Damn you, Acheron.
Most of all, he damned himself. Had he not been so stupid as to go to his wife so soon after making a pact with Artemis, he would still have a chance to be human again.
Acheron would be able to barter for his soul back…
Then again, had he not wanted to return to his wife so desperately, Acheron wouldn't have made the pact with Artemis that allowed DarkHunters to go free.
None of them would have a chance for freedom from her service. His life and soul had been sacrificed for a much greater good.
One day, Danger might be free again.
Without me…
It was true. For him there was no way out. No future that included Danger or any woman. Not that he wanted any other woman. She was the only one he would ever love. He knew it.
"I shouldn't have come here to save Kyros," he said in a hoarse tone. "Kyros is as good as dead and all I've done is make memories that can only serve to hurt in the centuries to come." But at least she wouldn't know regret. She wouldn't feel his pain.
He clenched his hand in her hair. "I'll be able to see you, I could even pass you on the street and you'll never know who or what I am. I'll be a stranger."
Tears swam in her dark eyes. "I don't want to forget you, Alexion. Ever."
"You have no choice. You know too much about Acheron now. He'll never allow you to keep your memories intact."
Anger snapped beneath her tears. "I don't care what he does. I won't forget you. Somehow I'm going to remember you, I know it. I don't care how powerful he is, he won't make me forget you."
He wished he could believe that, but he knew better.
"You need to get some sleep, Danger. We have a long night ahead of us."
She nodded. "Are you going to sleep too?"
"In a little while. You rest."
She released him to lie back on the bed. Alexion got up and dressed while thoughts and regrets whispered through him.
Pushing them aside, he went to see Xirena, who was still asleep on the sofa.
Her feet were propped up over the back while her head dangled off the side of it. One arm was flung over her head and lay against the floor while the other was crossed over her chest. Smiling at the Simi-like pose, he grabbed the blanket off the armchair and covered her up.
His time here in Mississippi had definitely been his oddest assignment.
But at least time was on his side. Stryker would think he still had the soul within him and that it was incapacitating him.
Until the time that Stryker expected the soul to die, the Daimon should leave them alone. It gave him a few days to make contact with the other DarkHunters to feel them out.
He would call the DarkHunter meeting in three days and then the fate of them all would be decided.
His thoughts drifted back to Kyros and he wanted to curse out loud at the injustice. Kyros was lost to him.
But I found Danger.
And in the end, he would lose them both.
Life did, indeed, suck.
"Keep an eye on Dangereuse."
Alexion froze as the soft, feminine voice whispered through his head. If he didn't know better, he would swear it was…
"Artemis?"
"The Daimon wants you dead. If he can't take you, he will take someone else."
Alexion swallowed at her dire tone. "Why are you helping me, Artie? I know you hate me."
"I'm not Artemis. I'm just a friend who doesn't want to see Stryker hurt anyone else."
"Then how do I defeat him?"
"To defeat the invincible you can never strike at them. You must always strike at their heart."
"I've tried striking at his heart. He's a little swift on his feet."
The voice said nothing.
"Hello?" Alexion asked, but she was gone.
"Great," he said, clenching his teeth.
Stryker was going to make a move on Danger and the only way to save her would be to strike at a god who had no heart whatsoever.
"Shit, we're screwed."
Chapter 19
Alexion spent the entire day watching Danger sleep. He sat in the cream jacquard padded chair beside her bed, completely absorbed by the pale beauty of her. She was without flaw. Without guile. Without cruelty inside. She would never hurt someone she loved. Indeed, she'd died trying to save her family when it would have been easy enough for her to have turned her back on them and saved herself.
It was part of why he loved her so.
"I don't want to leave her." He whispered the heartfelt words knowing that in the end he had no choice. Damn him for not being able to control his emotions where she was concerned. All he had done was ruin his own future.
Why was that?
Why did such pain have to exist in this world? Love should be easy. It should be simple. A person should be allowed to find that one person they couldn't live without and just go on their merry way to happily-ever-after.