The Dark-Hunters (504 page)

He paused, his hand in her hair, as unfettered pain tore through him. He’d never told a single soul what had happened, but as he lay here with Simone, the truth came pouring out before he could stop it. “I made a bargain with Jaden to accept her punishment.”

“What?”

He let out a tired sigh. “I showed Satara how to walk into people’s dreams. I allowed her to use my powers and manipulate them.”

“Why did you do that?”

“For the same reason you dance with Jesse. Dreams were the only place where I could have emotions. Whenever Satara joined me there, I felt like a man. And I thought I felt love for her. At the time, I was willing to do anything to make her happy.”

“But you didn’t love her?”

He sank his hand in her hair and spread it out over his chest. He savored the cool, tickling sensation of it. “No. And she didn’t love me, either, even though she said she did. She was using me and my powers so that she could attack people and torture them while they were helplessly asleep.”

Simone’s heart sank at what he described. “What?”

“That’s the curse of the Skoti. If we visit one person too much, we can burn them out and either kill them or make them go insane. Satara was using my powers as a way to assassinate those she didn’t like.”

Xypher drew in a sharp breath as he remembered that fateful day. Satara had been dressed in red, her blond hair flowing around her like an angel as she ran to him and threw herself into his arms.

“Xypher, help me, please…” Her eyes had sparkled with her tears.

He’d never seen her cry before.

“What’s wrong?”

“Zeus and Hades are going to kill me. You can’t let them.”

“Kill you for what?”

“For the dreams you taught me. They … they said I was doing something wrong, but the people I killed deserved it. You believe that, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

She’d smiled at him then and he’d been lost. “Please don’t let me die, Xypher. I love you. I’ll always love you.”

Gods, what a fool he’d been to believe her.

Simone swallowed as the knot in her stomach tightened. She knew what he’d done. “You summoned Jaden.”

He nodded. “I gave him my soul if he would make the other gods believe I was the one who’d tortured the humans. Satara had promised me that once I was dead, she’d come to Tartarus and feed me seeds from the Destroyer’s garden.”

Simone frowned as she tried to understand. “Why eat seeds?”

“They would have killed me completely. Every facet of my being would have been wiped out of existence.”

Simone gasped at the horror of what he described. “Why would you want that?”

He took her hand and rubbed it down the scars that marred his chest. “I didn’t want to bleed for all eternity for something I didn’t do. I was willing to die for her and I wanted her to make sure that I didn’t continue to suffer.”

Simone winced at the pain she felt for him. “She didn’t carry out her part of the bargain.”

“No. Instead she came and laughed at me for being so stupid.” His eyes flared red. “There for a time, she’d even helped them to torture me. I would stare at her, wanting a part of her flesh so badly that I could taste it.”

Simone covered her mouth with her hand as bile rose in her throat. “How could she do that?”

“She’s a soulless bitch, and now you know why I can’t go back to hell without taking her with me. I’m not the only man she’s fucked over, but by the gods on Olympus I want to be the last.”

Yeah, now she understood, but the understanding didn’t change the fact that she didn’t want him hurt. Or worse, dead.

“I would
never
betray you like that.”

His gaze softened, but deep inside his eyes, she saw the doubt that tore at her.

How could she ever prove herself to a man who’d been so deeply betrayed?

Simone laid her head against the worst of the scars on his chest and took his hand into hers. Somehow she was going to prove it to him. He wasn’t going to be alone in this fight anymore.

“Satara deserves to pay for what she did.” How could anyone, after having been given so much, turn on the very person who gave it? It was cruel beyond cruel.

“Believe me, she will. If I have to descend into hell and drag her out by her throat.”

Simone shook her head at him. “There’s the little ray of sunshine I know so well. Ever out to cheer people up.”

“Well, it could be worse.”

“How so?”

“I honestly don’t know. But it’s something humans say so I thought it would be appropriate.”

Simone laughed until she saw the writing on his arm. “What is this?”

He covered the hand she held there. “It’s a reminder I wrote of why I have to have Satara’s blood. Why I can’t give up my quest no matter the temptation.”

Simone tightened her hand over the words. How sad that he had marked them there. And she wondered if there would ever be any way to erase them and replace them with something far kinder.

*   *   *

Stryker paused as he caught sight of his sister at his desk, writing. “What are you doing?”

She jumped, then pulled a book down over her paper. “Writing a letter.”

“To whom?”

“It’s personal.” She got up and sauntered over to him. “I have good news for you. The gallu have found the Dimme.”

Stryker lifted a single brow in interest. “Really?”

She nodded. “One Dimme could take out the Destroyer, yes?”

That was the theory. “We need her.”

“No…” Satara said with an evil smile, “
you
need her. But there’s one small problem.”

“And that is?”

“Do you remember when Dionysus almost opened the portal to Kalosis and Apollymi sent her Charonte out to stop him?”

Of course he did. Apollymi had been livid that day. “They were sent to keep Acheron from dying, but yes, I remember. What of it?”

“The Charonte didn’t all die. Apparently a large number of them survived and they’re guarding our Dimme.”

Stryker choked. “Charonte are guarding a Dimme? Is the world coming to an end and I missed the memo? How the hell did that happen?”

“I’m not sure. But if someone…”—she gave him a meaningful look—“will loan me some of his Spathi Daimons, I might be able to get my hands on the Dimme. Then we can use her to kill my Xypher problem and your Destroyer problem. What do you think?”

It sounded like a good idea, but also a risky one. While his Spathi were highly trained and excelled at killing, so were the Charonte. The last thing he wanted was to deplete his army. However, if he could kill Apollymi and claim her powers as his own, it would be worth losing a few dozen soldiers.

“Very well, sister. You’ll have your pick of my soldiers. Just remember that if you fail in this, it’s all on your head. I know nothing about your plan.”

“Don’t worry, Stryker. I’m not about to fail, and by tomorrow both of our problems will be solved.”

FIFTEEN

Xypher came awake to the oddest sensation of his existence. A woman snuggled against him. He lay there on his side in silence, just feeling her against his spine. Her right arm was draped over his waist, while her thigh was nestled between his. Her cheek lay against his shoulder and her breath tickled his skin.

He closed his eyes, savoring every nuance of her against him. Was this what being human felt like? Did human males take this for granted?

How could they? To have someone trust you enough to lie unconscious against you while you did the same, and for both of you to awaken unharmed …

It was heaven.

No, Simone was heaven.

Why couldn’t he have been born human? Born to this time and place so that he could stay with her. The fact that he couldn’t was even more cruel than the torture he’d endured in Tartarus. He wanted to crawl inside her and stay there forever.

But it wasn’t meant to be and all the dreaming in the world wouldn’t change the fact that once this reprieve ended, he’d be right back in hell where memories of her would torture him forever.

How would he be able to stand it?

His heart heavy, he carefully rolled over so as not to hurt her. She whimpered in her sleep before she moved and smacked him in the nose with her elbow.

Ow! He rubbed the tip of his nose and blinked back involuntary tears.

“You’re going to pay for that,” he whispered against her skin.

Pulling the covers back, he stared at her naked body. Her curves were lush and full, her nipples slightly puckered. Her hips were flared and rounded, while her legs were parted just enough for him to see that she was still moist. It was the most inviting sight he’d ever beheld.

The frown returned to her face before she grabbed at the sheet to cover herself and rolled away to cocoon in it.

Xypher laughed. She was a cantankerous thing in the morning. So much for all her talk about beginning her day with a purpose. More like she began her day with pouting. Amused by that, he leaned down to nibble the underside of her breast.

Simone came awake to small licks that caused her stomach to contract and her body to melt. Opening her eyes, she saw Xypher staring up at her with a look so intense that it stole her breath.

“What are you doing?” she teased.

“I’m licking you,” he said, before he drew one nipple deeper into his mouth. “I couldn’t be this close to you and not touch you. Besides, you owe me for my latest shiner.”

She rubbed at her eyes. “Latest shiner?”

“My nose. You slapped me while you were sleeping.”

“No I didn’t.”

“You’re right. You actually slammed your elbow into my nose.”

She brushed the hair back from his eyes and touched his nose where she’d accidentally hit him. “Oh, my goodness. I guess I’ll have to kiss it and make it all better.”

His look was wicked and warm as he crawled up her body. “I’ve got another boo-boo for you to kiss.”

She looked between their bodies to see his erection. “Hmmm, and what a big boo-boo it is, too.”

Xypher kissed her, his heart pounding at the way she teased him without malice. He honestly loved the newness of it.

People were afraid of him. They were angry at him.

No one had ever laughed with him or played with him.

And it was then he came to the most shocking conclusion of all.

He loved her.

Deep inside in a place where he never looked, he felt that love blazing. It burned and it ached, and it would do anything in the universe and beyond to keep her safe. The knowledge lifted him up.

And terrified him to the depth of his soul.

No!
The scream of denial ran all the way through him. He didn’t want to love anyone. Love was for weak-minded fools.

Glancing at his arm, he read the words he’d branded there …

It’s a tool used to manipulate and ruin anyone who is stupid enough to hold it.

Don’t be stupid.

Love destroys.

He’d given his love to Satara and she’d thrown it back in his face and then lashed him for his foolishness. But Satara had never treated him like this. There had been no laughter. No tender touches. No early-morning blushes and kisses that warmed him all the way to his core.

And in the horror of his realization over Simone was the knowledge that he’d never really loved Satara. He’d wanted to know love so badly that he’d contorted the concept of it to fit a relationship that it had no part in.

This time love had come up behind him and clubbed him on the head when he hadn’t been expecting it. These emotions took him by surprise, they weren’t conjured by some inner need he had.

When he’d met Simone and thrown her into her car, she’d been nothing more than a pawn.

Now she was his world.

And there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. How the hell had that happened? Yet there was no denying it. The worthless demonspawn who’d been wanted by none had given his heart over to a human
misafy …

Simone moaned as she felt a shift in Xypher’s touch. It was tender and sweet. Almost reluctant.

And at the same time it was masterful. His hands roamed her body, giving her pleasure and making her sigh.

Lifting his hand, she kissed his scarred knuckles. Then she took the pad of his forefinger into her mouth to gently suckle it.

Xypher rolled with her, pulling her on top of him. Smiling, Simone straddled his waist and stared down at him with an expression of kindness.

He’d never seen anything more beautiful or welcome. “Love me, Simone.”

“What?”

“Make love to me.”

Simone nodded. There was something needful in his eyes. Something that said this meant more to him than just a physical act. Wanting to make him understand that she would never hurt him, she kissed his lips softly as she slid herself onto him.

Xypher threw his head back as she slowly moved against his hips. It was an exquisite torture. Slow and steady. One so fierce that all he could do was tremble.

He was helpless against his woman and her guileless charms.

The light cut across her body, making it glow. She leaned over him, letting the ends of her hair brush against his chest and stomach while she rode him ever so gently.

Biting his lip, he lifted his hips, driving himself into her even deeper. Needing to feel as much of her as possible.

Simone smiled at the beauty of Xypher. She ran her hand down his muscular chest, cupping and stroking the tawny flesh. She couldn’t imagine going back to her life without seeing his face every day. It would kill her.

In no time at all, she’d grown accustomed to his being a permanent fixture in her life.

She never wanted him to leave.

Normally when someone was around her all the time, she got irritable with them. Even Tate. But Xypher was like Jesse. Even when he was annoying, it was charming and she didn’t mind it in the least.

His eyes searing her, he took her hand into his and led it to his mouth so that he could nip the side of her flesh. God, those lips were beautiful. Leaning forward, she ran her tongue over the stubble on his chin. It was so rough and masculine. She loved the sensation of it prickling her skin.

Xypher wrapped his arms around her and lifted his hips, meeting her strokes.