"I know." Suddenly the stoic veil dropped from Savitar's face. "I don't mean this to be patronizing, Acheron, but I am proud of what you have become. You have learned much and used it wisely, unlike some people I know…"
Ash nodded. Savitar had his own demons that he hid. But then everyone did.
"I hope you find peace, my brother," he said to Savitar.
Savitar scoffed. "Peace walks hand in hand with a quiet conscience."
"Then we're both seriously screwed."
Savitar laughed. "Yes, we are."
Ash fell silent for a minute as thoughts and scenarios played through his mind. "Question?"
"Answer?"
He gave Savitar an irritated grimace. There were times when Savitar enjoyed provoking him. "Would killing Stryker be such a bad thing?"
"Only you can answer that."
"I hate it when you play prophet with me. But I suppose I deserve it."
Savitar shrugged. "All of us answer to someone."
Those words surprised Ash. He found it hard to believe that Savitar would allow anyone to have any power over him. "And who holds your chain?"
"If I told you that, you'd know too much about me."
"You already know too much about me."
Savitar didn't comment on that. "Life is what we make it," he said slowly. "You don't need me to tell you what would happen if you killed Stryker. You know that answer." He moved to stand to Ash's side. "You let your emotions control you in New Orleans and what happened?"
Complete and utter disaster.
Ash bit his tongue to keep from asking if Alexion would survive the coming battle with Stryker. If the answer was no, then there was no way he could not interfere.
I have to stay out of this.
"Don't worry, Atlantean," Savitar said quietly. "The one thing I can assure you… through your own actions, you will be saved."
"And Alexion?"
"Through his, he will be damned. But then you already knew that."
Chapter 21
Alexion spent the next two days getting used to Xirena being a part of him, and popping off his body at inopportune moments because his blood was racing and his blood pressure was elevated. It seemed his demon couldn't tell the physical difference between when he was in danger and when he was "in" Danger.
To which Xirena often commented, "Naked human sex, ew!"
That was okay with him since the idea of naked demon sex was equally repugnant to him.
Meanwhile he continued to grapple with fears about Danger's future. Part of him wanted the voice back in his head that had warned him originally to watch over her. Who had it been and where had she gone?
How could he get her back?
Damn. There were never voices in his head when he needed them.
And tonight was the night. He would deliver his ultimatum to the DarkHunters and then he would channel Acheron's powers.
In the past, he'd always been ready to return home. This time, he wasn't. The thought of leaving Danger brought a pain to his chest the likes of which he'd never known before.
"I can't do this."
And yet what choice did he have? He couldn't live in this body. His time was so finite as to be ridiculous. There was no choice here. He couldn't stay.
It was over.
He looked up as Danger entered the room. Dressed in a pair of black jeans with a long-sleeved black shirt, she looked good enough to eat.
She crossed the room to stand in front of him. And the kiss she gave him set his entire body on fire. "When do you leave?"
He looked away as his heart sank, unable to face her with the truth. "Tonight. Once judgment is rendered, I'll be taken back."
He returned to her gaze to see sadness flash in her dark eyes a moment before she hid it. "If I don't get a chance to say it later, I'm glad you came here. And I'm really sorry I stabbed you… twice."
He smiled at her words, but his chest tightened as pain overwhelmed him. He was going to miss her more than he would have ever thought possible.
"Danger—"
"Don't," she said, placing her finger over his lips to stop him from speaking. "I know what you're thinking. I can see it in your eyes. I'll miss you too, but let's not make this any harder on either one of us, okay?"
She was so strong that it never ceased to amaze him.
There were times when he thought she might even be stronger than he was. "Okay."
She took a deep breath as she dropped her hand to his shoulder. "You know, we might still be able to reach Kyros and save him."
"I'm not counting on that one."
"But you might," she said with a hope he'd long stopped feeling. "Let's not give up on him yet. People can sometimes surprise you."
He frowned at her insistence. "Why is it so important to you that we give him another shot?"
Her dark gaze scorched him. "Because if not for Kyros, I wouldn't have met you. And as wonderful as you are, I keep thinking that he would have to be too, otherwise you wouldn't have believed in him in the first place."
Alexion had to give her credit, she made a convincing argument. How could any man in his right mind find fault with that?
Even more, he didn't want to hurt or disappoint her. For her, he would do anything.
"All right, I'll try."