The Dark-Hunters (857 page)

Heilig, Ben
    Daimon son of Paul Heilig, Seattle Chief of Police, and brother to Derrick.

Heilig, Derrick
    Daimon son of Paul Heilig, Seattle Chief of Police, and brother to Ben. Derrick was killed by the Apollite Amaranda.

I am the Light of the Lyre
    “I am the Light of the Lyre and I walk in his grace” is the phrase used by Daimons and Apollites seeking shelter from another Daimon or Apollite. The “Light of the Lyre” refers to their ancestors’ kinship to Apollo.

Icarus
    A known Daimon.

Illuminati
    The thirty or forty oldest and most powerful of the Spathi Daimons, and the last of the Atlanteans. The Illuminati are the bodyguards of Apollymi, and they are led by Stryker. Then again,
all
Spathi are led by Stryker. He has a god complex (sorry, couldn’t resist that crack).

Inkblot
    Derogatory term for Daimons, stemming from the strange black mark that all Daimons develop on their chests at the moment they cross over, the mark where the souls they have stolen collect. This spot is where a dagger or other sharp weapon must penetrate in order to kill the Daimon.

Iroas
    Iroas means “hero” in the Apollite language. A Daimon hero is an Apollite who can find it in himself to defy Apollo and his “minions.” This term also refers to anyone who crosses over from Apollite to Daimon—the ultimate defiance.

Kalasian
    The Kalasian are Apollite angels of mercy. Found all over, they usually live among the humans, but are willing to aid any Apollite they find. Many of the Kalasian are located in the Arcadian or Katagaria sanctuaries.

Karones
    A community of Apollites found in areas across North America, usually Canada and the northern United States. Unlike most Daimons, members of the Karones tend to frequent cooler climates.

Kathoros
    Said to be even more evil than the Spathi, Kathoros Daimons are rare. At one time they were believed to have been the servants of the Atlantean war god Misos. Like the Arcadian Sentinels, one half of a Kathoros Daimon’s face is tattooed, and legend says they shave their heads.

Katoteros
    The Atlantean term for “heaven,” and currently the home realm of Acheron Parthenopaeus. All Apollites and Daimons dream of being able to reclaim their right to rest in Katoteros.

Katoteros.com
    Apollite-Daimon Web site that teaches about the Apollite history and way of life and warns the Daimons about specific Dark-Hunters. (Yeah, we’ve got their number.) It is made to look like a Greek history site, but there are password-protected areas. Don’t worry, we’ve got a team of Squires assigned to cracking those. It’s only a matter of time.

Kerri
    Apollite sister of Amaranda. Kerri was killed by one of Paul Heilig’s Daimon sons.

Lakis, Maia
    Apollite doctor and member of the Cult of Pollux who helped Cassandra Tryggvason give birth to her son Erik while in Elysia. Dr. Lakis died naturally very soon after, at age twenty-seven.

Lamina
    Atlantean term for “haven.” Laminas are portals between Kalosis and the human world, often used by Spathi Daimons to escape Dark-Hunters. They are also commonly referred to as “bolt-holes.”

The term
lamina
also applies to any Were-Hunter sanctuary, since both Apollites and Daimons are safe from Dark-Hunters there. There is more information on these kinds of laminas in the section on Were-Hunters.

Mavrovian
    A community of Apollites whose branches are located in the warmer climates. Mavrovians can often be found in and around the Mediterranean. They are exceptionally secretive. Many of them carry the mark of the lyre.

Ryssa
    Ryssa was the princess given to Apollo by the Greeks. She was one of his favorite mistresses. At the time, Ryssa was declared the most beautiful woman in the world.

She and her son (that Apollo fathered) were brutally murdered by servants of the jealous Apollite queen, the act that caused Apollo to curse all Apollites, damning them for eternity and creating the Daimons.

Peters, Nia
    Cassandra’s sister and Jefferson Peters’s half-Apollite daughter. Along with her sisters, Nia was one of the last direct descendents of Apollo. She died alongside her mother when Spathi Daimons blew up their car.

Peters, Phoebe
    Cassandra’s sister and Jefferson Peters’s half-Apollite daughter. Along with her sisters, Phoebe was also one of the last direct descendents of Apollo. She was rescued from the Spathi car bomb that killed her mother and sister Nia. Phoebe was turned Daimon by her savior (and later husband), Urian. She remained an Animakos Daimon until she died in Elysia, saving Cassandra and her newborn son from Stryker.

Rigas
    Much like a Were-Hunter Regis, Rigas are the leaders of certain branches of Daimons who travel in packs. Daimons in that pack must swear ultimate fealty to their Rigas. Once that oath is taken, it is eternal. The only way out is death.

Scuds
    Slang term for young Daimons out to prove themselves worthy. They are headstrong and belligerent, and they tend to talk big (bigger than normal). They should be slightly easier to kill.
Should
be. Don’t show them any mercy, just to be on the safe side.

Shanus
    The Supreme Councilor of Elysia.

Sirius
    One of Stryker’s four Spathi commanders.

Spathi
    The Spathi are elite and evil Warrior Daimons. They are Apollymi’s guards and pets. Spathis can be reincarnated after they die, as their disembodied essence will remain intact. The true Spathi can be identified by the mark of a yellow sun that holds a black dragon in its center. Stryker is their leader.

Strykerius (aka Stryker)
    Also known as the Daimon king. Stryker is the adopted son of Apollymi, and the only Spathi allowed in her presence. The direct son of Apollo, Stryker was one of the first Apollites cursed. Because of this, he hates his father passionately. Wouldn’t you?

It was through his adoptive mother’s teachings that Stryker learned the art of harvesting souls to elongate his own life—a secret he happily shared with his Apollite brethren. He was the first Daimon, and he is the commander of their legions.

You may notice that Stryker shares Acheron’s silver god-blessed eyes, but he was not born with them. Stryker got those eyes only after he scorned his father Apollo. The details after that as we know them are kind of sketchy.

Ever vigilant, Stryker also holds a grudge against Acheron, and vows to rid the world of everything and everyone Ash holds dear. Essentially, Stryker feels as if he’s been betrayed by the whole world, and he has vowed to see his father, Apollymi, and Acheron fall at any cost. He’s one bad mama-jama and he makes no bones about it, but despite his rage he is forbidden to harm the Abadonna (Katra) or the Elekti (Acheron).

Stryker may be a ruthless Daimon, but he does have a code of honor. He is the leader of the Illuminati and father of Urian (the only person Stryker ever loved). Of course, that didn’t stop Stryker from slitting Urian’s throat when he discovered his son’s betrayal and leaving him for dead.

Beware: Stryker also has the ability to transform into a large, black dragon.

H
EIGHT
: six foot eight

H
AIR
/E
YES
: ebony/silver

Summoning, The
    The name for a Daimon homing beacon the Day-Slayer can use to summon Daimons and Apollites to conference, or for war.

Terrence
    Daimon brother-in-law of Paul Heilig, Seattle Chief of Police.

Tiber
    One of Stryker’s four Spathi commanders.

Trates
    Stryker’s second-in-command. While in Seattle, Trates was stabbed in the back and killed by Paul Heilig in 2006.

Trelos
    The Trelos are insane Daimons that even other Daimons hunt and kill. Trelos start out as Akelos who have taken so many criminal and evil souls that they have destroyed their very own nature and sense of self. They no longer have control of their bodies, and they will kill anyone they come into contact with, Apollite, human, or Daimon, whether they need to feed or not. They have no leader.

Tryggvason, Cassandra Elaine
    (née Peters) Half-human/half-Apollite and the last of Apollo’s direct bloodline, Cassandra is the daughter of Jefferson Peters (human), and sister to Nia and Phoebe. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.

In order to survive unmolested as a human, Cassandra had her teeth filed down at the age of ten, and received bimonthly blood transfusions. She wears a small signet ring on her right hand that her mother gave to her before she died—a ring the Atlantean kings used when they were married. She also has five pink teardrops tattooed on her palm that form a flower’s petals, in honor of her mother and sisters.

Cassandra was married to Wulf Tryggvason while seeking asylum in Elysia. She was brought back to life (after mutually feeding off her husband, as advised, and then dying, which was unforeseen) by Acheron. When he revived her, Ash also revoked from her and her progeny the daylight curse of the Apollites. She is the mother of Erik Tryggvason.

H
EIGHT
: six foot one

H
AIR
/E
YES
: strawberry blond/hazel green

P
OWERS
: latent telepathy

Tryggvason, Erik Jefferson
    Son of Wulf and Cassandra Tryggvason, and therefore also a direct descendent of Apollo. Both he and his mother
must
be protected at all cost.

Tselios, Theo, Dr.
    Apollite-Daimon veterinarian who captured the Dark-Hunter/Were-Hunter Ravyn Kontis in feline form and trapped him in a Seattle animal shelter. Dr. Tselios was later killed by Stryker.

Urian
    Stryker’s last surviving son, Urian was the first child ever to be naturally born a cursed Apollite. He was at one time second-in-command of the Illuminati. Urian saved Phoebe Peters (whom he later married) from the explosion that killed her mother and sister Nia.

Acheron saved Urian when his father slit his throat for treachery, reincarnating him and turning him into something other than Daimon or Apollite … as only Ash can do.

B
ORN
: 9526
B.C.

B
IRTHPLACE
: Delphi

Van Helsings
    Slang term for human vampire slayers.

Zolan
    Stryker’s third-in-command.

Great Gods All Mighty

Dealing with Demons, Demigods, Deities, and All Other Things Immortal

So, can I eat the redheaded goddess now?

—Simi

The Wrath of the Gods

They’re sensitive, emotionally volatile, and prone to violent outbursts. No, it’s not your ex-girlfriend with PMS … meet the gods (who are like an ex-girlfriend with PMS that can read every thought in your head). You treat them much the same way: Compliment them generously, shower them with gifts, and keep a safe distance. Only do it more so with the gods, because (unless you were very unfortunate) your ex-girlfriend isn’t going to turn you into a spider or curse you until the end of time.

Remember that nifty double bow-and-arrow mark you got from a certain goddess after your Act of Vengeance? You know where I’m coming from.

Demigods are the sons or daughters of gods, the product of a dalliance with a nymph or human (it happens more than you think). Demons are the “animals” (and no, they won’t excuse that expression, so don’t you ever repeat it) of the immortal world. Some are merely pets, protectors, and playthings, but some are intelligent enough to have thwarted the gods themselves.

Any way you slice it, it’s important to remember one thing: If it’s immortal, it has the ability to make your life more of a living hell than it already is. Yes, you’ve got superpowers and would be able to hold your own … for a while. Just don’t.

Summoning Gods

Cupid, you worthless bastard, I summon you to human form.

—Julian Alexander

The proper way to summon a god is to say the following:
“[Name of god], I summon you to human form”
 … or some close variation thereof.

Please know what you’re getting yourself into before you summon a god. Refresh your memory by reading the proper summon again. Be
reeeeally,
really sure this is what you want to do.

Also keep in mind that all the gods (save Artemis, of course) are forbidden to help the Dark-Hunters. And really don’t count on her coming with a cavalry either. You are a soldier of Artemis, her pet if you will (or if you don’t, up to you), and the rest of the gods will keep a safe distance from you because of that.