only knew what, he wanted to be prepared.
He left his room to find Zephyra in his office, staring into the sfora as she tried to locate Medea. It wasn't working. Wherever War was keeping her was off limits to them.
"I'll bring her back. I swear it."
Zephyra rose slowly as her gaze held his captive. "I wish you'd reconsider my offer."
"You won't be fighting with a level head, and you know it. We don't know what we're walking into, but I'm sure War isn't going to play by any rules. As Acheron said to his woman, I can't fight if my attention is partially on you. I'll need every advantage I can have."
Zephyra nodded in understanding. She reached up to brush a lock of coal-black hair back from his eyes. Her chest was tight with fear not just for Medea, but for him, too. How unfair to lose him now when she'd just found him again. "Will I be able to watch in the sfora?"
"You should."
"Then know that I'll be laughing at your ineptitude every time your enemies strike you, and if you fail to return with my daughter, I'll have your heart and your head for decorations."
Stryker narrowed his gaze on her and would have told her exactly what he thought of that had a small glint on her hand not caught his attention.
It was her wedding band. The one he'd kept all these centuries in his room. That one ring belied and translated her words.
She didn't want him harmed . . .
A slow smile curved his lips as he lifted her other hand to place a kiss on it. "Your words are noted, my most prickly rose. And I shall endeavor to keep your amusement at a bare minimum."
As he stepped away, she grabbed the buckles on the front of his armor and pulled him back to her lips so that she could kiss him.
Stryker growled at how good she tasted. "I want you here naked when I return."
"You return whole and I promise you a night you won't soon forget."
"I intend to hold you to that, my lady."
Zephyra nodded and let him go even though all she wanted to do was hold him closer to her. Don't get killed. The words hung in her throat as unimaginable pain ripped through her, but she wouldn't say those words. She wouldn't jinx him or let the Fates know how much he meant to her. If she did, they might kill him just for spite. So instead, she clenched her hands and watched him leave the room to join his enemies to fight for their daughter's life.
Come back to me, please.
Stryker paused at the door to take one last look at Zephyra. Calm and composed, she didn't appear to care in the least what happened to him. At least until he saw the way she clenched her fists. A small smile played at the edge of his lips as that warmed every part of his body. "I'll be back, Phyra."
"And you better have our daughter with you."
The smile broke at her use of "our." "I will." Inclining his head to her, he slipped out the door and went to their rendezvous spot in New Orleans. It was the quiet alley on Pere Antione outside of the Ethel Kidd realty offices. In the shadow of the Cathedral, his plan had originally been to unleash his men onto humanity from this very place-give or take a few feet. Now, here he was fighting not only to protect the ones he viewed as food, but to protect his own.
Yeah . . . Fate was ever a capricious viper.
A bright flash made him squint as Acheron appeared before him. Dressed in a long black leather duster, jeans, and a My Chemical Romance t-shirt, the Atlantean's eyes were covered by a pair of opaque sunglasses.
Nick Gautier flashed in a second later. His black clothing was much more reserved. A black button-down shirt and slacks. The only thing that made him stand out was the double bow and arrow mark of Artemis that was branded on his cheek.
Ash broke into an arrogant grin. "So are we going to continue glaring angrily at each other while we pose in our tough stances? Or use our time to work out a plan that hopefully doesn't end with our mutual deaths?"
"I vote for mutual death," Gautier grumbled. "But only after Menyara is safe."
"And Medea," Stryker added. "I want you both to swear that regardless of what happens to me, you won't allow her to die."
"I swear," Ash said.
They looked at Nick.
"She's done me no harm. I'll get her out of there if it's at all possible."
Stryker nodded even though he wanted to gut the man who'd killed his sister. Then again, Satara's plan had been to have Nick rape Ash's fiancee. Instead Nick had stabbed her and taken Ash's woman to safety. In all honesty, he could almost respect Gautier's actions. Had it not been his sister Gautier had killed, he might even have considered them noble.
Still Satara had been his ally for centuries. Even though she'd been crueler and colder than any creature he'd ever known, it didn't change the fact that Stryker had loved her in spite of her faults.
Turning his thoughts to Ash, he folded his arms over his chest. "What do you have planned?"
Before Ash could answer, Kat popped in. Stryker arched a brow at her appearance. Over six feet tall, she bore a striking resemblance to her mother, Artemis, right down to her bright green eyes. But she had Acheron's blond hair and, lucky for them all, his temperament.
Her presence surprised him. "You're bringing your daughter into this?"
Ash shrugged. "She has an interesting ability that I think will make War back down."
"And that is?"
Kat's grin was identical to the one Ash had worn earlier. "I can siphon powers out of the gods."
"Really?" Stryker took a step back from her.
Kat laughed evilly. "You never realized how close to the edge you treaded when you insulted me, did you?"
"Apparently not. So how does this siphon work?"
She wiggled one threatening finger in his direction. "I have to be touching the person . . . Good thing I find you so repulsive I never wanted to do that, eh?"
Stryker rolled his eyes before he turned his attention back to Acheron. "What if we can't get her close enough to War to touch him?"
"I'll take her home," the deeply accented voice came out of the darkness.
Stryker turned to find Kat's husband Sin behind him. Strange, he hadn't heard or felt the Sumerian god's appearance. That spoke volumes about Sin's powers that he could mask them so completely. And it made him feel more confident that they could surprise War and his entourage, too.
Stryker pulled his pocket watch out to check the time. It was fifteen till. "Showtime, folks. Are we ready?"
"We're ready."
Stryker scowled at Artemis's voice as she, Athena, Ares, and Hades joined them. "What are you doing here?"
Artemis looked at Kat. "You're not sending my baby into danger without me."
Ash choked. "Now you discover maternal instinct?"
She narrowed her gaze on him.
"She's always been protective of me," Kat said with a laugh. "In a very Artemis sort of way."
"Like a viper nursing eggs," Stryker added under his breath.
Artemis raked him with a cold, scathing glare. "Did you dare to say something to me?"
"Good to see you again, Grandma."
Artemis curled her lip as she stepped away.
Nick cleared his throat in order to gain their attention. "You know there's one slight problem with this."
"We were told to come alone," Ash answered.
Stryker shrugged. "They told the three of us to come alone at the same time which by nature would make us a group."
Ash gave a half-hearted laugh. "Yeah, but I think Nick's right. The three of us need to head in alone to see what's up and to keep them from being suspicious." He glanced to Kat. "Give us five minutes before you drop in."
"Will do."
"What about us?" Ares asked.
Kat threw her arm around him and smiled. "You'll be hanging back with me. Hopefully I'm the one thing he won't see coming."
Athena stepped forward. "Good luck, gentlemen."
Ash inclined his head before he looked to Stryker and Nick. "You ready?"
Nick nodded.
"Always," Stryker said.
They took up positions with Acheron in the middle as they left the dark alley and headed down St. Ann toward the cemetery. Ash's long black coat fanned out slightly from his ankles as they walked like hungry predators toward a meeting Stryker was sure all of them could have done without. As if one beast outlined by moonlight, they moved in complete synchronization.
The only sounds they could hear were the music from Bourbon Street, the beating of their hearts, and the clicking of their boots on the pavement. The streets glistened from an earlier rain as dark clouds still hung above them and the street turned from commercial buildings into residential.
"How many times have you walked this street, Gautier?" Stryker asked.
"A thousand or better and I intend to be here for a thousand more."
Stryker nodded until they neared the cemetery, and he realized something. War did nothing without express intent. "Why do you think War chose this place to meet?"
Ash paused to look at him. "He wouldn't care about solitude."
Nick snorted. "Maybe he likes dead people."
A chill went down Stryker's spine at those words. They'd barely left Nick's lips before he saw just how right that sarcastic comment was. There before him stood three women.
Nick's mother, Stryker's daughter, and Ash's sister.