Page 30 of Dream Warrior (Dark-Hunter 16)
Jericho paused as soon as he saw the gory remains of the Oneroi inside the room. It looked like someone had recently torn them apart. Worse was the stench of their bodies.
Damn Noir. He couldn't believe he'd ever been dumb enough to even think of following him. What an idiot he was.
Phobos made a cry deep in his throat as he ran toward his brother, who lay limply against the wall. There was no sign of life.
But it was the look on Jared's face that held Jericho completely transfixed. There were no emotions evident, and yet his yellow and orange eyes spoke of unfathomable anguish.
Without a word, Jared went to Jaden.
Jaden lashed out until he saw who had touched him. Disbelief etched itself across his battered face. "Jared? What are you doing here?"
Jared responded with a feral snarl as he slashed the chains holding Jaden to the wall. It didn't succeed in cutting him loose, but the chain did loosen with each sword stroke. "I'm getting you out of here."
"You can't."
"Bull fucking-shit."
Jaden grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a harsh, penetrating stare. "You. Can't," he repeated forcefully.
Pulling away, Jared's growl of frustration echoed through the dankness.
Jaden leaned back against the wall, panting from pain, nursing his right arm. "Get the others to safety and don't worry about me."
"I won't leave you here."
"You can and you will." Jaden's snarl matched his. "For once in your life, listen to me and do as I say. Get out of here and stop wasting time arguing over in-consequentials."
Jared grabbed the cloth over Jaden's left shoulder and clenched it into a tight fist. "You're not inconsequential. Not to me."
Jaden touched his hand. "In this battle I am. They won't kill me. Now go. Save as many of the others as you can."
Jericho didn't know what to make of their confrontation as Jared pulled Jaden into his arms and held him close and tight. The way they held each other... they were either brothers or lovers...
Or really close friends.
"I will fix this," Jared said, releasing him. "Somehow, I'm going to make this right. I swear to you."
Jaden shoved him away. "Dammit, go!"
Jericho turned his attention to Phobos, who had Deimos cradled in his arms.
"He's alive," Phobos said. "Barely." "Get him out of here."
Phobos didn't argue. He teleported out immediately.
Jared was another matter. He lingered as if he couldn't bear to leave Jaden. Guilt, fear and pain were clearly etched onto his face.
But as a rush of demons assaulted them, Jericho's attention was turned from Jared to survival. He clotheslined the first gallu to reach him, then grabbed the next one. They rolled to the ground. Jericho punched him hard in the face before he rose to catch the next one who was descending on him.
He blasted that one back with his powers, but not before the demon delivered a blast of his own. It caught him hard in the chest and sent him reeling.
Jared cut the demon down with one fierce sword stroke.
As Jericho rose to his feet, he felt a chill down his spine.
Noir was here.
He sensed it even before the god appeared in the room, three feet from him.
Noir tsked as he raked him with a repugnant glare. "You have no idea what you've started."
Jericho sneered at him. "Neither do you, asshole. All you had to do was play nice with me. But you thought it would be more fun to kick me around, drug me and turn on me. Bad move on your part."
Noir laughed. "Turning on you is what people do best. Haven't you learned that yet? You have no friends. You have nothing."
Against his will an image of Delphine went through his mind.
"Her?" Noir said derisively as if he could read his thoughts. "Delphine doesn't care about you. She was sent by Zeus to either seduce you to their cause or kill you."
Those words slammed into him. It couldn't be. She wouldn't do that. She was above it.
"It's true," Noir insisted. "Ask Jaden.*'
Jericho turned to look at Jaden, who then glanced away as if he couldn't bear to tell him the truth.
Noir laughed. "You're such a gullible fool. So much for the brave Cratus. You're pathetic. You sacrificed yourself for a woman who betrayed you. One who will always betray you. She is nothing, and neither are you."
