Stygian

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  But thankfully, Cassie recognized her. Gasping, she stared at her in utter disbelief.

  Time stopped as Phoebe took in her sister’s long strawberry-blond hair and those features that were way too close to their mother’s. She’d missed her family so much!

  “Phoebe?” Cassie breathed. “It’s really you?”

  Tears blurred her vision as she choked on her tears. “It’s me, Cassie. I’m here to help you.”

  Her sister stepped back and collided with the much smaller dark-haired guy who stood behind her. He was eyeing Phoebe with all kinds of malice. And so was the tall blond woman who looked like she ought to be on an island somewhere shooting the bikini issue of Sports Illustrated rather than locked in a boathouse being chased by Daimons.

  But it was the doubt in Cassandra’s eyes that stung. “You’re supposed to be dead.”

  “I am dead,” Phoebe whispered. “You’re a Daimon.” There was no missing the accusation and judgment in the Dark-Hunter’s tone.

  Phoebe nodded.

  “Oh, Phoebe …” Cassandra’s voice was thick with disappointment. “How could you?”

  Seriously? Her, too? Like she had any room to talk given the company she was in? At least Phoebe hadn’t turned traitor. “Don’t judge me. I had my reasons. Now we have to get you to safety.”

  Cassandra gaped. “Like I’m going to trust you?” She actually bowed up on her and acted as if she’d attack. “I remember Uncle Demos.”

  So did she. There was no forgetting a trelos when they turned and came after you with that kind of fury. It was terrifying and now that she had the demons in her head, she understood. But still … “I’m not Uncle Demos and I have no intention of turning you into me.”

  Phoebe took a step toward her, but that hulking, irritating Dark-Hunter prevented her from getting any closer to Cassandra.

  Phoebe glared at him for his interference. She was family. He was not! Desperate, she looked at her sister. “Please, Cassie, you have to believe me. I would never, ever harm you. I swear it on Mom’s soul.”

  She’d barely finished speaking when Urian came through the door from outside. Phoebe cringed at his bad timing. Urian wasn’t known for his peacekeeping techniques. More for whenever someone was ready for nuclear fallout.

  The blond with her sister gasped.

  “Hurry, Phee,” he whispered. “I can’t keep this covered much longer.” Ever defiant, he met the Dark-Hunter’s gaze without flinching.

  There was no missing the anger and hatred of the two men as they barely restrained their urge to go at it. It sizzled in the air and made every Daimon instinct in her body rabid.

  “Why are you helping us?” the Dark-Hunter demanded.

  Urian sneered at him. “Like I give a rat’s ass about you, Dark-Hunter. I’m only here to help my wife protect her sister.”

  The blond woman gaped. “Urian has a heart? Who knew?”

  Urian passed an equally repugnant stare toward her. “Shut up, Abadonna.”

  Now it was Phoebe’s turn to gape. That bombshell was Katra? That was the Kat Urian had told her about so many times over the years? Funny how he’d forgotten a few details.

  Like the fact that she was fucking stunning! And inhumanly gorgeous.

  She barely suppressed her anger as a wave of jealousy flew through her. What else had he left out?

  He better not know know her, or else one or both of them were going to be bald later.

  But that thought scattered as he ignored the blonde and neared her and kissed her cheek. Phoebe smiled at him. “Urian’s the one who saved me when Mom died. He pulled me from the car after the bomb exploded and hid me. He tried to save Mom and Nia too but couldn’t get to them in time.”

  By her sister’s face, she could tell Cassandra didn’t know what to think about that. And she couldn’t blame her. It didn’t make sense that a Daimon, let alone one related to Stryker, would help them when all their lives they had been pursued by Urian’s kind. “Why?”

  “There’s no time for this,” Urian hissed. “My father isn’t a stupid man. He’ll catch on quickly when he doesn’t hear from the two dead Apollites.”

  Phoebe nodded, then turned back to Cassandra. “I’m asking you to trust me, Cassie. I swear you won’t regret it.”

  Cassandra exchanged frowns with the Dark-Hunter and Kat. “I think we can trust her.”

  Sasquatch glanced to Urian, then to Kat. “You said they were sadistic. Any chance they’re playing with our heads?”

  Urian gave a low, bitter laugh at that. “You have no idea.”

  Phoebe smacked her husband in the stomach. “Behave, Uri. You’re not making this any easier.”

  Scowling at her, he rubbed his stomach where she’d hit him but didn’t say anything else.

  “Go for it,” Kat said. “If he’s lying, I now know how to hurt him.” Her gaze went meaningfully to Phoebe.

  Urian went ramrod stiff. “Destroyer or no, you ever touch her and I will kill you, Katra.”

  Sasquatch made some kind of Wookiee noise. She half-expected him to raise a rifle over his Bantha and grr at her. Okay, that was a Tusken Raider, but still … “Then we understand each other. Because if anything happens to Cassandra, Kat is the least of your problems.”

  And of course his being so macho and overbearing only notched her own alpha’s testosterone levels into overdrive. So naturally Urian stepped forward intending to beat the utter crap out of him. Which was the last thing they needed. With a grimace, Phoebe caught her teddy bear and forced him back. “You said we have to hurry,” she reminded him. She made sure to swipe her finger over his nipple several times to get his attention on something other than murder and mayhem.

  Lucky for the Sasquatch, it worked.

  Urian’s rigid features softened as he looked down at her and nodded. Without another word, he led them toward a black airboat that was already on the ice, waiting for them.

  The human male climbed on board first, followed by Kat.

  Cassandra followed suit. “Is this the same boat the Canadian Mounties use for search and rescue?”

  The Dark-Hunter stiffened as if the question offended him. “Same company makes both, but I’d like to think mine is a bit nicer.”

  Phoebe passed a look to Urian and rolled her eyes.

  He laughed silently at her.

  Though to be honest as she climbed on board the boat, she had to admit that he wasn’t really lying. That boat was exceptional. Plush to the extreme, right down to the padded chairs.

  “Yeah,” Chris said as he took a seat and strapped himself in. “Dudley Do-Right is us.”

  Phoebe scowled as it dawned on her that Urian was still on the dock and didn’t appear to have any plans to join them. Surely, he wasn’t going to stay. Not after this … “Come with us, Uri,” she begged, reaching up to take his hand into hers. “They’ll slaughter you if they find out about this.”

  The pain on Urian’s face as he stared longingly at her made her want to cry. His grip trembled as he held her hand. “I can’t, baby, you know I can’t. I have to stay and cover your tracks, but I promise I’ll be in touch as soon as I’m able.” He kissed Phoebe passionately, then kissed her hand and let her go. “Be safe.”

  “You, too.”

  He nodded, then removed the last bit of harness rigging. “Take care of my wife, Dark-Hunter.”

  Wulf glanced at Phoebe and nodded. “Thanks, Daimon.”

  Urian snorted. “Bet you never thought you’d utter those words.”

  Urian raised the doors to the dock at the same time a group of Daimons broke into the boathouse.

  Phoebe gasped and ran toward him. She couldn’t leave while he was in danger. Oh God no! But the weaselly little human pulled her back as the Dark-Hunter gunned the engine and flew north over the ice. Luckily, the wind was with them and they accelerated quickly.

  “No. No!” Phoebe shrieked as they sped across the lake. Her heart hammered in denial as terror shredded her. “We can’t leave him.�

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  Though his face was sympathetic, she wasn’t fooled for a minute. Like a human or a Dark-Hunter would ever care what happened to their kind.

  “We have no choice,” the human said. “I’m sorry.”

  Yeah, right.

  Even though her heart was broken, Phoebe didn’t cry. Urian had taught her better than that. He was a warrior, battle born and battle hardened. As his wife, she would honor his courage and show the same strength he did. So she breathed through her pain and forced herself to stand at the rear of the boat, staring desperately where he’d been, hoping to glimpse some sign of his fate.

  You better be okay. I won’t forgive you if you die saving me.

  Cassandra held on tightly to her seat belt. “Hey, Chris? How fast are we going?”

  “Over a hundred at least. These things can move as fast as one hundred forty with the wind, but only about forty against it.”

  The blonde moved to stand beside her. “He’ll be okay, Phoebe. His father wouldn’t really hurt him. Stryker may be psychotic, but he loves Urian.”

  She didn’t believe that for an instant, and Kat was a fool if she did. Damn her husband for his protective ways.

  And damn her for asking him to do this.

  Hating herself, she glared at Cassandra, hoping that she didn’t live to regret this action. Then she turned to the Dark-Hunter. “Keep going north. We have a safe place where we can hide all of you.”

  Two seconds after those words were spoken, a horrendous shriek sounded above the boat engine, winds, and cracking ice. It was followed by the distinct sound of wings flapping.

  Plugging her sensitive ears, Phoebe looked up and gaped. Holy Katateros, it was a dragon!

  And not just any dragon. That would be Urian’s psycho dad after them.

  You better not have eaten my husband …

  “Oh my …” Cassandra didn’t finish her sentence. She stood there as catatonic as Phoebe felt.

  Kat threw herself over Cassandra.

  Stryker shrieked louder as if frustrated by her actions. Fire blew across the prow of the boat, making Phoebe duck. The Dark-Hunter didn’t slow down at all. He pulled his gun out and fired up at the beast.

  Still in dragon form, Stryker dove straight for them, screaming as he came. When the bullets struck him, the dragon recoiled. Yet those wounds didn’t faze his animal form at all.

  Stryker continued toward them with a single-minded determination.

  Closer.

  Closer …

  If anything, it just seemed to piss the creature off.

  The Dark-Hunter reloaded his clip and fired more rounds.

  Then just as Phoebe was sure they’d be toast, Stryker vanished.

  For a full ten seconds, no one moved.

  Chris popped his head up like a scared meerkat. “What happened?”

  “He must have been recalled,” Kat answered. “It’s the only thing that could have stopped him like that.”

  The Dark-Hunter finally slowed a degree. “Recalled by whom?”

  “The Destroyer,” Phoebe said. “She won’t let him hurt Kat.” For reasons no one knew, she was more sacred to Apollymi than anyone.

  “And just why is that, Kat?” the Dark-Hunter asked.

  Kat appeared uncomfortable with that question. “Like Stryker, I’m one of her servants.”

  Cassie frowned. “I thought you served Artemis.”

  “I serve them both.”

  Phoebe scoffed at that. No one could serve two pantheons. She knew better.

  Cassandra tilted her head. “Question? What happens when you have a conflict of interest? Which one of them will you follow then, Kat?”

  Dawn was coming. Since neither Phoebe nor her enemy was immune to the sun, they had switched the boat for a custom-built, heavily modified Land Rover that Urian had left for them to use. Chris was asleep in the backseat, sitting between her and Kat with his head on Kat’s shoulder, while Kat looked out the window.

  They had left the boat behind well over an hour ago and were now racing for Elysia.

  How weird to be in this stupid car without Uri. She’d always thought it odd that he wanted it. He’d never bothered with the human world at all.

  Until her.

  But since they’d been married, he’d tried to make himself a bit more “human” to placate her. And though Braden had insisted she never leave the compound, Shanus had relaxed those orders once he’d taken over as their leader.

  So six years ago, Urian had bought this silly car so that the two of them could go on “dates” because she’d made him watch a couple of John Hughes movies with her and had told him that the only thing she really missed about her old life was “dating.”

  They’d actually fought over the car.

  “Uri, it’s stupid!”

  “No, Phee. I’ve been doing research. It’s not a date unless you drive somewhere.”

  She’d snorted at the very thought. “What? You learned to drive?”

  “Yeah, kind of. Don’t you trust me?”

  “With driving? Hell, no!”

  “C’mon, I paid a lot of money for a fake license. Took lessons and everything. Besides it’s more a tank than a car. Nothing can hurt you in it. It’s shielded and everything. I made sure of it. I promise you’ll have fun. It’ll be your best birthday ever.”

  And it had been. God, she loved that man more than her life. If anything happened to him because of her …

  She was sick with worry. There was no telling what was going on right now in Kalosis. The anger and fury Stryker would have over failing this mission. And Urian as his prime commander would bear the brunt of his wrath.

  Had she chosen her sister’s life for her husband’s? Had she repaid Urian’s kindness in saving her life by demanding his own?

  All he’d ever known from women was betrayal. Now she might have just given him the worst one yet.

  Cassandra turned around in the front seat to look at her. “How much longer?”

  “Not much farther.” She hoped.

  Cassie had to the nerve to take Sasquatch’s hand. “Will we make it before sunrise?”

  Phoebe looked away before she slapped them both, which would be a suicidal thing to do since Sasquatch was driving. “It’s going to be close.” Then under her breath, she mumbled, “Real close.”

  Then, when her sister started making goo-goo eyes at Sasquatch, she really feared she might hurl.

  Luckily, they were nearing the next turn, so she took the opportunity to sit forward in the seat and break that shit up. Wedging herself between them, she pointed to the small trail where there was no road. “Turn right there.”

  Sasquatch didn’t question it. She’d give him bonus points for that. They crashed through the woods with relative ease, which was something Urian always loved to do. As he so often said about his SUV—Drive it like you stole it. The armor plating made it relatively easy to plow straight through smaller trees and travel over the snow, ice, and debris. The only thing missing was her gorgeous Daimon’s laughter and that wicked grin as he blasted some obnoxious metal music while he slung them all over the woods.

  Gah, the weird things her husband did for fun.

  She sat back and buckled herself in as Sasquatch cut the lights off so that he could see better. While she trusted Urian’s driving, she didn’t trust Sasquatch at all. The Land Rover bounced over the uneven terrain like a bucking bronco.

  Chris came awake with a curse. “Is Stryker back?”

  “No,” Kat snorted. “We had to leave the road.”

  Sasquatch slowed a bit so as not to throw one of the tank tracks that replaced the SUV’s tires. They were a lot sturdier in this climate but were still a fair cry from being infallible, and the last thing they needed was to be stranded out in the open with daylight so close.

  Just as the sun peeked over the mountains, they broke through the trees and came to the concealed entrance for Elysia. Phoebe let out a relieved breath as she saw Shanus and two counselors standing outside it. Waiting.

  Cassandra hissed and released his hand.

  “It’s okay.” Phoebe opened her door and ran over to them. She lifted the hood on her jacket to protect herself from the rising sun.

  Tall and blond, Shanus stood in the shadows with his companions. “Cutting it close, aren’t you?”

  “Don’t even. It’s been a rough night.”

  “Where’s Urian?”

  She bit back her tears. “He’s not with us.”

  “He let someone else drive his truck?”

  “ ‘Let’ is a word for it.” She gestured at the SUV. “He’ll die when he finds out it’s a Dark-Hunter.”

  Shanus’s eyes bugged out, along with those of the two men with him. “Are you out of your fucking mind? You can’t bring one of them here! You know better!”

  “We have to let him in.”

  “No! And I mean no! No, no, no! All kinds of no!”

  “Shanus—”

  “No, Phoebe, no!”

  “I’ll tell Urian. You don’t want me to make that call.”

  A tic started in his jaw. “You’re making it really hard to like you right now.”

  “I know, and I swear if he does anything wrong you can kill him. Urian will help.”

  He let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, but only because it’s dawn and I don’t want to burst into flames.” He glared at her. “Damn you!”

  “Believe me, I know.”

  Of all the crappy timing, Sasquatch and Kat picked then to get out of the SUV and head for them. If that weren’t bad enough, Sasquatch had his hand on his sword as if they were the problem here.

  Yeah, right. Gah … Dark-Hunters and their arrogance!

  Phoebe glared at Sasquatch. “Do you mind, Dark-Hunter?” She gestured at the sun. “We’re running out of time. Don’t need your attitude right now. But if you hand over your weapons instead of preening like a peacock, it sure would help facilitate things and go a long way in helping me convince my guys that you’re not here to kill anyone. And it would allow Cassandra to get to the Apollite doctor who’s inside waiting, and one who actually knows how to tend an expectant mother in her unique condition.”

  Sasquatch looked over his shoulder at her sister before he gave a subtle nod. His face unreadable, he finally handed over all his weapons without protesting.

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