“Like you’re one to talk. When was the last time you had a trim? And what’s that growth on your face? You a man or a goat?”
She stabbed over his shoulder to catch the one in front of him, then twirled to catch a second one and then a third.
Urian stopped her before she could go after a fourth. He had a cut on his face that made her heart sink. “Thank you.” With a quick kiss, he let go and stabbed an assailant on her right.
“Uri?”
He paused to look back at her.
“S’agapo.”
In the past, he’d never allowed her to tell him that she loved him before. She wasn’t sure how he’d take it.
He reached out to touch her cheek. “Ise to alo mou miso.” You are my other half.
Nothing could have meant more to her. Because she knew he didn’t speak those words lightly.
“Damn, Daimon! Who did you piss off!” Xander shouted. “Where are these things coming from?”
“Yeah!” Shadow concurred. “Who opened the gate?”
Blaise kicked his opponent back. “Better yet, how do we close it?”
The only one happy was Simi, who was making barbecue of them.
“You have Apollo and Morgen to thank for this. Apollo stole Hades’s scepter.”
Apollymi cursed under her breath. “The one that opens the portals between the worlds?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.”
Xander growled. “Back to my question … how do we close it?”
“Blood of Apollo and Apollymi.” Urian faced them. “In other words. Me.”
Xyn had a bad feeling as she heard that note in his voice. It was one she’d heard a few other times, right before he’d done something dramatically stupid. Usually for one of his brothers.
Or sister.
“Don’t you do it!” she growled. “So help me, Uri! Don’t you make me drag you from hell to beat your ass.”
“We can’t leave it open, Xyn.”
Then she saw.
Time slowed down as she held her breath. He was going for the stupid win. Her soul screamed out as her fear paralyzed her.
And before she could gather her wits to do anything to stop him, Stryker teleported. He grabbed Urian and disarmed him, then flipped him into her arms.
An instant later, he let them take him in Urian’s place.
Xyn fell to the ground with Urian on top of her. She wasn’t sure which of them was the most shocked as they stared at each other. All she knew was how delighted she was to have him here.
Urian couldn’t believe he was still alive or that he was cushioned by his dragon. But his relief was short-lived.
Panic replaced it as he remembered what Stryker had done. Pushing himself up, he quickly surveyed the battlefield, which was now eerily quiet. Shadow and Xander were turning around, looking for more enemies. Brogan was holding Blaise. Simi was …
Well, she was snacking.
And his parents were heading for …
No.
Urian couldn’t breathe as he saw Stryker on the ground. In that moment, he forgot all the anger and hate he bore the man. Forgot the fact that he’d wanted him dead and had plotted his murder.
All he saw was the man who’d held him when he was a boy. The one who used to chase monsters from under his bed. His father who’d taught him to tie his sandals. To walk with pride and integrity.
The one who’d thrown himself to his enemies to save his life.
“Baba!” Urian ran to him. “Baba, no!” Tears filled his eyes as he fell to his knees by Stryker’s side and gently rolled him over.
He was covered in blood. His breathing ragged, he was barely alive. “Eisai oti kalutero uparxei, m’gios.” You are the best thing on earth, my son. “I’m so sorry I ever hurt you.”
Urian grabbed him by the shirt with both fists. “Don’t you dare die on me, you bastard! Don’t you do this to me or Medea!” Summoning every bit of his determination, grit, and fire, Urian heated his arm until it glowed bright and burned like wildfire. By the gods, he was not going to let Stryker go. The gods and fate had taken enough from him. He was not going to let them rip another fucking thing from his life.
Not again!
Not like this!
He was done with it!
Blinded by tears, he sent everything he had into his father. His strength. His powers.
Most of all, he sent his love. In spite of everything that had happened between them, they were still family. “Please, please, Baba.” Weeping, Urian laid his head down on his chest.
But there was no heartbeat.
Damn you gods! Damn you all!
And then he felt it. His father’s hand in his hair. The softest beat of his heart against his ear, followed by a deep intake of breath.
Urian let out a nervous laugh as he lifted his head to meet Stryker’s gaze.
He smiled at him the way he used to when he was a boy. “Goodness, child. Does this mean you’re talking to me again?”
Unable to speak past the pain and relief he felt, Urian nodded.
“Well hell, son, if I’d known this was all it’d take to make you forgive me, I’d have killed myself a decade ago.”
“You’re not funny, Baba.”
Stryker wiped away his tears and kissed his forehead. “And I’m not your only father, either.” He jerked his chin toward Styxx and Bethany.
Xyn helped Urian up while Styxx helped Stryker to his feet.
Styxx let out a deep sigh. “Again, Stryker. We are family.”
Stryker nodded. “We are. Now where’s Phoebe?”
Snorting, Urian pulled his hair back into a ponytail to secure it. “Not where she thought she’d be.”
Xander looked around. “What do you mean?”
Simi came over with her barbecue sauce. “He means that’s his Phoebe’s in the corner rocking like she’s gots the rabies.”
“Pardon?”
Simi pointed with her bottle.
His arm glowing, Urian headed for Phoebe. While he didn’t know exactly where she was, he had a good idea of the vicinity.
It didn’t take long to find her. As Simi said, she had the rabies. And the minute she saw Urian, she had a bit more.
She started to run away, but Urian caught her.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Although he really felt like it.
Her eyes appeared wild as she glanced from him to his companions. “What are you going to do?”
“Honestly? I feel sorry for you.” And for the fact that Apollo had lied to her. He looked over his shoulder at the others. “Apollo promised to free her if she gave him some of my blood. I don’t know what he needed it for. Once he had it, he sicced those bastards on me and left her here.”
Apollymi scoffed. “Apollo lying. Imagine that?”
“Yeah. Anyway, now that we know you’re not completely trelos, I’m thinking that since Acheron fixed me, we might be able to fix you.”
Phoebe gaped. “You’re forgiving me?”
“No, no, no. You attacked Davyn. You let Apollo infect my father and stepmother with a virus that almost wiped them out.”
“Although I thank you for that because I got Brogan out of it,” Blaise murmured.
“Shut up, Blaise.”
“Well, I’m just saying, we don’t all hate her.”
Urian glared at him. Then returned to the topic at hand. “You attempted to feed me to them. So—”
“I want a divorce, Urian.”
He arched a brow at that.
“I’ve been caged my whole life. First by my father, then my mother. By you and here. I want to be on my own in the real world. I’m tired of being tied to other people and living by someone else’s rules. I just want to have my own life for me.”
Urian held his hands up in surrender. “You got it. I won’t argue. I’ll make sure you’re provided for.”
Phoebe laughed. “Peters heiress, remember? Don’t need it. I have my own funds.”
“Fair enough. Do you at least want your sister’s address?”
She nodded. “That I do want.”
Urian handed her his phone and unlocked it. “Press two and it’ll ring Cassandra.”
While she went off alone, he turned toward the others. “I think our crisis of the moment is over.”
Shadow burst out laughing. “No, it’s not, princess. Apollo has a scepter that can open portals. And your blood. That’s a recipe for extreme disaster. My ulcer just had quads.”
Xander nodded. “He’s right. This is going to get bad.”
“We need to pool resources to stop him.” Stryker sighed heavily.
“Is what he said true?” Xander jerked his chin toward Davyn. “Your Daimons don’t live on souls anymore?”