Page 70 of Dance With the Devil (Dark-Hunter 3)
The last thing he had ever wanted was to see her hurt.
Never had he harmed a woman before... not even the woman who had accused him of raping her.
He'd hated himself then even more than he hated Artemis, hated the fact he hadn't been quicker. That he hadn't killed Thanatos instead.
One of the Apollites cried out.
A man. He rushed forward to take the woman and cradle her as she died.
The man looked up at him with hatred and rage.
It was the face of the new Thanatos.
Zarek tried to break away from Simi as he saw that. But she held him fast.
Forced him to watch his past play out.
Thanatos had grabbed him by his throat and shoved him against the wall. "Mark or no mark, you can still die if I dismember you."
Guilt-ridden over the woman, Zarek hadn't even bothered to fight. He'd just wanted it to end.
But as Thanatos went for him, Acheron had appeared out of nowhere.
"Let him go."
The remaining Daimons and Apollites had scattered in fear. Only the one man holding his now dead wife had remained.
Thanatos had turned slowly to face Ash. "And if I don't?"
Ash shot a blast from his hand into Thanatos, who instantly let go of Zarek. Zarek fell to the floor gasping for air through his swollen esophagus.
"It wasn't a choice," Ash said.
Thanatos had rushed to attack.
Ash's eyes had turned a deep, dark red. Darker than blood, they were filled with a swirling fire.
At the point where Thanatos would have attacked him, the invincible assassin disintegrated into dust.
No one had touched him.
Ash had stood there without moving, without flinching.
The lone Apollite had charged him then. Ash had whirled him around and trapped the man in his arms with his back to Ash's front. The Apollite had struggled for release, but Ash had held him effortlessly.
"Shh, Callyx," he'd breathed in the Apollite's ear. "Sleep..."
The Apollite collapsed.
Ash lowered him to the floor.
Shocked, Zarek didn't move as Ash approached him. He didn't know how Ash had known the Apollite's name or how he'd killed Thanatos so easily.
None of it made sense.
Ash didn't try to touch him. He squatted down beside him and cocked his head. "Are you all right?"
Zarek had ignored his question. "Why does Artemis want us dead?"
Ash had frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"
"The Spathis told me. She's creating an army to kill us. I was-"
Ash held his hand up. It felt as if something had paralyzed Zarek's vocal cords.
Indecision played across Ash's face as he stared at him. He swore he could feel the Atlantean in his mind, searching for something.
Finally Acheron sighed. "You've seen too much. Look at me, Zarek."
He had no choice but to obey.
Ash's eyes were once again their strange, swirling silver color. Everything became hazy then, dark. Zarek struggled against the oppressive heat.
The last thing he heard was Ash's voice. "Take him home, Simi. He needs to rest."
Simi released Zarek then.
He stood there motionless as her replay of the events that night filled in the sketchy details of his memory.
He was stunned by what he'd seen. What he'd learned.
"How did you show me all that?" he asked her.
The demon shrugged.
This was getting annoying. Damn Ash for giving her the order not to speak to him. "Astrid, please ask her my question."
Astrid did.
