“It’s true. Why?”
“Then I’m thinking we should enter an official truce.”
Stryker nodded. “One caveat. We’re not the only Daimons out there. We’re only one small group.”
“But I can mark them,” Apollymi offered. “That way the Dark-Hunters can tell my Spathi from the others. I’ll give them a mark that no one else can copy or duplicate. It’ll be seen only by the Hunters’ eyes so that they won’t be able to hurt them.”
“That’ll work.”
Bethany smiled. “Who would have ever thought we’d be on the same side?”
Grimacing, Styxx scratched nervously at his neck. “I have to say, I’m not comfortable bedding down with Atlanteans.”
Bethany smacked him on the stomach. “Hey now!”
He laughed. “You don’t count.”
Stryker stepped aside with Urian. “Are we good again?”
“I don’t know, Solren … you did cut my throat. I am kind of fucked up.” Urian cracked a smile. “But I’m your son, so I think normality and sanity sailed away a long time ago. Given that, I guess we are.”
Stryker pulled him into his arms and fisted his hand in his hair like he did when Urian was young. “I’ve missed you so much.” Those gruff words were growled against his ear.
“Missed you, too.”
For a minute, Urian didn’t think he’d let go. Finally, he pounded him on the back and stepped away.
Then Stryker paused. “You’re welcome to come and go. I’ve kept your place just as you left it. No one’s bothered any of your things.”
And that told Urian more than anything how much his father loved him. “Thank you.”
“All right, I’m off to tell my Daimons to stop killing Dark-Hunters. That might take a while to sink in. Eleven thousand years of instinct is hard to reset.”
Davyn nodded. “He’s not wrong. I still want to crap my pants every time I see Acheron.” He glanced over to Styxx. “Or you, because you look like him.”
Simi let out a horselike snort. “Oh, poo on that! Akri a sweetie. He not kill no Daimon what he don’t gotta!” She hiccupped. “Ooo, that one bit me back!”
Phoebe came over and returned Urian’s phone. She sniffed back the tears from her face. “Thank you.”
“You all right?”
She nodded. “Can you help me get to Minnesota?”
“Sure. I’ll go right now, if you want.”
I’ll see the others back. Xyn passed her thoughts to him. You take care of Phoebe. I’ll see you later.
Urian nodded before he headed to the portal with Phoebe so that he could see her settled.
It didn’t take long to see her to Cassandra and Wulf’s. The moment they arrived, Cassandra let out a shriek he was surprised didn’t orbit the world a thousand times.
Even their dog whined over it.
And when Phoebe saw the kids, she burst into a round of tears that was truly stellar, especially over little Phoebe.
Wulf clapped him on the back. “Guess you’ll be relocating here, after all.”
Urian shook his head. “We’re not back together.”
“What?”
“Long story.”
“Man, I’m sorry.”
Wishing he felt as bad about it as Wulf did, Urian sighed. “Appreciate it.”
“Uri, Uri, Uri!” Jeff came running in to take a flying leap into his arms.
“Umph!” Urian barely caught him. “Dang, boy! What have you been eating? Rocks?”
Laughing, he hugged his neck. “Are you staying long?”
“Nah, sorry. I have to get back. Did you meet your aunt Phoebe?”
“Yeah, but they’re talking about girl stuff. It’s boring.”
Cassandra and Phoebe came into the room to give him the same look most people gave to three-day-old cheese they’d left out in their car in August.
Urian set Jeff back on his feet and patted him on the head. “Well, on that note, I better run before my testicles crawl any further into my body. I might one day want to use them again.”
He left before it got any uglier or more awkward.
But then, he was used to not feeling like he belonged. In all the centuries he’d lived—all the places he’d called home—never once had he felt comfortable or at peace. Never had he felt that sense of utter belonging.
Nowhere.
That was probably the strangest part of it all. Medea had moved in with his father and found her groove right away in Kalosis, along with her mother. Davyn and Paris had synced right up the moment they met. Even Danger had shown up at Acheron’s temple with Alexion and the two of them had set up a home as if she’d always been there. Even the demon Xirena had moved right in with Simi and been fine.
Now Phoebe was at home with her sister in a way Urian had never felt welcome.
And he was …
Lost still.
Adrift in his own loneliness.
He felt weird in Kalosis with Stryker and Zephyra. While he spent most of his time in Katateros, he was isolated in one room.
Forever solitude.
It was all he’d ever known.
Oh well. It was what it was. At least he didn’t have the guilt anymore. That was something new, at least.
Those were his thoughts until he opened the door to his room to find it completely empty. As in stark empty. Like a buffet after Simi and her sister went through it.
What the hell?
Had they cleared out his stuff for another baby?
Stunned and a little pissed off, Urian turned around and went to find Alexion. “Where’s my stuff? Did we get robbed?”
Alexion stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Xyn came and got it. I assumed you knew.”
That only confused him more. “Where’d she take it?”
He shrugged.
Seriously? The bastard had no comment? Double hell.
Frustrated that they’d play this game, Urian pulled out his phone and called her. “Xyn? Where’s my stuff?”
He’d barely finished the question before he was teleported to her cavern. Urian hung up his phone as he glanced around the fancy massive place she’d made for herself. Glittering and open, it held all manner of high-end electronics and expensive furnishings. His dragonswan had exquisite taste. But then, she always had.
In the center was what appeared to be a giant tree staircase. And when Xyn came down it wearing a slinky green negligee, he felt his throat go dry and a part of his anatomy stand to attention in great appreciation of her lush curves that had always set his body on fire.
“You okay?” she asked as she slowed her pace.
“Not sure … am I in the right place?”
She laughed as she closed the distance between them. “Is this not what you wanted? Did I read you wrong?”
“I don’t know. What did you read?”
Her cheeks turned bright pink. “Oh my God, Urian! Are you back with your wife?”
Why was she so pissed off at him? “Ex-wife! No!” He caught her arm as she started away and he finally realized what she’d done. “You moved me in with you?”
She gave him a no-duh glare. “Isn’t that where we were headed?”
Before Phoebe had shown up, yeah. But after that … “I thought you’d changed your mind.”
Her features softened to a tenderness that made his heart beat faster. “We don’t change our minds.” She kissed him tenderly, then took his hand to lead him toward the sofa. “I put your console there with your headset. And I bought you a comfy gaming chair.”
Unable to believe his eyes, Urian stopped her as he realized how much attention she paid to the smallest details of his habits and likes. Tenderness choked him.
“Sarraxyn?”
“Yes?”
“Love you. And I won’t take you for granted. Thank you.”
“For what?”
For the one thing he’d never had in his entire existence. A place where he felt wanted. Where he belonged.“For giving me what I’ve never had before … a home.”
EPILOGUE
Xander shrugged his jacket off. What a screwed-up night. The Dark-Hunters were now allied to the Daimons.
Hell had frozen over.
Yeah. He’d finally lived long enough to be shocked. His mother and Confucius were right. If you sat by the river long enough, you would eventually see the bodies of your enemies float by.
Strange, strange, strange.
“Brynna! You’re not going to believe the shit that happened tonight!”
He frowned when he didn’t find her waiting up for him.
Weird. She always waited up for him to come home.