Page 35 of Dream Warrior (Dark-Hunter 16)
Delphine shook her head as she considered it. She wasn't sure they stood a chance as the situation was currently. "But who's going to lead? M'Adoc-"
"He's not a military commander," Deimos said, interrupting her. He looked up at Jericho. "You're the best shot we have. You can monitor the Source for activity and ride herd on Noir and Azura when they draw from it. Plus you have command experience and know how to best comer enemies and execute them."
Zarek looked less than pleased. "He can't do it alone. How many Source gods do we have?"
Astrid answered. "Four. Jared, Acheron, Nike..." she paused as she cut a sideways glance to him, "and Jericho."
"There are two more," Deimos said. Astrid frowned. "Who?"
'The Sumerian god Sin and his twin brother, Zakar."
Now it was Delphine's turn to be baffled. "Why would they fight with us?"
"Sin is Acheron's son-in-law."
"Oh," she said as she understood. That changed a lot. "That might work, then."
Zarek scoffed. "Or it'll blow up in our faces."
A devious glimmer lit Jericho's eyes. "Well, the other alternative is to wake a few Titans and break ass on all of them."
Zarek's evil laughter rang out as if he had a good image of that in his mind. "Zeus would shit kittens."
Jericho shrugged. "Do any of us care?"
Delphine and Astrid raised their hands.
Astrid cleared her throat. "In case you guys forgot, the Titans are just a tad upset about their eternal imprisonment. You let them out now, and I think we'll have a worse problem than just Noir. Plus there's a lot more of them."
Delphine nodded. "What she said and then some."
"I have a better idea." M'Adoc flashed in beside them.
Delphine was surprised to see him here and even more that he'd been eavesdropping on their conversation.
But he was still unsteady on his feet and didn't last long before he collapsed.
Jericho caught him before he fell and helped him sit on the floor.
M'Adoc took a second to steady himself before he explained his idea. "Our weakness was the Skoti. Noir got to them by promising to restore their emotions. Once there-"
"He's been drugging them," Delphine finished, remembering Zeth's warning to her and the biting effects of the food.
M'Adoc nodded. "So long as he keeps them like that, they can't fight him. But if you get Zeth sobered, we can reunite the Skoti with the Oneroi. With our emotions intact, the indignant fury of what's been done to us will fuel our tight. And more than that, Noir will have nothing more to offer them. Especially since he's now attacked all of us."
Jericho was still skeptical. It seemed somehow too easy. "Are you sure about that?"
M'Adoc nodded. "We need their sense of loyalty and fairness restored. With the ban lifted, we'll be back as we were."
"Can we do that?" Delphine asked. "I thought once a curse was given it was eternal."
"Not always. But it has to be removed by the god who delivered it. Besides, this one's already weakening. The emotions you have, Delphine, haven't you noticed they've grown stronger?"
"I thought it was residuals from battling the Skoti."
M'Adoc shook his head. "Zeus isn't the power he used to be. As with Noir, the fewer people who worship him, the weaker he's become."
Deimos nodded. "And unlike Apollo, he doesn't have a race of Daimons believing in him to feed his powers."
"Exactly. He has the ability to rescind the curse. Unlike Apollo's, his isn't fatal and can be undone."
Jericho stepped back. "Then I'll go have a word with thunder-ass."
Delphine turned on him with a panicked expression that warmed him. "You can't. He'll kill you."
"Does it matter?"
"It does to me."
Jericho smiled as he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. No words had ever meant more to him, and it stunned him that she was so sincere. "It'll be all right." He nudged her next to Zarek. "Keep an eye on her until I'm back."
"You know," Deimos said, pushing himself up to sit. "I'm thinking she might not be too far off. You might want to have some backup before you go talk to Zeus."
Knowing the bastard, that would just piss him off more. Zeus didn't like an audience whenever he was wrong. This would take some serious finessing that would only work if there was no other witness to it. "I stood at his right-hand side for centuries. I know how to talk to the man."
Deimos snorted derisively. "You also got yourself one of the harshest punishments from him."
"Which means I know how to push him too far. Don't worry. I won't make that mistake again."
Delphine turned a worried look to M'Adoc. "M'Adoc, talk him out of it."
"I don't know if I can, Delphine. You'd have a better shot than me."
"And not even you can." Jericho started to leave, but Delphine stopped him. "You be careful. Please."
Treasuring those precious words, he inclined his head before he teleported himself from the Vanishing Isle straight into Zeus's private temple.
Jericho went cold as old memories assailed him. He and his siblings had once stood guard here while the father god bathed or slept with whatever nymph or goddess had caught his fancy. Only a tiny handful of other gods had ever been admitted here.
And in all these centuries nothing had changed. It was still the same cold, marbled hall it had always been.
Closing his eyes, Jericho reached out with his powers to locate Zeus.
He was in his bath, hopefully alone.
Jericho took a moment to return the patch to his eye and manifest his body armor. He articulated the fingers of his right hand back to his metallic claws and freed his wings.
There wouldn't be any begging. He was here merely to state his case and argue it if need be.
If Zeus wanted a fight, there would be a fight.
Jericho left his hair to flow freely down his back as he made his way through the golden-and-white marble hall to the back of the temple. The bathing room was a huge atrium with a waterfall at the far side that fed the tub, which was the size of a, pardon the pun, Olympic-sized pool. Steam floated off the water, letting him know it was hot and soothing.
Zeus lay on the opposite end of the waterfall with his eyes closed while a nymph sat on a nearby stool playing a lyre for him. From this vantage point, he looked completely relaxed and unaware of the fact that Noir was basically one step away from his throat. Stupid bastard.
The nymph looked up and gasped at the sight of Jericho.
Zeus jerked upright. Cursing, he turned in the water to face him. "What are you doing here?"
"I've come to visit. . . Father."
Zeus curled his lip before he barked at the innocent nymph. "Peia, leave us."
The nymph vanished instantly. Her lyre fell to the ground and rang on an off-key note.
Zeus reached for his long robe and tied it around him while he was still in the pool. Using his powers, he rose straight up before he stepped on the concrete so he could approach Jericho. "Have you lost your mind?"
Jericho ignored his snarling tone. "It feels like that some days. But no. I'm sane and I'm here to talk to you."
"About what?"
"What you're going to do."
Zeus narrowed his eyes threateninglv. "And that is?"
"Free the Oneroi."
