The Dark-Hunters, page 365
“Simi … and trust me, I won’t fail.”
Kat wasn’t quite so confident. “What if Kessar takes your powers before you get the Rod?”
Ash smiled wickedly. “I’m going to hope the Tablet can’t take all of my powers. I should still have enough juice to do some damage.”
Kat didn’t like the sound of any of that. “Hope? This isn’t the time to be hoping.”
Ash winked at her. “This is a perfect time for hope. The more dire the situation, the more you need it.”
Sin snorted. “You know something’s going to go wrong.”
“Probably.” Ash’s silver eyes were twinkling as if he relished the thought. “It always does.”
Artemis folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t like this plan. I want one where my powers stay inside me.”
“There’s no other plan and not really enough time to think of one.” Ash indicated the tomb with a jerk of his chin. “You’ll have a better time negotiating with Apollymi than you will with them. The only one who can contain them is Sin and he has to have his powers back to do it.”
Kat gave her mother her best pout. “Please … we need you. I need you.”
Artemis reluctantly held her hand out to Kat.
Kat smiled at her mother, grateful that she was being reasonable for once. “Thank you.”
“You better be thankful.” Artemis cast a hostile glare at each one of them. “All of you.”
Sin wasn’t quite so accommodating when Kat tried to touch him. “Are you sure you’re not reversing this and taking what little powers I have left to give to Artemis?”
She more than understood his fear. Even so, she couldn’t resist teasing him for it. “Guess you’ll have to trust me, huh?”
Sin hesitated. Deep inside, he was terrified of touching her now. Kat could kill him. Not just physically, but if she betrayed him …
There would be no way back and he knew he’d never recover. He was more vulnerable now than he’d ever been before. All the centuries of betrayal were there and they wanted him to run for the door.
But as he looked at her, his heart truly believed she would never hurt him again. Not intentionally.
It’s now or never.…
His heart thundered in his chest as he took her hand in his and waited for her to betray him.
Kat closed her eyes and summoned her failing powers. She felt the small electrical charge that went through her as she sorted through her mother’s powers to find the ones she’d taken from Sin all those centuries before. Once she found them, she let them flow from her back to Sin.
Artemis jerked back. “You’re weakening me too much.”
Sin was frozen as he realized that Kat hadn’t betrayed him … more to the point, he had powers he hadn’t felt in thousands of years. And it felt damn good.
Kat had returned to him everything she’d taken. Everything. He had his full god’s strength back. Lifting her hand to his lips, he kissed her knuckles.
“Hey!” Acheron snapped. “If you want to keep that mouth attached to your head, I suggest you put some distance between it and her skin.”
Sin laughed as he pulled back. “Sorry.” He turned to Ash. “I’m ready to battle.”
“Good. Let’s do it.”
* * *
Ash could feel the blood pumping through his body as he and Zakar, who was disguised as Sin, headed toward the fighting. The smell of blood was thick in the air and it permeated his head. He licked his lips in anticipation of what was to come.
The bloodlust inside him was ferocious as it begged for a taste of what he smelled. It was a beast that lived inside him that was forever hard to leash, especially in battle. It craved nourishment, reminding him how long it had been since he last fed. He should have taken a small bite from Artemis before he set out on this quest.
But it was too late now.
He entered the main cavern chamber. The Dolophoni were still standing … at least all but two who lay on the floor. M’Adoc was in one corner, eliminating two demons with one sword stroke.
Ash met D’Alerian’s gaze before a demon lunged at him and D’Alerian killed it.
Two demons moved to attack. Ash’s incisors grew as his body was thrown into battle mode. He grabbed the first demon to reach him by the throat in one hand and slammed him to the ground, then spun to catch the other. The beast inside wanted to rip the demon’s throat out. But he chose a more humane death. He shot a bolt between its eyes.
“Kessar!” he shouted, leading Zakar through the fray as he spotted their leader in the back.
The humor on the demon’s face melted into disbelief as he saw Acheron there. He reached for the medallion on his wrist and held it up, then chanted in Sumerian.
Ash laughed as he felt his skin turning blue. “What makes you think that ancient mojo’s going to work on me?”
Still, Kessar chanted.
Ash reached for the medallion, then cursed as it burned him. He’d forgotten that the emblems of other pantheons didn’t play well with him. Not that it mattered. Pain was one thing he could deal with. Closing his hand over the Tablet, he ground his teeth against the searing agony of it burning against his palm and fingers.
It was sucking some of his powers out of him. But he still had enough left to do damage.
Snatching the Tablet, he tossed it to Zakar, then headbutted Kessar, who staggered back.
Kessar let out an evil laugh as he caught himself and straightened.
A bad feeling went through Ash. “What are you laughing at?”
The demon straightened before he leaned against Ash to whisper in his ear. “By bringing Zakar back and handing him the Tablet with your blood on it, you just opened the tomb to the Dimme. Congratulations, Apostolos. You are the harbinger of Telikos … the end of the world.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
The rumble of the tomb went through Kat like an electrical current. She and Artemis staggered back into Kish, whose eyes were as wide as possible as even the walls around them vibrated. Pieces of the ceiling shook loose and fell while the sound grew louder. She met Sin’s gaze to see the confirmation of her fears on his face.
Kat laughed nervously. “Please tell me the cave just has a little indigestion.”
But as it rumbled again and she heard a piercing shriek from inside the tomb, she knew the truth.
The Dimme were coming out.
Kat tensed, ready to battle as she saw the wiggling feminine fingers that appeared in a crack in the stone. They had long, black fingernails that pushed against the opening, trying to enlarge it.
“Get back,” Sin snapped at all of them.
“I’m powerless,” Artemis said. “I can’t fight against a demon since I gave someone—” she glared at Kat—“temporary loan of my powers. At least it better be temporary.…”
Kat shook her head. Yes, she’d given Sin his powers back, and taken some for her own, but she would never take away her mother’s. They might disagree from time to time, but at the end of the day, she loved her mother more than anything.
Sin smiled as he gave Artemis a meaningful stare. “I think we found our sacrifice to them.”
“Oh, poo,” Simi said petulantly, “we can’t let the heifer-goddess die. Akri will die too if he can’t eat from her.” Her eyes flaming, she put herself between Artemis and the tomb. “C’mon, Xirena, you gots to help the Simi protect the bitch-goddess.”
Xirena let out a disgusted snarl before she took up a position beside her sister.
Kish moved to stand next to Artemis. “Looks like the safest spot here for a human who doesn’t want to get eaten.”
Artemis raked him with a sneer as Xypher came to stand between Sin and Kat.
“Any game plan?” Xypher asked Sin.
“Don’t die.”
“I like it. Simple, bold. Impossible. Works for me.”
Kat scoffed at his sarcasm. “What are you bitching about, Xypher? You’re already dead.”
He laughed. “You know, for once, it’s good to be me.”
Kat only wished she shared his status. She looked at Sin. “Any words of advice on how to kill these?”
“Not a one. It took three of us to trap them last time … trap, not kill, because we never could figure out how to do that. They’re nasty buggers.”
Great. She couldn’t wait to meet one.
All of a sudden, something crashed behind them. Kat turned to see Acheron entering the chamber with Zakar and the rest of their group.
“Seal the door behind us,” Ash ordered Deimos.
Kish scowled at them. “Um, not to be argumentative or anything, but didn’t we have to fight to get that opened?”
A female Dolophonos gave him a duh-stare. “Well, if you want to leave it open and let all the demons in—”
“Close it, please.”
She smirked. “I somehow thought you’d agree.”
Deimos and his twin brother Phobos leaned against the rock that sealed the door. They were bloody and panting, as were the rest of them.
“Well,” M’Adoc said as he wiped blood from his bruised brow. “At least there are only seven of these.”
“Who are about twenty times worse and stronger than the others,” Sin added.
“Oh goody,” Kat said excitedly, “how it evens out.” Deciding she was through with the games, she flexed her arms out and manifested blades in her hands as Zakar came forward. Sin handed him the Rod they’d taken from Ishtar’s tomb.
“Simi,” Ash said sharply. “Take Artemis to Olympus.”
Simi let out a noise of aggravation. “One day I wish you’d just let me eat her.”
“Simi…”
“I’m going, I’m going,” she grumbled before she complied.
Sin passed a repugnant look at Ash. “Did you have to do that?”
Ash shrugged. “Forget the Dimme. If she dies, you’d have to fight me in my true form. You ready for that?”
“Not today. I’m a little battle worn.”
Ignoring them, Zakar put the Rod into the lock. When he tried to reseal it, the Rod shattered. “I think we waited too long. It won’t close again.”
Kat eyed the Dimme fingers that were pushing at the crack. “They’re awake and steadily chipping the stone down.”
“What the hell kills a Dimme?” Xypher asked.
They all looked at each other as a deep green glow burst out of the tomb. The gallu demons outside were now pounding at the door, trying to shatter it. The Dimme were screaming louder, breaking away more of the stone.
How did someone kill something that was invincible? The question chased itself around in Kat’s head until she was dizzy from it. And as she looked back at the tomb, a new thought occurred to her.
Kat turned to Sin. “I think we’re asking the wrong question. Forget killing them. How did you trap them last time?”
“Three Sumerian gods and a chant.”
Kish sighed. “Too bad we only have one out of the three.”
“No,” Ash said. “We have three out of three. Zakar, Sin, and Katra.”
Sin froze as he caught Ash’s meaning. It was brilliant. By saving Kat’s life, he might have saved the entire world. “The blood exchange.”
Ash nodded. “Kat shares Sumerian blood with you now. She can function as the third god.”
Sin smiled as he met Kat’s hopeful gaze. He looked at Zakar and for the first time, he truly felt they might survive this. “Do you remember how we locked them down?”
“Yes, but the Rod’s broken. We need something else to use as a key.”
“Will the sfora work?” Kat asked Sin. “It can move forward and back through time.”
He wasn’t sure, but it was worth a shot. “I think it will. All we can do is try.”
Kat pulled her necklace off and handed it to Sin. “What do we need to do?”
After handing Zakar the sfora, Sin stationed her to the middle of the tomb while he moved to the far right and Zakar to the far left.
As soon as they were in position, Sin began chanting in Sumerian. “I am the one, the guide of the demons of this earth.
“We summon the forces that created us and gave us birth.
“To all that is here now and before.
“We protect and guard with our core.
“To the lives of others we are giving.
“Forevermore we will protect those who are living.” Sin spoke the words twice before Zakar joined him.
Kat held her breath, trying to focus on and learn the Sumerian words as she watched the Dimme’s hand slide further from its hole. The pounding of Kessar and his army echoed even louder as she joined their chanting.
Any minute now, one, if not both, groups of demons were about to break into the room with them.
The sfora turned bright red.
“Zakar!” Kessar’s voice rang out in the room. “Free the Dimme!”
Zakar faltered in his chanting.
“Stay with me, Brother,” Sin said, his voice eerily calm.
Still Kessar shouted at Zakar to help them.
Zakar lowered the hand holding the sfora. His voice grew weaker as the Dimme laughed.
Kat looked to Sin.
“Don’t move,” he warned her. “We have to stay where we are for it to work.”
Zakar was breathing more heavily now as Kessar continued to order him to free the Dimme.
“I won’t let you control me anymore,” he said from between clenched teeth. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled for his freedom. “I am not yours. I won’t betray my brother. Not again.”
C’mon, Zakar, she whispered silently. Don’t fail us.
Most of all, she prayed he didn’t fail himself.
But as she watched, she saw the demon swelling up to take possession of him and it terrified her. It was one step from taking him.
Quicker than she could blink, Ash moved to stand behind Zakar and whisper something in his ear.
All of a sudden, Zakar’s eyes turned completely white. He raised his hand with the sfora and began chanting again with renewed fervor. Kat was desperate to know what was going on, but didn’t dare break her own chant to ask.
A loud wind whipped through the room. It was so strong the Dolophoni were sliding into each other. Xirena tucked her wings in. Kat’s hair whipped around her face.
It felt as if she were rooted to the floor, and while it could pull at her hair and clothes, it couldn’t budge her. The Dimme were pounding for freedom, their screams mingling with the chanting.
More light suffused the room as the gallu broke through the door.
“Attack!” Deimos shouted, running to engage them. Total chaos broke out as the gallu assaulted their group while Kat, Zakar, and Sin continued to drive the Dimme back.
The sfora turned brighter an instant before one Dimme escaped.
Kat had to duck as it flew at her head, but she held her ground.
“Let it go,” Sin said. “Just keep chanting. Seal the tomb on the others and then we’ll deal with her.”
Kat stayed focused even while the others were fighting virtually on top of her. She watched as the tomb finally began to knit itself closed. Time seemed to slow down before the Dimme cries were finally silenced.
Covered in sweat, Zakar pressed the sfora to the lock and sealed it before he collapsed on the ground.
Kat was about to go to him until she saw Kessar from the corner of her eye. Before she could even blink, he turned aside one of the Dolophoni and lunged at Sin, stabbing him in the back, straight through his heart.
She couldn’t breathe as she watched in horror. “No!” she cried.
Kessar laughed evilly.
Sin’s eyes widened an instant before he sank to his knees. It was then she realized Kessar had taken Sin’s sword that had been forged by Sin’s people. It was the one thing that could kill the gallu and it was also able to kill Sin.…
Her vision clouded by fury, she blasted Kessar with a god-bolt from her hands. And then she hit him with another and another until she had him pinned to the floor. She was so intent on him that she missed the other demon who ran at her back and knocked her to the ground. Kat sprang to her feet and turned on her newest attacker. She manifested a dagger in her hand and lunged for the demon. It dodged, then tried to bite her. Kat swept its feet out from under it, then plunged her dagger between its eyes.
She rose, looking for Kessar to kill him too.… Unfortunately, she didn’t see him. But she did see Sin writhing in a pool of his own blood.
Terrified, she ran to him. “Sin?”
He was shaking as she pulled him into her arms. “I’ve got you, baby,” she whispered, placing her hand to his wound. Kat whispered as she tried to heal his wound. But it wouldn’t close. How could that be? “I don’t understand.…”
“It’s a Sumerian weapon,” Ash said as he knelt beside them. “One designed to kill their gods.”
She looked up at him and did something she’d never done before. She begged. “Heal him, please. I’ll do anything.”
“I can’t, Katra. Not from this.”
“He can’t die. Don’t you understand? Please … please, Daddy, help him.”
Ash’s heart broke as he heard the desperate love in her tone. Kat was willing to do anything to protect Sin. He remembered a time in his life when he’d felt that way about Artemis. And that love had turned on him and ruined his life. It had left him shattered and vacant. Lost and damned.
He could give Kat the knowledge to save Sin, but would Sin be like Artemis and cause her pain? Would she look back on this moment in time and curse it the way he did his own past? Would she hate herself later for this one desperate moment where her entire world was the one she loved and nothing else mattered except keeping Sin close to her?
Don’t interfere with free will. She wanted Sin. Who was he to stop her from choosing to make a sacrifice for him?
Ash controlled fate. But the human heart was its own master, right or wrong. Good or bad.
Dread, agony, and love warred inside him as he clenched his teeth. What should he do? Protect his daughter from a future that might or might not happen or give her the one thing she wanted most?
But in the end, he knew he had no choice. The decision was hers to make, not his. Life was a series of choices made and the consequences that followed.
