"It isn't what you think. I swear."
One of his brows shot into his hairline. "So you weren't talking to a Hunter?"
She jumped up, mouth floundering open and closed.
Reyes's gaze immediately jerked from her. The arm behind his back shot forward and a second later a T-shirt was flying toward her. "Dress. Lucien is here. He wants to talk with you."
She caught the material and hastily tugged it over her head, shielding her nakedness. Her vision was blocked for less than a second, but by the time she refocused, Reyes was no longer standing in the doorway.
The shirt ended at her knees, but she still felt exposed as she raced into the bedroom. Cool air kissed her legs. "Reyes, I was helping you! You have to believe me."
She stopped short when she spied Lucien. The warrior was fully dressed, and his clothing was stained with blood. Reyes now stood beside him. Both men were staring at her expectantly.
"Look," she rushed out. "I'm supposed to learn everything I can about you. I've been trying. I admit it. The Hunters who captured me and asked me to spy for them are led by a man named Stefano. Dean Stefano. He was going to help me find and protect my family. To do that, I thought you had to be destroyed. But when I got here, I just couldn't do it. I've spoken to Stefano only twice since I've been here, but I've never given him any useful information."
"Is that all?" Reyes asked, surprisingly calm.
She nodded.
"Very well. Let's move on to another subject, then. I told Lucien what you told me, that there are other beings possessed as we are. Is there anything else you know about them?"
She held up a hand and gave a shake of her head. Why wasn't he accusing her of lying about knowing nothing more? "What are you talking about?"
"The men in prison, the ones housing the demons we released."
"Like that matters now! Will you just let me finish? Please. This is important. Life or death."
His eyes narrowed, but he said no more.
"Hunters are about to attack the fortress. You have an hour, probably less, until they arrive."
"You were painting earlier," Reyes said as if she hadn't spoken. Still, his expression gave nothing away. "Where is the canvas?"
Her gaze flicked to Lucien, then back to Reyes. What the hell? She'd laid everything on the line, admitted her crime, and that was all Reyes had to say to her? She'd told him men were about to storm his home, weapons blazing, and he only cared about her paintings?
"I would have been here sooner," Lucien said, "but souls were calling and I could not resist them. I was able to flash here for a moment, but you didn't see me. As Reyes said, you were painting. I must see that canvas, Danika."
"I'm not telling you where it is! Not until someone explains why you don't seem to care about the Hunters. They plan to capture you and suck your demons out. They're even looking for the box."
Something glistened in Reyes's eyes. What, she didn't know. It was dark and dangerous, both exciting and perilous. "Torin has the entire hillside monitored. He knew the moment they stepped onto the property, and he's already taken several out."
Taken several out. Aka killed them. Danika rubbed her stomach in a vain attempt to calm its sudden turmoil. "So Stefano lied to me? They're not waiting an hour but have already begun attacking?"
"Yes, he lied. He didn't trust you," Lucien said. "My guess is he told you to go to theroof?"
Dazed, she nodded.
"He told you to go there because he expected you to do the opposite. They have troops on the ground and they could have snapped you up. Now, what do you know about the box? Any small detail could be useful, but tell me quickly for I am needed outside."
Her gaze settled on him. Looking at him was easier than looking at Reyes. Gave her heart time to slow and her lungs time to expand. "I've already told Reyes everything I know about it, and that's very little."
"Do you know where it is? Where the other demon-keepers are? If they're still imprisoned?"
"No to both questions. I don't know."
"Would your grandmother?"
"You'll have to ask her." She prayed he got the chance.
Lucien's head tilted to the side. "Paris had a vision of you." His oddly colored eyes seemed to swirl, beckoning her. The scent of roses suddenly filled the room. "In it, you were cupping the box in your hands. You were smiling."
Incredulity tumbled through her, and she laughed. "That's impossible."
"If you know something" Closer and closer Lucien stepped.
She wanted to run, but her feet were rooted in place, holding her captive. And then she didn't want to run anymore. The warrior stood right in front of her, a whisper away, and that rose-scent invaded her every cell. Her mind floated to the clouds. Utter relaxation softened all of her muscles. Whatever he says, I'll do. Happily.
"What do you know, Danika? Tell me."
"Nothing," she said, head lolling forward. She was going to fall and couldn't stop herself. Part of her didn't want to stop.
Reyes was suddenly there, his arm around her waist keeping her upright. He was strength and heat and chased away the cold. "That is enough, Lucien."
"Reyes," Lucien snapped, and it was the most callous she had ever heard the man.
"No," Reyes replied, equally harsh.
"I didn't betray you," she said. She rested her cheek against his chest, praying he believed her. She'd allowed herself to care for him. She couldn't lose him. Not now.
"I know." His fingers rubbed her hip, up and down.
"Wait. What? You know?"
"Yes."
She tossed up her arms. "Well, why were you angry with me?"
"Angry? I was not angry."
"You stormed away from me. You barely even looked at me."
"Angel," he said on a sigh. His hand lifted and he cupped her jaw, angling her to face him. "I am new to this sense ofcaring. I hated that you were speaking to a Hunter, I worried for your safety and I did not want to scare you away with my fervency. Also, I knew you were trying to protect me when you lied to the Hunter about the number of warriors here. But I also knew you had created problems for us that you didn't intend."
"I don't understand."
"Now they think we are all here, when there are only a few. They will send more men, bring more weapons."
The heat drained, totally and completely. "I'm sorry. I didn't thinkI just thoughtLike Lucien said, Stefano doesn't trust me," she said. "He might assume I was lying. He might think only a few of you are here."
"I can bring the others here," Lucien said. "We'll be prepared for the worst."
Oh, God. There was going to be a fight, after all.
"Don't worry," Reyes said. "All will be well. Now. The painting," he reminded her. "Get it for us. Please. We need to see if what you created means anything or can help us."
She nodded just as a phone rang, the sound echoing off the walls.
Frowning, Lucien dug inside his pocket. He barked a quick, "Yes," when the phone was next to his ear.
A moment passed.
His frown deepened as he hung up. "Sabin is impatient."
"I'll be right back." Danika rushed into the studio and lifted the second painting she'd done from its place against the wall. She studied it, taking in first the bright colors and then the complex cast of characters. At the top of the canvas, two men and one woman, all garbed in white robes, sat upon thrones and stared regally down. At the bottom, a breathtakingly beautiful man with angel wings and devil horns led a human army across a sea of blood.
There was a butterfly tattoo on his lower stomach, the same type of menacing brand Reyes and the other warriors possessed.
The colors had yet to dry completely, so she was careful as she carted it into the bedroom. There, she propped the canvas on her legs. "Here."
Both men gaped when they saw it.
"What?" she said.
"Do you have any idea who those beings are?" Lucien asked her, his voice strained.
"No." And she didn't. Other than what she'd painted, she knew nothing about them. "But I've seen them in my nightmares," she admitted. "Many, many times."
"Cronus, the king of gods, sits in the center throne. Atlas and Rhea are beside him. At the bottom, those men are Hunters."
"And at the head of the army," Reyes said, sounding choked, "is Galen. Keeper of Hope."
The two men shared a heavy look.
"I cannot believe this. If this painting tells us true, he is leading the Hunters." Lucien gave a shake of his head. "I never suspectednever thoughtWhy would Hunters willingly follow him? A demon?"
Reyes reached out to trace a fingertip over the winged man's face, realized the paint was still wet and dropped his arm. "Danika and I spoke of him earlier, yet I still cannot wrap my mind around this."
"We will have to deal with it later. There is no time to do so now. I must transport the rest of the warriors here." Lucien's gaze flicked briefly to Danika. "Tell her. She needs to know." With that, he disappeared.
"Tell me what?" Dismay thickened her blood, and her fingers tightened on the canvas.
Grim determination suddenly radiated from Reyes. "Ashlyn heard something. About certain artifacts we are searching for. We knew the second had the power of sight," he said, "something that could see into heaven and hell."
Her brow wrinkled in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"It's you." His gaze collided with hers and held, a black pit beckoning her to fall. "You are the artifact, Danika. You are the All-Seeing Eye. That is why the gods want you dead. That is why Hunters are even now on their way. Everyone wants a piece of you. And I fear no one will rest until they get it."
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
BY THE TIME Sabin arrived in the fortress, Hunters were already scaling the mountain. Lucien had flashed him inside Torin's bedroom, a wall-to-wall computer system consuming most of the space. All of the other warriors but the still-imprisoned Aeron surrounded the technological genius, staring at the many screens. No, not true, he realized. Pain was also absent. Again.
"Explosion?" Torin asked, glee in his tone.
"Yes. Blow them to hell," Maddox growled, fingers clenched around a serrated blade. "The only good Hunter is a dead one."
"No." Lucien tugged at his earlobe. "If they manage to bypass the pits, nets and arrows, let them inside. An explosion will draw innocent humans to the hill, and that we cannot allow."
Maddox's nostrils flared. "Ashlyn"
Lucien gave another of those tugs. "I've already flashed the women to safety, though neither went peacefully. With Anya as her guard, your female will be fine."
The heat of Maddox's anger died, his shoulders slumping. "Very well."
"We let them inside and our home will be painted red," Paris said. "I, for one, will not enjoy cleaning. And with Aeron locked up, I know that duty will fall on my shoulders."
"I've fought Hunters a lot longer than you have," Sabin piped up. "Believe me, it's better to kill them here than to fight them in the city where innocents can be harmed and used against us. And they will use innocents. Women and children make wonderful shields."
"All for the greater good," Cameo mocked sorrowfully, and he cringed. Someone needed to put a muzzle on her. No matter how much time they spent together, he would never get used to her voice.
"This is fun," the immortal named William said, rubbing his hands together.
Sabin stared over at him, wondering who the hell had invited him. Making new friends wasn't on his agenda. "What are you doing here?"
Lucien pinched the bridge of his nose. "The warrior is our welcome guest and might be an asset in the coming battle." His tone was anything but happy, though Sabin was willing to bet he hoped the "welcome guest" was maimed in the fray. "We are dealing with more than we ever imagined."
"What are you talking about?" Sabin demanded.
"I am talking about our old friend Galen. I have just learned the Hunters are led by him."
"Galen?" Sabin laughed. "Surely you're joking."
The other warriors laughed, as well, but there was unease beneath their mirth.
Sabin slapped Lucien's shoulder. "We haven't heard from him in thousands of years."
A shake of Lucien's head, those mismatched eyes intense. "This is not a joke. As Ashlyn informed us, Danika is the All-Seeing Eye. One of her paintings has revealed it as so. They asked her to go to the roof. They want to steal her from us."
The words, spoken so calmly, were lethal to Sabin's disbelief. Galen. Responsible for all of his torment. His greatest enemy. Once a trusted friend.
Galen had been the one to suggest they distract Pandora and open that cursed box. Galen had been the one to laud the merits of showing the gods their mistake. Galen had been their allyor so they'd thought.
The gods did not trust us with the safekeeping of the box, Galen had said. Have we not proven our strength, over and over again? Have we not bled for them? Have we not protected them, all these many centuries? And yet they choose a female over us. She has not half our strength!
Cameo had taken offense at that and clawed Galen's face. The demented man had laughed. Cameo had also taken offense that Pandora had been the female chosen, rather than herself. So the warriors had rallied together, confident in their success.
But Galen had planned to betray them all along, jealous for a reason that had nothing to do with the box. Lucien had been chosen by the gods as Captain of the Guard; he had not. Only later had they learned that Galen had used them to do his dirty work, the actual opening of the box. While they were carrying out his brilliant idea, he was mobilizing Pandora's army to help him cut down his "friends" so he could capture the demons himself, take credit for saving the worldand usurp Lucien's role.
At first, everything had gone smoothly. Paris had managed to lure Pandora away, for even then females had not been able to resist him. The others had stealthily approached the box. But when they reached it, a cadre of soldiers rushed themGalen among them.
A battle quickly ensued. Bloody, violent. In the end, the box was indeed opened, the demons releasedall those demons, finally free. But despite Galen's best effortsdespite their effortsthere'd been no catching them. The demons were stronger than any of them had assumed. Worse, the box had vanished like a phantom of the night as the demons devoured the flesh of Pandora's guards, piranhas who'd been starved and desperate. The screamsthey haunted Sabin still.