The Dark-Hunters (458 page)

Why was she even surprised? What, honestly, had she expected? It wasn’t like her mother was going to suddenly wake up and be Mother Teresa.

Disgusted, Kat flashed herself back to Sin’s penthouse. He gave her an expectant look.

She held her hand up to stop him from speaking. “Don’t even ask.”

“Typical Artemis response?”

“I said don’t ask.” Her heart heavy, she walked over to the weapons he’d laid out on his bed and picked up a small crossbow, which at the moment, she’d have liked to shoot into her mother’s evil heart.

She’d no more than lifted it when a bright flash illuminated the room. She turned, ready to fire at the source of it.

Until she saw Deimos … and fifteen other members of the Dolophoni.

She couldn’t have been more stunned to find her grandmother there.

Sin stepped back, his face suspicious. “What is this?”

“Backup,” Deimos said sincerely. He pinned Kat with that dark, deadly stare of his. “I heard what you said to Artemis … and her response. We’re not all so cold.”

One of the females smiled. “Besides, fighting is what we do best.”

Sin considered it for a second before he held his hand out to Deimos. “Welcome to the battle.”

Deimos inclined his head before he shook Sin’s hand. “For the record, this doesn’t mean I like you.”

“Ditto.”

As Sin started for Kat’s map to show them the layout of the cavern, D’Alerian, M’Adoc and M’Ordant appeared.

Kat was even more stunned than she’d been with Deimos.

“You have room for three more?” M’Adoc asked Sin.

“Sure,” Sin said. “We can always use more fuel for the pyre.”

Kish snorted. “For the record, I don’t burn well.”

Xirena ruffled his hair. “Trust me, human, all of you burn well.”

“That’s right,” Simi added. “The Simi can ignite most folks and fry them up extra crispy.”

Kish sighed. “Lovely.”

Ignoring their exchange, Sin ran over the plans with everyone. “The good news is, they haven’t had time to round up as many humans to sacrifice. I’m hoping that whatever they did to speed up the clock, they didn’t know about.”

Damien grimaced. “What if they did it on purpose?”

“Let’s be positive, shall we?” Kat said in the voice of a kindergarten teacher, “Let’s pretend that we’re all going to survive this.”

Kish grinned. “I’m with Kat. I like her plan. A lot.”

After glaring at him. Sin clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “All right, kids. We’re going to a party where they don’t like us very much. Everyone know what they’re doing?”

“Not a clue,” Kish chimed in happily. “But I think certain death and dismemberment is in my forecast, followed by a light rain of guts and flayed skin.”

“So much for being Mr. Positive, huh?” Damien laughed.

“Let’s see how you’re laughing when they toss your butt out in daylight.”

“I think I can handle it.” Damien stepped forward, but Sin stopped him.

“You need to sit this one out.”

Damien glared at him. “Bullshit.”

“No,” Sin said, his tone determined. “Kish is right. It’s daylight and I’m not willing to take that chance.”

Still, Damien wasn’t sold. “We’ll be underground.”

“And we’ll be blasting holes in the walls. If someone hits the right place, daylight and dead Damien.”

A tic started in Damien’s jaw, but he ultimately conceded. “Fine. But remember when they kick your butt, I tried to save it.”

Sin clapped him on the back before he surveyed each member of their team. “I wish I could think of something inspirational to say to all of you. Some great speech to send you off to battle with, but as I look around—”

“All I see is people going to die,” Kish wailed.

Kat laughed. “Pretty much. But if we have to check out, let’s take as many of them as we can.” She moved to Sin’s side and took his hand in hers. “You’re not alone, babe.”

He squeezed her hand. “Thank all of you for being here. Mankind may not know about you, but I know they’re grateful. Now let’s go kick demon ass.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

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

Kat stopped them before they could fan 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 Day buffet. He shouldn’t have been 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, or more to the point,
few
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 mountaintop 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.

He ran to his brother’s side. “Zakar?”

Zakar’s face was contorted by pain as he met Sin’s gaze. Sympathetic agony tore through Sin. He’d give anything to spare his brother this.

“You realized what they’ve done?” Zakar asked.

“Yes.”

Zakar’s golden eyes bored into him. “Then kill me and stop it.”

Sin shook his head. There was no way he could do such a thing. “I can’t kill you. You’re my brother.”

“Kill me, Sin,” he said from between clenched teeth. “I’m not worth saving. End my suffering.”

“No.”

His breathing labored, Zakar looked at Kat. “Tell him, Katra. We don’t have time to argue. The demons are already fighting the others and they’ll be here shortly. I can hear them. Tell him to kill me and stop the release.”

Kat hesitated. How could she tell Sin to kill his own twin? It would be the worst sort of cruelty—which was no doubt Kessar’s plan.

It would kill Sin to hurt him. Out of all the powers she had, why couldn’t she have had one to stop the …

Kat paused as an idea struck. “Wait. I have a plan.” She went to Zakar to study how the lock was embedded in his chest. The sight of it made her cringe. Kessar had gone out of his way to make it as painful as possible.

Forcing the bile down, she met Sin’s hopeful gaze. “Simi can pull the lock out and I can heal the wound instantly.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Absolutely.”

Sin cupped Zakar’s head between his hands. “I believe in you, Brother. You stay with me and we’ll get through this.”

Zakar’s eyes were filled with hope as Simi moved toward him. She seized the chain from his back. “This is going to hurt you a lot. I’m sorry for that.” Then she jerked it free.

Zakar let out an echoing scream before he fell forward, into Sin’s arms. Blood poured from his mouth and back.

Aching for both of them, Kat took Zakar from Sin and let him slump against her. “I’ve got him. Go reset the lock.”

As soon as Sin reached for it, she placed her hand over Zakar’s back and closed her eyes to heal him. She wouldn’t have long to revive him or it would be too late.

Before Sin could insert the Rod, the lock flew from his hands.

Kat cursed as she realized her powers weren’t working either. Zakar wasn’t healing.

A feeling of dread consumed her. This wasn’t right.

And in that instant, she knew what had happened.

Kessar.

Turning, she saw him standing in the doorway with the lock in his hand. “You didn’t really think you could win this easily, did you? That you’d send your conspirators to attack my demons and I wouldn’t know where to find you? For shame.”

Sin ran at him, but Kessar slammed him down without even touching him. He did the same as Xypher tried to attack. “I have the Tablet of Destiny and you have no powers.”

“Bullshit,” Xypher snarled. “I stole it from you.” He pulled a medallion from his pocket.

Kessar laughed as he held his arm up to show a small, identical medallion hanging from his wrist. “Do you really think I’d be so stupid? Had you really taken it, I would have chased you straight to the halls of Olympus to reclaim it. As I said, you have no powers now.”

Xirena scoffed. “I got mine.”

“And the Simi has hers.”

But before they could even move toward him, Kessar stepped back and sealed them into the room. The sound of scraping stone echoed around them and slammed shut with a resounding crash. Kat ran at the door, but it was a solid slab of stone that would take an elephant to move.

And it wasn’t budging. Damn it!

Kat let out a disgusted breath. “I can’t believe this. We’re trapped in here, with the Dimme, while the Rod is on the other side.” She turned toward Sin. “How long till our powers are back?”

Sin looked as ill as she felt. “A few hours according to last time.”

“Sweet,” she said sarcastically, “and we have how long till the bitches awake?”

“Less than two.”

She mimicked Mr. Rogers’s voice. “Can you say screwed, boys and girls? Yes, I thought you could.”

Sin ignored her as he went to Zakar’s side. A muscle worked in his jaw as he pulled his brother to him and held him quietly in the darkness.

Kat wanted to cry for him. Her heart heavy, she moved to stand by his side and gently rubbed his shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Sin. I didn’t know it’d turn out this way.”

“I know.”

But it didn’t change anything. Zakar was still dead and they were trapped. Kat sank to her knees to hold him while he held his brother.

“
Akra
-Kat?”

She turned at Simi’s call. “Yes, sweetie?”

“The Simi is going to get
akri
to come and make it better.”

How she wished it were that easy. But her father was as trapped as they were. “I’ve already tried that.”

Kish studied Simi for a minute. “Why don’t we send the demons out to get the Rod and bring it back to us?”

“They can’t stand alone against the number of demons outside,” Xypher said. “They’re two against thousands. It would be a slaughter.”

“I’m going to get
akri.
” Simi vanished.

Sin didn’t speak a word at all. He just held his brother and looked as if his heart had been ripped out, too.