For nine hundred years he'd been waiting for this. Waiting for his vengeance.
The day Artemis had created him, she had promised him that he would be able to kill Zarek of Moesia.
Then for some unknown reason, she had changed their bargain.
Nothing had gone the way she had said.
Instead of living in wealth and comfort, he had been confined to a tiny cell, forgotten and alone.
"No one can ever know you're alive," she'd told him. "At least not until I need you.
"
And so he had waited. Year after year, century after century, screaming at the goddess to either let him out or kill him.
She'd never answered.
And he'd learned that there were some things worse than the short life span that terrified his Apollite kin.
Immortality in a dark hole was far worse.
He would not go back. No one would ever cage him again. He would tear down the whole ofOlympus first.
Artemis had been so afraid of her Dark-Hunters running amok that she hadn't thought ahead. There was no one who could stophim .
Something flickered through his mind. A fragment of a memory.
He saw himself as an Apollite… saw…
The image changed to that of Zarek killing his wife.
Thanatos roared with anger.
No, killing Zarek was too easy.
He wanted the man to suffer just the way he had.
Suffer.
Pain…
For the first time in nine hundred years, he smiled. Yes. Zarek had protected a woman last night. He had cradled her against him on the snowmachine.
Hiswoman.
Thanatos rose to his feet and shrugged his coat on. Even though he was exhausted, he wouldn't try to sleep any longer. He dressed quickly, quietly.
He would find the Dark-Hunter. Find his woman.
She would die, but Zarek… he would live. Just as Thanatos had. In eternal pain, aching for his love who was lost.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Zarek paused as he looked down at Astrid, who had fallen asleep while they'd been talking.
Talking.
He'd never thought to really do that with anyone. But then, he'd done a lot of things with her that he had never thought to experience.
Even asleep she looked tired. Her sweet eyes had circles underneath them.
He placed a kiss on her lips, and moved away so as not to disturb her.
The demon lay on the floor where she had been sitting. She was also sound asleep. One arm was curled under her head while the other hand was tucked under her chin. She reminded him of a little girl. No wonder Ash liked her.
He glanced back at Astrid. His strength.
His weakness.
Simi was Ash's.
And he had responsibility for both of them.
Feeling the full weight of that burden, Zarek grabbed an extra blanket and covered the demon.
She smiled in her sleep and said very softly, "Thank you,akri ."
Zarek looked longingly at his coat, which was still underneath Astrid.
He took another blanket over to her and covered her, too. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the small items he'd collected when he'd ventured into his cabin a few minutes before to get food for Simi.
He set them beside Astrid and placed her hand over them so that she could "see" what they were when she awoke.
He let his hand linger on her face.
"I'll miss you," he breathed, knowing that even after he became a Shade she would torment him.
After all, he needed her more than he needed food or air.
She was his life.
Taking a deep breath, he ran his fingers through her hair, letting it warm him. He imagined her fiery and soft in his arms. The way she looked when she came for him.
The way her voice sounded whenever she said his name.
Yes, he would definitely miss her.
It was why he had to keep her safe.
Forcing himself away from the comfort she offered, he left the two women.
He went to the end of the tunnel that led out into the woods.
Armed with as much firepower as he could carry, he opened the trapdoor, shivered as the cold air rushed over him, and left to find Thanatos.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Astrid jerked awake when a strange sound invaded her sleep.
"I like that Zarek. He quality people!
"
She blinked her eyes open as she recognized Simi's voice. Astrid started to move until she felt something underneath her hand.
Some of Zarek's figurines lay there, and as she traced the lines of them with her fingers, she realized what they were.
Each one was a character fromThe Little Prince . There were six of them in all: the little prince himself, the sheep, the elephant, the rose, the fox, and the snake.
They were exquisite pieces that had been given even more attention to detail than the others she'd
"seen."
"He even gave me a can opener so I don't have to use my fangs. I like that. Metal is hard on the teeth."
Simi smacked her lips. "Pork and beans popsicle. Yummy! My favorite."
"Simi?" Astrid said, sitting up. "Where is Zarek?"