That was all he had left to do.
He wasnt going to live without Haidee; it was as simple as that.
AFTER ZACHAREL BRIEFED TORIN on everything that had happened to Amun and Haidee, gathered the rest of his angels and finally left the fortress for good, their job now done, the keeper of Disease studied his friend on several of his computer monitors. The cameras Strider had placed in Secretss bedroom hadnt yet been disabled, so Torin had a clear view of his friend from multiple angles.
The warrior might be back to normal, but he wasnt even close to being happy. Desolation seemed to cling to him. His dark skin was dulled, and his eyes were bleaker than Torin had ever seen them.
Torin ached for him. Even though he didnt understand how Amun had fallen for such a woman, he still ached for the man. And he wouldnt judge. Amun would get enough of that from the others. What he needed right now was compassion and unconditional support. Support Torin would give him.
Once upon a time, Torin had killed a woman he lusted after. Hed worshipped her from afar and had finally given in and touched her. Just a simple brush of his knuckles on her soft cheek, but soon afterward, hed been forced to watch her sicken and die. Hed been helpless to save her.
Knowing he was responsible had torn him up inside. And if Zacharel was right, Amun blamed himself for Haidees loss. And the fact that Torin had merely lusted but Amun had lovedwell, he doubted his pain could compare.
Torin tugged at an earlobe. Things were still calm here. Hunters were still missing, still disappearing for seemingly no reason, but now Rhea had disappeared, as well. As Cronus had done with Strider, hed just popped in and informed him. So
Whether the warriors here would judge Amun or not, Amun needed them. Needed a distraction from his guilt. That wouldnt be the same as compassion and support, but those things would follow. Hopefully.
So Torin lifted his cell phone and sent everyone the same message. Amuns here & sane. Angels gone. Return ASAP. He needs help.
Replies began arriving seconds after he pressed send, and soon every single one of the warriors (besides William) had agreed to come home.
On way. He OK? Aeron.
Coming. Something wrong? Lucien.
Take me out of your address book. William.
Will make it. Gideon.
Cameo & me just hit town. Well be there in 10. Kane.
Let me get Ash situated 1st. Maddox.
Done & done. Sabin.
Me & Paris R in the States. Might take a bit, but well B there. Strider.
Had a tail 4 few days. Will show as soon as I lose it. Reyes.
Pleased at their show of loyalty amid this crisis, Torin settled back in his chair and waited.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
AMUNS FRIENDS TRIED TO CHEER him up, they really did. They hugged him, slapped him on the back and told him what theyd been up to. Strider, fighting Hunters. Aeron, playing with his Olivia in the clouds. Lucien, guarding the Cage of Compulsion with his Anya. Gideon, honeymooning with his Scarlet. Kane and Cameo, scouring the city for any sign of the enemy. Maddox, playing nursemaid to his Ashlyn, who was big as a house. Her words, not Amuns. Sabin, begging the Unspoken Ones to give back the artifact Strider had parted with. Reyes, guarding his Danika while she painted glimpses into the future. Paris, getting high on ambrosia and preparing to go to war in the heavens.
Amun spent two days with them. No one mentioned Haidee. They all avoided talk of her. But as he seated himself at the dinner table, he decided to change that. They didnt know it, but this was to be his last dinner with them. Tomorrow he would leave the fortress. Tomorrow he would challenge Zacharel.
Tomorrow he would lose his head.
He knew what Aeron had experienced after his death. Knew the warriors soul had gone to another realm, a place where formerly demon-possessed immortals were supposedly to be trapped, unable to taint any other souls with their darkness. Baden was there. Pandora, too.
But Aeron, Baden and Pandora had merely died as mortals did. Their souls hadnt been burned to ash, as an angels sword of fire could make happen.
Thats the death Amun wanted for himself. An end. Totally, completely.
First, though, he wanted these men to know the kind of woman Haidee had been. To know her as he had, as sweetness and light. As worthy. As the best among them. He wanted them to know what she had given up. And so, while they piled their plates high with food, he started talking.
Haidee was not the monster we painted her. She was strong and courageous.
Conversations tapered to quiet as everyone stared at him in shock. Hed never begun a conversation before. Had rarely spoken anything but other peoples memories since his possession.
He continued before his demon decided to take over and spill the secrets hiding inside everyone around him. She had every reason to despise us. A demon killed her mother, her father, her sister and her husband. A demon, just like us. Hell, maybe one of us killed her husband. We were there when it happened. And then I helped kill her. Me. I threw her in front of my enemys sword. Little wonder she came back for us. For vengeance. We would have done the same. We did the same.
Thankfully, no one tried to stop him. Not even his demon.
The same demon who killed her family managed to infect her, give her a piece of himself. Of Hate. Yet somehow, though she was little more than a human, she managed to defeat that demons darkest urges. Then she was killed again and again and again, and even though every good and decent memory she had was always wiped from her, even though she knew only sadness and pain, she found a way to love me, to save meto die for me. That is the woman we have hated all this time. Someone we hurt first. Someone with the power to kill the rest of us, someone who could have been used against us, yet chose to save us instead. Through her own death.
A thick, heavy silence enveloped the entire room.
Still Secrets made no attempt to speak through him. Perhaps because the taint of memories had been purged inside that cave. Perhaps because the demon mourned Haidees passing as he did.
His friends continued to stare at him, not moving, not even daring to breathe. Their thoughts and emotions grew in intensity, finally piercing the quiet. Some felt sorry for him. Some felt guilty for having condemned Haidee. Only Sabin refused to back away from his own hate.
Strider, though Strider was the worst. Her death is for the best, the warrior thought. Ultimately, she would have turned on him. She wouldnt have been able to help herself. And when she hurt him, or us, he would have blamed himself. He wouldnt have been able to forgive himself, either.
The statement pushed Amun over the edge. Hell. No.
Amun didnt realize hed launched out of his seat until he had his hands around Striders neck. Until he was tossing the warrior into the wall, plaster dusting around him. What the fuck, man? a scowling Strider demanded as he stood.
Her death wasnt for the best! She was lovely, damn you. She deserved to live. Im the one who should have died. And you can wrap up your excuses as prettily as you want, but that doesnt change the fact that you just dont care that shes dead.
Okay. Okay. Whatever. Just relax. Youre entitled to your opinion, and Im entitled to mine.
Mine is the only one that matters! With a roar, Amun launched at Strider again. They fell to the floor in a tangle of violence.
Stop, Lucien commanded. Now.
Let them finish, Sabin said.
Amun tuned them out. His fists pounded at Strider, his legs kicked. Strider, of course, began fighting back. They rolled together and slammed into the table. Plates shattered, food splattered. Both of them knew how to fight, and fight dirty. Knew how to stop a heart from beating, how to break a femur with a well-placed kick, how to smash a trachea and prevent oxygen from making it into greedy lungs. They did all of that and more.
And still they kept fighting, no one trying to separate them. Amuns hands soon swelled from continuous impact with bone, his fingers refusing to bend. Dizziness washed through him, black winking over his vision, but even that didnt slow him. When this was over, Strider was going to regret his thoughts and words. Strider was going to admit how special Haidee had been.
Defeats nose broke under the next strike of Amuns palm. Blood poured. That crimson flow reminded him of what Hate had done to Haideefangs digging into her beautiful neckand that only increased the depths of his rage.
Tell me you appreciate what she did for us. Tell me!
You want me to lie? She was a Hunter, Strider shouted, a few of his teeth missing. A killer.
Were killers! Another strike. Another direct hit. Two pearly whites sailed through the air.
Damn it! Defeats rage increased as well, and he kneed Amun in the groin. She couldnt be trusted. I realized that. Why cant you? The words were slurred as they pushed through the empty spaces where his teeth had been.
Amun shook off the pain. What was physical pain after the emotional agony of losing his woman, anyway? He dove into Striders middle, sending the warrior flailing to the ground. On impact, Strider lost his breath. The warrior was quick to recover, and they rolled, still pounding on each otheruntil they slammed into one of the table legs and cracked the wood.
Amun stilled, glaring down at the man hed once called brother. I trusted her more than I trusted anyone else. Even you.
Strider pushed, sending Amun stumbling to the other side of the room. How can you say
No, you dont get to speak. Once again, he closed the distance between them. No mercy. Secrets knew Strider planned to kick, and so Amun jumped out of the way, spun, punched and ducked, punched and ducked. You wanted her, but you would have tortured her. You would have ruined her.
No. Somehow, Strider dodged every blow.
You might, might, have been able to love her, but only after youd broken her. Finally, contact.
Strider hunched over, trying to catch the breath hed only just found. Dont you see whats happening? Shes dead, but still shes pulling us apart. I love you. I left this fortress for you. So you could have her.
You left this fortress for you. No mercy, he thought again. You couldnt win her, and you knew it. Amun kneed him in the chin, sending Strider tumbling back into another wall. I would have married her, pampered her, and I would have expected every single one of you to accept her. But you wouldnt have, would you? She was just another challenge to you. But you know what? She rejected you, and you walked away from her without a flicker of pain. That changes now. You will feel pain. You know why? Because I challenged you, and you just lost. With that, Amun punched him. Punched him so hard his jawbone dislocated completely.
Strider was knocked unconscious. Even then, he was in physical pain, moaning from the mental anguish of his defeat.
Amun kicked him while he was down. Again and again.
Someone grabbed him from behind and jerked him away, holding him so tightly he couldnt quite draw in a breath. Yet still he fought. His woman had been slighted. He wouldnt stop until he was appeased. And he would never be appeased.
Im going with her, he shouted. Do you hear me? Im going to die with her! And if you dont watch your stupid mouth, Ill take you along, too!
Strider released another moan, this one far more pained.
The warriors holding Amun must have sensed his determination because they ceased trying to hold him and started trying to subdue him.
We need you, he heard.
Dont talk like that, all right.
Youll get through this.
No. No! His body was already badly beaten, weakened, but still he fought, his rage like a living entity.
Its gonna be okay, buddy.
No!
They squeezed tighter.
Let us help you.
What if we spoke to the angel? What if something could be done?
Something can be done, he snarled.
Tighter still.
Haidee, he screamed inside his head then. Soon, Ill be with you soon. Well be His thoughts fragmented. His motions were slowing. Well be together again.
Darkness rained down like poisoned arrows. He welcomed the storm with open arms.
CHAPTER THIRTY
AMUN, A GENTLE VOICE called.
Amun fought his way through the darkness, slashing at it as determinedly as he remembered slashing at Strider. That voice, so familiar, so necessary. Forever lost.
Amun, baby. Wake up.
His struggles increased until finally, amazingly, he was able to blink open his eyesand what he saw took his breath away. Haidee. His beautiful Haidee. She loomed above him, peering down at him with those pearl-gray eyes.
Had the warriors killed him as hed wanted? he wondered. No, they couldnt have. Inside his head, Secrets was sighing with relief, picking up on something, a mystery, a truth, but was unable to sort through the details.
How was Haidee here?
Am I dreaming? He didnt dare speak again. Just in case. He would not spoil this moment with a spew of secrets. Besides, if this moment was steeped in falsehood, he didnt want to know. Wait. Dont tell me. Just stay right where you are.
No, baby. Im here. She smoothed the hair plastered to his brow, and he felt the coolness of her touch. Were in your bedroom, the place we first met.
He studied her, certain this had to be a trick. Her pink and blond locks were in tangles around her shoulders, and her lips were swollen from where shed chewed them. Her eyes were aglow with love and warmth.
This isnt a trick, she said. Im real.
But you died. I watched you die. Was told you couldnt be reanimated by Hate any longer.
And thats the truth. I was reanimated by something else this time.
I dont understand.
Thats okayI barely understand it myself. What happened to me was kind of like what happened to Aeronand yeah, I got to hear all about thatonly I didnt need a new body because I was already in soul form. Anyway, this is how it was explained to me. The demons are the negative, and the angels are the positive. Happiness, Joy, Strength, and so on. So, just like I had taken a piece of Hate, I could take a piece of one of those without killing the giver. And I did. First from you, then from someone else.