Right before he was captured by the Hunters and escorted into hell, the Moirai had summoned him to their realm in the lowest level of the skies.
The three keepers of fate were neither Greek nor Titan. He thought they might be witches, but he wasnt sure. Theyd told him three thingsone for every witch. He could marry the keeper of Irresponsibility. He could marry another femaleWilliams daughter. And lastly, he would cause an apocalypse.
He believed them. To his knowledge, their predictions had never been wrong.
He knew there were two definitions for the word he would love to forget. The first: to uncover or reveal. More specifically, to give revelation, especially concerning a cataclysm in which the forces of good permanently triumphed over the forces of evil.
That, he liked.
The second? Not so much. Universal or widespread devastation.
With the demon of Disaster living inside him, he had to assume he would be responsible for widespread devastation.
You wont regret a pit stop like this, William said, pushing his way through the crowded nightclub. He had to yell to be heard over the erratic pulse of rock screaming from large speakers. Its just what the doctor orderedthat, and a pair of testicles, but I can only deliver on the first.
Ill see what I can do, he said drily.
Kane had made the mistake of sharing a motel room with William, and apparently hed thrashed and moaned in his sleep, giving Detective William a few hints about what had happened in hell. Now the warrior was convinced a night with a woman of Kanes choosing was the only way to ever really heal.
By the way, William added, you can call me Dr. Love.
Id stab you in the heart before I called you that. He stayed on Williams tail, already wishing hed said no to this. He should be hunting his Fae. And he would have been, if he werent just desperate enough to try anything.
What William told him this morning made sense, in a sick, twisted way. If Kane could be with a woman of his choosing...if he could control how things went down...if he could use someone the way hed been used...maybe the dark cloud of his memories would finally dissipate. Maybe he would stop hurting when he neared the Fae. Without the pain, he would be stronger, more alert. He would have a better chance of helping her with her problems.
At least, for tonight, he didnt have to worry about her. She was alive, holed up, and safe. With some fancy computer work, illegally tapping into satellite feed, Torin had found her in Montana. Kane had only to swoop in and grab her.
Soon Ill be ready.
Disaster banged against his skull. A second later, the floor cracked at Kanes feet.
Apparently, the mire of Kanes emotions no longer satisfied the demon. Since leaving the fortress, any time Kane even considered helping the Fae, Disaster worked himself into a frenzy.
Hate her, the demon snarled.
The person passing by him tripped and fell, and bone snapped. A howl of agony blended with the pulse of music.
Grinding his teeth, Kane followed William up a flight of stairs, thankfully leaving the bar and dance area behind. Almost to the top, the step under his boot broke, and he fell to his knees.
Disaster laughed, proud of himself.
Kane blanked his mind before he erupted, stood and stomped the rest of the way up. He spotted a big red door at the end of a long hallway, with an armed guard posted in front. The male was tall and muscled, but human. Hardly a threat, even with a weapon.
The guard grinned with genuine happiness when he spotted William. Willy! Our best money-maker is back.
William grinned, saying to Kane, Sometimes, when Im bored, I do a little Magic Mike show for the ladies. Very tasteful. Ill get you tickets. He returned his attention to the guard. My boy here needs the private room.
Sure, sure. Anything for you. The guy opened the door, but Kane couldnt see past the thick cloud of shadows. He heard gasping, the slap of skin against skin, moans and groans, and then curses as the guard helped the couple stop and dress. A moment later, the pair was tripping past the entrance, red-faced as they pulled on their clothes.
The guard reappeared, his grin wider than before. All yours, Willy.
William pushed Kane inside. Did you see anyone you wanted on the way up here?
Anyone will do. A woman was a woman, as far as he was concerned.
Just as soon as the thought registered, some part of his mind spit and hissed at it. The Fae wasnt justwhatever. No thinking about her. Anyone was better than a demon minion, and thats all his sense of choice cared about.
Give me five minutes, William said. I know the working girls. Ill find you someone who will let you take her any way you want her.
Crude, but necessary.
The door shut, sealing Kane inside. The pungent smell of sex thickened the air and his stomach filled with acid. He hated the dark, and quickly flipped on the light. In front of him was a wet bar, and beside it a couch, the cushions askew. On the coffee table was a box of condoms. At the other end of the room was a small bathroom with only a toilet and a sink, and beside it a queen-size bed with the covers tangled in a heap at the end. There was a condom stuck to the top.
After pouring himself a shot of whiskeythen another and another and another, then deciding to take the entire bottle with himKane settled on the couch.
By the time the door opened a short while later, the bottle was empty. Alcohol never affected him as strongly as it did a human, and only served to dull out the fiercest of his emotions. That dullness was desperately needed now. His limbs were trembling, and sweat had beaded over every inch of his skin. He expected to meltor shatterat any moment.
William walked in with a pretty blonde tucked into his side. She wore a short red dress and lipstick to match, and she was smiling at something the warrior had said.
This is my friend. William motioned to Kane with a tilt of his chin. The guy I was telling you about. Hell pay you whatever you want. Just make sure you do whatever he wants.
Kane set the bottle on the ground, pretending he wasnt about to vomit.
Of course. She bit her lip as she studied Kane. Interest lit her dark eyes. Itll be my pleasure.
Good, William said, chucking her under the chin. You have nothing to worry about. He wont biteunless you ask him real nice. With that, the warrior took off, leaving Kane alone with the girl. The stranger.
His lungs constricted, nearly blocking his airways.
A moment of silence passed as she shifted from one high-heeled foot to the other. Youre even more gorgeous than William promised. There was a bead of excitement in her tone.
She was talking. Why was she talking? He didnt want to have a conversation with her. He would begin to wonder what kind of life shed led, what had brought her to this point, and he would feel sorry for her. He didnt want to feel sorry for her.
Disaster hummed with contentment.
Contentment? Why?
Just get this over with. Come here, Kane said.
The female obeyed, slipping into the spot beside him. Her scent hit him, and he wrinkled his nose in distaste. A cloying perfume, laced with the scent of cigarette smoke. Nothing like the Fae, who had smelled as though shed spent the day in the kitchen. Like a wife.
Maybe he shouldnt do this.
A gust of wind burst through the room, lifting the bottle of whiskey off the ground and slamming it into the womans chest.
Ow! she cried.
Kane cursed the day hed stolen Pandoras box.
She rubbed her chest, saying, What just happened?
Could have been an air vent. It was possible.
Why dont you kiss me better? She inched closer to him.
No kissing. Harsh words. Even harsher tone.
What about sucking? Im really good at sucking. She leaned over to unfasten his pants, but Kane flipped her over. He pressed her stomach into the cushions of the couch, holding her down. He didnt want anyones lips on him.
We do this my way. Bile rose as he lifted the hem of her dress and tugged down her panties. Though he would have rather sawed off one of his limbs, he unbuttoned his pants, undid the zipper. The trembling of his hands magnified. Acid rose from his stomach and collected in his throat, scorching him. He paused.
What was the problem? Hed done this before. When hed realized relationships werent feasible, hed lived off one-night stands. At least for a little while. But none of them had ever broken him down like this....
Am I doing something wrong? she asked.
Gritting his teeth, he sheathed himself in a condom and...and...
Do it! Disaster commanded.
He took her.
He was rough, ragged, utterly without sensuality and carnal ambition. He had no focus, no desire to watch her reach climax. His mind despised this. And yet, his body liked it. But then, his body was a traitor. It had liked what the minions had done, too, and thats what haunted him most. That a part of him had enjoyed his own violation.
This had been a mistake.
He didnt want this woman, didnt know her, might not even like her if he did. She wasnt...her, the Fae his instincts craved so desperately.
Disaster cursed at the direction of his thoughts.
And as the female groaned to encourage him, images began to fill his head. Hands here...mouths there...minions everywhere...
Nearing panic, Kane somehow, some way, managed to finish. He wasnt sure whether or not hed gotten her off, and at the moment, he didnt care.
The demons curses tapered into statements of approval.
Fighting a tide of self-disgust, Kane discarded the condom and fixed his clothing, then threw a few hundreds on the couch cushions beside her. He walked to the door, and motioned her out. First thing he saw was William taking a woman against the wall. The guard was nowhere to be seen.
But...dont you want my number? asked the blonde. In case the urge strikes again? Ill make myself available to you any day, any time.
No, he said, being blunt to be kind. He would never call her, and he didnt want her hoping for the impossible.
Was I not what you were looking for?
No. You werent. Now leave.
Sighing, she straightened her dress and strode out of the room, the hall.
All done? William called. He hadnt pulled from the woman, but hed stopped moving at least.
More, Disaster said.
As much as Kane hated the words brewing at the back of his tongue, he said, Bring me another one. The sex hadnt done what hed wanted. The memories and all that came with them were still knocking at the door of his mind, ready to pounce. But Disaster was happy. So, Kane would take a second woman. And a third. However many proved necessary, until the demon was so saturated with satisfaction, he forgot what had happened.
Kane received an unapologetic and shameless thumbs-up before he shut the door, stalked to the bathroom and vomited. When he finished, he cleaned his mouth with the contents of another bottle of whiskey.
And not a second too soon.
A knock sounded at the door. William and a brunette strutted inside.
How about this one? the warrior asked.
Whatever, Kane said. Shell do.
Before the night was over, Kane took twelve women. He used different positions, and different types of females. Girls in their twenties, women in their forties, more blondes, more brunettes and even two redheads. He hated every second, even hated himself. He vomited every time.
Disaster loved it all, and yet he never stopped tossing out images of Kanes torture.
He hated the demon a thousand times more.
His times coming...soon...
The mountains of Montana
KANE HACKED THROUGH the foliage in front of him. Branches continually slapped at him, courtesy of Disaster. The satisfaction the creature had experienced during the sexual marathon hadnt lasted long. Now, rocks rolled in his way, tripping him. Insects snapped at him.
He had to reach the Fae before the demon did any major damage...or Kanes mind finally snapped. Whichever came first.
His head was even more unfamiliar terrain, with dark valleys and impossibly high mountains he could never hope to climb. Or maybe he could. When hed left the club, hed realized the Fae had become a source of light to him. His only source of light. She had made him want to smile during the worst period of his life. For that alone, she was a miracle.
He could really use a miracle.
Perhaps she could do what the parade of women had not: wash away the worst of his memories. Bring peace, if only for a little while.
Perhaps. But perhaps not.
Either way, he had to know. Had to see her, talk to her. Save her.
Deep inside, where instinct still demanded she belonged to him, he suspected she was his only hope of survival.
So, he would find her.
Would she smell the stale cigarettes and old perfume he hadnt been able to wash from his skin? Would she demand he leave her alone?
Probably.
Would he obey?
No.
Im disgusting. Cruel. A user and a whore.
I didnt used to be this way, he wanted to shout.
What was the Faes name? The fact that he didnt know was starting to irritate him. He would call her...Kewpie? No. Those big, gorgeous eyes fit, but nothing else. Tinker Bell, then. Yeah. Tinker Bell worked. She was such a delicate little thing, with her pointy ears and sharp little chin, and she flittered from here to there, always out of reach.
According to Torins surveillance, she was staying in a cabin in these woods. About an hour ago, Kane had found the cabin but not the girl. However, he had discovered fresh tracks. Human. Female. Size six feet. She couldnt have much of a head start on him, and she couldnt be moving very fast. As deep as her prints were, she was carrying a heavy load. Plus, night had fallen.
The half-moon lacked its usual glow, allowing an almost suffocating darkness to reign. The air was cold, the breeze wafting from the snow-capped mountains and chasing away any hint of warmth. Trees knifed toward the blackened sky.
Whats got your panties in such a twist? William asked from behind him. Its not my fault the pleasure train failed to work for you. You must not have done it right.
Kane ignored him.
Whats so important about this girl, anyway? I mean, really.
Again silence.
Does she have a magic pu
Kane spun around and punched him in the jaw. Enough! Fury bubbled in his blood, molten, acidicpoisonous. Dont go there. Dont ever go there. Not with her.
William rubbed the wound. So why are we hunting her? he asked as if Kane hadnt just resorted to violence.
Could nothing shut the warrior up? Kane jolted back into motion. She says I owe her. And it was true...if not the full truth.
And you always pay your debts? What kind of craziness is that?
Some people would say its honorable. Maybe the only honor Kane had left.
Some people are stupid.
And theres the number-one reason Ill never do anything for you.
Because youre stupid like everyone else? Thats being a little harsh on yourself, dont you think? I mean, sure, if you ever entertained a bright idea Id have to say it was beginners luck, but you have your moments.
I can act like Im a calm, rational being. Kane stalked past a wall of green and entered a clearing. He stopped and breathed deeply. The air was clean here. Pure and untouched. Also kind of annoying. He wanted to catch a hint of rosemary, mint and maybe even smoke, indicating Tinker Bell was still here and warming herself in front of a fire.
He could swoop in and grab her. She would probably fight him, but he wasnt worried. She lacked skill. And strength. Was probably fatigued. But shes got heart, he thought, a now familiar ache lancing through his chest.
Well? William prompted.
We set up camp. Not because theyd been on the move since leaving the club and needed to restthough they had and they didbut because he could tell they were being followed and he didnt want to lead his shadow to Tinker Bell.
He doubted the Hunters were after him. Apparently, during Kanes forced stay in hell, a battle had been waged in the skies, Hunters against Lords, Titans against Sent Ones.
The Lords and Sent Ones had won, utterly destroying the Hunters and severely weakening the Titans.
Kane gathered stones, twigs and dried leaves to build a fire. He cared little about warmth. He wanted the one following him to see the smoke and assume he was relaxed, unprepared. Was the culprit immortal? If so, what race? And why was he after Kane?
Doesnt matter. He withdrew a dagger and sharpened it against one of the stones hed set aside. His reflection caught on the silver metal, and firelight illuminated the image. The red in his eyes had intensified.
Disaster had grown stronger, Kane far weaker. Disgusted, he set the weapon away.
You know weve got a female Phoenix on our tail, right? William asked.
A Phoenix? Hed never messed with the fire-happy race. I do. Of course I do. Now. How did you know?
I can smell her. How else?
Right.
The plan?
To wait.
And slaughter her on our own turf, William said with a nod, black hair shagging around his supermodel faceor whatever he insisted on calling that ugly mug. I like it. Simple, yet elegant. He eased onto the only rock in front of the fire he hadnt helped build, and dug through his backpack. He withdrew a pistachio nutrition bar hed stolen from Kane, tore off the wrapperand ate every bite, never offering Kane a taste.
Typical.
That was good. You should have brought one. William brushed his hands together. He wore a T-shirt that read Im a Jenius, and that pretty much encapsulated the males entire personality. Silly, unconcerned, irreverent. Misleading.
Kane dug through his own pack. He withdrew three daggers, two Sigs and the parts to his long-range rifle. What could a female Phoenix want with him? He knew the race lived for the enslavement of others. He knew they were nearing extinction, many having met their final end. Like cats with nine lives. He knew they were bloodthirsty and war-hungry...but they usually only picked battles they could win.
So confident. Disaster chuckled with evil glee. So wrong.
Kane ignored him. Hed tried engaging the fiend, snapping retorts, issuing threats, but look where that had gotten him. Now, he wasnt going to waste his time or energy. And why should he? This was a full-on case of dead demon talking.
Suddenly sparks flew from the fire, shooting out white-hot streams in every direction. Grass sizzled, and black smoke billowed. Heat licked over Kanes pants, blistering his calves.
William scrambled around, patting out the flames. Youre a menace. You know that, right? Everywhere we go, something terrible happens.
I know. And the worst was yet to come. To your knowledge, have the Moirai ever had a wrong prediction?
Oh, yes, William said. Definitely.
Hope bloomed. When? He fit the rifles barrel on top of the frame, and the scope on top of that. He inserted the screws and gently tightened. How?
Whentoo many times to count. Howfree will. Our choices dictate our future, nothing else.
Intelligent words from a Jenius. Go figure. They think Im destined to marry the keeper of Irresponsibility.
So do it. Hunt her down and marry her.
William made it sound so easy. Just snap his fingers, and boom. Done. Only one little problem. He had yet to meet the keeper of Irresponsibility.
Im not sentencing a woman to an eternity with me. He attached the bipod and rested the entire weapon on a thick stump.
What about White? William grumbled. I happen to think youll end up with her, whether I like it or not.
White was Williams only daughter, and, if Kane had to take a guess, one of the reasons William had followed him out here. William wanted Kane to stay away from the girl.
I know you do, he said. What I dont know is why.
Simple. I was once told her husband would cause an apocalypse.
By the Moirai?
One of the Moirai. I slept with Klotho. And both of her sisters.
I so did not need to hear that. Dude, theyre ancient.
They werent at the time, William said with his classic wanton grin.
Whatever. What about your whole free-will over fate spiel?
I believe youll choose her.
I hate her. He remembered how, in hell, she had stood over his bound and mutilated form. Silent. Uncaring. Then, shed left him to his suffering.
Actually, hate was too soft a word for what he felt for her.
Maybe Ill just avoid both women, he added, and save myself the trouble.
You? Avoid trouble? Ha!
He gnashed his molars. I can try. And what will you do if White and I do end up together, huh? You dont think Im good enough for her.
I certainly dont. You just slept your way through a bakers dozen.
At your urging.
And your point? I didnt hold a gun to your head.
In some ways, Disaster had.
If you two hook up, Im moving back to hell. I dont want to clean up her mess, William said. And I know shell make one. She wont be able to help herself. Its her nature.
William, the adopted brother of the underworlds king, Lucifer, had once lived in hell. Eventually, the hate, greed, envy and wickedness living in his soul had mated with the vengeance living in his heart. White, as well as her brothers, Red, Black and Green, had spewed from him.
Hed heard demons call them the four horsemen of the apocalypse. But these four were not, not really; they were more like shadows of the originals.
Actually, thats exactly what they were. Shadow warriors.
They had been birthed in evil, and prophecy claimed they had futures to match. White was to conquer anyone she encountered, before somehow enslaving herself. Red was to bring war, Black famine, and Green death.
Little wonder Kane wanted nothing to do with White. He had enough problems, thanks.
And yes, he knew being conceived in evil had no bearing on the girl herself. He knew those in darkness could find their way to the light. He knew something beautiful could come out of something terrible. After all, diamonds were formed in the mantle of the earth, with horrendous heat and bone-crushing pressure.
He knew. But he didnt care.
It wasnt White he longed to see. It wasnt White he yearned to scent.
It wasnt White his mind pictured and his treacherous body suddenly responded to, shimmering need flash-flooding him, riding on bolts of lightning. It was Tinker Bell. Sweet, sexy Tinker Bell, with her
Hands wandering...hot breath fanning over him...moans, groans...
Scowling, he tossed a handful of dirt into the fire. The flames sputtered and died. You dont need to worry about me. Like I said, I dont want to marry anyone.
You would be lucky to win White! William huffed.
The words penetrated Kanes blooming rage and actually calmed him. One of his brows arched. Now you want me to make a play for her?
No. But you should want me to want you to make a play for her. Shes highly desirable.
Well, I dont want and I wont ever want.
Why? Are your ovaries swollen?
A bead of amusement rose in his chest, surprising him. How has no one ever killed you?
There was a pause as William opened another stolen nutrition bar, stuffed half into his mouth and swallowed. Like anyone would want to see me dead. Im too pretty.
Pretty could only aid a person so long. How many women have you been with?
Countless. You?
Not so many I cant count them.
Thats because you lack skill.
Maybe, but at least I can control my desires. Your lust is too strong and your willpower too weak to allow you to resist anyone with a pulse.
Dont be ridiculous. Ive been with plenty of people without a pulse. More than that, I say no to Gilly every day.
Gilly, his best friend. A human girl Reyes, the keeper of Pain, had rescued. She was only seventeen years old, and for some reason, shed developed a crush on William. A crush that had deepened every time the warrior had come to visit the Lords, whom she lived with. Shed doctored him every time hed gotten hurt in battle, and hed comforted her every time shed cried out from bad dreams, the horrors of an abusive stepfather rising to haunt her.
Now, she called the male every morning at 8:00 a.m. to make sure he was all right. Translation: alone.
He always was.
William might take a new womanor tenwhenever the mood stuck, but he never let the females stay the night with him. Not anymore. He didnt want to hurt his precious Little Gilly Gumdrops feelings.
Kane wasnt sure why William took such care with the girl, when hed never done anything sexual with her. At least, Kane didnt think he had.
He better not have.
Eyes narrowed, William threw the rest of the food into the ashes. Just remembered something. As I was packing, Danika showed up and asked me to give you the most important painting of your life. He dug through his pack and withdrew a small, wrapped canvas.
Danika, Reyess woman, possessed the ability to see into heaven and hell, past, present and future, and paint the images. Like the Moirai, her predictions had never been wrongthat he could prove.
About ten yards away, a twig snapped.
The Phoenix had decided to close in, he realized.
Kane grabbed the canvas from William and stuffed it inside his own pack, then swung the whole thing over his back, using it as a shield, and lay flat on his belly. Closing one eye, he pressed the other against the night-vision scope on the rifle. In an instant, the world around him became painted with bright green.
The Phoenix was...there. She had climbed one of the taller trees and was currently walking across one of the thicker limbs...nope, she was hopping to another limb on another tree, coming closer and closer, clearly trying to sneak up on him.
Mine, Disaster said with a possessive growl, and Kane frowned.
Another mine?
The female looked to be five foot nine and scantily dressed, considering the weather. She wore a bralike top and tiny shorts, and there were two daggers tied to her calves, two sheathed in her combat boots.
Kane tracked her for a moment, watched as she paused and reached for one of the hilts. Never bring a knife to a gun fight, sweetness. Youll lose every time. He squeezed the trigger.
Boom!
He was a great shot and knew hed grazed her thigh before he even heard her shriek of pain. He leaped up and started running. By the time she hit the ground, gasping for breath, he was there, in her face. She was pretty. Blonde. Bold. Though he would have rather bathed in acid, he pressed his arm into her throat, making it even more difficult for her to take in any air, and patted her down to discard all of her weapons.
There were more than hed realized. Eleven daggers. Two guns. Three throwing stars. Two vials of poison. A bag of pills. Detachable metal claws. And the makings of a bomb hidden in the soles of her shoes.
He tried not to be impressed.
Working quickly, he bound her wrists with a rope of chain hed been using as a belt and tied her to the base of the tree. The moment he finished, he jolted away from her, severing contact. Already his stomach was churning, sickness brewing. But at least he didnt experience the pain Tinker Bell caused.
A swarm of bees darted from the trees, circling Kanes head. Disaster laughed.