Page 32 of One Silent Night (Dark-Hunter 15)
Zephyra rose slowly as her gaze held his captive. "I wish you'd reconsider my offer."
"You won't be fighting with a level head, and you know it. We don't know what we're walking into, but I'm sure War isn't going to play by any rules. As Acheron said to his woman, I can't fight if my attention is partially on you. I'll need every advantage I can have."
Zephyra nodded in understanding. She reached up to brush a lock of coal-black hair back from his eyes. Her chest was tight with fear not just for Medea, but for him, too. How unfair to lose him now when she'd just found him again. "Will I be able to watch in the sfora?"
"You should."
"Then know that I'll be laughing at your ineptitude every time your enemies strike you, and if you fail to return with my daughter, I'll have your heart and your head for decorations."
Stryker narrowed his gaze on her and would have told her exactly what he thought of that had a small glint on her hand not caught his attention.
It was her wedding band. The one he'd kept all these centuries in his room. That one ring belied and translated her words.
She didn't want him harmed . . .
A slow smile curved his lips as he lifted her other hand to place a kiss on it. "Your words are noted, my most prickly rose. And I shall endeavor to keep your amusement at a bare minimum."
As he stepped away, she grabbed the buckles on the front of his armor and pulled him back to her lips so that she could kiss him.
Stryker growled at how good she tasted. "I want you here naked when I return."
"You return whole and I promise you a night you won't soon forget."
"I intend to hold you to that, my lady."
Zephyra nodded and let him go even though all she wanted to do was hold him closer to her. Don't get killed. The words hung in her throat as unimaginable pain ripped through her, but she wouldn't say those words. She wouldn't jinx him or let the Fates know how much he meant to her. If she did, they might kill him just for spite. So instead, she clenched her hands and watched him leave the room to join his enemies to fight for their daughter's life.
Come back to me, please.
Stryker paused at the door to take one last look at Zephyra. Calm and composed, she didn't appear to care in the least what happened to him. At least until he saw the way she clenched her fists. A small smile played at the edge of his lips as that warmed every part of his body. "I'll be back, Phyra."
"And you better have our daughter with you."
The smile broke at her use of "our." "I will." Inclining his head to her, he slipped out the door and went to their rendezvous spot in New Orleans. It was the quiet alley on Pere Antione outside of the Ethel Kidd realty offices. In the shadow of the Cathedral, his plan had originally been to unleash his men onto humanity from this very place-give or take a few feet. Now, here he was fighting not only to protect the ones he viewed as food, but to protect his own.
Yeah . . . Fate was ever a capricious viper.
A bright flash made him squint as Acheron appeared before him. Dressed in a long black leather duster, jeans, and a My Chemical Romance t-shirt, the Atlantean's eyes were covered by a pair of opaque sunglasses.
Nick Gautier flashed in a second later. His black clothing was much more reserved. A black button-down shirt and slacks. The only thing that made him stand out was the double bow and arrow mark of Artemis that was branded on his cheek.
Ash broke into an arrogant grin. "So are we going to continue glaring angrily at each other while we pose in our tough stances? Or use our time to work out a plan that hopefully doesn't end with our mutual deaths?"
"I vote for mutual death," Gautier grumbled. "But only after Menyara is safe."
"And Medea," Stryker added. "I want you both to swear that regardless of what happens to me, you won't allow her to die."
"I swear," Ash said.
They looked at Nick.
"She's done me no harm. I'll get her out of there if it's at all possible."
Stryker nodded even though he wanted to gut the man who'd killed his sister. Then again, Satara's plan had been to have Nick rape Ash's fiancee. Instead Nick had stabbed her and taken Ash's woman to safety. In all honesty, he could almost respect Gautier's actions. Had it not been his sister Gautier had killed, he might even have considered them noble.
Still Satara had been his ally for centuries. Even though she'd been crueler and colder than any creature he'd ever known, it didn't change the fact that Stryker had loved her in spite of her faults.
Turning his thoughts to Ash, he folded his arms over his chest. "What do you have planned?"
Before Ash could answer, Kat popped in. Stryker arched a brow at her appearance. Over six feet tall, she bore a striking resemblance to her mother, Artemis, right down to her bright green eyes. But she had Acheron's blond hair and, lucky for them all, his temperament.
Her presence surprised him. "You're bringing your daughter into this?"
Ash shrugged. "She has an interesting ability that I think will make War back down."
"And that is?"
Kat's grin was identical to the one Ash had worn earlier. "I can siphon powers out of the gods."
"Really?" Stryker took a step back from her.
Kat laughed evilly. "You never realized how close to the edge you treaded when you insulted me, did you?"
"Apparently not. So how does this siphon work?"
She wiggled one threatening finger in his direction. "I have to be touching the person . . . Good thing I find you so repulsive I never wanted to do that, eh?"
Stryker rolled his eyes before he turned his attention back to Acheron. "What if we can't get her close enough to War to touch him?"
"I'll take her home," the deeply accented voice came out of the darkness.
Stryker turned to find Kat's husband Sin behind him. Strange, he hadn't heard or felt the Sumerian god's appearance. That spoke volumes about Sin's powers that he could mask them so completely. And it made him feel more confident that they could surprise War and his entourage, too.
Stryker pulled his pocket watch out to check the time. It was fifteen till. "Showtime, folks. Are we ready?"
"We're ready."
Stryker scowled at Artemis's voice as she, Athena, Ares, and Hades joined them. "What are you doing here?"
Artemis looked at Kat. "You're not sending my baby into danger without me."
Ash choked. "Now you discover maternal instinct?"
She narrowed her gaze on him.
"She's always been protective of me," Kat said with a laugh. "In a very Artemis sort of way."
"Like a viper nursing eggs," Stryker added under his breath.
Artemis raked him with a cold, scathing glare. "Did you dare to say something to me?"
"Good to see you again, Grandma."
Artemis curled her lip as she stepped away.
Nick cleared his throat in order to gain their attention. "You know there's one slight problem with this."
"We were told to come alone," Ash answered.
Stryker shrugged. "They told the three of us to come alone at the same time which by nature would make us a group."
Ash gave a half-hearted laugh. "Yeah, but I think Nick's right. The three of us need to head in alone to see what's up and to keep them from being suspicious." He glanced to Kat. "Give us five minutes before you drop in."
"Will do."
"What about us?" Ares asked.
Kat threw her arm around him and smiled. "You'll be hanging back with me. Hopefully I'm the one thing he won't see coming."
Athena stepped forward. "Good luck, gentlemen."
Ash inclined his head before he looked to Stryker and Nick. "You ready?"
Nick nodded.
"Always," Stryker said.
They took up positions with Acheron in the middle as they left the dark alley and headed down St. Ann toward the cemetery. Ash's long black coat fanned out slightly from his ankles as they walked like hungry predators toward a meeting Stryker was sure all of them could have done without. As if one beast outlined by moonlight, they moved in complete synchronization.
The only sounds they could hear were the music from Bourbon Street, the beating of their hearts, and the clicking of their boots on the pavement. The streets glistened from an earlier rain as dark clouds still hung above them and the street turned from commercial buildings into residential.
"How many times have you walked this street, Gautier?" Stryker asked.
"A thousand or better and I intend to be here for a thousand more."
Stryker nodded until they neared the cemetery, and he realized something. War did nothing without express intent. "Why do you think War chose this place to meet?"
Ash paused to look at him. "He wouldn't care about solitude."
Nick snorted. "Maybe he likes dead people."
A chill went down Stryker's spine at those words. They'd barely left Nick's lips before he saw just how right that sarcastic comment was. There before him stood three women.
Nick's mother, Stryker's daughter, and Ash's sister.
