Katagaria were animals who could take human form and pass through society to procure victims or anything else they craved. Like any other wild animal, they were extremely lethal and unpredictable.
"Oh God," Nick breathed, "don't tell me they're Slayers."
"That depends on who you ask."
"What do you mean?"
"The Arcadians would call them Slayers. But to their Katagaria brethren, they're Strati."
Nick frowned. "Stratimeans what?"
"It's the correct term for Katagaria soldiers. Slayers kill indiscriminately anyone and anything that crosses their paths. Strati kill mostly to protect themselves, their pack, and Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 255 of 460
their territory."
"So, they belong here?"
Ash shook his head as the two wolves drew closer. They slowed as they caught sight of him.
"Acheron Parthenopaeus," Vane said, stopping in front of him. "It's been a while."
Ash nodded. It'd been at least a couple of hundred years since he had last seen them.
They had been on the run then from the human Arcadians who hunted their unique species through time. The two brothers had been trying to find someplace safe to hide their sister from their enemies.
Vane was the older of the two brothers; he had shoulder-length dark brown hair with reddish highlights. His feral green eyes never missed anything. Fang was about an inch taller than Vane and had short black hair and hazel eyes. Either one was dangerous when alone--together, they were damn near invincible.
"Vane. Fang," Ash said, inclining his head to each in turn. "What brings you two to New Orleans ?"
Vane cast a suspicious look to Nick, then must have decided something about Nick wasn't too threatening. "We're denning."
Ash grimaced at the term, which meant the Katagaria wolves had a pack here, and were planning on settling in New Orleans for a while. "That's a real bad idea. It's Mardi Gras and we have a lot of Daimons who tend to party then. You need to take your pack--"
"We can't," Vane said, cutting him off. "We have six females in our group about to give Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 256 of 460
birth."
"And another one who gave birth this morning," Fang added. "You know our laws. We're stuck here until the pups are old enough to travel."
This was getting better and better. Pregnant Katagaria were Daimon magnets due to the strength of their souls and the psychic powers their breed carried. Not to mention the fact that New Orleans was home to three groups of Arcadians who would love nothing more than to claim the skins of Vane and Fang.
"You do know there are three groups of Arcadian Sentinels here?" Ash asked.
Vane's eyes darkened threateningly. "Then you'd best tell them to back off. We have young, and if I catch them anywhere near our den, I will rip them to pieces."
Ash took a deep breath and would have laughed at the absurdity of what he faced had he not felt ill. This just wasn't his day. He had a horny, pissed-off goddess to contend with. A Celt who was MIA. A Roman general in a city with three men who wanted to disembowel him. An uncontrollable Dark-Hunter the police wanted for murder. And now a Katagaria wolf pack that was popping out seven litters of pups right in the heart of their enemies. Yes, it was good to be in charge
Nick sniffed the air and looked around. "What is that? Do I smell gumbo?"
Vane and Fang stiffened as Nick moved closer to them. In spite of the fact that Vane was growling under his breath, Nick pulled back a corner of Vane's coat to display a bright pink box that he had hidden in his left hand.
"What is that?" Nick asked.
"Gumbo," Vane said, his voice low and gravelly.
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"Since when do werewolves eat gumbo?" Ash cringed at Nick's question.
Fang lunged at Nick, but Ash caught him and forced him back before he could reach Nick's throat. "We're not werewolves, cattle-boy," Fang snarled. "We are wolves.
Period."
Nick looked bemused by the insult. "Cattle-boy?"
"Slang term," Ash supplied. "Stemming from the fact that they view humans as food."
Nick took a step back.
"Pink boxes, huh?" Ash asked, amused at the thought. No wonder they were hiding them. Vane passed a menacing glare from Nick to him. "Anya had a craving for gumbo and chocolate. And she wanted it from the Flamingo Room and nowhere else."
Ash felt the corners of his lips twitch. "I can't believe you would run this errand for your sister."
Fang snorted. "Yeah well, remember, the term bitch was invented for our females."
Vane growled at him. "She's our littermate, Fang. Show her respect." Fang's eyes flared, but he tilted his head down in submission to his older brother.
Vane handed the pink box to Fang, then pulled a pen from his pocket and wrote down a number. He handed it to Ash. "That's my cell. You need help with the Daimons, let me know. We have a dozen Strati in our pack and the last thing we want are Daimons sniffing around our females and pups."
Ash took the number and put it in his pocket. He'd barely concealed it when he noticed the rest of the Strati moving in. They moved stealthily around the street corner like a herd of wild dogs. Fanned out and dressed in black, they looked very much like the Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 258 of 460
lethal killers they were. Everyone on the street rushed away from them, and eyed them nervously.
So much for being low-key. But then, the Were-Hunters had never cared who or what knew they existed. If anyone gave them trouble, they ended up as lunch. The Strati surrounded him and Nick.
"Dark-Hunter," Stefan growled. Standing even in height with Ash, he was the Strati leader and Vane's mortal enemy. The two of them fought together when they had to, but otherwise couldn't stand each other. "What are you doing with our filos?"
Ash noted the way Stefan's lips curled as he used the affectionate term for a male pack member. There was no love lost between Vane and Fang and their pack mates. Still, Ash was an outsider and the pack always presented itself as a unified whole to any outsider.
"I was sharing information," he said.
Stefan narrowed his eyes on Vane. "Did you acquire our supplies?"
Vane snorted as he glanced at Nick. "It's a sad day when cattle can smell it and you can't."
Stefan started to attack, but the steely look on Vane's face set the older man back.
Stefan was leader because of his age and experience. Vane was subordinate only because he had yet to challenge him. Should Vane ever choose to challenge Stefan for supremacy, there was no doubt who would win.
"Later," Stefan said to Ash before he led the bulk of the Strati away. Vane and Fang stayed behind.
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"Use the number if you need us, Ash," Vane said. Ash nodded. They joined the rest of their pack and mounted the motorcycles they had parked on the street behind them.
Ash didn't move until they were gone from his sight.
"Now that's a scary bunch of folks, ain't it?"
"No, Nick," Ash said slowly. "They're not folks. They're animals. They might walk in human form for a short time, but at the end of the day, they are all wolves."
His cell phone rang. Ash answered it. It was Talon, his voice filled with pain and rage. "I need your help, T-Rex. I'm at Club Runningwolf's. They took Sunshine."
"Who took Sunshine?"
"The Celtic god, Camulus. As soon as the sun sets I'm going after him."
Chapter 12
Talon was furious. He'd been calling for Ceara and she had yet to respond. He'd tried to spirit-walk and couldn't. His unleashed emotions were restricting his powers and he had to get hold of them so that he could think straight. But it was impossible. He had to find Sunshine.
She was out there alone with no one to protect h
He paced the area inside the back door of Runningwolf's like a caged lion. Anger boiled through his veins. It was pungent and tangible. He wanted to rip something apart with his hands. Shred something with his fangs.
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The darkest part of the Dark-Hunter was unleashed and, for the first time, he understood some of what Zarek felt. It was a rage so raw, so powerful, that it controlled him completely. He slammed his hand against the brick wall beside the door.
"I will get her back!" he growled.
His ravaged body throbbing and bleeding, he had no intention of going back upstairs to Sunshine's loft even though his injuries hurt so much that he felt the overwhelming need to sleep. He was not going to lie down and tend his wounds. He would stay awake if it killed him again.
Over and over in his mind, he kept seeing Nynia die in his arms, only now it was Sunshine's face he saw. Her sweet, Southern voice he heard calling out to him. As soon as the sun set, he was heading out to find Sunshine and bring her home. No matter what it cost him.
God help anyone who was dumb enough to get in his way. It was fifteen minutes to sunset when Acheron and Nick arrived at the back door and entered the dark hallway of the club. Talon stepped back, away from the fading sunlight that streamed in through the opening.
"What happened?" Ash asked as Nick closed the door.
Talon struggled with the fury and worry inside him. The emotions were so strong that if his powers hadn't been dampened, he was sure he would have been able to use nothing more than his thoughts to level this building to its foundation. "Camulus broke in with about half a dozen humans. They came loaded for Dark-Hunter and carrying halogen flashlights."
"Are you bleeding?" Nick asked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Looking pale and Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 261 of 460
horrified, he squinted at Talon's wounds. "Jeez, you're bleeding like crazy."
Talon disregarded Nick's nervous tone. "They shot me."
"No, bud," Nick said. "They turned you into Swiss cheese. Ash, look at his back."
Ash growled when he saw it. "Are you all right?"
"I'm sore, but well enough to hunt and plenty able to kill."
"Jeez," Nick breathed. "I thought your powers included healing."
Talon looked at him drolly. "They do, but I heal by absorbing pain and injuries into my body. It's kind of hard to do that when I'm the one who's hurt."
"Nick," Ash ordered. "Go get Talon more clothes. Now." Nick left immediately to carry out the order. Ash gave Talon a hard stare with those eerie silver eyes. "You can't go out there covered in blood, with dozens of bullet holes riddling your flesh. I think people might get a little suspicious and wonder how it is you can stand upright and not be, say, dead. The last thing I need is for another Dark-Hunter to make the evening news."
Talon stood firm against the order. "I told you, T-Rex. I'm heading out as soon as that sun sets. Thirteen minutes and counting."
Ash glared at him. "Dammit, Celt. You better get a hold of yourself and think through this."
"I'm fine, Acheron. There's nothing wrong with me that killing a few people won't cure."
Ash's eyes narrowed even more. "Turn around and face the wall." Unsure of what Ash intended, but trusting him completely, Talon obeyed.
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He felt Ash splay his hand against the center of his back. His touch was hot and electrifying, and it radiated heat all the way through his body. Talon hissed as his injuries began to throb even more. Then in the span of a few heartbeats, the bullets worked themselves out of his skin and the bullet holes began knitting themselves shut.
Son of a bitch, he'd never known Ash had this kind of power. He was seriously impressed. While his wounds were healing, Talon's cell phone rang. Ash stepped away from him while he answered it. "Missing her yet, Speirr?"
"Damn you, Camulus. Damn you!"
A laugh answered him. "Tell me, is it better to know love and have lost it or to have never known it at all?"
Talon saw red. "Where is she?"
"Talon?"
His stomach twisted violently at the sound of Sunshine's terrified voice. "Baby, are you okay?" he asked, his voice cracking.
"They haven't hurt me, but they want you to come to a warehouse on Commerce Street.
I--"
"Sunshine!" Talon shouted, his heart pounding. "Sunshine, are you there?"
"Oh, she's here, Speirr. But she needs you. If you want her, be at 609 Commerce at seven o'clock sharp. Bring as many friends as you want and let's see who gets to take Sunshine home tonight and in how many pieces."
The phone went dead. Blind, torrid rage pierced him. Oblivious to the threat of the sun, he headed for the door. Ash caught him. "Talon, look at me." He refused. All he could Dark Hunter Series (04) - Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon Page 263 of 460
see was Sunshine dead.
"Talon!" Ash shouted. "Get a friggin' grip. If you go out there like this, you're dead."
"What the hell do you know about it?"
"Celt." Ash tightened his grip on him. "You're doing just what they want. You're about to run headlong into the last minutes of daylight. Think. Out of all the Dark-Hunters I have, you are the one I depend on to keep his head on straight. Don't let them do this to you."
Talon's breathing was ragged as he tried to tamp down his anger and fear. "I can't let her die." "She won't if you control yourself. You have to leash your temper." Ash released him. Talon clenched and unclenched his fists as he stared at the door.
"Think, Talon," Ash said, his voice strangely soothing. "Remember what I taught you.
Remember that you became a Dark-Hunter because you couldn't control your rage. You have to find your peace. Your balance."
Talon took a deep breath and expelled his anger slowly. Very slowly. "All right. I'm mostly calm."
"Good. Because I don't want you to be mostly dead." Ash stepped away from him. "We'll wait on Nick to return with your clothes and then we'll go get her."
Talon nodded, his gut still knotted over having to wait. But Ash was right. If he didn't do exactly what Camulus said, he would kill her just for spite. Talon winced at the thought.
"He's going to kill her now, isn't he?"
"I don't know, Talon. I hope not."
Talon paused for a moment as he remembered the address Camulus had given him.
"Commerce Street. Isn't that almost right where that woman was murdered?"
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Acheron looked puzzled. "What woman?"
"The one you called me over to see." Ash stared at him blankly.
"You know," Talon insisted, "the woman you said you thought might have been murdered by Zarek."
Acheron scowled. "I didn't call you over to see a murdered woman and I damn sure never thought Zarek would kill a woman."
"Yes you did."
Acheron shook his head slowly. "No I didn't."
Talon duplicated his scowl. What the hell was wrong with the guy? Was Acheron finally going senile? It wasn't like him to be so scattered. That was Talon's job at the moment.
"T-Rex, I met you over there. Remember? You called me, and while I was with you, Zarek had his little party with the police. I know it was you. There's not another man on this earth your height who looks like you."
The color faded from Acheron's cheeks. If Talon didn't know better, he'd swear he saw real worry in Acheron's eyes. Something was really wrong. "What is it, Ash?"
Acheron stepped away from him. "There's something I need to do. Stay here and I'll be back in plenty of time to go after Sunshine."
Talon caught his arm as Acheron headed for the door. "You better fill me in on this.
Now."
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"I can't."
"Acheron, this is no time to play Oracle. If you know what's going on and what we're dealing with, you need to come clean."
To Talon's complete amazement, Acheron vanished. Ash couldn't breathe as he flashed himself into Katoteros, a small nether region between dimensions. This was his private domain where no one but he was ever supposed to tread.
Centuries ago, Hades had relegated him to this non-place. Or more correctly, Hades had incarcerated him here. Since the day Artemis had freed him, Ash had used this place as a touchstone to remind him of what he was. What he had been Now, Ash struggled for control. He had to have a few minutes to collect his thoughts.
His emotions. His stomach knotted, he felt ill as memories and pain took turns assailing him. The air around him sizzled and snapped in time to his volatile state. He had to get a hold of himself. He couldn't afford to unleash his emotions. No one would ever be able to stop him if he did.
Ash raked his hands through his long black hair and shouted his ancient battle cry.
Lightning flashed and gray thunder clouds roiled across the eerie blue-black sky above him. This couldn't be happening. Not now. And yet there was no other explanation.
Styxx was free. Somehow he had escaped from the Vanishing Isle and been turned loose in New Orleans.
How could it have happened? Now Styxx was pretending to be him. He was mixing with Ash's men and talking to them
Horror pierced his heart.
He had to stop him before Styxx revealed Ash's past to anyone. Ash couldn't bear the thought of anyone knowing about his human life. Knowing about what he'd been. What he'd done
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"Acheron?"
He flinched at Artemis's voice. "This is my place, Artie. You promised me you would never come here." She materialized before him. "I felt your pain."
"Like you care."
She reached out to touch his face, but he folded his arms over his chest, and moved away from her. She sighed and dropped her hand. "I do care, akribos. More than you know. But that isn't why I'm here. I have learned of Zarek."
Ash growled low in his throat. Of course, she would never come because he was hurt.
She'd taught him long ago that his suffering meant nothing to her. "I'm handling it."
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