"I did find one," Medea said, her voice breaking. "The humans butchered him."
Zephyra touched her lightly on the arm. "I know, baby. I didn't mean to be so callous. I loved him, too." She looked back at Stryker. "It's why I made sure I slaughtered every descendent of the families who took his life and why I relished each and every kill."
Stryker gave her a formal ancient military salute. "And that's why I admire you so. A warrior's code to the end." Blood for blood. Tit for tat. Life for life. It was the one thing they'd always seen eye to eye on.
Davyn groaned from the bed as he finally came to. Lifting his head, he focused on Stryker. "How many of our men did they kill?"
"I don't know. What happened?"
"War." His voice was weak and strained, as if pain had just ripped through him. He brushed his hair back from his face before he pushed himself into a sitting position. "He told the demons that they shouldn't be subservient to you anymore. That they should rise up and kill us all to take over Kalosis. He said it would be the perfect demon haven, once all the Daimons were dead or converted."
Stryker growled low in the back of his throat. "Treacherous bastard." Zephyra scoffed.
"You're the one who unleashed him."
"To kill Nick and Ash," he said defensively.
She arched one taunting brow. "What did you think he'd do after that?"
"I assumed he'd kill me, not my people."
Zephyra laughed sarcastically. "The man's name is War. Did that not clue you in about his personality? This would be tantamount to meeting Peone and expecting the goddess of retaliation to forgive you and blithely walk away to let you live a happy life."
Medea frowned. "I thought that was Nemesis."
Zephyra gave her a droll stare. "Keep to your Atlantean gods, sweetie. Peone is retribution for murder. Nemesis is a goddess of balance. She punishes those who have too much happiness or who get away with screwing people over. Big difference between the two."
"Oh. Never mind." Medea stepped back.
Stryker inclined his head to Zephyra. "I'm impressed you still remember the old gods. But it doesn't change the fact that I need to get back to Kalosis and kick those assholes out."
"Why are you so suicidal?"
"I'm not suicidal. Those are my people down there and I'm not going to leave them to die without my leadership." He vanished.
Zephyra stiffened at his abrupt departure. "Did he just go back?" she asked Davyn.
He nodded. "My lord plays games, but not when it comes to invaders. He brought the demons in and no doubt feels responsible."
She tried to flash herself to Kalosis, but since she didn't have a standing invitation, she couldn't. "Davyn, can you open a bolt hole?"
He closed his eyes, then shook his head. "Stryker must have locked me out."
"Damn him. Jared!" she shouted, calling him back from his quest to find and kill Nick. He appeared before her instantly. "Akra?" he asked, using the Atlantean word for owner and mistress. "I need you to go to Kalosis and keep Stryker from dying. Help him drive the demons out."
"Your will is mine," he said in the most sarcastic of tones. She was actually amazed he was willing to obey without argument. But an instant later, he was gone.
Medea scowled in confusion. "I thought your intent was to kill Stryker?"
"Oh, honey, after all that man has put me through, I alone deserve the honor. Be damned if some demon by-blow is going to rob me of that plea sure."
STRYKER USED A FIRE BLAST TO SEAR THE demons closest to him as he joined his men and women who were holding them off. "Where's Apollymi?"
"Behind you."
He turned to see her there with her eyes blazing red. "We need to get you to safety," he told her, not wanting either of them to die until he took care of this.
She arched a brow at that. "Since when does my safety concern you? I thought you wanted me dead." It was true, he had. But not right now. "I want to renew my lease on life. At least for two more weeks."
"In that case . . ." She slung her arms out and formed a whirlwind around the demons. They shrieked and screamed as it enveloped them and lifted them from the ground. A hole appeared in the room, sucking them into the center of it. An instant later, they were all gone.
Now that was one seriously handy skill. "And that, my friends, is the difference between a full-fledged goddess and a demigod," he said under his breath.
Her expression unamused, she turned to Stryker. "And that, unfortunately, won't last because someone"—she pinned him with an angry glare—"gave them access to my realm. Perhaps I should feed you to them after all."
"Give me a couple of hours before you do. Right now, I need to take inventory of the damage done to my men."
"Since when do you care what happens to them?"