The Dark-Hunters (846 page)

Technically, because of his hotheadedness, Dante’s Inferno is not an officially registered limani with the full amenities granted such. But you can be pretty sure that if you’re under Dante’s roof—provided you’re on his good side and you’re not a Daimon—you’re just fine.

Of course, while you’re there, you should also have fun. Indulge in the mixes of Dante’s house DJs—if you’re lucky, Romeo Pontis will grace your groove with his charmed Pied Piperesque beat-when on the dance floor, you are required to let yourself go. If you have trouble relaxing, be sure to stop by the bar and have a Bloodtini, or order up a round of Fabio Bombs. You’ll be jiving in no time.

If you’ve got the munchies, don’t hesitate to order up some of the Inferno’s fabulous appetizers. If you feel the need to enjoy your meal in solitude, take a break down in the soundproof pit, equipped with its own bar and subtle ambiance. If dancing’s not your thing, you can spend your cash at the superstocked arcade, sporting all the latest and hottest new games.

Of course, if dancing’s not your thing and you happen to be young and blond, you’ll have to forgive the staff if they’re … more than a little suspicious.

Top Five Requested Songs at Dante’s Inferno

1. “Ashes to Ashes” by Warchild

2. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day

3. “Taking Me Alive” by Dark New Day

4. “My Immortal” by Evanescence

5. “Charlotte Sometimes” by The Cure

THE SERENGETI CLUB

Seattle, Washington

This popular singles club is the domain of the Were-leopard Kontis patria. The building is recognizable from the outside by its black, mirror-tinted windows.

Show off your best down one of the many blacklight hallways leading to the state-of-the-art fiber-optic-lit dance floor. If the earth moves beneath your feet as you shimmy and shake you’re not imagining it … eighteen subwoofers are strategically and subtly planted beneath you. You will feel the rhythm, that’s a guarantee. Check out your local listings to see which fabulous live bands or guest DJs will be rocking Serengeti’s dance floor Friday and Saturday nights.

Every weekday night is karaoke night, so warm up your vocal cords and come on down. Bring some friends—the more the merrier—and they’ll have to say yes to Tuesday’s two-dollar draft night. If putting on the hits is not your bag, join one of Serengeti’s darts, poker, or pool tournament leagues.

You’ll never have to sing for your supper, though—the Serengeti Club offers a full-service restaurant to satisfy your every craving. (And if you haven’t tasted Terra Kontis’s homemade French fries, you have not experienced heaven.) Serengeti also does banquets and private party packages—call ahead to make an appointment.

The Kontis clan will take care of you from the time the party starts until the wee hours of the morning. If you’ve partied a little too hard, one of Gareth Kontis’s sons will be happy to escort you home in the Serengeti courtesy van (just don’t embarrass yourself and try to take the Kontis boy with you). Get home safely, sleep soundly, and live to party another night away at the Serengeti Club.

The Serengeti also houses a small emergency clinic complete with hospital beds and basic supplies, should any extenuating circumstances arise. Alberta, the Serengeti’s staff doctor, will happily nurse you back to health … or put you down, whichever’s necessary.

Top Five Requested Songs at the Serengeti Club

1. “Fergalicious” by Fergie

2. “Between Me & You” by Eight O’Clock Vendetta

3. “Without Me” by Eminem

4. “Beautiful Liar” by Beyoncé and Shakira

5. “Stupid Girls” by Pink

Were-Hunter Directory

Here are a bunch of folks you might run into, hear stories about, ask to watch your back when you’re in trouble, or run the other direction from if you happen to see them coming. (Those Were-Hunters really get around.) Scattered throughout are also some common terms used by and about the Were-Hunters.

Acmenes
    A Katagari dragon, one of Bracis’s clan.

Aloysius
    (deceased) One of the tessera sent after Vane. Aloysius was killed by Bryani Kattalakis.

Anya
    (deceased) Lykos Were-sister of Vane and Fang who mated with the fallen Strati warrior Orian. Since their souls were bonded Anya should by all rights have died when Orian died, only she was pregnant at the time. Unfortunately, the den was attacked by Daimons and Anya was killed before she could give birth.

B
ORN
:
A.D
. 1463

B
IRTHPLACE
: Essex, England

Apollonian, Leo
    Contrary to his given name, Leo is an Arcadian Were-bear. He represents the Arcadian Ursulan patria at the Omegrion as Regis of his clan.

Archigos
    The leader of a patria.

Aristos/Aristi
    A rare breed of Arcadian with the ability to wield magic effortlessly. The most powerful of their kind, the Aristi are considered gods in the Arcadian realm and are guarded zealously by patria who would gladly die for them.

Aristotle
    Regis of the Rogue panther clan who kidnapped Pandora Pontis from the future. (Not to be confused with Aristotle Tigarian.)

Arnulf
    Known Arcadian Were-Hunter.

Book of Dragons
    The Book of Dragons explains the origin of the Arcadian Draki. It was taken from the Library at Alexandria by Sebastian Kattalakis the day before the great fire and given to Channon MacRae as a birthday present.

Bracis
    A Katagari Were-dragon who killed Sebastian Kattalakis’s sister, Antiphone.

Constantine
    This antisocial Arcadian Were-jackal is Regis of his Tsakalis patria.

Cresting
    Term used to describe Were females at the height of their sexual peak.

Diki
    Trial by combat in Were culture.

Dragon Tapestry
    Woven by Antiphone Kattalakis in seventh-century Britain, the tapestry tells the story of Lycaon and his brother. In essence, it embodies the origin of the Arcadian Draki and the eternal struggle between good and evil. The tapestry currently resides in the Richmond Museum in Virginia.

Exoristos
    Term for an exiled Were. No member of the exiled Were’s former patria is allowed to even speak his name. (See Ravyn Kontis.)

Fazer
    A dangerous Sentinel weapon developed specifically for the Katagaria. The fazer sends a jolt of electricity through its victim, making their magic go berserk and rendering them unable to hold on to either animal or human form. If the jolt is strong enough, there is a possibility that the victim might “fall out” of his body altogether.

Filos
    The Katagaria term for a male pack member (affectionate). Can also mean “pack” or “brotherhood.”

Gavril, Adrian
    This Arcadian Were-tiger represents his patria at the Omegrion as the Arcadian Tigarian Regis.

Giovanni, Michael
    A Katagari Were-cheetah, Michael is Regis of his Helikias patria.

Griffen, Taran
    Bartender and waitress at Sanctuary, Taran is a major night owl who loves her job and lives to tease the regulars.

Hawke, Draven
    Regis of the Katagaria Gerakian patria.

Isabeau
    (deceased) Ravyn’s human mate. Isabeau betrayed Ravyn’s Were pack to her human family. They slaughtered all the patria’s women and children while the men were out hunting. She was later killed by Ravyn as his Act of Vengeance when he opted to become a Dark-Hunter.

James, Alexander
    This Arcadian Were-panther represents his patria at the Omegrion as the Arcadian Panthiras Regis.

Kallikedes, Icarus
    Were-Hunter of the Gerakian patria. Icarus was last seen in Paris in 1860.

Kallinos, Jasyn
    A legendary Were-hawk with a price on his head. A hero to the Katagaria and the devil to the Arcadians, Jasyn once lived to kill and stalk and maim. Don’t cross him on a bad day. In fact, it’s probably safest not to cross him at all. The only person he ever trusted tried once to hand him over to the Arcadians. It is rumored he ate that friend.

Only the bravest of the Sentinels have faced Jasyn, and Arion Petrakis, the Gerakian Arcadian Regis, has vowed to see him dead. The two of them play a deadly game of hopscotch and one-upmanship. Sooner or later, one of them is bound to kill the other.

B
ORN
: 4685
B.C.

B
IRTHPLACE
: Thracia, Greece

H
AIR
/E
YES
: blond

Kattalakis, Antiphone
    (deceased) Sister of Sebastian and Damos. Antiphone was killed by Bracis and his Katagaria in seventh-century Britain. She was responsible for weaving the legendary Dragon Tapestry.

Kattalakis, Bride
    (née McTierney) The bonded mate of Vane Kattalakis, Bride owns the Lilac and Lace Boutique in New Orleans. She graduated from Tulane University. Before Vane, Bride had a horrible streak of boyfriends that ended with Taylor, a bastard who couldn’t accept Bride as she was and broke up with her in a FedEx letter he charged to her account. (Did I say bastard already?) Her mother and father are both veterinarians who met in grad school and married upon graduation. Bride is the youngest of three siblings—her sister lives in Atlanta, and her brother works for a firm in the New Orleans business district. She has no love for her mother-in-law, Bryani.

H
AIR
/E
YES
: auburn/amber

F
EATURED
N
OVEL
:
Night Play

Kattalakis, Bryani
    An Arcadian Sentinel Lykos Were-Huntress, Bryani is mother to Vane, Fang, Anya, Fury, Dare, and Star. She chose to live in Dark Age Britain, and dress kind of like something out of a
Xena
episode. Her father was Regis of the wolf clan before Vane.

Bryani was captured and raped by a pack of Katagaria … at which point it was discovered that by some bizarre twist of fate she had been mated to one of them (Markus). Disgusted at the prospect, Bryani refused to complete the mating ritual. Unfortunately, she was already pregnant. After giving birth to a litter of six children of both human and animal base forms, Bryani took the three human children away with her and left the animals for Markus to raise.

Bride McTierney kicked her butt once. She hasn’t forgotten. Happily (for us), Bryani was banished to a fifth-century arena on an island to battle her husband for eternity.

Kattalakis, Damos
    Arcadian Were-dragon, and Drakos Regis in the Omegrion, Damos is the eldest of the direct Kattalakis Drakos descendents. He is the brother of Sebastian Kattalakis, and cousin of Darion. His parents, along with 90 percent of his patria, died after a brutal Slayer attack (thought to be led by Darion). His powers are legendary and his skills as a leader are beyond question.

Damos is haunted by his dark past, and he has sworn to seek out every Slayer in his time period. He will keep his people safe at any cost—even when it means banishing his own brother. The survival of his patria rests upon his shoulders. It is a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly.

B
ORN: A.D.
530

B
IRTHPLACE
: Wessex, England

Kattalakis, Dare
    The Arcadian brother of Vane, Star, Fang, Anya, and Fury. Dare was raised by Bryani, along with his Arcadian sister Star.

B
ORN: A.D.
1463