 
Damian's Assassin

War of Gods, Book II

By Lizzy Ford

www.lizzyford.com/

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Kettlecorn Press

Smashwords edition

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Damian's Assassin copyright November 2011 by Lizzy Ford

Cover art and design copyright 2014 by Regina Wamba, Mae I Design

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All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

## Chapter One

Fifteen years ago

Bianca looked from her pale brother lying too still on the hospital bed to the smiling nurse. The room was dark except for the light above Jonny's bed and the red and green lights dotting the machines keeping him alive.

"Sweetie, you can lay down in the bed next to your daddy's," the nurse said.

Adults would argue with her if she told them she wasn't leaving her brother, Jonny's, side until he was healed. They thought her too young to understand words like coma and deteriorating, and they accused her of lying when she said she could help him.

"Okay," Bianca replied.

The nurse handed her a thin blanket and pointed to the phone. "Call me if you need anything, okay? All you have to do is pick up, and I'll answer."

"Thank you," she said.

Satisfied, the nurse swept up the linens she'd changed and left. Bianca waited until she heard the door click closed and looked across the small bay to make sure her daddy still slept.

Why couldn't she heal her brother? She scooted forward, frustrated and tired, and touched Jonny's arm. She felt death within him, as she had with her cat Snickers after a car ran him over. She'd saved Snickers. She'd kept the flowers around Jonny's bed as fresh as the day they arrived last week. She'd helped her father sleep.

She couldn't help Jonny.

Maybe Daddy was right. Maybe she was too small. But she was nine, and Jonny was even smaller at four. He really wasn't too much bigger than a cat, not when compared to an adult.

She cried again, snuffling and wiping at her nose before she pushed herself off the chair. She concentrated hard on another wilted flower, bringing it back to full bloom.

"Jonny..." she whispered. "I'm so sorry, Jonny!"

It was her fault he was in the hospital. Her stepmother-- Jonny's mother-- had said as much. Bianca cringed as she had earlier that day when her mother and Jonny's mother screamed blame at each other until the nursing staff kicked them out of the room.

She hadn't meant to hurt him. He was annoying, and she wanted him to leave her alone. All he ever wanted to do was play with his stupid baseball, and she'd taken it and thrown it into the forest. He went after it, and she played with her toys all day. He didn't come back, even when it got dark and it was time for them to go inside.

"I can help him," a man said. She jumped. No one had come in through the door she faced. She twisted in her chair to see a man near the dark windows whose eyes were the color of her bright purple Easter dress.

"Are you a doctor?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"I can make it so he doesn't remember that you did this to him," the stranger said. "But you understand that medical treatment isn't free?"

Her chin trembled as guilt flowed over her and she swallowed hard, nodding.

"It will cost you something."

She dug through the pockets in her jeans and pulled out the stash of one dollar bills she'd been given for trips to the candy machine down the hall. She counted them with shaking hands.

"I only have four dollars," she said with some dismay.

"I require more than that." His eyes seemed to swirl, around and around, changing from the color of her mother's tulips to a color almost as dark as the night. He wasn't like the other doctors. His voice wasn't kind. He had no emotions, like a man in a Halloween mask.

"I don't have anything else!"

The man with purple eyes knelt in front of her. His face didn't look rubbery like a Halloween mask, but he didn't look normal. The air around him was cold like it was around an air conditioning vent. She took a step back.

"You have to help him," she whispered. "Please!"

"I will help him, Bianca. If you make me a promise," he said. "You must keep this promise no matter what, or your brother will get sick and die. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"There is a man you will meet when you are older, a man who-- "

"This is low, even for you," a second man's voice said.

She jumped at the new voice. The second man's hand clamped on the first man's shoulder. The eyes of the newcomer were the color of their Christmas tree. He had Papaw's face, with wrinkles around his eyes and a kind smile.

"By divine code, you can't interfere," the man with the purple eyes said in a tone that made her shrink away.

"By divine code, neither can you."

Purple-eyes rose. Green-eyes stepped between Bianca and Purple-eyes, and Purple-eyes backed towards the window again.

"We're so much better than this, brother," Green-eyes said. "Children are off limits."

"For your kind, Watcher. There are no boundaries for us."

"Divine code disagrees with you and the rest of the Others."

Purple-eyes looked at her, and she shrank behind Green-eyes.

"The Grey God will destroy us all, brother. You can stop this war here, now," Purple-eyes said with a look that made her snap her eyes closed.

"You're a fool led by a fool. Go, brother," Green-eyes said.

Bianca held her breath and waited, able to feel the tension between them even with her eyes closed until he spoke again.

"He's gone, Bianca."

She opened one eye, then the other, confirming his words. She started crying again.

"Jonny's gonna die!"

"You can save him."

"I can't! I tried! I can't!"

"Listen, Bianca." He took her arms and sat her in a chair, handed her a fistful of tissues, and knelt. She blew her nose loudly and looked at him through blurry eyes. His small smile was kind, his bright eyes unblinking. "You have a very special gift. No one else has one like you."

"But I'm too little to save Jonny."

"Nonsense. You can save Jonny. You hear his body speak of the death in him?"

"It's awful," she whispered.

"If you listen really hard to what his body tells you, you can save him. No one wants to die, and his body will tell you what it needs from you. You need to rest tonight, sleep as much as you can. In the morning, you'll be able to heal him."

"But I've been trying for days!"

He touched her again, his hand cool but the electricity that shot through her warm.

"I've woken your gift completely," he said. "You must promise to keep it a secret and to make Jonny keep it a secret."

She blinked rapidly, startled by the sensations going through her.

"Do you promise?"

"Yes."

"You must also never harm another. It is the way of ancient healers. Do you understand?" he asked.

"Ancient healers?"

"In time you'll learn more. Do you understand what I ask of you?"

"I don't know. I think so," she murmured.

"Can you promise to keep Jonny safe?"

"He's my brother," she said, sniffling again.

"Good. Go to sleep, Bianca. I'll watch over your brother tonight. In the morning, you'll save him."

For the first time, she noticed he wasn't wearing a doctor's white coat. "You're not a doctor, are you?" she ventured.

"No, but I'm a friend here to watch over you and Jonny."

Something about the man made her feel safe, and the warm electricity in her body made her sleepy. She kissed Jonny goodnight and crossed the bay to curl up with their father.

***

When she'd gone, the Watcher placed a hand on Jonny's forehead.

Come back, god-slayer. Your time is yet to come.

As strong as the girl was, she was too small to bring Jonny back from the place the Others sent him. The Watcher's hand fell away, and his gaze went to the dark side of the bay, where the little girl was already fast asleep.

A healer and a god-slayer born into the same family. It had always been so. The Black God's sister was a healer who died at her brother's hands.

The Watcher smiled. He saw a different fate for the little girl in the next room, a better one than that of any of the ancient Healers. As long as the Watchers could keep the Others from tampering with their fates, both children would fulfill their paths and usher in a new phase of the war between good and evil.

## Chapter Two

Present Day

Miami, Florida

Bianca drew a heart around her ex-boyfriend, Aaron's, name, followed by a huge X. She'd pined for him for five years, accepting his excuses of flying around the world for work while he just went across town to his wife. She'd left town a year ago to get away from two heartbreaks: Papa's death and Aaron's unavailability, only for him to call out of the blue when she just so happened to be in town. She blamed Jonny for that one. He'd always wanted a big brother and idolized Aaron.

What a waste of five years.

"I probably shouldn't have come back to Miami," she said into the phone pressed to her ear, wishing she could talk to him without the butterflies in her stomach. "I should've just sold all Dad's things after he died."

"I wish you'd told me he died when you left last year. But I'm glad you're back," was the smooth reply.

"Sorry to hear about your split," she managed. "She was a nice lady."

"Thanks. It's been a bit rough lately for both of us. I could use a friend. I'm sure you could, too."

Not falling for it this time, she vowed to herself. At her silence, he continued.

"If you have time while you're in town, we could get together for coffee or something."

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said.

"Might as well. You're too sweet to get over me," he teased.

"Just because I dropped at your feet whenever you called for five years doesn't mean I'll do it now. It's been a year since I found out you were married and we split!"

"Hey, I really am free this time. Got the divorce paperwork to prove it."

A part of her still longed for him, to smell him and feel his skin against hers. She'd fallen for him the day she met him seven years ago. He was her world, but she'd been nothing more than an afterthought, strung along with promises for years. Now, he could deliver what he'd always promised-- a life together-- yet she didn't feel like leaping for joy like she would've a year ago.

"I'll even bring the paperwork with me," he offered. "Lunch, nothing else. If we still click, we'll go from there."

She chewed her lip. By the confidence in his voice, he expected her not only to agree, but to resume her place on his arm.

"Lunch," she agreed slowly.

"Great! How about a week from Sunday? I'll send you an email of where and when."

"Fine. Look, it's late. I'm going to bed." She hung up, sick of him and her weakness. She'd sworn off men-- especially this one-- a year ago! After all of Jonny's childhood injuries she'd healed, she couldn't fix her own heart!

Uncurling from the couch, she started to the bedroom of her father's small Miami apartment. Jonny stayed after their father's death, while she moved closer to her mom on the west coast. He hadn't changed a thing, as if expecting Papa to come home at any minute. Saddened, she considered calling him to check in when a sudden pounding at the door made her jump.

Aaron! Her heart soared. She clawed her way into a sweatshirt as she hurried to the door. The pounding didn't stop until she wrenched it open.

"Kyle?" she asked, looking up at the freaky-looking youth in Goth clothing and multiple facial piercings. He pushed his way into the small apartment and flung the unusual Miami rain from his clothes. "Jonny's not here."

The pale, dark-haired youth was drenched, but it was the wild look on his face that made her stop in the middle of the foyer and watch him pace with agitated energy.

"You okay?"

"I don't know," he said at last and flung himself into a chair, planting his hands against his forehead. "I feel funny, like really cold."

She was used to the teenage fits of temperament after spending the summer with her newly turned twenty-year-old brother. She tied her hair back and straightened the sweatshirt, somewhat relieved and disappointed it hadn't been Aaron at the door after all.

"You want some cocoa?"

"B, I did something wicked wrong!" Kyle said, following her into the kitchen. "I have to tell you about Jonny."

"He's visiting our grandparents. He'll be back next weekend," she said. "You wanna call him or something?"

"No, B, he's..." Kyle met her gaze, flushing.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, leaning against the counter. There was blood on his trench coat. It mixed with the rain to drip pink puddles on the ceramic floor.

"Jonny didn't go to your grandparents'!" Kyle blurted out. "He was seeing this girl, and he told you he was going to go so you didn't think he'd spent the night with her and... you know..."

"Jonny's not in Indiana?"

"He's in trouble, B, and it's all my fault!"

"In trouble how?" she demanded.

"His girlfriend is so hot but she's like a vampire," Kyle said. He ran his hands through his wet hair again.

"Vampire?"

"He went to see her yesterday, and he asked me to stop by and meet all her friends tonight. I went. Fuck... I mean, shoot, B, it was terrible. They really are vampires! They were killing people in front of me, and his girlfriend bit him, and now he's going to be a vampire. They said-- "

"Kyle, are you on drugs?" she asked, baffled.

"No, B, I promise. I've been clean as long as Jonny."

"Jonny's on drugs?"

"Not anymore. I didn't want to come here but I know about... he told me-- and I never told anyone, I swear it-- about your healing ability." His voice turned to a whisper and he looked at her, conflicted. He'd been Jonny's best friend for ten years, and they'd started the Goth-vampire stage when they got to college. She never thought much of their black clad, piercing-decorated vampire girlfriends and couldn't help being irked that Jonny had told his friend her biggest secret!

"What're you telling me, that Jonny's hurt?" she asked.

"I think so."

"You think he's been eaten by a vampire."

"Not eaten, B," Kyle corrected her. "Just bit his... actually, it was his arm, right in the middle of his forearm. She bit him there."

"Kyle, you're scaring me. But, whatever. We'll talk about the drugs later. I'm going to get him."

"I'm not going back there," he said resolutely.

"You've been inseparable for ten years," she said. She studied him, alarm swirling through her for the first time. "What gives?"

"I don't know, Bianca," he whispered. "You shouldn't go either. We should just call the police. They can go. We'll stay here. You'll be safe."

"Show me where this party is," she told him. She'd never seen him so upset in all the years she'd known him. She retreated to her bedroom to grab her purse. "You sure you're not hurt?"

He gripped his forearm in the same spot he'd told her Jonny had been bitten but shook his head. More blood trickled onto her tile. She frowned, uncertain what to think of his story. She planted her hand on his forehead, coolness flowing through her. His arm was wounded, and something akin to poison ran in his blood. She couldn't quite understand what the poison was; it wasn't a normal infection, and yet it couldn't be anything else.

"You were hurt," she murmured, pitying her brother's friend. "And if you tell anyone I can do that, you'll be in big trouble."

"I feel strange," Kyle murmured, trailing her out the door.

"How far is this party?" she asked. "Oh, wait, don't shut the-- " The door to the apartment clicked shut, locking automatically. "I forgot my keys. You have a car?"

He nodded and led them into the rainy night. His ancient, rusted Camaro was illegally parked in front of the building. She almost scolded him before stopping herself. The kid was already too upset about something. His body assured her he wasn't on drugs when she'd healed him, and she couldn't grasp that any normal party would upset the usually jovial young man.

She pushed fast food trash from the passenger seat. Sitting, she gave up on the jammed seatbelt after a few useless tugs.

"B, how do you do it?" Kyle asked.

"Do what?"

"The healing thing."

She rolled her eyes, irritated that her brother hadn't taken his promise to her seriously. Of course, if he was on drugs and running around with a vampire chick at parties instead of going to Indiana like he was supposed to, she shouldn't be surprised he'd spilled the beans.

"I don't know. It's just something I do," she replied.

"Have you ever told anyone? Like a doctor or scientist or something?"

"It's not your normal conversation starter," she said with a small laugh. "Hi, I'm Bianca. I have magic voodoo healing powers."

He smiled, and she gazed at him, wondering when he and her brother had grown from youths into handsome young men. His features were no longer soft and his body had filled out. She was so used to her brother that she didn't notice him grow up, but she saw it in Kyle. Just as she saw the adult in him, she saw his tension. His knuckles were white as he clenched the steering wheel, and his tall form hunched forward.

Her unease grew as they reached a seedy neighborhood outside of Little Havana. It wasn't somewhere she'd ever venture, even in daylight. There were thugs in the streets, bars on the windows of sagging houses, and cars on blocks.

He continued through the streets and slowed when he reached a dilapidated, boarded-up church on a corner. Light strobed through cracks in the boards, and the sidewalks teemed with shady-looking characters dressed all in black.

She heard the blaring trance music before she opened the car door and smelled the unmistakable scent of marijuana mixed with incense and body odor.

"Stay here, Kyle," she said, looking uncertainly at the intimidating scene before her. "I'll go get him. Do you know where he is exactly?"

He shook his head and squeezed the steering wheel until one of his fingers popped.

"Here's my phone. If I'm not back in twenty minutes, go someplace safe and call the police, okay?" she said, placing it on the dashboard. "And I'm leaving my purse."

"You'll lose it if you don't," he said wisely, accustomed to helping Jonny help her search the house for keys, purses, and anything else she lost.

"Yep," she agreed. "Wish me luck!"

"Wait!"

"What's up, kid?"

"Nothing." He looked at once panicked and guilty. He hesitated, then shook his head.

She gave his teenage temper the benefit of the doubt and patted him on the shoulder as she left the car. Her heart quickening, she started towards the entrance of the church. Several of the men in black eyed her.

The interior of the church was packed with bodies writhing to the deafening, throbbing music. At under five and a half feet, she wasn't sure how she was supposed to find her brother among the people around her.

Most of them were men. She didn't notice until she'd jostled her way into the center of the church. All of them wore eerie red contact lenses. A shiver of alarm went through her, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on, hoping to find her brother fast. The church was hot and loud, the scents that overwhelmed her outside stifling. She found a chair jammed against the wall and stepped on it to see the crowd.

She didn't see her brother's bleached hair and familiar face anywhere in the crowd. She hopped down, oblivious to the attention channeled her way by the red-eyed men around her. Light spilled across the church as a door leading to the chambers in the rear opened.

She made her way to the hallway and breathed more easily in the less crowded space. Men and women lined the walls, most making out. Several of the rooms on either side were open, revealing couples in various stages of undress, a room with junkies shooting up and potheads lighting up, and a room filled with what looked like people sleeping.

She reached the exit at the end of the hall and now faced a shorter hallway leading into what may have been a kitchen at one time. She stopped, puzzled. Where was her brother? A lot could've happened to him between the time Kyle left Jonny there and returned with her. Her alarm growing, she crossed her arms and climbed the stairs to the kitchen area. She froze, Kyle's words about vampires returning to her.

A naked, unconscious woman lay atop the island in the center with five men with red eyes chewing on various parts of her body, one on each leg, one on each arm, and one at her neck. Bianca backed away, heart racing.

"What's this?" The man who spoke snatched her arms from behind and shoved her into the kitchen. She looked away from the scene, unwilling to believe what she saw was real.

"That's B," Jonny answered from somewhere inside the kitchen.

"What's a B?" someone else snickered.

One of the men drinking blood from the naked woman straightened, and she gasped.

"Jonny!"

"Hi, B," he said, eyes glazed and blood running down his chin to his white polo.

"Jonny, what are you doing here?" she demanded, pulling away from the man behind her.

"It's his initiation day," the man said.

She faced the speaker and took a step back. He was large and thick with glowing eyes and teeth sharpened into fangs.

"Talon, this is B," Jonny said in a breathless voice.

"A pleasure, B."

She took a step back, overwhelmed by the scene before her. She stared at her brother, who seemed unaware of where he was or what he did. Talon looked her up and down in a way that made her skin crawl before he took her arm. He sliced her forearm with a knife, watching in satisfaction as it healed before his eyes.

She wrenched away.

"The kid wasn't lying," he said. "You and me, babe. This could be fun."

She turned to run, panic flying through her at the feral look he gave her. He snatched her and half carried, half dragged her through the kitchen's opposite door. She struggled, but he wrapped his arms around her in a hold she couldn't break.

"Jonny!" she shouted.

"Do what I say, bitch, and I might not kill him!" the man named Talon snarled.

"The police are on their way!" she cried. "They'll be-- "

"Shut the fuck up!"

He shoved open a door to the dark night and carried her to an awaiting car. She planted her legs against the frame of the car.

"Jonny!" she screamed.

Fiery pain tore through her as he stabbed her in the neck.

* * *

Dustin, the White God's chief assassin and commander of the western hemisphere, awoke in a cold sweat with his heart racing. The clock blazed 3:30 in his otherwise dark condo. An hour of sleep was the longest he'd managed in over a week, and he felt more tired than when he lay down.

We'll meet soon, brother, his long-dead sister had told him right before he awoke.

He'd dreamt many times about his sister and his family, but she'd never talked to him directly. Her soulful gaze and gentle words gave him the creeps. She appeared as he remembered her the day of her murder: a ten-year-old with long blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and golden skin. Her words fueled the sense of dread he'd felt the past two weeks, since he'd lost contact with his closest friends.

He sat as the dream faded and patted the necklace with the dangling sun-star symbol marking his demigod status. It was a comforting combination of the symbols belonging to his adopted brothers: the sun worn by Damian, the White God, and the star worn by Jule, the expelled immortal and eastern hemisphere's commander.

His condo swayed in the harsh winds of the latest storm spawned from the massive depression in the Gulf. Rain splattered hard against his windows, drawing his gaze to the windows.

We'll meet soon, brother, she'd said. Yeah, creepy was the right word.

Dusty rose to pull on his gym clothes. He'd never thought twice of his mortality-- he had none. Damian had granted him immortality along with his other demigod powers, plus the one authority no other immortal had: the ability to kill one of their own who got out of line or broke the divine codes. He'd been Damian's most trusted executioner for thousands of years.

He'd also been anonymously voted least popular by a disgruntled Guardian on their online discussion boards, and he was about 99 percent sure Jule was leading the pack on that one as his latest attempt to win some bet with Damian about their diverse leadership styles.

He rubbed his face and crossed to the bathroom. He'd lost another five pounds this month. He'd dropped twenty in the past six. He stepped off the scale, snagged a protein bar, and walked the twenty floors to the gym in the bottom of his condo building. He couldn't remember when he'd last had a full five hours of his own, and he knew he wasn't likely to get another break for a while.

After an hour-long attempt to expel his wired energy, he returned to his room to the sound of his cell phone ringing. A quick glance at the screen told him it was one of his most trusted Guardians, Toni. It was a call he'd been expecting but hoping not to get.

"Where, Toni?" he answered.

"Little Havana. I texted you the street address. Better hurry, boss. We gotta clean up before the cops get here."

"On my way." He dressed quickly and Traveled to the scene.

Dusty surveyed the blackened ruins of the church in the grainy light of dawn. The rain had quit for the day, though the tropical storm spinning around in the Gulf guaranteed another week or so of sporadic storms. Toni spotted him and trotted over.

"There are fourteen-ish bodies towards the back of the church. The fire destroyed everything else," Toni said.

"Third flash-n-dash this week."

"TGIF, boss," the Guardians' Miami Station Chief, Toni, said with cheerfulness out of place for the scene in front of them.

"If there's nothing here linking this to otherworldly activity, we're done here," Dusty replied. "The city can clean it up. You get the DNA from the bodies?"

"They're too crispy."

Dusty glanced at his long-time Miami Station Chief, the handsome Hispanic man who looked as severe as he was lighthearted.

"We've got tire tracks," one of the Guardians called, kneeling near the driveway. "Looks like an SUV of some sort."

"I found a cell phone!" another shouted as he scoured the gutters around the church. "No battery."

"Take it to HQ," Toni directed.

Dusty looked around them, gaze settling on the only car on the streets that didn't belong to him and wasn't on blocks. It was a beat-up Camaro parked half a block down. He sensed rather than saw that someone was in it, watching them.

"Toni, send your Traveler to grab the driver in the Camaro down the street," Dusty said, returning his gaze to the charred building in front of him. "Send me a report when you're done."

"You want me to call you if we see another one of these?"

"Not unless there's something different about it. I'm going to get a pulse check from the network to see what the fuck the vamps are doing." Dusty glanced at his watch.

"We got info on a stash house on Broad Street. I'm waiting for Jenn to confirm, and we'll schedule to take it out tomorrow morning," Toni said.

"Good. Have fun killing things."

"Okay, boss. Happy Friday."

Dusty smiled faintly as Toni walked towards the back of the church, whistling. He blinked and used his power to Travel to his study. Someone had been using his computer; he returned the mouse and computer screen to their appropriate angles before seating himself. The house was quiet, the way he preferred it. In all of thirty minutes, some sort of drama would emerge once the inhabitants awoke.

Come see me, he texted his spy chief. He sat back and waited, counting down from ten.

"Hey, boss," Jenn purred, emerging from the shadows. One of the rare female Guardians, Jenn was tall and willowy with dark hair and green eyes, a studied air of seduction, and the ability to penetrate any group he sent her after. She didn't try to hide her sex appeal and wore clothing tight enough to leave little to the imagination.

"Three," he said.

"Still under five seconds," she said with a sultry smile. She pulled up a chair across from him and straddled it, her direct gaze settling on him. "What can I do for you, boss?"

"Shall I make a list?" he returned. He smiled to himself, enjoying the game they always played.

"I'll start at the top and work my way all the way down."

"I think you'll start all the way down."

"For you, anything, any way you want it, anytime," she purred.

"I love it when you say that."

"You know what a girl likes. I don't mind trying to make your day as good as you make mine." She ran her fingers up his arm and back down. "How 'bout now?"

"We got real work to do," he replied.

"Fine, boss. Work, then play. Must be serious."

"Our vamp friends have had three flash-n-dash events this week so far," he started.

"Toni told me," she said. "A total of about thirty bodies."

"We haven't seen this anywhere else."

"Talon's boys are more violent than most of them. These are essentially huge orgies and feasts for initiating newbies," she replied. "Nasty gatherings."

"What do you have as far as sources in Talon's gang?"

"Not much," Jenn admitted. "The Natural I planted there called this morning and said they were waiting to burn the place until something got there. He didn't know what it was but said it wasn't a vamp and it wasn't their dinner."

Dusty was quiet, surprised. While violent, Talon wasn't the smartest brute in the world. That he may have planned something for a reason other than to eat, fuck, or recruit was unusual.

"No word on what? Cell phone intercepts? Anything?"

"Not that I know of," she replied. "He's normally really loud and stupid about what he's doing. We don't usually have a problem tracking him, but this changed about two weeks ago. Either he got smart fast or someone tipped him off."

"I'll need whatever you can get me," he said. "I have a feeling something else is going on."

"So do I, boss," she said pensively. "Dusty, if I didn't think it was impossible, I'd say Talon's gonna make a play for the Czerno's job."

"Talon? The Black God would slaughter him on the spot."

"Something is just... I don't know. Maybe it's just a spy's paranoia. Talon's reckless, but he's cunning and he's suddenly playing very smart. We caught some of his vamps tracking Czerno's vamps more than once, and we've caught them in firefights, too."

He said nothing about the presence of one such Black God in Miami. The Black God, Czerno, had been wreaking havoc in Europe until a few days ago. He didn't know if a two-bit thug like Talon rated the attention of the King of Darkness or if Talon was stupid enough to challenge an immortal so much more powerful. Maybe Czerno was in town for a bit of vengeance while the White God was across the ocean, or maybe he'd found out about Dusty's wards, the White God's mate and brother.

He didn't know what was going on, but he felt as uneasy as his spy chief. His gaze went to his watch.

"You sure you don't have time?" Jenn asked too casually.

"I've got a meeting at eight."

"That's enough time for me," she whispered. She leaned over the chair and kissed him, a long, slow kiss.

Dusty rose in response, peeling off his shirt. Her eyes went to his body hungrily, and he gripped her belt, pulling her against him. He took them to his condo on the beach for privacy. He rarely turned down the offer of no-strings-attached sex, especially when his partner was so good at it. In all his years, he hadn't found anything as soothing to his nerves as a woman's silky skin, heady scent, and warm body.

## Chapter Three

Bianca's new world was tiny and white, the porcelain toilet the only chair and the tub the only place long enough for her to lie down. She huddled at one end of the tub, feeling as if she'd taken a shitload of drugs. She couldn't focus on anything farther away than her hand, and looking at her hand made her cry.

She was covered in blood. Her blood. Every hour, he came back and hurt her. She traced the channel of a newly healed scar along the inside of her forearm, where he'd split her arm almost in two in a fit of rage after she kicked him in the crotch.

She hadn't fought him since. While she could heal, she still felt pain. That level of agony was something she never wanted to go through again. What she couldn't heal was the exhaustion that came with each bout of healing. She was hungry and fatigued but too scared to sleep.

Light glowed through the hazy window overhead. It was her second morning in the tub. She wondered how many more there would be and doubted she'd last more than another day or two if he kept draining her blood. Her head sagged against the shower wall, and she wished she could order her body not to heal her, to let her bleed out and die so she didn't suffer anymore.

The door opened, and she braced herself. Talon entered, followed by another man. Talon hauled her to her feet, holding her up by one arm when she wobbled. He took her other with a rough hand and nodded in approval at the healed scars.

"Impressive," the man behind him said. "I didn't think you had an ounce of sense, Talon."

Talon responded by raising her arm to his mouth. He gave a cunning smile as she tensed. She whimpered at the sensation of knives going through her arm and almost fainted.

"Taste," Talon said, handing her arm to the silver-haired man beside him.

The blurry man lifted her other arm and bit into it. She sagged. Talon let her drop. Blood trickled down both arms before her wounds healed themselves.

"Very impressive," the stranger said, kneeling beside her to look at both of her arms. "You taste like honey, love."

She shivered, sensing something truly evil in his monotonous voice and cold hands. She didn't look at him, afraid of finding the devil himself in front of her.

"Your brother's... special as well," the man said. "He'll make a good warrior, one I can train to kill a couple pain in the asses I can't get rid of otherwise."

She looked up, fear and anger flashing through her. The man was in his prime with silver hair and dark eyes, a handsome face, and a body as muscular as Talon's.

"Stay away from my brother," she rasped.

"Ah, you do have spunk," he whispered, eyes glowing. "I'll stay away from him if you do what I say. Exactly what I say. You understand me?"

Her eyes watered, and she ducked her head. His tone made her want to crawl back into the tub and remain Talon's slave forever. There were worse fates than being dinner for a sadistic bastard like Talon, and she'd just met the man who was willing to show her what they were.

"Take her to the stash house on Broad," he said, rising. "I have a meeting out of town. I'll come get her when I'm back."

"Yes, master," Talon said with a smooth bow. "Pop, you promised-- "

"Don't call me that, shithead! And yes, I'll make you a demigod, not because you deserve it, but because you did something useful for the first time in your life!"

The devil left, and an angry Talon hauled her up, sinking his teeth into her arm again. He drained her life until she was near blackness before he flung his head back with a contented sigh. He jerked her forward. She careened into the door frame, a flash of pain going through her head.

He dragged her into another room. Someone else grabbed her and flung her over his shoulder. She hung, helpless and exhausted, stuck in the in-between place until the pain of her head hitting something hard jarred her into consciousness.

She was in a car with one of Talon's men, her crumpled body at an awkward angle jammed in the small area between the backseat and the driver's seat. The floor smelled of mold. She tested her body, dismayed when her limbs felt too heavy to lift.

Her thoughts went to Jonny, and she closed her eyes as tears formed. She'd do anything for him, even if the devil took her soul! And yet, she couldn't forget what she'd seen him doing-- drinking another woman's blood as Talon did hers! What happened to her brother? Was this part of some phase or were these... people... really vampires as Kyle believed?

The idea that Jonny would turn out to be like Talon made her chest clench. She'd never let her kid brother end up like that sadistic bastard.

More tears came as she realized she couldn't do anything for herself let alone Jonny if they kept her in such a state. She strained against her own body again, panic floating through her at her helplessness.

Before she could ponder too long on her weakness, she was yanked out of the car by Talon's lackey. The thick Miami heat had never felt so good! The cool energy her body produced when she healed streamed through her, rousing her as it repaired the latest damage. By the time they entered the building, her arms and legs were responsive again.

The lackey tossed her onto a hard couch in the rear of the house opposite a closed patio door. She pushed herself up when Talon snatched her.

"Keep her drained and weak," he ordered the lackey.

Pain shot through her as Talon bit into one arm. The lackey bit into her other arm, and she cried. Blackness crept into her vision. Talon shoved her back onto the couch.

"Put her in the garage," Talon said.

The lackey picked her up and carted her to the garage, which served as a makeshift barracks filled with cots and sleeping men. He flung her to the ground near the far wall. She landed on a topless bottle of oil and spit the fluid out as it sprayed across her face. She squeezed her eyes closed, unable to move once again.

She felt the poison in Talon's blood, but whatever poison ran in the devil's body was inseparable from him. She couldn't cure whatever it was, and she couldn't make sense of it. There wasn't something wrong with him; he was wrong!

Just like this place, filled with people who hurt her.

Just like being with Aaron.

The thought distracted her, and she both yearned to be with him and hated herself for not being able to shake the thought of him. Still, a life of betrayal with Aaron was nothing compared to a life as Talon's slave! He really wasn't so bad, when compared to here. Maybe, if she made it out of here, she'd go to lunch Sunday and do whatever felt right, like spend her life with him.

Or tell him to go to hell and never come back to Miami. She groaned. Was he really worth her attention on what may be the last day of her life?

The ground rumbled suddenly and the garage walls shook. Silence fell, and the scent of blood and fire wafted into the garage. The men around her were roused by the sensations. None had time to grab the weapons under their cots before gunfire exploded through the garage door and slammed into them. Blood splattered her as someone dropped from the cot beside her to the floor.

She closed her eyes and held her breath against the smells of sulfur and blood. She couldn't run, couldn't move and she tried hard to convince herself to pass out as the garage door was wrenched open.

More gunfire deafened her in the small confines of the garage, and men screamed and fell. Tears wetted her face as men in what looked like black tactical SWAT gear entered the garage.

Police! She thought, hopes rising.

More gunfire and another smaller explosion went off somewhere else in the house. Two men in black darted through the bodies and into the house while two more hung back at the garage entrance. The sounds of violence stopped. The eerie quiet that followed amplified the ringing of her ears. She struggled to move again, to draw their attention so they'd help her.

"All clear!" one called.

She was silently thanking the heavens for rescuing her, until one of the men in black entered the garage and began shooting the downed men a second time around. Disbelief surged through her, and she clenched her eyes closed, praying they thought her dead enough not to shoot her as they did the others. She heard the gunshots getting closer, one body at a time.

There was silence, and she waited. She peered through her eyelashes at two armed men stopped in front of her. The one who had been shooting the others was as large as Talon and plainly Hispanic.

As handsome as he was, her eyes were compelled to the man beside him. His features were chiseled from golden granite, his blue eyes clearer than the Miami shallows. He reminded her of an ancient Greek god, his cold, hard beauty magnified by his sun-kissed skin and dark blond hair. The air around him hummed with energy and command. His hands were clasped behind his back, his muscular chest and flat abs drawing her gaze. He was dressed in black but not in SWAT gear, as if he knew nothing in this world could hurt him.

The Greek prince withdrew the gun at the small of his back, whipping it towards her. Her eyes snapped closed, her last vision that of the most striking man she'd ever seen.

She waited for the end to come. It was the longest second of her life, until she realized he wasn't going to pull the trigger. Her eyes cracked open, and she was startled to see a petite blonde woman in dark jeans standing between them.

The Greek god was cold and intense, his gaze so piercing it made her shrink back even when he wasn't looking at her. His reminded her of a cobra about to strike, though he'd pulled the gun up to his shoulder. He towered over the woman and glared down at her.

"No," the petite woman ordered, her arms crossed.

They waged a silent battle, and Bianca opened her eyes, praying with everything she was worth that the small woman-- whoever she was-- would win. For a long moment, she thought the Greek god would kill the blonde first and then finish her off. As if sensing the same, the blonde bowed her head in deferment without moving.

"I saw something, ikir," she said in a tone far softer and more respectful than her original. The Greek god didn't so much as blink as he stared her down. Bianca's eyes watered again. He didn't have an ounce of mercy or humanity in him!

"If I didn't love you, you'd be dead, kiri," he spoke at long last, his low, even voice terrifying Bianca.

"I know," the blonde replied.

He nodded his head towards the garage door. She obeyed the command. Bianca watched her, wanting to scream at her to stay. The blonde slid sunglasses in place, and as she strode to the awaiting Yukon idling in the driveway she threw a glance over her shoulder. Her beauty was cool and classic, like that of the man before her.

"Take him, clean him up," the Greek god ordered one of the men at the front of the garage. He indicated her with the gun before turning away without another look.

Relief and fear unleashed within her, and she was hauled once again to her feet.

"Sofia," Dusty said in a tone he knew conveyed his displeasure. He slammed the Yukon's door closed as he slid into the back seat beside her and pinned her with a look she refused to meet.

"I know," she murmured.

"Pierre, if you let her do that again, you'll go straight to behavior modification," he warned her assigned bodyguard.

"I swear I'll stop her even if it costs me my life," Pierre replied.

"Dammit, Pierre!" Sofia snapped.

"Sorry, mon amour, but I fear him more."

Dusty looked at his adopted sister again. She was the ikira, the Guardians' queen, and a Seer, the mate of the White God, Damian. While the White God was off fighting the vamp infestation in Europe, he'd left his mate and brother in Dusty's protection. With their similar looks and cool reserve, he and Sofia were often mistaken for brother and sister by other Guardians, a convenient cover they exploited when she moved to Miami.

"You've done many foolish things, kiri, but stepping between me and a vamp is a first."

"I told you. I saw something," she insisted. "I am an Oracle, Dusty."

"What did you see?"

"Don't look at me like that!" she growled. "I'm sorry, Dusty, but I had to do it and I can't tell you why. You'll understand someday! In fact, you'll thank me!"

He sensed she wasn't going to budge this time and relented. She'd been pissy for a couple of weeks, and he had an idea why.

"How far along is she, Pierre?" he asked.

"Dusty!" she exclaimed. "Don't you dare, Pierre!"

The brooding blond bodyguard-Guardian driving the Yukon looked at him in the rearview mirror, torn.

"You've got five seconds," Dusty said, unruffled. "Five-- "

"Nine weeks," Pierre grated.

"You're so fired!" Sofia whispered with a sigh. "Dusty, you're not supposed to know. No one is yet."

"She's saving it for when she gets in trouble again with ikir," Pierre supplied. "Sort of like a get out of jail free card."

"I am not!"

Dusty chuckled, glad for the distraction from his dark thoughts. Sofia pushed up her shades to display blue eyes rimmed with silver. His humor dissipated at the sight of the black circles under her two-toned eyes. Her mind was open to him, and he watched the thoughts passing through.

The visions in her head were dark and brutal, the memories of a man enslaved by the sadistic Black God for thousands of years. As the only Oracle and soul reader in existence, she was the only one who could repair the mind of her mate's brother, the Grey God, who suffered a fate worse than death as a slave to Czerno. While she never complained, it was clear she needed Damian to visit again soon and heal the damage his brother did to her on a daily basis.

"Sofi, you're not going to be able to handle helping Darian and being pregnant," he said.

"I don't have a choice," she replied. "Darian isn't stable. I'll be fine."

"I'll take care of it," he said.

"No, Dusty, Darian needs me."

He said nothing, his decision already made.

"Dealing with you is like beating my head against a brick wall!" she snapped.

"Then stop beating your head," he advised. "I'm not Damian or Jule; you can't sweet talk me into anything. You're in my house. You live by my rules. You know I don't compromise."

"You're a dictator." She sighed and picked up his hand, placing it on her head. Dusty relaxed and smoothed her hair back like he might a child's.

"Boss, you can send her to behavior modification training," Pierre suggested.

Dusty wasn't sure how Pierre ever made it through the Guardian basic training with his lip. While he made a good match for Sofia, Dusty had never met any Guardian with such a loose interpretation of discipline. For Sofia's sake, he refrained from saying what he'd like to say to the Guardian.

"Boy or girl?" he asked, genuinely happy about Damian and Sofia's first child.

"Boy," Pierre volunteered.

"The next White God," Dusty said. "Sofi, that's awesome."

She smiled, meeting his gaze. The silver of her eyes flared and swirled as she gazed at him, an indication she was reading either his future or his mind.

"No, kiri," he chided. "None of that shit. You were late on purpose today so we'd happen to stop by the stash house."

"Whatever, Dusty."

"Don't even try to lie, kiri," he said with a chuckle. "I've almost killed you once today." He'd served as Damian's executioner for thousands of years, a position he found fitting for his general dislike of the human capacity for evil. There was right and wrong, good and evil, and every human but the woman before him had fallen for some temptation of the dark side. After millennia dealing with the dark side of humanity, he didn't think there was anyone else pure left.

"I know you love me," she said. "And yes, maybe I did set today up."

"Congrats," he said. "I'll be an uncle."

"Yep." He couldn't help feeling thrilled at the prospect of Damian's son. Damian himself would be overjoyed, and Jule-- the third adopted brother in their threesome-- ecstatic. He pulled out his phone to text Damian.

Bro, come visit soon.

He hadn't heard from either Damian or Jule in two weeks. He suspected Damian sealed the European region to prevent magic moving in and out. Even so, he should've heard from one of them by now. In all their years together, they'd never been out of communication more than a few days.

He sensed something wrong but kept it from the petite woman beside him, who had enough of her own issues to deal with. He'd have to track down Darian soon, though what the unpredictable, volatile Grey God was doing was beyond his ability to guess. He'd activate the GPS later and hunt him down if he wasn't in the mansion that served as the Guardians' headquarters.

The drive home was quick as he dwelled on his thoughts. He escorted Sofi to her room, and was surprised to find the Grey God in his room. He knocked once before entering.

Darian lay on his back staring at the ceiling with brooding golden eyes, his horribly scarred body hidden under turtleneck and gloves and socks, even in the safety of his room. The only skin not covered was his face and part of his neck, both of which were channeled and knotted by scars. Darian-- who was older than everyone but Jule-- was going through what Sofia called a teenager phase as he struggled to re-establish his identity after thousands of years as a brainwashed slave.

"Dusty, did you ever consider working for the Black God?"

"No," he said without hesitation, accustomed to Darian's odd questions.

"You would have been good at it. He hates humans, too."

"I hate evil," Dusty replied.

"But hate is evil, isn't it?"

"I don't give a shit, Darian. I don't second-guess what I do, who I am, or who I serve."

Darian rolled onto his side with a noisy sigh. Dusty couldn't help but wonder how he'd gotten stuck with a pregnant Oracle and an equally moody teenager with godlike powers and no ability to control them. It definitely wasn't because he was the most patient of the three brothers.

"I want to go sail boating," Darian said.

"If you're headed towards the tropical storm in the Gulf, you can't take any human or Guardian with you," Dusty said, drawing a chair near the bed and seating himself in front of the Grey God.

"I don't know how to sail!" Darian replied in irritation. "Who cares if I kill a stupid human?"

"It's rule number one: protect humans at all cost. You know this. Rule number two applies to Guardians. I won't let you sacrifice any of my Guardians so you can jump into the middle of a hurricane."

"Fine." Darian bit off the word. "Why don't I have minions like the White and Black Gods? Damian gets Guardians, and Czerno gets vamps. It's not fair."

"I'm not Sofia. Don't bitch to me," Dusty said. "We need to talk about something."

"Gods, what now? More fucking rules?"

"I'd like to ask a favor of you. Sofi's pregnant."

Darian sat up, joy crossing his ugly features. Dusty gazed at him, reminded of the man Darian used to be before he was destroyed by the Black God himself. He hoped one day Darian took his place beside the other gods. Darian wrung his hands like an excited child at the news.

At the very least, Dusty hoped Darian grew out of the terrible twos.

"Boy or girl?" Darian asked.

"Boy."

"That's so awesome!"

"Yeah. But Darian, she can't help you and be pregnant," Dusty said quietly.

Darian's gaze grew pensive. "Dusty, I can't deal with this on my own," he said, gesturing to his head. "There are so many bad things in here..."

"You'll have to try, Darian."

The Grey God's face grew stormy, and anger colored his features. "I'll figure it out on my own," he said resolutely. "If that means I go crazy and break the rules, you'll just have to kill me. It's okay, Dusty, I'll accept that fate. You're the only one allowed to kill Guardians. You can kill me."

"Darian," Dusty said with patience he didn't quite feel. "Sofia needs you right now. You can help her."

"How?"

"Right now she could use some company," Dusty suggested. "She looks terrible."

"I would never hurt her, Dusty," Darian said and stood. "I'll take care of her and the baby. I promise. I can deal with the mess in my head. I have to, because Damian's going to be gone for another week and a half, and then a lot of bad stuff is about to happen, but whatever. I have to help Sofi."

"You're a good man, Darian. Take care of Sofi," Dusty ordered. He watched the change, irritated by the bizarre mood swings and cryptic ramblings that defined Darian's speech lately. "And follow the rules."

"I will. I'll make sure she rests and I'll go with her everywhere so nobody hurts her."

"Good man," he said again. "And if you need anything, come to me."

"I won't," Darian said. "I mean, I won't need anything, and if I do, I'll come to you. We don't have much time; we better go shopping for baby clothes."

Darian watched the confused Grey God leave, never imagining he'd deal daily with this type of drama in addition to managing the battles against the vamps in the western hemisphere. His second-in-command and executive officer, Sasha, was in Europe, along with everybody he'd been able to spare. It left him more hands-on with the western front than he'd been in hundreds of years. Once Damian came back, Dusty was going on his first vacation ever.

He glanced at his watch. He'd messed around with Jenn only a few hours earlier and already felt the need to unwind again. He rose and left Darian's room for the foyer, where Toni was waiting for him.

"Hey, boss!" Toni greeted him cheerfully. "We interrogated the kid we found in the Camaro the other night. He's kind of a spaz. I think he's on drugs."

"Was he initiated yet?" he asked.

"No, not yet. You want us to keep him or cut him loose?"

"Cut him loose with a GPS tag. We'll see where he goes. He have any good info?" Dusty asked.

"Good, no. Weird, yes. He seems to think Talon is the Black God."

"That idiot?"

"Apparently Talon's telling folks he's being crowned the next Black God," Toni said with a grin.

"Crowned? Don't think that's how it works. White Gods inherit their title, but Black Gods normally get hacked to pieces by their successors. I'm not old enough to know how," Dusty said, convinced Talon was psychotic in addition to sadistic. They strode into the sticky heat towards the gym between the house and the garage.

"Me neither. Czerno will eat him alive. Boss, I was gonna ask if you needed an XO while Sasha is out," Toni ventured.

"You want the job?"

"Definitely."

"It's yours," Dusty said, somewhat relieved to have a little more help. "Move your shit here. I need an hour in the gym then we'll go over the logistics issues you're inheriting."

"Groovy, boss." Toni saluted him with a smile and jogged to his car.

Dusty strode into the gym and peeled off his shirt. He'd gone a week with an hour of sleep. If Darian lost his focus and disappeared again, he suspected it'd be another week before he had a chance to sleep. If Talon was planning to challenge Czerno to a showdown here in Miami, Dusty would never get another wink of sleep again. His phone rang as he reached for a dumbbell.

"Sir, this is Speck in Ohio, Southeast Sector. We're seeing something strange out here. Not sure what to make of it. You got someone free to take a look?"

"I'll be right there," Dusty said, retrieving his shirt. He hung it up only for it to ring again. "What, Sofi?"

"Someone's going to ask you a question tomorrow morning. The answer is Mercy Hospital."

"Is that all you'll give me?" he asked.

"Yep."

"I'm headed to Ohio. I'll be back later."

"Dusty, you need to get some rest," she said, concern in her voice. "The world can wait for you to sleep for a few hours."

"Bad guys don't stop doing bad things just because I need a nap," he said. "I'm okay, Sofi, I promise."

"I worry about you."

"You're the only one."

"You'll have to get used to it pretty soon," she said.

"Damn Oracles!"

"Have a good trip."

"You'll get yours," he promised. "Any minute now Darian's going to beat down your door."

"Remember: Mercy's."

He hung up and tucked the phone away, amused. He closed his eyes and summoned his power to Travel, one of the most useful gifts Damian granted him. When he opened his eyes, he was in Speck's backyard. Speck was waiting for him, at his feet a creature Dusty couldn't identify. Grimly, he realized he wouldn't be catching a nap for some time.

## Chapter Four

Bianca awoke in a cocoon. The sheets were so fine and light they seemed to melt against her skin. The bed molded to her body with each movement, encouraging her to stay there even longer. Her hair was damp at the roots but her long curls as bouncy and cheerful as she felt fatigued.

She rolled onto her side, body aching from exertion. The sheets smelled of a man with an ensnaring scent, a mixture of dark musk and soap. She breathed it in again before climbing from the bed.

His room was clean to the point of anal, his color scheme black on white. Even the pictures on the wall were black and white photography in black frames. He had no family pictures, no trinkets or doodads like she had all over her apartment. There was an alarm clock on the nightstand beside the black base of a lamp. It read 6:23AM.

The door to the room was closed. She eyed it nervously, not wanting to venture past the safety of the bedroom. Crossing the threshold into the bathroom, she paused to look at herself in the mirror with a grimace. She wore an oversized shirt and boxer shorts, neither of which was hers.

However, on the counter was a folded pair of jeans, a set of matching bra and underwear, and a sweater. She looked at it, flushing to think someone had taken the time to figure out her sizes.

Even the bathroom was too clean, she noticed. The towels on the towel rack appeared to have their creases ironed into them. Similar to the bedroom, there was nothing on any of the flat surfaces, not even dust. Whoever lived here had nothing personal to show, no pieces of his personality for her to dissect before she faced him.

Unnerved by the idea of being somewhere she clearly didn't belong, she opened drawers until she found a pair of shears. She changed and took the shears, hiding them against her body as she approached the door.

With a deep breath, she opened the door, uncertain what horror she'd face next. The rest of the spacious apartment was decorated in an identical black and white color scheme as the bedroom. Black furniture, white carpets, black granite countertops in the kitchen, white walls and cabinets.

The apartment overlooked the beautiful blues and greens of the ocean. The sun lingered on the horizon, as if waiting for the closing clouds. Her gaze moved from the incredible view to the condo's owner, whose desk sat against the wall opposite her beside the windows. He wore headphones and spoke into a microphone, simultaneously responding to half a dozen chat windows open on this computer. He wore nothing but sweatpants, and his exposed upper back drew her attention.

Whoever he was, he was as strong as a lion. His skin was golden, his wide back muscled, lean and defined down to the slender hips and waist. She'd never seen a man as perfectly honed as he was.

She waited until she was certain he was distracted before she crept across the apartment, keeping as close to the wall farthest from him as possible. She reached the door and undid the locks with trembling hands, wondering what kind of person kept five locks on his door. When she'd finished, she twisted the knob and pulled.

Nothing happened. She tugged harder. She rechecked all the locks and tried one more time.

"It's not gonna open."

She jumped at his low, even voice, heart racing. She turned to face him, surprised to find the man who'd almost killed her earlier. He leaned against the wall a few feet from her, arms crossed and cold blue eyes on her. He was even more striking than she remembered. His cheekbones were high, his chiseled face matching the chiseled body. From his shoulders to his chest to his flat midsection, every part of him looked as if he'd been carefully carved from stone.

"Of all the weapons under the bed, you chose that one?" he asked, looking at the scissors.

"I didn't see any others," she murmured.

"A woman always has weapons in the bedroom."

She flushed, sensing he wasn't talking about knives and guns. He studied her for a long minute. Uncomfortable, she cleared her throat.

"Are you going to..." She drifted off and displayed her scarred forearms.

He stepped forward, taking the scissors from her in one hand and one of her wrists in the other. His fingers were long and slim, his palms round. Even his hands were muscular, and she couldn't help comparing his light touch to Talon's brutal grip. Her gaze went to his chest and thick arms. His movements were controlled, his strength restrained. She felt his body heat from the short distance between them and recognized his scent from the sheets.

"Talon?" he asked.

She nodded. He traced the long scar marking Talon's attempt to slice her arm in two from elbow to wrist. She winced and pulled away, remembering the pain too well. He didn't move away, and she looked up at last.

His direct gaze was intense as he took in her features. His gaze went lower, and she flushed again as he looked her over. It wasn't the same type of scrutiny as Talon's feral, maniacal look. This man's look was considering, as if he were trying to memorize her features in case he needed the information in the future.

"Sit your ass down," he said and nodded his head behind him towards the living room.

"I have to go," she said quickly. "I have to find my brother. He's in trouble."

"Now."

She found herself hurrying around him to the couch at his low growl and suspected he wasn't someone who ever repeated anything. Panic stirred as she recalled what his men had done at Talon's stash house. She braced herself for him to turn into Talon and hurt her.

"You're fatigued," he said.

She followed him with her eyes as he retreated towards the kitchen. Her gaze returned to the door and lingered. She must not have twisted one of the locks, even though she'd checked them all twice. When she looked to the stranger, she found his warning look on her.

"Rule one: no running. Think of yourself in the predators' wing of the zoo. You run, they kill you. You stay put, they just might ignore you. Got it?"

The comparison made her breath catch. She knew him to be merciless, and his words only reminded her how dangerous he was. From his cold features to his controlled, efficient movement, to the low, commanding tone, there was no doubt he belonged in the predators' wing of the zoo.

"I have to find my brother," she said in a small voice. "Did you find him in the stash house?"

"No," he said and then muttered something that sounded like damn Oracle before raising his voice to address her again. "But I know where he is."

Her heart leapt, and she stood, halfway to him before his sharp look reminded her he wasn't someone she wanted to approach. She retreated to the couch and sat on its arm.

"Is he okay?" she asked at his silence.

"We'll see."

He returned from the kitchen with tray holding a glass of orange juice, a plate with what looked like homemade granola bars, and a small bowl of sliced apples. He set it down on the coffee table and returned to the computer.

Surprised, she watched him. He said nothing as he responded to the messages on his screen. She ate quickly, looking from his perfect body to her scarred forearms. In a few days, even the scars would heal.

She wondered what was wrong with Jonny, if she'd get to him in time to heal him from whatever drugs Talon gave him. She fidgeted then rose, too antsy to sit still when her emotions were in turmoil. She looked at the pictures on his walls, not surprised to find them bland. Images of landmark buildings, of the seven greatest wonders of the ancient world, and city scenes from around the world. Coldly impersonal, like the rest of the apartment.

"There's no life in here."

She felt his cold gaze and didn't face him, cringing instead. He hadn't hurt her like Talon, but she had the feeling she wasn't at all welcome. Even in the kitchen, the fruits and vegetables that gave a splash of color to her kitchen were hidden away. She opened one cabinet, not surprised to see white bone china. And no dust, even in the cabinet. She'd go crazy in such a place!

Pushing the cabinet closed, she jumped to find the stranger so close. He'd changed into a sweater and dark jeans and gazed down at her, disapproval in his hard features.

"Don't touch my shit," he said firmly. He was too close again. His hand grazed her as he reached around her for a set of keys she hadn't noticed on the counter. Another warm buzz traveled through her, scattering her thoughts at his nearness and scent. "C'mon."

She sprang forward, anxious to see her brother. He stopped at the door and faced her.

"Rule number one," he reminded her.

She nodded, willing to agree to anything if it meant she could see Jonny. He led her through the apartment building to an underground garage and to a sleek, black sports car with black interior.

He said nothing as they exited and drove north, towards the highway. She took in the clean car and shook her head, wondering how many hours a week he spent cleaning everything he owned to keep it all so spotless.

"Can I ask you something?" she ventured, gazing at his handsome profile.

"Depends on what it is."

"How about your name?"

"Dusty."

She stared at him. "You don't think it's ironic?" she asked. "You don't have a spot of dust anywhere in your house or car and your name's Dusty." He said nothing, void of emotion. She cursed herself quietly for saying stupid things.

"Name," Dusty said.

"Bianca Rodriguez."

"Brother's name."

"Jonathan, Jonny for short."

"Address."

"I'm staying with Jonny here in Miami at Dad's... Jonny's apartment. Our dad died last year, and I moved-- "

"Age."

"I'm twenty-five, he just turned twenty."

"Marital status."

"I was engaged for a while, but that... well, single, both of us," she said with a frown.

"Birthdays."

"Eighteen November for me and five March for him."

"How'd your dad die?" he asked.

"Heart attack."

"What do you do for a living?"

"I'm an aspiring chef. I've been studying culinary arts for a few years and recently decided to branch out on my own."

"You're unemployed."

"I guess," she murmured. She was worried and tired already, and his latest jab didn't buoy her spirits at all. He seemed done with his interrogation of her, and she looked at him. "Do you like living in Miami?"

"I don't give a shit where I live."

"You have a nice view from your apartment."

No response.

"Am I your prisoner or are you some sort of really weird Good Samaritan that's gonna let me go when we get to where we're going?" she asked with a sigh. "I'm kinda not digging this whole put-me-in-the-bathtub-and-suck-my-blood gig."

He glanced at her.

"So, if you could tell me either way," she continued. "I don't think you want me imprisoned in your apartment. I'd use the wrong towel or leave a dish out, and then you'd be threatening to kill me again. It just won't work. It's better if you let me go."

"You're a prisoner."

"For how long?" she asked, frowning.

"Not your concern."

"What are you going to do with me?"

"Right now, I'm thinking of gagging you," he snapped.

She swallowed her other questions and twisted her hands in her lap, distraught.

Dusty almost felt bad for snapping at her, but she was driving him crazy. He glanced at her again. She was staring out the window. His gaze lingered, and he took in the beautiful doe brown eyes, deep set and large, framed by long eyelashes. Her skin was caramel, her long brown hair falling in fat ringlets around her elfin features. She was built the way a woman should be: shapely, with large breasts, plump lips, tiny waist, and rounded hips and ass. She was toned and curvy, her skin as soft as her voice.

He hadn't thought twice about Toni's message that he'd delivered the package from the stash house to his condo until he walked in and discovered the vamp he expected was a woman. She didn't have Jenn's drop dead, gorgeous beauty or Sofi's classic, cool beauty. Bianca was the epitome of adorable, her dark eyes sparkling and warm, and her sweet glow innocent and fresh. She didn't realize her natural effect on men, what with the sultry sway of her hips and ass and her large, dark eyes.

He hadn't paid much attention to any woman in many, many years, but couldn't help thinking her one of the most attractive he'd ever met. If shit was about to hit the fan like he suspected, he'd rather not spend his last days alone. Then again, if his shithead friends in Europe answered their phones, he wouldn't.

Sofi wanted her watched for some reason. After the trip to the hospital, he'd drop her off for the Oracle to deal with and go back to work, where maybe he could shake his sense of doom by killing some vamps.

"Oh, my god!" Bianca exclaimed.

He glanced out the window and realized he'd pulled in the entrance for the emergency room and morgue. Bianca gazed at him, pale and stricken. Her hands trembled.

"He's not dead," he assured her.

Her gaze remained on him, disbelieving. He resisted the urge to reach out to her as he did Sofi when the Oracle cried after a particularly brutal session with Darian's bad memories. He wondered if Bianca's thick curls were as soft as Sofi or Jenn's hair. His phone rang, and he snatched it from the dashboard. He grated his teeth to see Darian's number on the screen. He answered.

"Dusty, I'm-- " Darian started. Dusty knew at once by Darian's tone that whatever the Grey God wanted to do, it would get him in trouble.

"No," Dusty said.

"But I met this girl and she-- "

"Hell, no."

"Dusty-- "

"My house, my rules, no compromise," Dusty reminded him. "Get your ass to the range and learn to shoot. I'm activating your GPS. If you're not there in half an hour, I'm coming to find you." Darian gave another of his annoyed sighs and hung up.

Bianca was staring at him. He ignored her and parked, leading her into the hospital. He hung back as she approached the first nurse's station they came to, aware of the effect he had on humans. Those around him moved away, and those on a path towards his side of the hall changed their minds and turned around. He looked at his watch, aware he had a morning packed with activities to follow up on.

His phone rang again, and he answered, trailing Bianca to an elevator.

"Hey, boss," Toni said. "I took a look at the logistics info you showed me. Hector in Missouri is gonna help me straighten it out. We should have it done by noon. Also, ikira said you needed help managing your schedule, so I'm forwarding you your agenda for today. I'll take a couple of the meetings, and I tasked Jenn to start forwarding intelligence reports to me as well. Are you groovy with all that?"

"Yep," he said, pleased. "Do what you need to. Sasha's files are on the shared drive. You can dig through those as well. He was more anal than me, so I know everything is in order."

"It gets kinda crazy around here, doesn't it?"

"Definitely," Dusty said with a trace of a smile. "If the inmates try to run the asylum, give me a call." He hung up.

"What exactly do you do for a living?" Bianca asked, her eyes wide.

"You're not ready for that." He tucked the phone away and met her gaze, watching the emotions that crossed her face. Red crept up her features, and she looked away. She still looked fatigued, with dark circles under her eyes and skin pale beneath the caramel.

He sensed the presence of the vamp before they exited the elevator. The sense grew stronger as she led them down the hall past a waiting room and nurse's station towards the quiet hallway lined by patients' rooms, each housing four to five patients. She slowed to look at the room numbers.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose as she stopped in front of one and pushed the door open.

"Jonny?" she called, entering the well-lit room. Dusty followed her, a familiar tension filling him as he looked at the lone person in the room.

"Hey, B," her brother responded in a groggy voice.

Her brother was a vamp. Dusty resisted the urge to draw his hand cannon from the small of his back. Jonny sensed him as well and looked up, confusion and fear crossing his face. Bianca hugged him, and Dusty resisted the urge to pull her away and snap the vamp's neck. Instead, he sat down across from him, his penetrating gaze on the young vamp. His blood quickened with bloodlust at the thought of ending the life of another miserable vamp. His phone vibrated, and he withdrew it.

Just wait, Sofi's text read.

Damn Oracles, he typed back before putting it away.

Bianca looked at him, and he ignored the sense she wanted to be alone with her brother.

"I'm so sorry," Jonny said, horror crossing his face. His gaze went from Dusty to his sister. "I never meant to drag you into this, B."

"We'll talk about the drugs or whatever later," she said. "Are you okay?"

"Not really."

They both looked at him. He didn't move. She sighed and reached out to her brother, resting her hands on his cheeks.

"No, B," Jonny said, pushing her away. "I screwed up. I'll make it right."

"Stop it," she ordered in her soft voice. "You're acting like a kid."

He relented and closed his eyes.

Dusty felt the slow change in the air around him and tensed. It was a subtle shift, an undercurrent of cool energy that brushed by him, like when Sofi used her voodoo fortune-telling powers around him. Until that moment, he hadn't really cared why Sofi saved the life of the woman before him. Talon's work on her arms pissed him off, but he hadn't considered the wounds were as recent as yesterday.

Healer. It was Sofi's whisper in his mind, a new trick she'd picked up from Darian. Dusty straightened. The spidey senses that warned him when a vamp was around calmed until he no longer sensed Jonny.

Bianca drew away from her brother, eyes glazed. Jonny opened his eyes, and the red ring around his irises was gone. She'd just turned a vamp back into a human. Dusty had never heard of such a thing!

"Excuse me. Are you next of kin?" a doctor asked, knocking on the door.

"I am," Bianca said, rising. She wobbled and balanced herself against the wall. They stepped into the hallway, and Dusty's gaze returned to Jonny. Jonny clutched his sheets, his gaze down.

"You know you fucked up," Dusty said. "Next time, you'll answer to me."

The young man's face paled even more, until he was as white as his bleached hair. He'd never be normal, not with what he'd done. Dusty knew the memory of killing in order to be initiated wasn't something even Bianca could take away from him. He didn't think the memory was enough of a punishment for taking the life of an innocent human, but he was constrained again by the primary mission of the Guardians to protect humanity against evil, deserving or not. Jonny was once again a human, albeit one that deserved a beating for dragging a sister as sweet and innocent as Bianca into Talon's grip. He dialed Jenn.

"Whatcha need, boss?" she answered.

"I need Travis at Mercy Hospital, room 515. You may want to talk to the occupant as well," he said.

"I'm on it."

He rose without another look at Jonny and intercepted Bianca on her way back from the nurse's station.

"We're leaving," he directed.

"Can I say good-bye?" she asked.

He stepped aside, waiting impatiently. She looked up at him as she returned, as enthusiastic as a man walking to his own hanging. He nodded for her to walk ahead of him.

The elevator door opened to reveal the massive form of Travis, one of Jenn's spies on the local police force. Clad in the dark blue uniform of the police, Travis gave a nod of recognition as he passed him. Dusty ignored Bianca's searching look and punched the button for the ground floor.

He sensed the incoming vamps before the elevator door opened. They were somewhere in the hospital.

"You know where the car is?" he asked her, holding out the keys.

"More or less."

"Wait for me there."

She took the keys a little too quickly. He expected her to ditch him and run, but the car was tagged and could be tracked. There weren't many places she could go where he couldn't find her, especially if Sofi kept interfering.

He watched her until she exited then remained in place long enough that he knew the vamps could pinpoint where he was. He exited through a different route, one that took him across a courtyard large enough for the vamps to see him as he crossed it, and between two buildings.

There were more than he expected, and he counted six. Talon's goons were coming for the kid.

"Dusty!"

He turned, irritated to see Bianca held by the neck by one of Talon's vamps.

"I told you to go to the car," he said, leveling a glare on her. Her cheek was red as if she'd been struck, and there were tears on her face already. Her large eyes were fearful once again.

The others found him at the same time, and his blood ignited. He drew a deep breath, refreshed by the idea of slaughtering six bad guys at one time. The vamp holding her grinned, his eyes glowing. He placed the tip of a gun to Bianca's head.

"Tell us where the kid is or-- "

Dusty didn't let him finish. The vamp's head exploded with the first shot of his hand cannon, the bullet missing Bianca by a couple inches. He snatched her and shoved her down beside a metal dumpster. The two vamps behind the first went down with one shot each, and he grunted as the others racing down the opposite side of the alley managed to plant two rounds in him before he blasted all of them to hell.

He glanced down at the bullet holes and splashes of blood in his chest, agitated at having to change clothes so early in the day. His body rejected the bullets, and they popped out of his chest.

He'd never gone a day without silently thanking Damian for the gift of self-healing.

Pissed that his morning hadn't gone as planned, he strode forward and put another bullet in the heads of each of the vamps to ensure they weren't returned to life by their brethren. He tucked the gun away at the small of his back and looked at Bianca.

Her face was white, her eyes glassy. Dusty didn't think twice about offing anyone who posed a threat to him, and he didn't remember what it felt like to be a human who witnessed what looked like a mass murder. Naturals got over it soon enough.

"We don't have much time," he said, pulling her up.

Her whole body trembled. He fished his keys out of her pocket and hurried her towards the parking lot.

She didn't move the entire trip back to the condo, as if afraid he'd blow her head off next. Sofi would chew him out if he gave Bianca to her like she was, and he himself couldn't help but feel somewhat concerned that she'd gone unresponsive. Her beautiful eyes no longer sparkled, and he was surprised to find he felt the absence of her warmth and liveliness.

She showed no sign of life until he locked the door behind them. Only then did she woodenly move forward to the bedroom and close the door.

He peeled off his ruined sweater and tossed it in the trash. He reloaded his weapon first, then entered his bedroom for a new shirt.

The shower was on and the bathroom door closed. He paused, sensing her distress. He opened the door enough to see in and blew out a breath. Bianca sat, fully clothed, at one end of the shower, drenched and shaking.

So maybe she wouldn't get over what she'd seen as fast as she should.

He pushed the door open and opened the shower door. The water was cold, and she shook, her arms hugging her knees to her chest. He turned off the shower before lifting her and setting her on her feet in the middle of the bathroom. She didn't move, didn't speak. Her skin was cold; she was in shock.

Suspecting he'd just driven Sofi's healer completely catatonic, he peeled her soaked sweater and jeans off to display matching pink underwear. Goose bumps rose all over her body, and he dried her as quickly as he could before draping a bathrobe around her.

Wondering what twisted sister of fate thought him capable of mothering one let alone three people, he lifted her and laid her on the bed. She curled on her side, shaking. The loosely tied bathrobe fell away from one smooth leg to her hip at her movement, and he paused.

Even traumatized, she was one of the sexiest women he'd ever seen. The sight of her shapely form in his bed made his blood burn for a different reason.

He should walk away, leave her to figure things out, and finish what he needed to this morning. But he stopped, a twinge of something akin to regret filtering through the hard layers protecting his emotions. He really didn't want her to lose the spark of life he'd found as appealing as her body. After all, that spark was why he fought so hard, so humans didn't turn into someone like him.

He looked at his watch again, then settled in bed on his side behind her. He smoothed her hair from her face and rested his hand against the soft skin of her exposed thigh, admiring her body. There were tears on her face, and her breathing was shallow and ragged.

"You killed them," she whispered.

"That's what I do. I kill bad guys."

"You won't kill Jonny?"

"He's safe for now," Dusty said, his own mind going to the boy who'd been a vamp for a day.

"Will you kill me?"

"Only if you turn into a bad guy. Mine is a very brutal world," he said. "My job is to protect people like you from monsters like those in the alley."

"You can't just kill people!"

"They're not people. Talon's men turn them into killers who take the lives of the innocent. Your brother had to take at least one life to become one of them."

"Jonny would never do that!" she snapped.

"It's the only way for him to become a vamp."

"But he's not one of them!"

Dusty considered her words. Whatever Natural talent she had, she'd somehow turned her brother from a vamp back into a human. He'd never heard of anything like it in all his years.

She rolled onto her back, unaware of how exposed she was. The bathrobe fell away to the knot, revealing her almost to her bra. He looked her over, enjoying the view, and rested his hand on her warm stomach.

"He's not!" she insisted.

"Not anymore," he agreed. "You brought him back."

"Then you shouldn't kill any of them, if they can be saved!"

"There's no such thing as asylum for vamps," he said, amused. "And your brother may not thank you when he realizes he must live with the reality that he killed an innocent for the rest of his life."

"He wouldn't..." She stopped, pensive. He met her gaze and saw her look.

"You walked in on him," he assessed. "Tell me about your healing ability."

She shook her head.

"I don't ask twice."

"It doesn't matter. You're just going to kill me," she said in a tiny voice.

"You think I wouldn't have killed you by now if I wanted to?" he challenged.

"I think you'll do whatever you want."

"I'm not going to hurt you, Bianca. I belong to an organization called the Guardians. We're commanded by the White God, who is charged with protecting humanity against the Black God, commonly referred to as the devil. Your ability to heal makes you what we'd call a Natural, a human with extraordinary capabilities. We find Naturals and bring them into our organization before the Black God makes you one of his. We offer safety in exchange for the use of your abilities to support our mission."

"But you kill. How are you good?" she asked.

"I only kill bad guys." He held her gaze, gauging her reaction. She didn't have a clue what to think. Her eyes traveled his face, and he saw her pupils dilate as the nearness and heat between them fed into the sexual tension. His gaze lingered on her lips, but he didn't move. She was too traumatized and he too busy to deal with another source of drama. He preferred his life much simpler than it already was.

She wiped her face and returned to her side. His hand remained on her hip until she shivered again. He pulled the robe over her exposed body, feeling the urge to run to the gym or call Jenn for a quickie to relieve the sexual spring within him. He didn't have time for either.

"As of today, you're a ward of the Guardians." He pronounced the words that would forever alter her life. "You belong to me."

She met his gaze with a frown. He rose and pulled on a sweater.

"The door will be locked while I'm out," he told her.

She said nothing, and he left.

Part of her accepted his explanations after what she'd experienced the past few days. Another part of her couldn't fathom how a man colder than a sociopath could be working for the side of good. Never mind she felt awed by how sexy he was lying in bed beside her, his muscular chest inches from her and his large hand resting possessively on her stomach. He could have told her he was the devil and that he now owned her soul, and she would have stayed there, wondering if he'd kiss her.

She slept until the edge of her fatigue was gone before borrowing his neatly folded clothing and making herself a huge pancake and egg midday breakfast. She'd tried the door many times and determined if it didn't open, it was because he didn't want it to.

Jonny was safe, even if she hadn't been able to wipe away all traces of the poison in his blood. She wasn't sure why she trusted the stranger, but everything he said was said with conviction. She, on the other hand, was living a Stephen King novel in the clutches of a mass murderer. She watched TV for a while, waiting for details of the Mercy Hospital massacre to air. Nothing did.

"Dusty said I have to leave the cat with you." The agitated voice came from behind her, jarring her.

She twisted to stare at a large, wiry man with a whip-like body and a face that would scare Freddy Krueger standing in the middle of the apartment, her cat in one arm and the litter box in the other.

"My god, how did you get in here?" she all but shouted, hopping to her feet.

He looked pissed as it was, his unusual golden eyes swirling in a way not even remotely human.

"I like your cat," he said. "Dusty won't let us have pets. It's, like, rule thirty-six or some shit."

She gaped at him as he set the cat and the box down. Sunny darted for the darkened bedroom.

"I'm grounded, but I'll come back later," he said. He disappeared right before her eyes.

Bianca sank onto the couch, staring in disbelief. The litter box remained, and she knew if she looked under the bed, Sunny would be there. It wasn't a dream. This world was real. She felt the sudden urge to join Sunny under the bed.

"Sofi said to give these to you," he said and reappeared just as suddenly. He stood near the windows and had in his arms a stack of clothing. He set them down on the chair near the desk. "She's grounded too, but I can just pop in and out. If she leaves, then Pierre tells Dusty, and we all get yelled at. It's totally not fair. So, what's your cat's name? It took me forever to get it out of the closet in your apartment."

"Sunny," she managed.

"She matches Dusty's condo."

She nodded, trying hard to recover from the latest surprise. He was right. Sunny was black and white, just like the rest of Dusty's world.

"I'm Darian," he said. "I'm not allowed to shake hands with humans. Bad things happen. Sofi told me your name is Bianca. She said to tell you not to worry, you'll adjust, okay?"

"How can you just up and disappear?"

"Dusty can do it, too. It's so much cooler than, like, walking somewhere." While he looked to be in his early thirties, he spoke like Jonny and Kyle. If she closed her eyes, she would have guessed him to be no older than her brother.

"Who's Sofi?" she asked.

"She's my sister-in-law. She's pregnant!" He did a small dance, eyes glowing. "I gotta go before Dusty finds out I'm here. Bye, Bianca."

He disappeared again. She waited for a long moment in case he came back. When he didn't, she rubbed her face, wondering what exactly she'd been dragged into and if her heart would explode if he reappeared. She retrieved the clothing, judging that Sofi had been the one to pick the original clothes out. She'd gotten the sizes right and even remembered matching socks and lounging clothes.

Bianca put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Darian's popping in and out stressed her out, and she turned up the TV, trying to lose herself in a movie as she calmed. Sunny found her courage and emerged from the bedroom a short time later, meowing as she stood on her thigh, staring at her.

"Don't ask me," Bianca said. "I have no idea what's going on."

The sunset drew her gaze to the wall of light, and she watched the sky darken over the beautiful Miami waters. She shooed Sunny away from her half-eaten pancakes and paced the living room until light faded completely from the horizon.

Someone knocked at the door before she could turn on more than the living room lights. She crossed to it, doubting the locks would cooperate with her this time, either. To her surprise, she opened the door with no problem. A tall, toned woman who looked like she did Pilates for a living stood in the hall in tight black leather pants and a tight pink T-shirt that drew attention to her large breasts.

"Hi Bianca, I'm Jenn," she said with a quick smile. "May I come in?"

Bianca stepped aside. Everything about Jenn was sexy, from her tight clothing to her sensual walk to her smoky make-up and low, gravelly voice. Bianca closed the door behind her then tried to open it again. It wouldn't budge.

"The wards won't let you out," Jenn told her. "Dusty's smart like that."

"Are you another one of the... Guardian people?" Bianca asked.

"Yes. Sweet cat," Jenn replied. She picked up Sunny and sat on the couch, making herself at home. "You doing okay?"

"I don't know," Bianca admitted after a hesitation.

"C'mon, sit down. We'll chat."

Bianca liked Jenn, though she felt there was more to the woman than she could pinpoint. She sat down on the couch and folded her legs beneath her.

"I talked to your brother earlier," Jenn started, leaning back. "He's a bright kid. Fell in with the wrong crowd."

"Yeah," Bianca said thoughtfully. "It's been hard for him this past year. He's had problems with college since our dad died last year."

"Dusty scared him straight for now. We think he might have some Natural ability. Most vamps do and are drawn in by the bad guys."

"Wow," Bianca breathed. "I was hoping you were going to tell me this Guardian-bad guys thing was something I'd dreamed up."

"Sorry, babe, but it's real. You know why Dusty pulled you in?"

Bianca nodded.

"We all have super powers. Tell me about yours," Jenn said with a smile.

"I can heal," Bianca said. "Myself and others."

"You've had this ability your whole life?"

"As long as I can remember. It comes in handy when you have a younger brother."

"Dusty said you healed Jonny earlier today."

Bianca looked down, recalling the mass murder with confusion.

"It's okay, Bianca. We all get overwhelmed when we're first brought in," Jenn said, sympathy in her dark eyes. "I love Dusty, but he's about as nurturing and subtle as a jackhammer. He'll never, ever let you down, but he's not the warm, fuzzy type who will hug you when you're down, either."

"He sent you to talk to me?" Bianca asked, surprised the man had feelings.

"Yep."

"He killed, like, six or seven guys right in front of me," she said. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It's what we do," Jenn said. "Those guys would have killed you if he hadn't."

"I'd be really hard to kill," Bianca said with a ragged laugh. "Talon tried."

"How long did he have you?"

"Two days. He came in every hour. I pissed him off one of the first hours, which is why this happened." She pointed to the long scar.

"Talon is a pretty sick bastard," Jenn observed. "We've lost a couple of Naturals to him."

"I think it would be okay if Dusty killed him," Bianca said. "I'm just not so sure about the others. They look human, Jenn. Oh, and the devil. Dusty can definitely kill the devil."

"Who?"

"Talon brought in some man to see me. He was just..." She shuddered and crossed her arms. "You ever meet someone and you knew there was something just wrong about them?"

Jenn smiled faintly with a nod.

"This guy was the devil. He was coming back for me before you all blew up the stash house."

"What did he look like?" Jenn's eyes narrowed.

"White hair, really big like Talon, these eyes that were darker than night, and when he talked, you could tell he didn't have a soul."

"I know him." Jenn's voice was hushed, her gaze growing penetrating. "But I don't know what he wanted with you."

"He didn't say. Just said he was coming back for me after he went away for a couple days," Bianca said with a shrug. The air around Jenn had stilled, and she searched her gaze. "What's wrong, Jenn?"

"You were right on about meeting the devil himself," Jenn answered. "Don't worry. You're safe now. Just don't open the door to anyone."

"Where's Jonny?" Bianca asked.

"He's at HQ, not too far from here. You'll get to see him soon."

"And he's okay? Dusty's not going to kill him?"

"No," Jenn said.

"I like you, Jenn," Bianca murmured. "In the future, you should do the recruiting of Naturals, not Dusty."

Jenn laughed.

"But you don't have to tell him I said that," she said quickly. "I don't want to make him angrier at me. I think he blames me because he ruined a sweater when he got shot today. He can heal, too, did you know?"

"Yeah, the White God granted him many gifts," Jenn said, smiling widely. "I like you, too, Bianca. You'll be good for him." She winked and rose. "Keep the door locked at all times, okay? Don't talk to strangers, and if you see someone with red eyes, run like hell back to Dusty. I'll check with him to see if I can leave you my number. You'll get lonely here alone."

"Thanks, Jenn," Bianca said.

Jenn smiled and disappeared. Bianca shook her head, her hands trembling again at the otherworldly display. Her conversation with Jenn made the world around her more concrete. The Guardian's parting words were baffling, but like many things she'd experienced the past few days, she knew she'd probably never figure them out. Tired but more at peace with the strange world, she stretched out on the couch to watch TV.

## Chapter Five

"Boss, what is this?" Toni complained.

Dusty looked up from the computer screen as Toni walked in, staggering under the weight of a massive box.

"Send it to the lab. Don't open it," he instructed him. "It's my souvenir from Ohio."

"Is it alive?"

"Not anymore."

Toni grunted as he backed out of the study. For the first time in ages, Dusty was falling asleep at his computer. It was midnight, and he'd just finished reading Jenn's latest report. This one was on her interview with Bianca. And the fact the Black God wanted her.

He rubbed his face. They'd suspected Talon was one of Czerno's many bastard children, and the fact the sadistic bastard had called his daddy to tell him about Bianca confirmed it.

"Iggy's running it to the lab," Toni said as he returned. "You look beat."

"I feel beat," Dusty admitted. "Read this. Start pinging our sources in the underworld. I need some sleep."

"Groovy!"

Dusty closed his eyes, the soft sound of the TV greeting him before he opened them. He looked around, at once irritated. Bianca was asleep on the couch, the cat curled on her back. A plate of half-finished food sat on the coffee table, and the kitchen was a disaster. Dainty cat prints trekked through the flour she'd spilled on the counter. He followed the trail to the edge of the carpet then took in the dirty dishes in the sink.

"Bianca!" he barked. She groaned and rolled onto her side. "Bianca!"

"Yeah?" the woman mumbled and pushed herself up.

"Clean up this shit," he ordered. "Rule number two: if you make a mess, clean it up."

"Okay," she said in a sleepy voice.

He looked at her again, taking in her warm features and shapely body. Her hair was free, the long, loose curls cascading down her shoulders and back. His gaze lingered before he strode towards his bedroom, determined to get a few hours of sleep.

"Dusty," she called, rising and following him. "Thank you for rescuing me today." I don't know what to think about everyone you killed, but I do appreciate you protecting me."

"It's my job." He faced her when she said nothing in response and didn't leave his bedroom. She chewed her lower lip, warm eyes troubled.

"I don't really have a choice about anything going on, do I?" she asked. "I have to be a member of your group, and I have to stay here so the bad guys don't get me."

"For the most part, the major decisions were made for you," he replied. "You do have the choice of sharing my bed or sleeping on the couch."

His words took her a minute to register. She flushed and looked him over, then took a step back in to the living room. Dusty tossed his phone on the nightstand and set the alarm clock.

"Do you have any extra blankets?" she called from the living room.

"Nope."

He was being more of a dick than usual, he knew, but he was too tired tonight to care. He threw himself down in bed and closed his eyes. He'd just started to fall asleep when he sensed the intruder. His instincts reacted to the threat before he was fully awake. He wrenched the attacker across his body and pinned him beneath his own body weight. Only when he heard the soft, female wow did he realize who it was.

He blinked, registering the blaring alarm. He released one of her wrists and leaned over, slapping it, before returning to the warm body beneath him.

"It's been going off for five minutes," Bianca said.

He focused on the woman whose body was pressed beneath his. She smelled of her own musk, strands of hair escaping her braid to tickle his face. Her large eyes were pinned to his, her pupils dilated and breathing quick. He had her wrists pinned above her head. She wore a camisole and shorts, her large breasts straining at the thin fabric between them.

Desire rose hot and fast in him, more so when he felt the cool tickle of her power, the combination of cool energy and warm skin making his blood race. He felt the rise and fall of each breath and was inches from the slightly parted full lips just begging for a kiss. She gazed up at him, soft eyes taking him in.

"I didn't mean to scare you," she whispered.

"I can't complain about waking up on top of a woman," he replied.

He admired her flush, and she looked away. She tugged at her hands, but he held her tight, enjoying the feel of her beneath him. He could imagine a great many things to do to her perfect body. She met his gaze again, her breath catching.

"You get one freebie," he warned her. "Next time, it'll cost you to leave my bed."

In that moment, he had a feeling she'd pay up without resistance. Of course, a woman like this one wasn't the type he could fuck and walk away from like Jenn. Bianca was warm and sweet, the kind of woman who deserved better than he'd ever have to offer.

With some regret, he rolled off her and padded to the bathroom, feeling her eyes on him. He couldn't shake the fire in his blood or the sense of how soft her supple skin, how warm her body felt beneath him.

His freezing shower did little to calm his blood, and he was pissy before he saw the number of voice mails and texts awaiting him. He strode from the bedroom, tucking his gun at the small of his back. The condo smelled of breakfast, and he looked around, satisfied to find it clean again.

"Dusty, I made breakfast," she called as he passed the kitchen.

"I'm late."

"I made it to go," she said cheerfully.

He altered his path for the kitchen. She handed him a baggie with an egg, sausage, and cheese sandwich. Her eyes sparkled again, her face glowing. She didn't meet his gaze and spun away when he took the sandwich. He retrieved orange juice from the fridge.

"Do I have to stay here all day?" she asked.

"Yep."

She didn't complain, but he felt her disappointment. She was too lively to be trapped in the condo on her own. He remembered his cruelty from the night and glanced at the couch. For the second time in as many days, he almost felt bad. She'd been through hell at Talon's hands.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm okay. Still feel a little tired."

"I shouldn't have been a dick," he said. "The bed's big enough for both of us."

"I don't do one night stands, Dusty," she said, face red again.

"Bianca, I won't touch you," he replied, then added, "unless you want me to."

"I can't tell if you want to kill me or sleep with me," she said with a laugh.

"I do want to fuck you," he replied. "Still borderline on the killing."

She gasped and gripped her neck, as if fearing he was some sort of vampire out to suck her blood. Dusty fought back an amused smile. His sense of humor wasn't well understood by many. He hadn't thought it as harsh as it was, just like he thought nothing of killing anything in his path, but seeing the look on a normal human's face reminded him he'd been close to losing what humanity he possessed for quite a while.

"I feel like I should apologize for... whatever it is you're feeling," he said with what he hoped sounded like a sincere attempt to empathize. "I'm not used to dealing with humans."

"I kinda got that," she said. "You could try a little more not to scare me so much. This isn't exactly easy being ripped from my life."

"I imagine not."

"You've never... I mean, I guess you didn't go through the same thing?"

He was quiet for a moment, his thoughts going to the life he'd lived before the Schism. Damian found him just before and adopted him first as his servant then as his brother, once they were thrown from the immortal world into the mortal realm.

"I did go through it," he said, not wanting to disturb emotions he'd buried long ago.

"Do you want to talk about it? It might help me," she said hesitantly. "I'm so sorry, but with my gift, I felt you had some sort of pain, maybe you lost someone once, long ago? I felt it in Jonny when our father-- "

"No." The sharpness of his tone made her jump. "I have to go."

He closed his eyes to Travel out of the condo, aware he'd snapped at her once again. When he opened them, he was in his study. Toni was asleep at the computer.

... Maybe you lost someone once. Her words followed him, and he rubbed his face. He hadn't thought of his sister or his loss for some time. To be reminded first by a woman who should be dead and again by a Healer of some sort...

He shook out his shoulders and nudged his XO awake, not wanting to deal with the thoughts. After all, he wasn't going to live long enough for his feelings to matter.

"Got something, boss," Toni said instantly.

"Good, what?"

"Intercepts picked up a call Talon made to one of his guys who we know plans his recruitment fairs. He's planning something big for the weekend, and it sounds like his pop will be in town for it."

"How big and where?" Dusty asked.

"They're putting out an announcement to every vamp east of the Mississippi River. Talon's renting out a country club between here and Pembroke Pines," Toni responded.

"What's the event?"

"Allegedly, Talon's been given demigod status. Might be a promotion party. Might be something else. We can't figure it out. But there will be a few thousand bad guys within a stone's throw of us..."

"Pull in everything we can from the east coast sectors," Dusty said. He heard his sister's voice in his mind again, promising they'd meet again soon. He didn't have to wonder where he'd die-- only how.

"We're down to skeleton crews already," Toni said, facing him. "Everyone's in Europe."

"Make a call to Jasmine in Latin America and see what we can get from them. Have Jenn twist a few arms for details and to validate the intercepts. And ready an emergency evac plan, just in case. Talon's a violent fuck, and the Czerno-Talon combo will be worse than the incoming hurricane."

"Where should we evac to?" Toni asked.

"I don't care. Pick one of the spots Sasha identified." He strode out and down the hall, stopping to pound on Sofi's door. She opened it and frowned, as if knowing why he was there.

"Sofi, what can you tell me about this weekend?" he asked.

"I can't see much yet on my own," she admitted. "My crystal ball doesn't work as well as it should. But, what I've seen thus far is that it could be really bad."

"Define bad."

"Talon's a demigod, and he thinks he can take on Czerno. I don't know if he's going to try Saturday or if he's just flexing his muscles. Can you bring in someone for me to check their future?"

Sofi's skill relied mostly on reading the future of a specific soul by touching them, and he'd not let her within miles of a vamp since taking over her guardianship. She was too young of an Oracle to have mastered her ability yet.

His thoughts turned to Jonny, who'd been taken to the Guardians' barracks.

"Maybe," he said. "What else?"

"That's all I can say, except..." A look of pain crossed her face. Her irises swirled again and her frown grew.

"I don't make it, do I?" he asked, even knowing he shouldn't.

"You die, but it's not the end for you," she said, ever the cryptic Oracle. "At least, I hope it's not."

A chill ran through him. She shook away the dark thoughts. Dusty didn't pry; she shouldn't have told him what she did. They gazed at each other for a long moment.

Damian needed to know. Dusty didn't know why Talon would choose Miami to make a stand, unless he wanted to take out as much of the Guardians' infrastructure as possible should he find some way to beat Czerno. Amassing thousands of vamps in the same place wasn't a good sign. Even the Black God didn't normally act so brashly. Dusty had maybe a thousand Guardians assigned to North America remaining after he sent all he could spare to the European front.

"I'm prepping an evac plan for you," he said, rising. "Pack a bag, just in case."

"Darian's probably going to ask you if he can go visit the cat."

"He can go this morning," he said.

"I'll let him know. Am I still grounded?" she asked, pinning him with a cold glare and crossing her arms.

"You're on parole. The next time you leave the compound without telling me, you'll be grounded until Damian returns."

"I hope it's soon," she said, a look of longing crossing her face.

"Don't worry, Sofi," he said. "And if this Miami thing gets as bad as we both think it will, he might have to come back soon anyway. I have to go."

She gave him a hug. As a stranger to human affection, he'd never quite gotten used to her hugs. He squeezed her back and left. Toni awaited him in the foyer.

"Boss, Jasmine wants to know how much more you're going to fuck her over this year. She means that respectfully," Toni said. "She said she'd tell you that in person if you hadn't already taken her Traveler."

"If she's available, have her come to Miami, too," Dusty said. "We're going to need all the help we can get." He whipped out his phone and trotted down the stairs, typing a response to one of the many texts he'd received.

He froze on the bottom step, the hair at the back of his neck standing up. He'd had this sense before, when Darian was proclaimed the Grey God. Dusty followed his instincts to the kitchen and stopped in the doorway. A slight man with white hair, velvety green eyes, and a fatherly smile stood in the middle of the kitchen.

"I tried to call you, but you didn't answer," the Watcher said.

A Watcher appearing in his kitchen was the worst sign of impending doom yet. As members of the oldest beings in the universe, the Watchers saw all. According to the divine codes, they were forbidden from interfering in human affairs, unless they felt like it, which they'd decided to do for several months. Dusty didn't know how they chose when to interfere with the mortal world, but when they did, it normally resulted in some sort of universal catastrophe, like the Schism that split the divine world from the physical one and nearly wiped out humanity and divinity alike.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"You found the healer?"

"You know I did."

"We destroyed all the records predating the Schism, but I thought you might want to know something about her," the Watcher offered.

"Do tell."

"What do you want to know?"

"Why is she special?" Dusty asked.

"She's an exceptionally powerful healer, the kind that haven't been seen since before the Schism," the Watcher explained. "She can help finish what Sofi started with the Grey God, and she's of value to Czerno."

"Why would Czerno need a healer?"

"He doesn't yet, but he will, when he realizes the Others he entrusted are working against him. He's weakening, Dusty. He's flaunted the divine codes for too long."

"There must be a Black God," Dusty mulled, only vaguely aware of the Others, the Watchers that favored humanity's demise.

"Precisely."

"Then what we've heard is true: Talon wants his job. But Talon can't kill him," Dusty surmised. "Why can't I contact Damian or Jule?"

"I had to seal the hemispheres. The White God is safe and well, but there are incidents that must unfold here before they can return."

"You got anything else?" he snapped. Dusty glared at him, hating the way the Watcher community doled out knowledge at their convenience and not his.

"Jonny's special as well. You need to keep him safe. Oh, and the tropical storm will become a hurricane late Saturday night."

"I really don't give a shit about the weather."

"I texted you my email address in case you want to email," the Watcher said and held up his phone.

"Why would I want to email you?"

"I forgot. You don't like electronics. I understand. Darian can email me if he wants."

Dusty spun on his heel. He'd never understood the Watchers or any of the otherworldly beings Damian or Jule had known pre-Schism. He'd been a kid when Damian found him and a human when the Schism occurred. Damian granted him his god-powers after the Schism, whereas Jule was expelled from the divine world for crimes he'd never discussed. As the youngest, non-natural deity-like being, he didn't have the history-- or the patience-- D or Jule had with such creatures as the Watchers.

"Toni," he called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah, boss!"

"Call together the planners and have them meet me here later. We need to dust off a few ops plans for this weekend."

"Groovy!"

"I'm going to the gym." He wolfed down the sandwich Bianca made him, unable to remember the last time he'd eaten breakfast. Or at all. In a few days, he'd be dead, and food wouldn't matter.

## Chapter Six

"Oh, my god, cookies!" Darian exclaimed.

Bianca jumped at the voice and peered out of the kitchen at the man named Darian. He was dressed in all black again from turtleneck to heavy boots despite the heat of early afternoon, the color emphasizing the zero body fat of his lean body.

"Sunny!" he called.

She couldn't get over seeing a grown man acting like a teenager. She pulled the last of the cookies from the oven and set them on top to cool.

"If you sit on the couch, she'll come to you," she offered, watching as Darian searched the condo.

"I've never had a cat," he said, excited. "What do they eat?"

"Cat food."

"Oh."

She bit back a laugh as he reddened. He sat, and she took in his flawed features, wondering what could leave such entrenched scars.

"You want some cookies?" she asked.

"Yeah! Hi Sunny!"

She brought him a plate of warm cookies and a glass of milk. Sunny perched on his thigh, purring as he patted her.

"Dusty's apartment is soooo boring," Darian complained.

"It needs color," she agreed.

"He's a dictator," he supplied. "He probably scared the color right out of the condo."

She laughed.

"He's a good guy, though," Darian admitted. "I'm not easy to live with, and the structure is good for me." He rolled his eyes, as if repeating something he heard regularly.

"He saved me from bad guys," she said.

"That's his job. He has to do that, or he'd be in violation of rule number one."

She laughed again. Darian looked at her, content with cookies resting on one thigh and the cat on the other.

"Sofi says you can heal," he said curiously. "Can you heal scars?"

"I can."

He peeled off a glove to display a hand as scarred as his face.

"You've been through a lot," she murmured.

"I'm not allowed to stress you out, but can you, like, try?"

She took his hand and turned it over. The scars ran all the way through his hand, as if it had been chopped up and put back together. The idea of something so horrible happening to him saddened her. She placed her hands on either side of his and closed her eyes, concentrating. The cool energy came when she summoned it, and his body directed it where it was needed.

"Wow."

She opened her eyes, feeling the drain. Darian held up his hand and stared at it. The scars were gone.

"Do my face!" he said, excited. "Wait."

He picked up Sunny and crossed to the kitchen to stack the plate high with cookies.

"I'm glad you like them," she said. "Do you have a favorite kind?"

"Any kind. Dusty only eats organic shit, and Sofi can't eat at all, so I never get real cookies."

"I made these with Dusty's organic ingredients," she told him.

"Really? They're really good. Maybe it's just because Dusty and Sofi can't cook."

She scooted forward and placed her hands on either side of his face. Her breath caught as his body sucked up her cool energy. Poison lingered in him. Though his body didn't speak of it, she directed her power towards it as well. She withdrew, startled at the vacuuming of her power.

Without the scars, he was a darkly handsome man, his features heavy and masculine. The angles of his face were too sharp for traditional male beauty, but she admitted he was sexy in a dark, sinister way with his low brow, large gold eyes, and angled features.

He crossed to a mirror. He touched his face, tumultuous emotions crossing his face. She neared him, sensing a flood of raw emotion she didn't understand. He dropped his hands to his sides and stared at himself.

"I'm sorry, Darian, maybe I shouldn't have done that," she said, resting her hand on his arm.

"It's good," he said in a strangled voice. "Just didn't expect to see... me... again." He turned around and hugged her hard. "I'll tell Dusty that we're keeping you."

He released her just as quickly and wiped tears from one eye. She looked up at him, touched, as he felt his face again. His hand went to the back of his head, and he grimaced.

"I think Dusty already made that decision," she said. "You're a handsome man, Darian."

"I know. I mean, I am now again. I was ugly as shit for a while."

The effort of healing him had given her a headache. He looked down at her intently.

"I stressed you out," he said with a frown. "I'm sorry, Bianca."

"I'm not stressed," she replied. "I'm happy to help you, and I'm happy you came to visit. It gets lonely here."

He took her arm and led her to the couch, retreating to the kitchen for more cookies, water, and a bottle of painkillers. He ate another cookie in troubled silence.

"Have you met my brother yet?" she asked, wanting to draw him from his thoughts.

"No."

"Jenn said he's at HQ. His name is Jonny if you ever see him."

"I'll look for him," he said.

"He's a little confused."

"So am I. We'll make good friends."

"Are there many Naturals like me?" she asked.

"Yeah, quite a few. Not as many as Guardians, though." He touched his face again then rubbed the back of his head. His words were distracted, his confusion clear. "This is really weird. Sofi said you were special."

"Who is this Sofi?" she asked.

"She's my sister-in-law. She's an Oracle who can see the future."

"Wow, really?" Bianca asked.

"She's cool. My brother's in Europe, but she had to stay here. She and Dusty take care of me. It's really hard, and they're really good to me."

"Will I get to meet the others in your organization?"

"Yes," he said then sighed. "I'm not allowed to take you anywhere. Dusty said you're safer here than anywhere. You'll get outta here soon. Then you can meet everyone."

"I met Jenn," she said. "I really liked her."

"Jenn is so hot!" he exclaimed. "Oh my god is she hot. She's Dusty's fuck-buddy. He's got it so good."

The news startled her, and she wasn't sure why it made her feel... bummed. He looked up, a surprised expression crossing his face, as if he'd told her something he wasn't supposed to.

"It's not serious," he said. "It's just physical, because they don't have time to have real relationships."

"If he wants to have a relationship with her, it's his choice," she said with a shrug.

"I know but... just so you know, it's not a relationship. She's on fuck-buddy status."

"I don't think there's a difference."

"Oh, god, I fucked this up!"

"What? They're adults. They're allowed to do what they want."

Jenn was beautiful. It was no mystery to her why Dusty would want her, though she couldn't help but feel disappointed. Maybe she'd hoped his parting words in the morning were serious. Maybe he screwed every woman he ran across. Maybe he wasn't the kind of man who would commit or put any woman above his rigid sense of duty. Maybe every man out there was like Aaron, unable to commit to one woman.

Darian was gazing at her in earnest, torn.

"Darian, it's okay," she said, smiling at him. "You didn't say anything wrong."

"I have to go." He sprung up and grabbed the cookies. "Can you make peanut butter tomorrow?"

She nodded. He disappeared, and she stared at the place where he'd been, wondering why he was so upset with himself. Healing his scars made her feel a familiar sense of exhaustion, and she retreated to the couch in front of the TV, content to doze and recover.

Awhile later, the sound of furniture crashing against the tile floor startled her, and she sat up from where she'd been dozing in front of the TV. At first she thought it was the thunderstorm she'd fallen asleep listening to.

Dusty and Darian, both drenched and covered in what looked like seaweed, were in the foyer. Both breathed hard, and she noticed a red slash across Darian's face. He sat on the floor, hands covering his face, while Dusty stood.

"Darian! Are you okay?" she asked, surprised and concerned.

A look at Dusty's tight features revealed he was furious. She looked away fast for fear of the sizzling blue gaze and dropped to her knees in front of Darian, pulling his hands from his face to see the wound. Dusty stalked off and slammed the bedroom door. They looked after him before she met Darian's gaze. The wound healed itself.

"Are you okay?"

"I broke all the rules. Dusty's gonna kill me," he whispered, stricken. His eyes watered, and he shook his head, shivering. He smelled of ocean water and blood.

If he'd been talking about any other man, she would have doubted his words.

"C'mon. Let's at least get you dried off. Then we'll have cookies, okay?"

He nodded and stood. Her eyes went to the bedroom, and she walked the opposite direction to the laundry room and ruffled through Dusty's neatly folded laundry.

"Go change," she said, handing a towel, T-shirt, and jeans to the distraught man.

He obeyed, and she went to the kitchen. She'd automatically made enough dinner for three after cooking for Kyle and Jonny for three months. She put a heaping plate in the oven and returned to the living room with cookies and milk for Darian.

He was hugging Sunny as if she were the only thing in the world that mattered. He reminded her of Jonny when her brother had learned of his father's death last summer. She'd never seen anyone cry as hard as he did. Sensing similar distress in the man before her, she sat down.

"Anything you wanna talk about?" she asked.

"I ruined his life."

"I doubt that, Darian," she said, holding back a smile. "What happened? Why were you guys covered in seaweed?"

"I have issues," he said, pointing to his head. "Sometimes they overwhelm me, and I kinda go crazy. I went sailing."

"In the middle of a tropical storm?"

"Yeah. It's stupid."

"Darian!" she exclaimed. "And Dusty fished you out?"

"Yeah."

"You shouldn't do things like that."

"I don't care what happens to me," he said stubbornly.

"But you care what happens to Dusty, don't you? I mean, it's one thing to hurt yourself but to hurt someone else is just wrong!"

"He's going to kill me anyway."

"Dusty cares about you or he wouldn't have come after you. You really shouldn't do things like that," she repeated, reminded of similar conversations with Jonny. "It's kinda selfish, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't hurt him on purpose," he said, looking even more upset. "I figured when he found out I ruined his life, he'd kill me anyway."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

He clenched his hands in his lap and shook his head, the way Jonny did when he refused to confide in her. Bianca sighed.

"At least you're safe," she said. "Don't make me make up my own rules for you, Darian!"

"Can I have another cookie?" he asked.

She rose, pitying him.

Dusty wrenched the bedroom door open, even angrier to see Darian and Bianca on the couch, talking. Darian had a plate of cookies in his lap and milk on the table.

She'd asked if Darian was okay. Darian, who had willingly hired a sailboat and sailed straight into a tropical storm. Darian, who he'd just pulled off the bottom of the ocean instead of attending his planning session to deal with the Talon issue.

"He needs an ass beating, not coddling!" he snapped.

Both jumped at his tone, and he waited, wanting to pick a fight with someone. He was exhausted and wired with angry energy. If Jule or Damian were there, they'd take a trip to the boxing ring and take turns beating the hell out of him until his blood settled. If he had a full night, he'd spend it killing vamps until too tired to pull the trigger.

Darian flushed and looked down guiltily. Dusty waited for Bianca to defend him, so he could tear into someone, anyone.

"Your dinner's in the oven," she said. She'd chosen a subject he couldn't argue about. Frustrated, he stalked to the kitchen and opened the oven, sensing her enter.

"I spend an hour at the bottom of the ocean saving his ass because he decides to try and kill himself, and you give him milk and cookies!" he muttered. He lifted the heavy, foil-covered plate out of the oven, stomach roaring at the scent of spiced chicken and vegetables. He'd been too busy to eat again today since the sandwich she made him for breakfast.

"There are enough milk and cookies for you, too," she replied.

He turned to glare at her and almost snapped at her for sitting on the counter. She met his gaze, her features warm. There was compassion in her sparkling gaze despite the gentle humor in her voice. Her warmth and openness disarmed him enough to take the edge off his anger. She wore the camisole that amplified her breasts, her curls captured at the nape of her neck.

"You need a hug, too?" she teased.

"You're playing with fire, woman," he warned.

She flushed again as she always did, and he crossed to her, resting his hands on her thighs as he leaned his hips against the counter between her knees. She leaned back, the audible sound of her breath catching music to his ears.

"Hug, no. Kiss, yes," he ordered. "Now."

She laughed nervously, and he leaned forward.

A flash of cool energy zipped through him as their lips met. She was hesitant, and he kissed her gently, not wanting to scare her despite his raging blood. Her plump lips were perfect for kissing. He nibbled on her lower lip then deepened the kiss. She responded and opened to him, leaning into him. She tasted like honey, and he reveled in the warmth of her body, her hot mouth. He kissed her long and light, enjoying the sensations of her body as she became aroused. Her lips grew hungrier, her breathing quickened, her body warmer. She didn't have his cold control; she was the kind of woman who would give herself freely in bed and hold no part of her back.

"Dusty!" Darian's voice reminded Dusty of the world outside Bianca's body. He withdrew, not looking at the shocked man standing in the kitchen doorway.

"You have to the count of three to get the fuck out of here, Darian," he said in a low, even voice. "One."

Darian was gone. He was almost relieved for the distraction. He didn't need this type of drama, and she was too good for a man like him in her life.

He met Bianca's beautiful brown eyes. She gazed at him, lips parted and face flushed. Her raw sweetness threatened his resolve to keep his distance. He took in her features, gaze resting on her lips. He gave her a light kiss, unable to resist.

"I should go," he said and pushed himself away. He didn't want to, even though he had a ton of things to do.

"Yes, you should," she whispered, her voice husky.

Of all the places he had to be, this wasn't one of them, and yet, he couldn't leave this time. It had something to do with the beautiful woman before him who made him feel for the first time in years. Maybe it was his looming death, or maybe it was the energy from her cool touch that calmed him from the inside out, but he wondered what life would've been like had his family survived.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"Who was what?" he hemmed.

"Whomever you still mourn."

"You can sense that?"

She nodded. "Every time we touch."

He crossed his arms and glanced at his watch. He didn't have time for this, but he still couldn't find the will to leave her.

"My sister," he said at last. "She died when I was ten with the rest of my family. The White God adopted me. I inherited a hatred for immortals after what they did to my family, so he eventually made me his chief assassin. I have no mercy for any creature that preys on humans."

"Do you ever feel guilty about her death? My dad died last year. I keep thinking, if I'd been in Miami instead of California, he wouldn't have," Bianca said, looking down.

"Sometimes," he said in a hushed tone. His thoughts went to the memory he wanted nothing more than to forget forever. He saw his sister drop after the strike of a sword. At barely ten years old, he'd been too weak to fight off full-grown men, too weak to protect her. "You can't blame yourself for your father's death. Some things are meant to be, and death is natural for humans."

"You don't believe that," she said with a faint smile. "Or you wouldn't still be fighting for her. Killing can't heal you, though."

"No, but it prevents the deaths of other innocents." He leaned away from her, against the counter on the opposite side of the kitchen. He hadn't trusted anyone outside of his adopted brothers-- and Sofi-- since he was ten.

"I'm not sure I could live if I lost Jonny," she said. "His welfare was what got me through our father's death."

"People are resilient."

"Resiliency isn't the same as happiness."

"No," he agreed slowly. "It's not. You can't regain that sort of innocence."

"So, you never gave yourself a chance to be happy?" she surmised.

"Something like that. A little too late now."

"Why?"

"I don't believe it's possible," he said and then thought to himself, and because I'm not going to be alive too much longer. "I believe in pleasure, but pleasure is always short-lived, like one-night stands."

"That's sad, Dusty," she said. "There's more than one-night stands. You're missing out."

"I don't have time for more," he replied. They both tiptoed around the sexual attraction between them, and her face was flushed again. "Someone's gotta help save the world."

"I see," she said and cleared her throat. "You'll always carry that pain, if you don't let yourself become whole again."

He hadn't heard anyone speak so frankly to him since he was a child, and never on a topic so sensitive. He shifted, a familiar fire in his blood. And yet, he feared what that fire might mean. He was not long for this world, and she was no Jenn-- a woman there for his physical pleasure. Bianca was the kind of woman who could heal his soul, if he had time to let her. For the first time in years, he found himself wondering what it would be like to feel again. He may not find the prospect appealing, if he wasn't standing beside his death bed. He held out his hand.

"You're a Healer, aren't you?" he asked.

"I don't think I can heal your soul, Dusty," she said with a small smile.

"If anyone can, you can."

"Don't you have to go?"

"The good thing about being in charge is the ability to make your own schedule," he replied.

She hesitated before taking his hand. He drew her into his body, reveling in the flow of her cool energy. It managed to calm the sense of urgency he always felt. He smoothed her bouncy curls, wanting to let his hands continue down her body. He didn't. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

There was something very different about this woman, and it was more than the feel of her energy flowing through him. She was fully a part of him when they touched, as if he'd been missing more than a piece of his soul all these years and just now realized it. The sensations-- and the moment of peace he'd been denied for thousands of years-- made him uncomfortable. For the first time in his life, he felt like running away from something.

His cell phone rang. Bianca propped her chin on his chest and gazed up at him.

"I have to go," he said.

"I figured," she said. She withdrew, taking the feeling of peace with her. Dusty pulled his phone free and saw Toni's number flash across the screen. He answered.

"Boss, Iggy at the lab sent me her report." There was a puzzled note in Toni's voice. "I'm already here with her. Wanna meet me?"

"Yeah, on my way," Dusty said. "Give me five minutes."

"Groovy."

Dusty hung up and met Bianca's gaze again. Her arms were crossed and she was chewing on her lower lip again.

"We'll talk later," he said in the awkward silence. He already felt the loss of her calm energy, but he had no idea what to do about it.

"You know where I'll be," she said, a smile pulling up one side of her mouth. "Don't think it's possible for me to leave, so whenever you're ready..."

"You're calling me a chicken," he said.

"Not at all," she said. Her smile widened, and she walked away into the living room.

His body screamed for him to follow and let Toni handle whatever it was Iggy wanted. Dusty hesitated and then snatched his dinner before he did something they'd both regret. He Traveled to the basement lab and perched next to Toni on a stool at a table bearing something that should've made him lose his appetite. He ate anyway, surprised to find the chicken tender and juicy and the veggies still slightly crisp and well-seasoned. Bianca was the only one of those around him who could cook.

"How can you eat around that thing, boss?" Toni asked, horrified.

"I'm starving. Whatcha got, Iggy?" Dusty said around a mouth full of vegetables. He looked at the slight Natural with dark hair and eyes who happened to have a doctorate in every type of science he could name. She'd spent the past four hundred years in college, gleefully learning more and more and working out of the lab he'd funded for her.

"This isn't normal," she started.

"What is it, first of all?" Dusty asked, eyes going from his dinner to the mangled creature on the table in front of them.

"It's... it was a pig," she said. "Do you want to see it?"

"No."

"Okay. Pigs have some features similar to a human's that make them good test beds for the type of science stuff I do. Specifically, a virus or bug passed to a pig is considered a huge threat in the medical community, because pigs can pass their diseases onto humans. Am I speaking simply enough, Dusty, or do I need to dumb it down more?"

"You're good," Dusty answered with a faint smile.

"So, it looks like Talon's goons took our pig and injected it with something to turn it into a vamp."

"A vampire pig?" Toni asked with a laugh.

"More or less. But it's not the vamp-pig that's the most interesting part. I found pieces of DNA on its teeth. It bit another animal before they killed it."

"And?" Dusty prompted at her silence.

"Don't you see? If they were successful in turning a normal pig into a vamp-pig, and that vamp-pig could in turn bite say, a human or another animal, and transfer the vamp bug, then you've potentially got a new tool you can use to transform the human population into vamps."

"You mean cats and dogs could be used to turn their masters into vamps?" Dusty asked.

"Exactly! It's pretty clever. If it worked-- and I don't know if it did-- you'd see something like the black plague in Europe, only it wouldn't kill people, just turn them into vamps," Iggy said.

"I wouldn't call that clever," Toni said in a hushed tone. "Diabolical, maybe."

Dusty considered her before gazing back at the mutilated creature on top of the stainless steel lab counter. "You up for a field trip?" he asked. "You can cut apart any suspected vamp-pigs you find."

"When do you want me to go?" she asked, fidgeting.

"Pack your shit. You're going now."

She looked unsettled at the idea of leaving her lab and looked around, as if trying to figure out what to take. She hurried into the back room.

"Are you sure Europe is worse than here?" Toni asked, shaking his head. "I don't see how."

"I'm beginning to wonder myself," Dusty admitted. "How did the planning go?"

"Sasha thought of everything before he left. He had a plan A, B, and C all ready. The barracks at HQ are full from the incoming Guardians, and I have an emergency order for more weapons in. I started staging Guardians in our stash houses in Orlando."

"You still want to be XO?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's groovy. I'm learning a lot. I didn't know how hard it was. I'm taking calls and dealing with issues almost 24/7. We seem to be the emergency points of contact for anything that goes wrong anywhere in the western hemisphere. There's a lot of shit that goes on. I didn't know about ikira, either. We all thought she was your sister, not Damian's wife, and I had no idea she was an Oracle until this morning, when she told me to evac the motor pool. Darian accidentally blew up a car an hour later and blew the roof off the garage." Toni shook his head. "Talk about fucking chaos. I don't know how you do it, boss."

"It's just how it is," Dusty said, amused. "You've taken a great deal off my shoulders, and I appreciate it."

"Happy to help," Toni said with a wide smile. "I'm having a great time. You gonna make the intel briefing this morning in an hour?"

"I plan on it."

"Jenn's been puttin' the hurt on her sources for info on Talon's plans. I'm not sure she's hearing anything, though," Toni said.

"Talon's an idiot, but he's getting help from someone else. No way he can create vamp-pigs on his own. Whoever's helping him might've gotten rid of any leaks. What about the kid you picked up at the last flash-n-burn? Anything there?" Dusty asked.

"Not yet, no. Think we scared him. He's been in northern Florida since we cut him loose."

Dusty's thoughts went to Jonny again then to the Watchers. He glanced at his watch. Talon had help, and the Black God was weakening. The Watcher had called those helping Talon the Others. Dusty knew nothing of the immortal divisions, but since an Other was the evil equivalent of a Watcher, they were in some serious trouble.

"Iggy, move your ass!" he shouted. "I need to drop you off in Ohio now. I got shit to do!"

"Dusty, I'm not ready!" she replied, panicked. "I can't leave all my equipment!"

Toni laughed, and Dusty strode to the small residence in the back of the lab. Iggy was frantically filling a huge, blocky suitcase with books.

"Igg, you're not moving there. Can't you just take what you need?" he demanded.

"I've never been to Ohio. What if it's cold or the flora is significantly different and I-- "

"Fuck it," he muttered and took her arm.

He Traveled with her to the large living room of Speck's farmhouse. Iggy looked around, dismayed.

"Dusty, I-- " Her voice was cut off as he Traveled back to his office. No sooner had he opened his eyes than he heard the voice he least wanted to hear.

"Dusty."

He'd planned on waiting until his anger cooled before dealing with Darian. He faced the man, unable to help but feel surprised to see him without scars. Darian was staring at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Dusty," Darian said.

"Not as sorry as you will be."

"I learned something this time," Darian continued despite the red creeping up his face. "I never meant to put you in danger. I don't think about that part when I do things. I don't care what happens to me, but I don't ever mean to do something that would make you get hurt."

"Then stop doing this shit," Dusty replied. He planted his hands on Darian's shoulders, and the Grey God looked up. "You're my brother, Darian. I won't let anything happen to you. I won't let you happen to you, if I can help it. You can be a fucking idiot sometimes. The rules are there for a reason."

"I know. I love you, Dusty. I don't want anything to happen to my family. I'll try to be better," Darian whispered.

Impressed, Dusty wondered if Darian was beginning to grow out of his insolent teenager stage.

"Can we keep Bianca?" Darian asked. "I like her."

"Yep."

"Can I have a cat?"

"Nope. You can repair the roof of the garage, though," Dusty said and seated himself at the computer to try and contact Damian and Jule through their clandestine website.

"I'm sorry I almost ruined your life," Darian said quietly.

"Don't think that's possible."

"I told Bianca about Jenn. Sofi said not to do that, and I did."

Dusty twisted to look up at Darian, not understanding Darian's concern. The man's face was red with shame this time.

"I'm sorry, Dusty."

"For talking to Bianca about Jenn?" he echoed. "So what?"

"Never mind! You'll never understand!" The moody teenager was back. Darian jerked the door open and stormed out. Dusty wondered what the hell was wrong with everyone around him and rubbed the back of his neck. He logged into the computer and clandestine website, sending Damian an urgent message.

He checked his watch and rose, trotting out of the house to the barracks. Toni was right; the barracks area was packed. He went to the newbie wing, where Jonny was placed, and rapped on the door.

Jonny answered, plainly pulled from sleep. His bleached hair was disheveled, his eyes squinting at the hall light. They widened as he recognized who was at his door.

Dusty pushed the door opened and flipped on the light. Jonny sat on his bed stiffly. His eyes were dark and warm like Bianca's, his frame just over six feet and still lanky, though he showed signs of starting to fill out.

"I've been good," he whispered.

"Good," Dusty said, sitting on the bed opposite him. "How you feeling?"

"B can heal anything. Am I in trouble?"

"You probably should be," he replied. "I'm still trying to figure out what the fuck to do with you."

"Toni said he thinks I have some of the um, Natural ability."

"What's your talent?"

"He thinks its weaponry or something. I can master any weapon without really trying," Jonny said, a touch of pride in his voice.

"Not bad."

"Is B okay?" the youth asked in a hushed tone.

"You mean, after you sold her out to Talon?" Dusty replied. A look of anguish crossed Jonny's face. "She's fine. You'll probably have some explaining to do to her, though."

"I never, ever meant for her to get hurt. Can I see her?"

"Soon. Did anyone ask you about Talon?"

"I spoke to a few people. I don't remember much, though. It's like I was in this weird dream. Everything's fuzzy."

"I'm going to have someone else talk to you today," Dusty said. "We'll put you in the Naturals training program. Welcome to your new life."

"Is B a Natural, too?"

"She is."

"Who's her assigned Guardian?" Jonny asked.

"I am."

Jonny hesitated then looked up finally. "She's a good cook, but she's afraid of spiders, and she always loses things. Don't give her your only set of keys to anything. Or the remotes. She'll lose those, too. She's always happy-- I've never seen her upset. It's annoying sometimes. Just please... be nice to her. I'm a screw-up, but she isn't. She doesn't deserve what I put her through. I gotta make it up to her somehow."

His last words were whispered, his face red. Dusty gazed at him, sensing how much he loved his sister and how hurt he was by his own actions. He understood what it was to lose a sister and hoped the stupid kid before him never went through that pain.

"I'll take care of her, Jonny," he promised. "Get your shit straight and keep it straight. Go see Sofi in the library."

"Yes, sir, I will."

Dusty rose and returned to the main house in time for the intel briefing, expecting another nonstop day. The skies opened once again as he reached the house, and thunder boomed in the distance.

* * *

The Oracle Sofia felt the youth enter the library like a cold breeze in a sauna. Bianca's drowsy cat warmed one of her thighs, and it hopped off to hide beneath the table opposite her. Her evolving power told her more than she wanted to know, even before she faced him. Choppy scenes of the boy's past and future blinked into her thoughts.

"Excuse me, ma'am," the boy called out in a quiet, nervous voice.

She wasn't sure what she expected when she faced him, but it wasn't the gangly young man with large, uncertain brown eyes. His memories and thoughts played like home videos, similar to those of her mate, Damian, and his adopted brothers. Only those touched by fate had such vivid memories that entered her mind unbidden. The boy was meant for greatness-- and darkness.

"Come in, Jonny," she said. "Sit down."

He hesitated, visibly unsettled by what she knew were her spinning silver-blue eyes. He obeyed and sat across from her, shifting in his seat several times under her gaze.

"I'm Sofi, the White God's Oracle," she started. "I can see parts of the future and more importantly for you, a person's soul."

His eyes widened, and he shifted again. Something flickered in his gaze, and she guessed he had an inkling of what awaited him. Her throat tightened as she looked at him. The fate awaiting the young man was one she wouldn't wish on anyone, even the Black God himself.

"It's bad, isn't it?" he whispered. "I'm bad, aren't I, or I wouldn't have done what I did to B."

"Good and evil exist in all of us," she said, not sure what to say. "You... you're meant to maintain a vital balance in this world. You're a god-slayer, Jonny, and you must kill a god. It's your fate, but I feel like you know this. How?"

Jonny's gaze darkened, and he rose, pacing to the window. She watched the memories in his head.

"Dreams," he said. "I almost died when I was a child. B cured me, but I felt like I was touched by something then. It makes no sense, but I couldn't ever leave that night behind."

"What do you see in your dreams?"

"Darkness." His voice caught. "Evil. Death. I didn't think it was real until... until Talon. The dreams got worse, and then I went to Talon's one night. I couldn't remember anything until I saw Bianca again and she fixed me in the hospital. But the darkness was still there, like Talon put something evil in me."

"Talon didn't. You'd been protected by other immortal beings called the Watchers until it was time for your fate to unravel. Talon made you immortal and awoke your gift," Sofi replied.

"What gift?" Jonny asked, facing her again. "What am I meant to do?"

"What you think you're meant to do."

His mouth worked without producing a sound, and his eyes watered. Jonny wiped his face. He took a deep breath and tried again.

"I'm meant to do what Talon said-- kill the Black God."

"Yes, Jonny, you are," she said. "Only with you taking the Black God's place can the balance between good and evil survive the week."

"I can't be like Talon. I'm not like Talon!" he said. "I can't be!"

"You must fulfill your role, or humanity is lost this weekend."

"How can you ask this of me?" he demanded, emotions wild on his face.

Sofi watched him, her own transition from human to Oracle causing fresh pain. She still didn't understand the depth of her talents or how to control the visions, and being alone and away from her mate made some days unbearable. Even so, her own fate was nothing like Jonny's, a good kid who would be forced to take on the Black God's mantle and spearhead the forces of evil.

He flung himself down in the chair again and propped up his forehead with his hands. Tears spilled down his face. She braced herself and reached out to him. Unlike touching Czerno, whose dark memories had overwhelmed her just standing near him, Jonny had only one bad memory, that of his first kill that turned him from human to immortal. She felt the same streak of cold within him that she'd felt in the Black God. It was a part of him, just as being an Oracle was a part of her. Their gifts were inseparable from themselves.

"How long do I have to do this?" he asked. "A few years?"

"A few thousand. The next god-slayer won't be born for thirty or forty thousand years."

"Oh, god!"

"You must do it, Jonny." She felt ill the moment the words left her mouth. She was condemning a good person to a fate of darkness and despair, and yet, if he didn't understand the importance of his role, humanity would be annihilated.

"I can't be like him!"

"You don't have to be, but you must fulfill the duties of the Black God. He does them now with no regard for the lives of innocents. You can make your own rules within those duties," she said. Even as she spoke, she saw pieces of his future blink in her thoughts.

There was no such thing as a good Black God, and Jonny would be no exception. Sofi's own eyes watered at the revelation of his fate. He would be nothing like any Black God before him, but he'd be far from the hopeful, kind youth he was now.

"Stay with Dusty this weekend," she continued. "You'll know when it's time."

"No!" he snapped and pushed her hand away. The young man rose and stormed to the library door. "I won't do it! I won't spend my life being a monster! I can choose not to!"

"You'll do it, or you'll watch your sister die at the Black God's hands," Sofi said in a hard voice as she rose to face the door.

"I'll find a way to save her," he said, stopping at her words. He was breathing hard.

"You have a way to save her. One way."

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, facing her again. Anger and terror were on his face.

"I only See what fate allows me to," she replied. "I can't change what I See. It is the most likely event to occur. There are two paths for you to follow: you become the Black God, or your sister and everyone else in the mortal realm dies. That's all there is, Jonny."

His anger faltered, and sorrow filled his face. "If what you say is true, the first person I kill once I'm the Black God will be you. If you can really see the future, you could've prevented all of this!"

"Sometimes, death and evil are necessary," she told him. He looked at her long enough for her to see resignation in his gaze. He wrenched the door open and slammed it behind him.

Sofi watched him go and swallowed hard. It wouldn't be an easy weekend for any of them. Worse, she'd lost telepathic contact with Damian a few days before she realized she needed to send a 911 message.

There was a knock at the door; Jenn opened it and froze.

"Sorry, ikira," she murmured. "I was looking for the kid."

Sofi gazed at her, visions from Jonny's future swirling in her thoughts. Gazing at Dusty's trusted Guardian, she felt a familiar ache, the same she felt telling Jonny his fate.

"He's not here, Jenn," she said softly. "Would you do something for me?"

"Of course." The Guardian snapped to attention, expecting a mission. Sofi smiled to herself. Dusty's Guardians were disciplined, unlike her own personal bodyguard, Pierre.

"I just need you to remind Darian of something. Not anytime soon. You'll know when," she said quickly. "Your path is intertwined with Darian's, so you'll be there when he needs to know this. Just tell him the gateway can't be closed."

Jenn's brow furrowed, but she responded quickly. "I'll do that."

"Thanks. It's important," Sofi said. She picked up her book and walked past the female Guardian, who watched her go, puzzled.

## Chapter Seven

Someone beat on the door across the hall loud enough for Bianca to hear over the TV and sporadic thunder. She rose, bored after being trapped alone the whole day in the condo, and peered through the peephole. Two large men stood in front of the door across the hall. Unease spiraled through her. She'd only seen men built like that in Dusty's organization and Talon's gang. Dusty's men would know where to find her.

The two looked up and down the hallway, then withdrew a lock pick set. One turned all the way around to ensure no one was watching. His eyes flashed red.

She gasped and stepped away, heart pounding. She tiptoed away from the door. The building swayed gently in the strong winds whipping through southern Florida, and water pelted the windows across from her. It was in the middle of the afternoon, but the skies were dark grey.

She had no phone, no way of contacting Dusty or Jenn or Darian. She hadn't been able to log onto Dusty's computer, because he kept it locked out. She had no money, no purse...

Keys. She had Dusty's car. She pulled on jeans and a sweater, hands shaking as she pulled on socks. She snatched the keys and jammed them in her pocket then peered through the peephole again.

One of the men was in plain sight in the middle of the condo opposite hers, waiting on the other. She ran to the bedroom and flipped on the TV loud then hid in the coat closet beside the front door.

Their knocking made her heart flip, and she covered her mouth at her gasp. She heard the locks slide, one by one. The door opened, and she heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked as they entered. She peered through the crack in the door until certain they both entered the bedroom, then opened the closet door and slid out the opened front door.

She sprinted down the hall and ducked into the doorway to the stairwell. No one followed. She opened the stairwell door and hurried down the stairs two floors then darted into a hallway to the elevator.

The descent to the garage seemed longer than the longest car ride she'd ever taken. She jumped when the door dinged finally as she reached the garage. The scent of rain and oil made her nose crinkle after so long in the condo. She clicked the buttons on the key fob until Dusty's car blinked in response, then trotted to it.

Hands shaking, she looked around the car's interior for a cell. Or a map. There was an old-school cell phone in the glove box. Anxious never, ever to run into Talon or his men again, she left the garage and drove through the streets. Water streamed through the gutters, and those cars out in the storm crawled block-to-block.

She stopped at a stoplight, only for the car behind her to slide into her. The bump jarred the cell phone loose, and it fell in the space between the seat and door. The driver from the car behind her approached. She cracked the door to squeeze her hand in the space as well as to tell the other driver not to worry about the car. The door was wrenched open, and a man pointed the gun at her.

"Out of the car, bitch!" he shouted.

She unfastened the seatbelt, all but falling into the street as he yanked her out. He climbed in, maneuvering it through the crowded street.

Bianca watched him go. She didn't know how much an Aston Martin cost, but it was enough that Dusty would probably be pissed.

Within seconds, she was drenched. Carless, moneyless, lost, she retreated to the sidewalk. This time, Dusty was going to kill her for losing his car. Shivering, she walked until she found a Starbucks and ducked inside. There was only one other customer and several baristas talking loudly behind the counter. They looked towards her as the bell over the door rang.

"Welcome to Starbucks!" one greeted her. "A little rough out there?"

"You have no idea!" she said. "I just need a place to duck out of the rain for a bit." The young woman motioned to the sitting area, and Bianca went, relieved. She faced the windows, watching the torrent outside.

"On the house," a barista said, placing a drink before her. "It's your favorite."

She looked up at him with a curious smile. He was tall and lanky with a huge smile and close-spaced eyes that seemed more soulful than his youthful looks warranted.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks," she replied. "I'm not having a good afternoon."

"You need me to call anyone?" His tone was unassuming, but his gaze was intent, as if he were trying to gauge if she recognized him or not.

She hesitated then asked, "Can you call someone to come get me?"

"Definitely." He walked away, responding to one of the baristas teasing him.

She sipped her drink, surprised to find it really was her favorite, a pumpkin spice latte. She chuckled to herself, wondering if guessing someone's favorite drink was his Natural gift. He returned after a few minutes and sat across from her.

"Is this your gift?" she asked, holding up the drink.

"HQ put out a BOLO for you half an hour ago. Any of us in the field receive it," he said and held up his iPhone. "It lists your pic and all your bio info, which includes your favorite food down to the coffee."

"Really? Wow!"

"They'll come get you."

"Here I thought you were a mind reader or something!" she said.

"Alas, no. I'm just Jerry."

"Are there many of you?"

"Quite a few, and they're pulling in everyone from the east coast to Miami and Orlando. I was working in Georgia 'til this morning. I'm surprised to say the weather was better."

"Yeah, anywhere is probably better than this," she said. She shivered, cold and wet.

"You can go wait in the back if you want. There's a dryer and a stack of towels next to the shower. The BOLO said you're probably running from bad guys. Might do you good to get out of sight," he said, nodding towards the windows.

"Been there, done that," she said, rising. She shivered again, this time out of fear. "Thanks, Jerry."

The break room in the back was small with a table, refrigerator and microwave, a white board listing names and schedules, and a locker room with a shower and washer and dryer. She tugged off her shirt and wrapped it in towels to dry it before tossing it in the dryer. She blotted herself dry and wrapped herself in the towel.

"You should have one of these." The friendly male voice made her jump. She whirled. An older, harmless-looking man with white hair and beautiful emerald eyes stood near the door, holding out a phone. For a moment, she thought she should know him. The sense passed.

"Who are you?" she asked, covering her chest with a folded towel.

"I'm a friend."

"Are you my ride?"

"I brought you something. I assigned everyone a ring tone and put their phone numbers in it," he said, looking somewhat proud.

She gave him a puzzled smile and reached out to take the phone he held out. She selected the address book on the phone. Dusty, Sofia, Darian, Damian, Jule, Jenn, Toni, Jonny, Watcher.

"Watcher?" she asked.

"Yes, that's me."

"That's your name?"

"More like my duty position. Dusty should have given you a means of contacting someone in an emergency," he said with disapproval.

"I doubt he expected the bad guys to find me," she replied.

"The bad guys have someone telling them where to look. It makes a difference," he said. "My email address is in there, too. And you can text me. I'll update your address list virtually over the next few years."

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome. Your ride is almost here. We'll meet again." He disappeared much as Darian did.

She stared in the space he'd occupied and looked at the phone. He'd been so excited about his phone. She typed a message to him.

Stay dry!

LOL – I will! The reply was instant. She set the phone down and retrieved her sweater from the dryer. It was almost dry. She dialed Dusty.

"Dustin," came his low bark.

"Hi Dusty."

"Bianca?"

"Yeah. I'm at a Starbucks in-- "

"Stay there." He hung up.

She looked at the phone, disappointed he was so abrupt after their kiss. Then again, she wasn't interested in the only type of relationship he had to offer. Darian had also been clear about the type of relationships Dusty preferred. Maybe it was better he was so prickly.

His kiss, though, had been spectacular, so full of passion and promise that the memory made her blood burn. She shook her head and sat down, sending a text to Darian.

Can you check on my cat?

OMG – what happened 2 u? He replied. She started to type a response when Jenn's voice interrupted her.

"Ready, babe?"

Bianca looked up. The sexy woman was on edge tonight, her gaze restless. She was accompanied by another massive Guardian.

"Hi Jenn!" she said. "I'm so happy to see you!"

A smile escaped despite Jenn's wariness, and the model held out a manicured hand. Bianca took it and gasped. Coldness ran through her. Before she could shiver, she was somewhere else. She looked around at the quiet foyer of a massive house.

"I need to check you for a tag," Jenn said. "C'mon."

Bianca shuddered and followed her into a large bathroom.

"I should have done this before," Jenn admitted. "Talon doesn't normally think with anything but his dick, so I didn't bother. Strip down to your unmentionables."

She obeyed. Jenn ran small wand over her body, eyes expertly taking in her skin.

"Clean," she said. "Wait here, and I'll get you some clothes."

The Guardian was all business. Bianca wrapped herself in a towel, cold. Jenn returned after a few minutes, her gaze softening.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Dusty's gonna kill me," Bianca replied. "I got carjacked. I think his car was pretty expensive."

"Sweetheart, his car is the least of his concerns right now," Jenn said. "You wanna stay with your brother?"

"Yes!"

She followed on Jenn's heels through the silent mansion and into a bustling barracks teeming with Guardians. They entered a quieter wing, and Jenn stopped to knock on a closed door.

Jonny opened it. His eyes lit up, and Bianca flung herself into his arms, thrilled to feel her brother's lanky body again. She breathed in his familiar scent.

"B!" he exclaimed, giving her a bear hug.

"I'll leave you here," Jenn said with a smile.

"Wow, she's smoking," he murmured.

"Hello!" Bianca said, glaring up at her brother.

He hugged her and pulled her into the small room. It housed two beds and two sets of drawers and was connected to a shared bathroom by a closed door.

"You've got a shitload of explaining to do," she told him.

Jonny sighed and relaxed against her.

"I know," he mumbled. "I'm so sorry, B. I promise I'll never do anything so stupid again."

"Tell me what happened, Jonny."

"No, B. I did bad things. I won't drag you into it."

She pulled away and met his gaze, surprised to see his resolve. He'd changed since she last saw him. His eyes were wiser, his face firmer with few signs of the troubled youth she remembered. Even his air was different.

The poison she thought she'd cleared from his body lingered. She released her cool power into him, but to no effect. She dismissed the uneasy instinct.

"You've turned into a man overnight," she said softly, ruffling his hair.

"I figured some shit out. You and the Guardians gave me a second chance, B, and I owe it to you, and me, and the... the girl I hurt to make things right."

Her eyes watered at his brave words, and she hugged him.

"I love you, Jonny, no matter what," she whispered.

"I love you, too, B. I know I'm a Natural warrior now, but can you still make me some cookies?"

"Of course! Do they have a kitchen around here?"

He took her hand and led her out of the barracks through the back door and into the main house. Several of the Guardians were in the kitchen making sandwiches or rifling through the massive pantry.

Jonny started collecting the supplies she'd need, and she watched him, proud. The Guardians glanced at her curiously. Her phone vibrated. She pulled it free to see a text from Dusty.

Foyer.

She walked from the kitchen down a long hall to the foyer. He stood in the center, one phone at his ear while he texted on another. He glanced at her then back, hanging up the phone.

She cringed as he approached, sensing his anger. His blue eyes were sharp, his jaw clenched. He stopped too close for her comfort, and she looked up at him, breathless at how handsome he was.

"I'm so sorry about your car," she said quickly.

"I don't give a shit about the car." He stared down at her, and she wondered what else she might have done to piss him off. "Bianca, I'm sorry. I left you completely exposed. It's the worst thing I've done in many lifetimes.

"No worries, Dusty. Everything's okay," she assured him.

"Everything's not okay. It was an amateur mistake."

She sensed nothing she could say would placate him. Instead, she hugged him. He hesitated then wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against her head. She loved his scent, the feel of his hard, warm body against hers. He stroked her hair.

"It won't happen again," he said with conviction.

"You get the couch from now on," she teased.

"Screw the couch," he responded.

The front door opened, and Jenn peered in.

"I've gotta get going," he said, withdrawing.

"Boss, we're ready," Jenn called. "Bianca, we'll be out back in the command center for a bit."

Dusty kissed Bianca's forehead and strode away. She couldn't help wondering about the two of them and why she felt suddenly jealous, even though Jenn could give Dusty something she wasn't willing to. They made a sexy pair.

Conflicted, she returned to the kitchen to find Jonny seated on a stool near a counter. He was glaring at Darian, who sat across the kitchen on another stool.

"Tell him whose cookies you'll make first, sis," Jonny said testily.

"God, boys," she said. "I can make more than one kind at once."

"Peanut butter," Darian demanded.

"Chocolate chip," Jonny said in the same tone.

"What about peanut butter chocolate chip?"

There was a pause as the two eyed each other.

"I can live with that," Jonny said slowly.

"So can I," Darian agreed.

She rolled her eyes and started her cookie prep.

Jonny looked towards the door to the kitchen suddenly, and his gaze darkened. He rose and left. Startled, Bianca turned to face the doorway, recognizing the petite blonde woman who saved her from Dusty's bullet in Talon's garage.

"Hi, Sofi," Darian said in a quiet voice.

"Sofi," Bianca repeated, brightening. "I've heard so much about you."

The woman had Dusty's cold beauty, with feminine, chiseled features, long blonde hair and large blue eyes lined with silver.

"Nice to meet you finally, Bianca," the Oracle said. "Sorry for scaring off Jonny."

"A lot of people run from her," Darian added.

Bianca smiled, puzzled why anyone would run from the small, beautiful woman. Sofi glanced at Darian. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I'll fix it," he said. "I'm just taking a break."

"Don't make me call Dusty," Sofi replied.

"You're not the boss of me."

She raised an eyebrow at him. With a noisy sigh, he slinked out the back door of the kitchen towards the barracks. Bianca waited until he was gone to release her chuckle.

"Teens," she said.

"I know," Sofi agreed. "I was never like that."

"So you were... human?" Bianca asked.

"Until recently." The Oracle said no more and took Darian's place at the breakfast bar.

"It's a, uh, very different world," Bianca said.

Sofia gave a faint smile and held out her hand, palm up. Bianca looked at her curiously.

"It's the typical greeting for an Oracle," Sofi explained. "It took me awhile to adjust to it, too. Just place your hand on top of mine."

Bianca crossed to her and did. Sofi's cool power whipped through her thoughts, but it was the darkness within the small woman that drew her attention. Bianca concentrated on the strange pain. It felt... foreign to the Oracle's body, yet was intense. The Oracle had pinned it to a corner of her mind, but it was slipping free.

Bianca focused on it and channeled her healing energy towards the dark pain. The Oracle resisted at first then gave, and Bianca swept it away.

"That will be a very useful skill," Sofi whispered and withdrew. "Damian can do that, too, but Darian's too weak yet to tap into his power."

"Where is your husband?" Bianca asked. Healing left her weakened, and she leaned against the counter.

"In Europe, fighting the Black God's men."

"I've always wanted to go to Europe."

"Me, too. Won't happen any time soon. We're something of a rarity. They tend to be watchful of us," Sofi said in disapproval. "Don't let Dusty make all the rules. He needs you to bring him around from robot-mode."

"I can't even tell if he likes me half the time." Bianca flushed and cleared her throat.

"He does. He's dealing with some things. You'll find the Guardian men noble but resistant to what's good for them sometimes."

"Aren't you grounded?" Toni asked Sofi, striding in from the outside.

"It was recommended, never approved," she replied with a cold glare. Toni shook his head and trotted into the house. "Most of them know better than to mess with an Oracle."

Bianca stifled a laugh, genuinely liking the subtle yet feisty Oracle.

* * *

"Babe, there are other ways to get rid of that energy," Jenn purred.

Chest heaving, Dusty lowered the two-handed sword he'd been using to hack apart one of the practice dummies in the back of the command center. He was coated with sweat and exhausted, but he wouldn't stop until he beat the fury out of him.

Jenn was dressed in a revealing top and tight jeans, her arms crossed and her features amused.

"Not now, Jenn," he replied and returned to his target.

"I meant, you may need it to fight Talon's goons soon. Toni's plans looked real good."

"I know what you meant," he said and returned to hacking at the dummy.

"Or that," she said with a husky laugh.

"I screwed up."

She stepped into his view, and he dropped his arms, throwing back his head to suck in deep breaths.

"How many times have you picked me up after I fucked up?" she challenged. "And everyone around you. So you fucked up once in your entire life. She's smart enough to figure out what to do."

"That's not the point," he snapped.

"Does it matter?"

He glared at her, unable to shake the sense that if Bianca hadn't thought smarter than him, she'd be dead. With all the Guardians in the western hemisphere and god-powers granted him by Damian, he'd been the weak link. It was his job to protect humans, and he hadn't been able to protect one woman in his own home! He'd never been afraid of anything in his life until that moment when all his power and control meant nothing. Just like when his sister died. The pain threatened to cripple him again.

Her gaze raked over him, but she kept her distance.

"Give yourself a break. You've been run ragged for too long. You don't eat, you don't sleep. I should start charging you for taking the edge off as often as I do. Not that I don't appreciate the favor," she said.

"Someone's gotta save the world!" he snapped.

"And you will. This isn't gonna help you, though."

"I could do something more useful, like help Toni plan operations," he allowed.

She rolled her eyes. "I was thinking more along the lines of you going in there and claiming her. But, whatever."

"Don't have time, don't want the drama," he replied and swiped his T-shirt from the ground. He placed the sword in a rack with others and exited into the night.

Besides, I'm going to die this weekend. The cool rain felt good against his hot skin, and he stood in the dark walkway between the gym and the house, soothed by the storm.

He missed Damian and Jule. He didn't realize how much until he actually needed their brutal take on reality to ground him. As the baby of the three, he'd always been the rock star among them. He'd never been alone. He wasn't used to failure, and he didn't know how to take it.

He wiped his face and walked into the kitchen, starving. Several of the Guardians were gathered in the informal dining area at the far end of the kitchen, laughing and talking as they played cards. His gaze found Bianca's curls. She sat between Darian and Jonny across from Toni and two others. There was a plate of cookies on the counter and the scent of dinner lingering around the oven.

He knew without asking she'd left him dinner again. He recalled how soothing her hug had been earlier and itched to feel her soft, warm body in his arms again.

Even more frustrated, he pulled the food out of the oven and retreated to his office, not caring that he was drenched.

She trailed him up the stairs.

"You okay?" Her soft voice drifted off as she took him in.

He glanced at her. She looked well-rested, her cheeks glowing and her eyes dancing.

"There's more if you want," she said, glancing at his plate. She pulled up a chair, her movement giving him a peek of the swells of her breasts as she bent. She sat next to him and propped her chin on one hand, gazing at him.

"I'm better now," he said. He touched her face, and she took his hand in both of hers.

"You're cold," she murmured.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" he asked. He leaned his forehead against hers, listening to her breathe.

"No one-night stands," she said, though her tone was considering.

"We don't have to do anything," he said with a husky chuckle. "I promise to behave."

She hesitated then reached for him, her cool touch soothing the fury in his blood. She leaned back to kiss him, the feel of her soft lips against his both infuriating and placating. He kissed her gently, unwilling to drop his restraint.

"Kiri, you don't want to kiss me like that," he told her, pulling away.

She settled again into his hug. He sensed he'd upset her, but she didn't leave, just squeezed him tighter. He took them to the condo, and she tensed.

"Is it safe?"

"It is," he said, more self-anger stirring at her fear. "Lay down. I've gotta clean up."

She withdrew, and he felt the loss of her presence like the sun going behind a cloud. He took a long shower, exhausted, before retrieving his now lukewarm dinner from the house. He ate alone in the condo's kitchen, not surprised to see Bianca asleep when he finally returned to bed. He gathered her warm body in his arms and smoothed away the curls that clung to his face, breathing her deep scent before he dropped into the first peaceful slumber in ages.

It wasn't quite morning when he returned her to the extra bed in Jonny's room. After a few solid hours of sleep, his sense of center was back, his mind clear. He paused as he passed the library. The lights were on.

"Sofi?" he called. The library was her refuge, though he had to wonder why she was up so early again.

"Hey Dusty," she said in a tight voice.

He approached her favorite chair. She was curled up in it, her head resting on one of the arms. Her swirling silver eyes were red with tears. He sat on the ottoman in front of her, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"I miss Damian," she whispered. "It's really hard to deal with all the bad stuff sometimes."

"Trust me, I know, kiri," he said. "I feel like I had a meltdown last night."

"You? Never," she said. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

"I'm hard on everyone," he reminded her. "No exceptions."

"I just want this Europe thing to be over. You do enough for us anyway," she said.

"You're my family. I feel like I should be doing more. I just don't have the time."

"You need to take care of yourself, Dusty," she advised.

"I will, kiri," he said. "We're a lot alike, aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are," Sofi agree. "And this is how I know you're not taking care of yourself as much as you should be."

"Doesn't make a difference now if I die this weekend, does it?" he mused. She looked away. "I told Darian not to let you help him."

"He can't do it on his own, Dusty, and it's not because I'm being overprotective. Bianca healed me earlier, and I thought I could do more than I could, especially since ...." A troubled look crossed her features. "Dusty, I'm worried about him. To take his place as the Grey God, he has to overcome some really large hurdles. I don't know if he can do it."

"The Darian I remember was the strongest man I'd ever known," he said. "I believe... I hope... that man is still inside of him somewhere. If so, he'll take his place and probably knock the shit outta Damian and Czerno both a few times."

"I hope so, too," she replied. "He's about to run into something bad. I can't see well enough yet to know what happens, but it scares me. It'll make or break him, and I don't feel like he's anywhere near ready." Her words sent a streak of cold through him. His phone rang.

"I gotta get going," he said.

"Dusty, remember that Bianca can heal anyone and any wound." Her eyes were swirling again.

"You sound like the Watcher," he said warily.

"Just keep it in mind."

"Boss." Toni's voice was accompanied by a tap at the door. Dusty excused himself to join the Guardian. "I dug this out of a box of electronics upstairs and programmed it to be your new phone. That flip shit is so old school. I didn't get you the full touch screen, though. Your paws are too big to text." Toni held up a sleek phone and Bluetooth earpiece. "I tagged both with GPS and a speck of C4, so if you lose either, we can blow it up."

"Do I really want that next to my head?" Dusty asked with a frown. "It's bad enough that it might fry my brain."

"Thank the gods we're immortal." Toni grinned, took his phone, and swapped SIM cards with the new one. Dusty clipped the earpiece to his ear.

"You gave Bianca a phone?" he asked.

"No."

"Someone did."

"Not one of our issues," Toni said. "I've repaired the computers in your office, too. Boss, you had so much malware I don't know how you got anything done."

"Yeah, e-shit isn't my forte," Dusty admitted. "Glad you're here. Make sure Bianca's phone is tagged as well." He tested his new phone by sending Damian and Jule a text.

911. He didn't know if they'd reappear before his weekend went to shit, but he hoped they did.

"Now for the bad news," Toni said. "This weekend looks worse than we thought. Jenn's guys got something. They're at the safe house off Biscayne."

"Have her call me when she's done talking to them. Send Jonny to see Sofi sometime this morning," Dusty directed. "Darian in his room?"

"He's in the gym."

"Call if you need anything." Dusty strode to the gym, surprised to see the Grey God up so early. His wards rarely rose before mid-morning. Darian was at a row machine, covered in sweat. His long, lean muscles bulged with the workout.

"Darian!"

The Grey God rose, a guilty look crossing his features. Dusty eyed him, waiting. Darian swiped his towel from another machine and approached.

"I'm sorry. I know you said no," Darian grated.

"Then why'd you do it?" Dusty asked.

"I didn't want the cat to stay all alone at your condo. It's not fair. She's in my room. I won't let her out, so she won't bother you."

Dusty almost rolled his eyes. He was expecting worse than a cat in Darian's room. It was the least of Darian's many offenses.

"We'll deal with that later," he said. "Go get ready. I want you to start learning what it means to be in charge of something."

"Really? Oh my God!" Darian darted towards the house. Dusty sighed, unable to reconcile the Grey God, the man who had been Darian, and the man running gleefully into the house as being one and the same. He hoped, no he prayed, Darian regained himself someday soon.

His gaze strayed towards the barracks, where he'd left Bianca. Regret sat in his stomach. He'd done the right thing. Rather, he'd done the decent thing and spared her further heartache. Yet he couldn't shake the memory of her body against his, the way she'd looked at him last night. No woman had gotten through his guard ever.

And then he thought of how he'd felt when he thought the vamps took her from his condo. Cold fury replaced the regret, and he knew he'd do anything to keep her from danger. The safest place she could be was with him, and he'd nearly gotten her killed by lowering his guard.

There was a reason he'd severed his connection to his emotions all those years ago. He didn't need the distraction, but Gods, he wanted her in a way he'd never wanted anyone else! The safest thing for both of them was for him to keep his distance and remain objective. After all, he didn't think he'd survive the weekend.

He returned to the house to await Darian, not surprised to see Bianca's black and white cat darting down the stairs. It slinked down the hall and slid into the narrow space of the cracked door of the library.

He almost preferred the idea of death at Czerno's hands to the mayhem his wards caused. Reminded he didn't give Bianca the rules he gave Darian and Sofi, he retrieved his phone.

Rules of the house: 1- u don't leave w/o permission & escort; 2- obey Toni & the other Guardians when I'm out; 3- assume I'll find out, no matter what u do; 4- ask b4 u do anything or don't do it.

She grimaced as she reread the text, torn between amusement and disappointment. Darian was right about Dusty being a dictator. His scent still lingered on her skin, even though she'd taken a shower earlier. He'd wanted her, but he kept his distance. His rules made it clear she was just another of his duties.

She didn't expect it to bother her as much as it did. Maybe that was why she couldn't stop making cookies.

"Look, sis!"

She shoved the phone in her pocket and forced herself to smile as she faced Jonny, who'd been in training since shortly after she awoke. His face was excited as he held out the contents of his hands.

"A gun?" she gasped. "They gave you a gun?"

"Isn't it awesome?"

"Jonny, you shouldn't have a gun! You're only twenty!"

"Old enough to buy a prostitute in Vegas, old enough to own a gun," one of the Guardians she recognized as Toni replied as he grabbed a handful of cookies from the counter.

"He's not getting a prostitute, either!" she replied. "Toni, I don't think he should have a gun!"

"Overruled."

"Are you going to teach him to use it?"

"Yep," Toni said.

Jonny was grinning. "It's not loaded, sis."

"Yes, it is," Toni said, glancing at him. "Why would you carry a gun that's not loaded?"

"Oh my God. This is a nightmare waiting to happen," she said with a sigh and a hot glare at Toni.

"We all carry," Toni said. "You want one?"

"Of course not," she replied and crossed her arms. "I really don't approve of this."

"I'm a man, now, B," Jonny argued. "I'm old enough, and I'm going to protect you from bad guys."

Toni gave him an amused look. She couldn't bear the thought of him returning to the troubled teen he'd been and tried to think of something to say to straddle the line between mothering him and letting him be his own person.

"Man or not, I still worry about you," she returned. "And I'll be the first person to yell at you if you do something stupid."

"No, B, Dusty will kick my ass first," Jonny said, a haunted look crossing his face.

"You got that right," Toni agreed.

She didn't doubt it and felt somewhat satisfied her brother at least knew there would be consequences to any stupidity. Jonny wouldn't listen to his nagging sister, but he'd darned well listen to a man as terrifying as Dusty could be.

"Can I see your phone?" Toni asked, breaking their tense silence.

She handed it to him.

"Not one of ours," he said, examining it. "I'm gonna put a tag in it. Where'd you get it?"

"A friend," she replied. She watched as he pulled a small pouch from his pocket and unzipped it.

"What friend?"

"None of your business."

"As long as it's not tagged by anyone else, I don't give a shit," he said with a faint smile and took the battery out. "Looks clean."

He messed with it for a few minutes then reassembled it and placed it on the table. Jonny took it before she could and looked through her addresses.

"Watcher?" he asked. "Who's that?"

She snatched it from him and tucked it in her pocket.

"Is this code? Are you seeing someone?" Jonny demanded.

"Better not be," Toni seconded.

"I don't think not dating was one of my rules," she retorted.

"Oh, it is," Toni replied with a wink. "Boss put you on the top three to evac when shit hits the fan. It's not because of your cookies."

She shook her head, not sure what to think of his words.

"Anyway, I'm going to practice shooting things," Jonny said, rolling his eyes at the look Toni gave her. He grabbed a handful of cookies and left.

The oven timer buzzed, and she turned away from Toni, not wanting to deal with him any longer. He left, and she gazed at the plates full of cookies around the kitchen.

She didn't know what else to do. She felt wired, her emotions in turmoil. Darian was gone, Jonny distracted by his newfound gun, and she in need of a friend. She flipped through her address book, gaze settling on the Watcher's name. He seemed the most approachable of everyone she'd met.

She hesitated then texted him. Do you want to come by for tea and cookies?

I do indeed!

She smiled at his reply, relieved, then texted Dusty.

I'll leave dinner in the oven. Have a good afternoon.

## Chapter Eight

"Kinda looks like Armageddon." Jenn's voice was quiet in Dusty's ear.

"Yeah," he replied, peering again through the binoculars. He lay under bushes on a hill overlooking the resort area of the clubhouse with another Guardian. It was teeming with vamps, and he'd set up several Guardians around the country club to conduct surveillance on the vamps' activities.

"We can put the explosives around the perimeter," another Guardian to his left said.

"They were seen stringing up motion sensors earlier. I'm expecting a report on their security later," Jenn replied. "I'll forward to you, Jimmy."

"How many we got so far?" Dusty asked.

"We tracked three hundred that flew into Miami or Orlando. No way of tracking how many drove. Talon booked up all the surrounding hotels. He's got space for almost nine hundred. I think that's an optimistic count on our part."

"Two surveillance teams in place," Jimmy added. "We're tagging everyone we can. Talon's a no-show though."

"To preempt or wait," Jenn murmured.

"Set up something for tomorrow night," Dusty replied. "We'll start by taking out what's here and the warehouse where he's storing weapons. Precision strikes, Jimmy, none of that messy shit."

"Messy shit later, boss?"

"Yeah. I'd like nothing more than to round them all up into a stadium and wipe 'em clean. Toni, you gettin' all this?" Dusty asked. He positioned the earpiece of his communication headphones better.

"Yeah, boss," Toni replied.

"Coordinate a plan to evac the humans from the hotels. Jimmy, rig them as well, just in case. I don't intend to take any prisoners. Jenn, I need to know where Czerno is staying, what his plans are."

"I've got a partial on that one," she replied. "You're not going to like it."

"Send me coords."

"Don't have to. He's in your condo building. Got there a few hours ago."

"Fuck," he breathed. "He knows I won't take the building down with all the humans."

"I got a plan for you," Jimmy said with a smoky laugh.

"Jim, Toni, meet me at HQ. Darian, with me." Dusty closed his eyes to Travel and opened them, arriving to his favorite room in HQ, the war room. Three walls were covered with digital maps, the fourth with a blank projection screen. He'd used the excuse of HQ moving to Miami a year before to upgrade everything in the room. It hummed with electronics. Darian's eyes were huge. He hadn't said a word most of the day, taking in Dusty's world with fascination.

"We gonna blow something up?" Darian asked.

"We are," Dusty replied.

Jimmy appeared, Jenn his ride. Toni trotted down the stairwell leading to the main house. He flipped a switch to display an aerial of the country club on one wall and Dusty's condo on another.

"Evac and implode the building before dawn," Dusty said. "I want to make it uncomfortable for our friend here in Miami. It'll be a good distraction while we rig the country club and other hotels."

"I can do that," Jimmy said, a slow smile spreading across his face.

Dusty gazed at his condo building. He never considered anywhere home. Every few years, he had to move anyway; they all did, for security reasons. His condo was as Bianca had said, boring with no color and no character. He was rarely there anyway.

So why did he feel a twinge of loss at the order to send it up in flames? It had something to do with Bianca, with destroying where he'd started with her.

"Dusty, can I go to watch the building explode?" Darian asked.

"We'll watch it from here," he replied.

"Jimmy, I'll schedule the condo for 0530. That gives you three hours. Is that enough?" Toni asked, whipping out his PDA.

"Yeah, good," Jimmy confirmed.

"Bring in the explosives teams to prep the country club and hotels. As soon as the condo goes up, have them start," Dusty directed. "Jenn, start intel feeds every thirty minutes starting now. Toni, ready evacs, just in case. I hope to disrupt whatever it is they've got planned for tomorrow night. Everything needs to be ready, especially if the hurricane shifts to make landfall."

"Got it," Toni said and sat, logging into the computer at the table.

Jimmy jogged out of the basement war room, and Jenn disappeared.

"I'm glad I got the cat," Darian murmured. "I hope you get him, Dusty."

His words were hushed. Dusty didn't have to ask who; he knew Darian's painful history, thousands of years as a slave to the sadistic Black God. Dusty couldn't kill him and didn't expect to. If anyone could, it would be Darian while Damian was away. Dusty's eyes returned to the image of the country club.

This is where it'll happen. This is where I die, he thought. He looked at Darian, recalling Sofi's warning. Once Dusty died, someone had to take care of the girls. Darian was excited and anxious, but the mention of Czerno made his features darken.

"Darian, I wanna give you a new rule," Dusty said. "No matter what, you will always, always protect your family first. Sofi and Bianca. You understand?"

"I know that one, Dusty." The Grey God rolled his eyes.

"At all costs. Even your own life. You will not fail them, even if you face Czerno himself."

Darian looked at him uneasily. "I promise, Dusty. You'll be here to help me. I won't face him alone."

With a sinking feeling, Dusty understood Sofi's concern better. Darian was scared, unsure. He had no control of his own powers, and he'd not yet been tested in a confrontation with the man who enslaved him. Dusty didn't know if a few months of Darian having his own mind back were enough to erase thousands of years under the control of another.

He had a feeling the worst was going to happen, and the sense he wouldn't be the only one who died this weekend if he had to depend on Darian made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Toni, if at any time you feel the girls are in danger, evac the girls and then everyone else," Dusty said, turning to his XO.

Toni looked up with a frown. "You going somewhere, boss?"

"Not planning on it. Always good to have a backup plan." He glanced at his watch, suspecting where Bianca would be. "I'll be back."

He Traveled to the common area of the newbie barracks, where Bianca lay on her stomach across the couch in front of the TV. Jonny was sprawled on the floor in front of the TV, asleep.

"Hey," she murmured.

He sat across from her, elbows on his knees, watching her. She wore a T-shirt and shorts that revealed her shapely, soft legs.

"I'm mad at you," she said, narrowing her eyes. "You shouldn't have given Jonny a gun."

"He's a man now and a Natural," he replied.

"I don't like it."

"It's who he is."

She sat up and gazed at him, chewing her lip in a way he knew to be an indication that she was troubled.

"We'll teach him how to use it," he assured her, taking in her loose curls and large eyes.

"Something bad's going to happen, isn't it?" she asked.

"Why do you say that?"

"Someone told me."

"Maybe," he said. "You're safe, though. The first sign of trouble, you'll be evac'd."

"What about you? Are you safe?"

"I fight. It's what I do. I take a risk every time I go out."

Her frown deepened. She rose and approached, resting back on her heels in front of him, close enough for him to smell her musk and feel her heat. He touched her automatically, stroking the side of her face and tucking errant curls behind her ear.

"You came to say farewell, just in case," she assessed.

"Something like that."

He took her face in his hands and drew her to him, kissing her once again. She leaned into him, and he pulled her against him. The sense of peace and calm at his core returned as her energy flowed through him.

"Stay with me," he whispered.

She touched his face, then his hair, her cool power soothing him. He wanted to lose himself in her warmth and liveliness on his last night. Something bad was going to happen when he faced Czerno. Without Damian and Jule and with Darian not yet able to take his place as the Grey God, he wasn't going to walk away from this weekend alive.

* * *

She awoke alone. Stretching, she couldn't ever remember feeling so relaxed or deeply sated. Or sore. She grimaced. She wasn't surprised to find him gone. Her skin smelled of their lovemaking, her hair and the sheets of him. She recalled the unforgettable night with a deep flush, still feeling his hot mouth and touch branding her body.

She was in one of the main rooms of the mansion. She looked down at the swing of a necklace grazing her chest. It was too short for her to see clearly, and she crossed to the mirror on the other side of the room.

He'd given her his necklace, as if marking her as his. She fingered it and took in her glowing features. She changed clothes, ravenous. Her phone vibrated as she trotted down the stairs, and she glanced down, smiling to see he'd texted.

Stay inside the gate.

Puzzled, she started to respond when someone rushed down the stairs by her. She recognized the petite blonde, who wrenched open the door and ran.

"Sofi!" Toni bellowed, tearing after her. "Stop, Sofi!"

Stay with Sofi. This text came from the Watcher. Bianca jogged after the two, who raced towards a small crowd at the opened gate of the compound. Her breath caught as she saw Talon leaning against a black car.

The devil was with him.

"Darian!" Sofi cried.

Darian was cowering at the gate-line, his wide shoulders hunched and his frame shaking. Toni snatched Sofi's arm before she could reach him, then grabbed her as she neared.

"He can't enter," he said harshly, angry gaze on the devil. "Dusty's wards keep him out."

"They'll come to me, my friend," the devil replied with a small smile. "Won't you, Darian." The devil's smile grew as his cold eyes took all of them and settled on Bianca's necklace.

Bianca shivered and moved closer to Toni.

"I was a bit pissed this morning to have my condo blown out from under me and quite a few of my vamps vaporized," the devil said, glancing down at clothing displaying signs of burns and plaster. "Thought I'd return the favor."

"Darian, come here," Sofi called.

"Stay where you are, Darian," the devil replied, gazing at the blonde. "It's been awhile, love. Ready to take your place?"

"You don't want to do this, Czerno."

"Between the two of you, I think we'll have a good time," he said, gaze returning to Sofi. "Darian, bring me Sofi. Talon, shoot Toni."

Toni pushed both women behind him, and Darian took a teetering step towards him. Darian's eyes were glazed and still, his confusion clear. Bianca cried out in surprise as Talon unloaded on Toni. The Guardian staggered, and Darian took Sofi's arm. Sofi dug her heels into the ground. Bianca grabbed her other arm, instincts screaming.

"Darian, no!" she shouted.

"It's okay, kiri," he replied in a mechanical voice.

He wrenched Sofi off the ground in a tight bear hug and deposited her on the other side of the gate line. Before the blonde could run, the devil snatched her.

"Get in the car, Darian," he ordered. The man hesitated before obeying. "Now for you," the devil said, facing Bianca. He held out his hand to Talon, who plunked a gun into it. Bianca backed away.

"Run, Bianca!" Sofi ordered.

The devil shot the Oracle twice, then once more. Bianca stared, horrified, as the blonde dropped.

"Now, you have a choice to make," the devil said with a calm smile. "You can step out here and heal her, or you can stay there and watch her die."

Bianca looked fearfully at the pregnant blonde, whose blood already soaked her clothing, then at the waiting devil beside her.

Stay with Sofi. The Watcher's whisper was in her mind this time.

She took one step forward, then another, throwing herself onto the ground beside Sofi. She touched her once before Talon wrenched her up. Talon all but threw them both into the backseat while he climbed into the driver's seat. Darian sat, hunched and unresponsive on the far side.

The car jarred her as they launched away from the gate. Bianca righted herself and carefully straightened the blonde, panicked by her pale features. She placed her hands on her face and winced as Sofi vacuumed her power as Darian had. Awkwardly jammed in the back seat, she sneaked a look at the occupants in the front of the car and withdrew her phone.

I need you. Her eyes watered as she typed it. She sent the text then tucked the phone in her pocket, praying they could track her with the tag Toni placed there. The thought of Toni lying in the driveway made her chest tighten. She looked at the unconscious woman in her lap then twisted to look up at Darian.

His golden gaze was down, turmoil on his face. He folded, face turning crimson and gold eyes swirling madly. He clutched his head and gave a small moan.

"Darian," she whispered. Her hand trembled as she touched him. His body sucked healing power from her. The lingering sickness in his body fled, gone for good.

"No!" Darian roared.

The world around them stopped-- literally. The car, the traffic, the wind, all went motionless. Darian fought himself, groping with glazed eyes for the crumpled Oracle. Bianca pushed herself away, uncertain which terrified her more: Darian's meltdown or the fact he'd stopped the world in its place.

Talon's jaw was lax, his eyes wide.

"What the fuck did you do?" he demanded, the first to break the terse silence.

She could hardly breathe, as if the air in the car was running out. The devil's cold dark eyes flared and turned black. The devil reached over to Darian, placing a hand on his red forehead. The door tore off, and Darian was flung out, his grip around the Oracle tight enough to take her with him. Before they hit the pavement, they disappeared.

"Get outta the car," the devil ordered. Bianca couldn't move. Talon got out then reached in and snatched her, dragging her out.

The world was dead. There were no sounds, no movement but theirs. Everyone and everything around them had frozen in mid-movement, like an eerie sculpture garden.

"Pop-- " Talon said, staring around them.

"Don't ever call me that," the devil snarled. "You're the son of some whore I don't even remember!"

Bianca righted herself. Talon released her, wired and uneasy. The devil looked around.

"Can't you fix this?" Talon demanded. He began to pace.

She looked into the car beside them at the smiling family frozen in place. Afraid of what she'd feel, she resisted the urge to touch them.

This can't be real.

Though his eyes were still dark, the devil appeared calm. He struck off in one direction, back the way they'd come.

"Pop, what the-- "

"Shut the fuck up. Bring the girl. We're going back to the portal."

Talon appeared as baffled as Bianca felt. He paused and then snatched her arm, following the devil as he walked down a sidewalk full of frozen figures.

"Creepy, screwed up..." Talon mumbled then stopped. He withdrew a small case with a needle in it and several small vials. She watched him shoot up. At once, the tension eased from his frame, and his eyes went glassy. He returned the case and grabbed her again.

She brushed one of the frozen women trapped in time on the sidewalk, surprised to feel her warm skin and the brush of the wool suit. Cold fear spiraled through her.

What kind of creature could do this?

* * *

"How many people in the village?" Dusty asked.

"They call them towns in this century," Iggy corrected him.

"Boss, you can take Iggy back any time you want," the disgruntled Southeast Ohio Sector chief, Speck, grumbled. "About two thousand."

"Two thousand?" Dusty echoed.

"Everyone's contained. We've got patrols around-- "

"Speck doesn't understand that if even a mosquito leaves the town, there's no way we can stop the spread!" Iggy cut in, agitation clear as she fumbled to open the case to her iPad. "Let me show you the virtual re-enactment of what happens if-- "

"Don't need to see it," Dusty said. "Iggy, give me a minute with Speck."

She left in a huff, and Dusty crossed his arms against Ohio's fall breeze. Speck's sector headquarters was abuzz with activity; the only private place to talk was the back porch overlooking a field of knee-high winter wheat facing a sun setting too early. His breaths hung in suspension with his thoughts as he mulled the fate of two thousand souls.

"I'm not the idiot she takes me for," Speck said, looking from the screen door Iggy slammed closed to Dusty. "How do you wipe out an entire town down to the rats without anyone else ever finding out?"

"You make it look like an accident. Assassinations 101," Dusty replied. "We did it all the time in the Dark Ages. More of a challenge nowadays."

"Can't exactly blame this one on contaminated water, boss," Speck said a little uncertainly. Speck shifted away from him, a response Dusty was accustomed to after thousands of years as Damian's lead executioner. "The mad scientist is right-- we can't let anything living out of this town." He paused, then said, "I need a drink. You want anything?"

"Vodka. Straight, no ice."

"I'll bring the bottle."

Dusty waited until he heard the door close behind him before he moved. He rubbed his neck, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong. Rather, that something else was wrong. He doubted anything could make this fucked-up situation appear less unsettling than it was.

He shouldn't question what to do. He loved clean-up duty, the mass execution of vamps. This was different. This time, innocents had been infected. He had no pity for those who chose to become vamps. He had little pity for humanity in general. But two thousand innocent people, down to the family dog.

There was one solution: wipe everything off the map. The fallout was less important than ensuring the safety of everyone outside of the town.

Bianca healed a newly turned vamp.

He closed his eyes, feeling her warm breath and soft skin against his again. He could imagine her horror when she discovered what he planned. For the first time in his life, he wondered what solutions other than execution would work.

"Hesitating for a woman," he muttered.

The sense of ill-boding returned. He expected these days to be his last, but he'd give the order to decimate the entire state if it meant humanity as a whole survived. He pulled his phone free, realizing neither Toni nor Darian had checked in for a couple of hours. The Grey God might have realized his suicidal wish and was lying on the bottom of the ocean by now.

"Dusty." The Grey God's hoarse, broken voice made Dusty tense as he turned to face him. Darian was in the shadows, dressed in his workout gear, splattered with blood. His golden eyes blazed like two candles. "Dusty..."

Dusty saw his mouth working, the glint of moonlight off the tears on the Grey God's face. His air was beyond agitated. Moonlight and darkness alike bent and danced around him, surrounding him in a hazy metallic shimmer.

"What'd you do, Darian?" Dusty asked, a knot forming in his stomach.

"I don't know!"

"Where are the girls?" he asked in a low, level growl.

"Sofi... she's safe," Darian said and stepped from the shadows to pace. "I did something bad, Dusty."

"Where's Bianca?"

Darian hesitated, and fury filled Dusty. He closed the distance between them, his own tightly controlled god-power unfurling. His power hit Darian at the same time he did, and the Grey God crumpled, pinned to the wooden deck.

"Safe!" Darian gasped. "Dusty, she's safe!"

"You have sixty seconds to tell me what happened, Darian. I'll kill you here. I don't give a fuck what you are if you hurt either!" He paused, bristling with lightning and rage at the thought of Darian betraying their family. "Now you've got fifty seconds!"

Darian spoke in hoarse, sob-punctuated words. Dusty was prepared for the worst, but Darian's story left him speechless. His rage simmered, yet he couldn't maintain the rage when faced with the sudden need to think.

"You broke two divine codes!" he shouted. "You left Sofi and Bianca to fend for themselves!" Furious, he shoved himself up from the crying god and paced.

"But they're safe, Dusty, I promise. Sofi is in the netherworld, and Czerno knows he can't hurt Bianca or-- "

"You left Bianca with the Black God! On what fucked up planet have you been living, Darian? Have you learned-- no, do you remember nothing about loyalty, integrity, and family? I knew you were fucked up, but this, this\-- " He blew out a breath. "You're no brother of mine, Darian. I don't know what the fuck you are."

"I can fix it, Dusty. I can fix it," the Grey God swore, his large body seated and hunched as he held his head. "I promise."

Dusty rubbed his face, wanting nothing more than to kill Darian where he sat but knowing only the Grey God could un-fuck what he'd done. He'd spent so long hoping Darian became what he once was. His gaze returned to the Grey God, who looked both pleading and tortured. The Darian he'd known was gone. The shell of a man before him was too weak to ever measure up to Damian's noble brother.

"Get away from me, Darian," he said.

"Dusty, please! Sofi made me come. I can fix the village!" Darian pleaded.

"I don't give two shits about the village, Darian! Bring Bianca back!"

"I can't, Dusty. I'm not strong enough!"

"You sent them to that temporal dimension! Bring them back," Dusty said, not understanding how Darian had punctured a hole between the mortal and immortal worlds. The two worlds were sealed after the Schism.

"I don't know how."

"They're stuck?"

"Czerno can bring them back."

"And kill Bianca when he does," he said. "You fucked up good this time, Darian! I can't fix this one."

"Czerno... I know he can..." Darian struggled visibly. "He and Damian can use the portals. I think... no, I know they have to be able to, if I can."

He felt sick to his stomach and wondered how Bianca had become so much a part of him in so little time.

"I can fix the village," Darian said again.

Dusty didn't care about the village. He wanted Bianca back. He wanted Darian dead. He didn't want to die this weekend. The last was a thought he never expected to have. He'd never had a reason to live if the immortality thing didn't work out.

"Dusty?" Darian asked. "Are you gonna kill me?"

"After this weekend."

"I deserve it."

"You do."

"Can I save the village first?" Darian asked in a sad voice. He sniffled and stood.

"I don't care what you do," Dusty snapped. "When dawn hits, I'm wiping every trace of that village off the planet. You wanna solve both our problems, be there when I do." He stalked away, sensing how hurt Darian was.

The Grey God didn't follow, but Speck-- who'd been lingering in the shadows-- did. Dusty strode to the small gym behind the main house, stripping off his jacket and shirt as he did so.

"Boss," Speck called, trotting after him. "You want us to prep a clean-up crew?"

"Do it."

The Sector Chief remained in the doorway, watching as Dusty unleashed his fury against a punching bag. He fought it until his anger subsided, unable to shake the sense of fear. He'd last felt the cold sense of impotent rage when he was a child and his family was slaughtered before his eyes. Somehow, he'd survived and was auctioned off like an animal with several other children his age. Damian saw him and bought the herd of them, freeing all but him. Damian's mother, an Oracle as crazy as she was powerful, told her son about the slave child with blue eyes who'd one day change the path of fate.

Breathless, Dusty closed his eyes and leaned against the punching bag, unable to shake his first memories of Damian or his last memories of his sister, Trinka.

He'd trade all the powers Damian granted him after the Schism for his sister's life. He'd trade them for Bianca. He couldn't lose the only other woman he'd ever cared about.

"You need anything, boss?" Speck asked.

"Send Iggy in. I need to know how this happened." Dusty straightened, the pain of his memories subsiding.

"Vampire pigs," Iggy replied from the doorway.

"Talk to me, Iggy," he said and wiped his brow. Speck tossed him his shirt, which he donned as he listened.

"They infected the animals in the town with the vamp disease. Animals bit the people. People bit others. You tracking, boss?" Iggy paused.

"I get it. No cure?"

"Nope," Speck said.

Iggy hesitated, and Dusty's gaze sharpened.

"Boss, I heard you all turned a vamp into a human," she said. "Can you bring him here?"

"Why? We've never been able to transform a vamp into a human in thousands of years."

"How do I explain it to you..." Iggy said with a thoughtful pause. "They're vamps but they haven't completed initiation."

"So?" Speck asked.

"So, Speck," she said with an exaggerated sigh, "they're more like humans with some nasty disease that might have a cure and not like vamps, which are just good for pushing up daisies. As long as they haven't completed initiation... well, I don't know. Can you bring me one?"

"One what?" Dusty asked.

"Someone infected. And the guy you turned back into a human."

Dusty exchanged a look with Speck. "We'll bring 'em, but I'm leveling the place at dawn," Dusty warned.

"At least let me look at a couple of things. This is why I'm a Natural, you know."

"Hurry, Iggy," Dusty advised.

"Boss, you can have my room if you need to rest," Speck said as she darted past him.

"Thanks, but don't-- " His phone rang. Speck crossed his arms and waited as he answered. "Whatcha got, Jenn?"

"You remember a few days ago when we were talking about Talon and Czerno?" Jenn asked.

"That's been every day for the past month," he said with some impatience. "And for now, they're contained."

"Hold that thought. You remember how your condo building came down this morning an hour before you planned?"

"Yeah."

"It wasn't Jimmy," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it wasn't Jimmy. He rigged the building but didn't blow it. I thought it was strange, since Jimmy's the last person who would veer off course from your orders because you let him blow up whatever he wants and he doesn't wanna lose that. We started looking into it and sure enough, it wasn't Jimmy."

"Then who was it?" Dusty asked with a frown.

"My money's on Talon."

"Makes sense, since he knew I was there," he muttered.

"No, boss, he didn't. Czerno, not Talon, sent the vamps to your condo building for Bianca. Talon would've been happy blowing her up, if she'd been there, but Czerno wants her. Dusty, we found out why he wants to keep her close. Jonny is some rare Natural who can kill a god."

"Talon wants Jonny to kill the Black God, and the Black God wants Bianca to make sure he doesn't die," Dusty summarized, surprised.

"Bingo."

"Tell no one of this," he said. "Whatever you found, keep it to yourself. No more conversations on the phone, no reports. If this is true, Jonny is worth destroying a city for any vamp with an itch to off the Black God. Bring Jonny here. Now."

"Sure, boss. I also checked on Toni. He's in bad shape, but he's alive."

"My only piece of good news today." He hung up and lifted his chin at Speck, who obeyed the silent command to leave. Dusty looked around the gym, sensing it was beyond time for him to admit he couldn't prevent what was coming. He flipped through the address book in his phone and dialed the Watcher.

"You almost waited too long," the mysterious creature said from behind him.

Dusty braced himself and turned to face the grandfatherly figure with a smile and emerald eyes standing in the corner.

"No bullshit, Watcher, or you can watch me fuck up the rest of the universe," he warned. "How can Jonny kill Czerno?"

"It's an interesting time to be here," the Watcher said. "Oracles, healers, many of which haven't been seen since the ancient times. In the ancient times, there were also God-slayers, men of a special kind who were bred and raised by the Gods for immortal wars. They possessed a unique gift, the ability to kill an immortal without being an immortal. The Gods raised them like sheep, because men were more plentiful and more easily replaced than immortals. The trick was to breed men who could kill immortals without ever allowing them to become immortals themselves. If they did, their gift was elevated and what made them dangerous to immortals then made them dangerous to the Gods. The White and Black Gods never allowed the slayers to become immortal, no matter how bloodthirsty they were."

"Jonny's a god-slayer. Talon wants him to kill Czerno, but wouldn't that make Jonny the Black God and not Talon?" Dusty asked.

"There's a way Talon could," the Watcher replied. "There's a transfer of power from the moment a Black God dies and his successor takes his place. If Talon killed Jonny during that split second of vulnerability, before Jonny gained Czerno's powers, he could become the Black God."

Dusty felt cold inside.

"Talon wouldn't have Czerno's restraint," the Watcher added quietly. "As sick as Czerno is, he largely preys on other immortals."

"Talon would wipe out humans as fast as he could." Dusty stared hard at the wall. "Damian-- "

"I can't allow Damian to be here in the presence of a god-slayer. If he were to be here, the chain of events set to occur would change, and not for the better," the Watcher interjected. "You-- and Darian-- have to fix this."

"Fix this?" Dusty echoed, anger burning through him. "Darian is a disaster. He sends a human to the divine world, the Black God to some in-between place, and you think he can fix anything?"

"You have everything you need to make things right, Dusty, as long as you're willing to do what you must." The Watcher's grim words stopped his retort.

I'll see you soon, brother. He heard the soft voice again.

"Whatever it takes," the Watcher said, as if hearing the words, too. "Talon can't become the Black God. I've said too much. Sofi is safe. If Darian can't return her, I'll bring her back after the battle is over. The Black God will have to bring Bianca back; I can do nothing to undo what Darian did to them."

"Can you stabilize Darian?"

"You'll have to trust him."

"Fat chance," he retorted.

"You have no one else to help you, Dusty."

If Dusty's phone hadn't rung, he would've retorted sharply enough to piss off even the Watcher. He glanced down to see Speck's number on his screen. When he looked up, the Watcher was gone. Mumbling curses, he answered the phone.

"Um, boss, that Darian guy is trying to walk straight into the town."

Dusty's jaw clenched until he felt the muscles tick. He felt fury at the mention of Darian's name mixed with resignation. As pissed as he was, Darian was his brother. He'd sworn to Damian that he'd protect him. And if what the Watcher said was true, Darian would probably be the only one left standing at the end of the weekend.

Trust him. The Watcher's voice was soft in his mind.

Of all the coddling he'd accused Sofi and Bianca of doing, he'd been working hard to protect Darian from anything that might force him to grow into his powers.

"Let him go," Dusty said.

"Boss?"

"Just do it, Speck."

## Chapter Nine

The lights in every house were on, the doors boarded up, and people somewhere were screaming. It smelled like the sewer system was overflowing. Darian felt like he was walking through a dream. His footsteps made no sounds, and the infected humans staggering through the streets walked through him. He held up a hand, fascinated to see through it to the car parked in front of him.

Zombie vampires! He almost chortled at the ridiculous thought, wishing someone was there with him to tell. He'd felt funky for a while, since Bianca fixed his face. He touched it with some trepidation, fearing it'd changed back into the scarred maze that was him for so long.

He was normal, aside from the weird buzz at the base of his skull that'd kept him awake every night since Bianca touched his face. It'd gotten worse after she touched him in the car. Her healing magic zapped him hard enough almost to right his head. He didn't understand it, except that Bianca's touch finished what Sofi started.

At least he was in much better shape than the zombie-vamps around him.

He willed himself solid, surprised when it worked. The zombie-vamps didn't rush him as they would in a real horror flick; no, they ran away. He felt compelled towards them, as if whatever it was he was supposed to do had to be done with one in front of him.

Fix them like Bianca fixed you! Sofi had told him when he dumped her in the divine world.

"I'm not a healer, Sofi," he complained again.

The back of his skull buzzed harder until he wondered if his scalp was about to spin off and fly away. He rubbed it, vexed, and spotted one zombie-vamp moving slower than the rest. Uncertain but determined, he strode to the teenage girl and snatched her arm. She stared at him through listless eyes, the gaze of a human awaiting only the final step in the transformation process.

"Ready, set, heal," he said.

The zombie-vamp blinked and leaned away. He let her go, perplexed.

"Sofi?" he called, wondering if her mind-talking would work from the divine world. "This isn't cool, Sofi."

He felt panic bubble within him as he looked around. Dusty was going to kill all these people if he didn't figure out how to fix them. And then Dusty would kill him. He deserved it, after all the trouble he'd been, but these people didn't!

Darian grabbed another zombie-vamp and tried to heal him. Then another and another and another. When he was too pissed to think straight, he slammed his hands into the boards covering a store's front door.

"I'm worthless!" He threw himself down and squeezed his head, furious at his own weakness. He couldn't resist Czerno. He couldn't save Sofi. He couldn't do anything! He wasn't a god-- he was a freak of nature everyone else had to take pity on because he was a fucked-up weakling!

Listen. He froze at the distant voice in his head. It was faint, but sounded like the Watcher's.

"Listen to what?" He waited for more. Nothing came.

Listen... listen... listen... He slapped his forehead with his palm in a rhythmic beat, waiting for some sort of divine inspiration.

He was divine! What the hell on this stupid planet was too hard for a god to fix? He pulled out his phone, texted Bianca, and waited, willing the message to make it to her in the in-between world where he'd accidentally sent her. Darian lowered the phone, losing hope once again, when it vibrated.

I don't understand.

Overjoyed at her response, he sat cross-legged, hunched over the only lifeline the thousands of innocent people around him had.

I mean, how do you heal people, like step-by-step? He typed.

There was a pause, then a longer response: I'm not sure. It's just something I do. I put my hand on them and I wait for their body to tell me what's wrong. And then I fix it.

You *listen* to them? He asked.

Yes, I suppose, she answered. Sometimes they know how to fix themselves, like you did, and I just give them my power and let them do it. Sometimes, I have to figure it out. Hey-- can you get me outta here? Talon's gonna kill me before long.

He bounced to his feet.

He can't kill you in that dimension, he assured her. Gotta call Dusty before he blows me up. Will chat later.

Bianca waited for Darian to say something more insightful, but nothing came. She hid the phone as Talon glanced over his shoulder again to ensure she followed. The Black God had been marching for what felt like hours, through the city towards the beach, and now, down the beach. Talon hauled her along until he, too, was worn out and she dropped behind both.

The time on her phone was the same as when they'd entered this strange world. She stepped over a tourist in a bikini on the silent beach. No one else would attempt to catch rays with the clouded sky and massive storm clouds in the distance!

Not even the ocean moved. The air was heavy and fragrant, the wet, solid sand near the ocean welcome after her initial attempt to keep up in the sugary sand higher up the beach.

It was the worst place she'd ever been, worse than any horror movie, worse than any nightmare. The world was dead. They'd been there what felt like a day, and yet the sun was in the same position as when they'd been thrown into the world.

Talon didn't even bother to beckon for her to move faster but instead turned back around. The Black God was so far ahead, she wouldn't have been able to see him except that he was the only other thing in the world moving. She sneaked a peek at her phone, agitated that Darian hadn't been at all concerned with the situation he left her in. She didn't feel any better knowing Talon couldn't kill her here! She hadn't been able to get through to anyone else and wondered if there was some magic trick he'd done to reach her.

She didn't realize the Black God stopped walking until the speck in the distance grew larger. Exhausted, she reached them some time later, praying for a break or a snack or something!

"Try to keep up, love," the Black God said in distracted irritation. "Time doesn't move here, but it does in the real world."

"It does?" Talon echoed. "It's gotta be well past midnight! I've got important shit to do!"

"Shut up, idiot."

Talon's flush grew darker beneath the red of exertion on his face. His eyes flashed, and she willed Darian to respond to her. If the Black God was anyone else, Talon would've killed him several times over by now. She held her breath, not wanting to draw the attention of either creature. They glared at each other for a long moment before Talon gritted his teeth and lowered his gaze in reluctant deference.

"Where are we going, Father?" he asked.

"Don't call me that, shithead. You see the black clouds?" The Black God pointed to the storm in the middle of the ocean. "The portal is in the center."

"Without a boat? We're swimming?" Talon demanded.

The Black God shook his head and strode towards the still water. She sensed Talon was about to rebel, as was she at the thought of swimming after such an exhausting walk.

The Black God climbed a wave as he might a grassy knoll and picked his way across the choppy waters near the beach, walking atop the transparent shallows towards the dark depths beneath the black clouds. Her mouth dropped open, and Talon murmured a curse. They stared for a long moment then Talon shoved her towards the water.

"Easy for a damn god," he muttered. "Let's see how you hold up."

She stepped forward, curious and hopeful she did fall into the water and end everything right here. Bianca took one cautious step onto the frozen waves. They had the consistency of rubber mats. Astonished, she stared through the shallows to the sand, shells, and critters below as she walked, admiring and uneasy with the changes in the terrain and creatures as the ocean grew opaque and deep. She stopped at the edge of where the clear water dropped suddenly into impenetrable blue depths.

"Hope you can swim when this is over," Talon snarled. He strode by her and slapped her on the back of the head, hard.

She rubbed her head and glared at him, watching as he followed his father in the direction where both sky and sea darkened into blackness. The still air became more charged the closer they got to the center of the storm, the sky darker. She avoided looking down, afraid to imagine just how deep the waters were or how far from shore they'd gone.

What would happen when the Black God righted their world? Would she end up at the bottom of the sea?

Dusty wouldn't be there to fish her out as he had Darian. Her stomach dropped at the thought of him, and her eyes watered. She didn't want to die; she wanted to be with him, even if only during the nights. He cared for her, but she didn't think he'd ever let anything get between him and his duty. If that was all she got, she'd take it. He'd saved her brother, her, the world. No woman would ever be more than second to a man like that, but being the woman who was second in his world sounded better than anything else she'd ever wanted.

Talon barked at her, and she realized she'd stopped walking. Tired, she wiped her eyes, an ache fluttering through her at the lingering scent of Dusty on her skin.

The air grew chilled, and she stopped again. The frozen sea beneath her feet was the color of tar, the black clouds above paused mid-swirl around a pop of blue sky in the storm's center. Frozen in mid-air were fat raindrops, arcing in a wind she didn't feel.

The storm was beautiful and terrifying in its paralyzed fury. She climbed frozen hills of waves through the raindrops, surprised when they popped like tiny water balloons. Before long, she was drenched and chilled, her skin crawling from the bridled charged energy of the storm.

And still the Black God walked. Talon swatted at raindrops ahead of her, and she crossed her arms, shivering. Her eyes went to the angry clouds.

She did not want to be there when the storm awoke! The rain fell almost horizontally, and she hurried to follow Talon as he found a path among the black waves, many of which were taller than buildings. They both lost their footing at the top of one wave and tumbled into a valley, bouncing against the rubbery trough.

"Mortal shitheads! Keep up, or I'll leave you in this dimension!" the Black God barked from atop another wave.

Bianca scrambled up, energized by the threat of staying in the creepy world. Talon shoved her back into the valley with a snarled threat under his breath, and she hurried out of the trough again, breathing hard by the time she'd clambered twenty feet to the top. To her relief, the Black God stood in the center of the storm's eye, bathed in sunlight that touched nothing else. While Talon was breathing as hard as she was, the Black God was barely sweating.

"What do we do now?" Talon asked.

"We wait," the Black God replied. "I need to be at full strength to send us back through the portal." His eyes settled on her with a look that made her wonder why she hadn't just sat where she entered the world and waited for Darian to rescue her. He turned away, hands on hips as he surveyed the distant beaches. Talon threw himself on his back. She suspected the Black God thought her useful, or she'd be in pieces.

"We're not swimming back to shore, are we?" Talon asked the question she feared voicing.

"You both may want to get some rest," the Black God responded as he started towards the dark waters.

"Where-- "

"Shut up and stay here. None of us can leave without the others. If I could, you'd both be dead. Keep that in mind, shithead. You can't touch her. We entered this place together, and we must leave it together, or we can't leave at all," the Black God warned. "I'll be back."

Bianca moved away from Talon towards the violent waves and then sat with her back to a wave as high as her waist. Talon watched the Black God go. He didn't take his eyes off the god until he disappeared among the maze of waves. She watched him as well.

He ignored her. She wrapped her arms around her knees and closed her eyes for a brief rest. When she opened them, she lay on her side with her back to her protective wave. A form too slight to be the Black God stood beside Talon, speaking quietly. She wiped her eyes and started to sit, then froze.

It wasn't the Black God. It was a man too familiar to be a stranger, with beautiful purple eyes, a small frame, and a face without emotion. She closed her eyes, suddenly remembering where she'd seen the Watcher over fifteen years ago, in Jonny's hospital room.

"I can help him," a man said. She jumped. No one had come in through the door she faced. She twisted in her chair to see a man near the dark windows whose eyes were the color of her bright purple Easter dress.

"Are you a doctor?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"I can make it so he doesn't remember that you did this to him," the stranger said. "But you understand that medical treatment isn't free?"

Her chin trembled as guilt flowed over her and she swallowed hard, nodding.

"It will cost you something."

She dug through the pockets in her jeans and pulled out the stash of one dollar bills she'd been given for trips to the candy machine down the hall. She counted them with shaking hands.

"I only have four dollars," she said with some dismay.

"I require more than that." His eyes seemed to swirl, around and around, changing from the color of her mother's tulips to a color almost as dark as the night. He wasn't like the other doctors. His voice wasn't kind. He had no emotions, like a man in a Halloween mask.

"I don't have anything else!"

The man with purple eyes knelt in front of her. His face didn't look rubbery like a Halloween mask, but he didn't look normal. The air around him was cold like it was around an air conditioning vent. She took a step back.

"You have to help him," she whispered. "Please!"

"I will help him, Bianca. If you make me a promise," he said. "You must keep this promise no matter what, or your brother will get sick and die. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"There is a man you will meet when you are older, a man who-- "

"This is low, even for you," a second man's voice said.

She jumped at the new voice. The second man's hand clamped on the first man's shoulder. The eyes of the newcomer were the color of their Christmas tree. He had Papaw's face, with wrinkles around his eyes and a kind smile.

"By divine code, you can't interfere," the man with the purple eyes said in a tone that made her shrink away.

"By divine code, neither can you."

Purple-eyes rose. Green-eyes stepped between Bianca and Purple-eyes, and Purple-eyes backed towards the window again.

"We're so much better than this, brother," Green-eyes said. "Children are off limits."

"For your kind, Watcher. There are no boundaries for us."

"Divine code disagrees with you and the rest of the Others."

Purple-eyes looked at her, and she shrank behind Green-eyes.

"The Grey God will destroy us all, brother. You can stop this war here, now," Purple-eyes said with a look that made her snap her eyes closed.

"You're a fool led by a fool. Go, brother," Green-eyes said.

Bianca held her breath and waited, able to feel the tension between them even with her eyes closed until he spoke again. "He's gone, Bianca."

She opened one eye, then the other, confirming his words. She started crying again.

"Jonny's gonna die!"

"You can save him."

"I can't! I tried! I can't!"

"Listen, Bianca." He took her arms and sat her in a chair, handed her a fistful of tissues, and knelt. She blew her nose loudly and looked at him through blurry eyes. His small smile was kind, his bright eyes unblinking. "You have a very special gift. No one else has one like you."

"But I'm too little to save Jonny."

"Nonsense. You can save Jonny. You hear his body speak of the death in him?"

"It's awful," she whispered.

"If you listen really hard to what his body tells you, you can save him. No one wants to die, and his body will tell you what it needs from you. You need to rest tonight, sleep as much as you can. In the morning, you'll be able to heal him."

"But I've been trying for days!"

He touched her again, his hand cool but the electricity that shot through her warm.

"I've woken your gift completely," he said. "You must promise to keep it a secret and to make Jonny keep it a secret."

She blinked rapidly, startled by the sensations going through her.

"Do you promise?"

"Yes."

"You must also never harm another. It is the way of ancient healers. Do you understand?" he asked.

"Ancient healers?"

"In time you'll learn more. Do you understand what I ask of you?"

"I don't know. I think so," she murmured.

"Can you promise to keep Jonny safe?"

"He's my brother," she said, sniffling again.

"Good. Go to sleep, Bianca. I'll watch over your brother tonight. In the morning, you'll save him."

For the first time, she noticed he wasn't wearing a doctor's white coat. "You're not a doctor, are you?" she ventured.

"No, but I'm a friend here to watch over you and Jonny."

The memory-- fuzzy for fifteen years-- grew crisp, and surprise and hope went through her as she recalled the night that'd changed everything. Her hand went to her phone. She lay back down, hoping they hadn't noticed, then rolled onto her other side.

If he's here, can you come here, too? She texted to the Watcher.

I've broken enough Divine codes for the week. I told you not to leave Sofi, came the chiding reply. Is the Other there?

Yes.

This time, do as I say. When the portal opens, go with Czerno. Warn him about the Other, the Watcher instructed her.

She reread the message, startled. Warn the Black God? A shadow crossed her screen, and she snapped the cell against her body. The Black God shoved her on her belly and pressed his knee in her spine.

"Hand it over, or I'll break you in half then feed you to Talon," he ordered. She obliged quickly, tensing as she waited for him to finish with her phone. "Who is the other?"

She hesitated, and pain spun through her as the pressure of his knee increased.

"I don't know who he is! He came to me when I was a little girl, and the Watcher ran him off. I just saw him with Talon!" she exclaimed.

"Describe him."

"A man with purple eyes."

The Black God growled low in his chest, an inhuman sound. He clamped a hand around the back of her neck and yanked her to her feet.

"Say anything to anyone else, and you'll spend eternity in the greatest agony I can create."

She managed a nod at the eyes that had grown darker than the sky. He released her and tucked the phone in his pocket. Dismayed, she shuddered from cold and fear. He said nothing to Talon, gave no trace he knew something was wrong. Yet she knew when his fury unleashed, he'd be as merciless as Dusty was with vamps.

I did it, Watcher. Not on purpose, but it's done!

"It's time," the Black God said over his shoulder.

Talon hurried over. The Black God ignored him and turned to her, a cold smile crossing his face. He held out a hand. She shuddered to her core at the evil peering through his gaze, feeling very much like the devil was offering her a deal without telling her the price. Heart quickening, she crossed to him and accepted his hand. Talon looked from the Black God to her, fire in his gaze.

She had no choice but to trust the devil.

* * *

It's time, his sister told him.

Dusty didn't remember dozing off but snapped awake. His sister's warning came an hour after he last remembered looking at the clock. He pushed himself out of bed and stood for a long moment, gazing out the window at the fields of winter wheat glowing in the moonlight. His light was off, a sign he'd been sleeping too hard to notice someone come in.

Two hours before dawn. He replaced his weapons and washed his face, feeling very much like this was to be his last day alive. His jaw clenched as he thought again of Bianca. He felt the loss already, a pain similar to the loss of his sister so many years ago. He stepped into a hall with streams of Guardians preparing for the dawn raid. The warm farmhouse smelled of gun oil and breakfast. A form loitering against one wall straightened as he started towards the stairs.

"Dustin!"

He turned to see Jonny. The youth's eyes were wide and bright, his skin flushed with health. Jonny stopped in front of him and stared. Dusty turned around and kept walking.

"Dusty, wait, I'm s...sorry. I just... is B okay?" Jonny asked anxiously.

"For now," Dusty replied.

"For now?" came the uneasy reply. "I thought she was here with you but when I got here, I didn't see her. I started asking around, but no one would tell me, so I-- "

"Jonny!" he barked.

"She's my sister!"

He turned to see the young man's face flushed this time with anger, his eyes glittering. The Guardians moved around them in the hall, and Dusty studied the young god-slayer. If the man before him was who the Watcher said he was...

"I have a right to know," Jonny said less forcefully.

"Come with me." Dusty spun again and continued walking, aware of the anxious young man at his heels. He found Speck on the back porch, smoking a cigar while gazing at the glowing wheat fields. The dark sky stretched far overhead, no sign of morning yet visible.

"You don't leave my side," Dusty ordered Jonny. "Got it?"

"Yes, but-- "

"Shut up," Dusty growled. Jonny fidgeted but fell silent. "Any word from Darian?"

"Nada," Speck replied. "You think he'll pull it off?"

"He's gotta be good for something."

"Heya, Jonny." At the husky female voice, Dusty turned to see Jenn fluff Jonny's hair as she passed. She stopped beside him and indicated the youth with her thumb. "He's here. Wanna tell me what you're thinking, boss?"

"I'm thinking Talon wants him real bad and will have to take me out to get to him," Dusty replied.

"This kid?" Speck asked, looking Jonny over critically. "Can he even carry a gun?"

"I can shoot!" Jonny replied. "Real well. Any weapon I come across, I can master without even trying!"

"Good you have a talent, or your skinny hide would be in trouble," Speck replied, amused.

"It's a byproduct of his talent," Dusty said. "Jonny is a god-slayer, which means he can kill Damian, Czerno, Darian, as well as Jule or me. Talon made him into a vamp. Bianca turned him human again, but she can't make him mortal. You're looking at the only known god-slayer in existence."

Speck stared, and Jenn frowned. Jonny looked apprehensive yet resigned, as if he'd known this was coming.

Dusty glanced at his watch. "Everything set for tonight in Florida?"

"As much as we can. Will start evacs for our skeleton crew at noon. Most everyone has been evac'd by the state. The storm is swallowing up the levies, and we sent folks north. Dusty, there are more vamps than we expected."

"Not for long," he said. "I don't know when Talon and the Black God will reappear, but we need to be ready. Evac our folks out of HQ and southern Florida at dawn."

"Got it."

"Speck, check in on Iggy. Jonny, come with me." Dusty held out a hand. The young man took it hesitantly, and Dusty Traveled with him to the town, utilizing his god-powers to locate Darian. His skin and senses crawled with the sensations of being surrounded by vamps. He stayed his urge to unleash the hand cannons on them all and stood stiffly.

Darian sensed him and whirled, his eyes lighting up before he looked down. He was surrounded by the half-vamp, half-human creatures of the town and waded through them to where Dusty stood.

"I figured it out," he said before Dusty could speak. "But it'll take awhile. I can only heal them one by one, but Dusty, if I don't do it, then you'll kill everyone, and it's not fair when they're just innocent people. Please, please, please don't-- "

"Show me," he said.

"The ones I fixed are all over there." Darian waved an elderly woman over. "This is Hazel. She's volunteered to help me round up the people and knows, like, everyone in town." Hazel was human, and Dusty followed Darian's pointing finger to a hotel ablaze with light.

"You're taking care of the pets, too?" he asked.

"Yes, everything. I'm killing the rats and stuff. Maybe... if you want to send in someone to help, then they can help me kill the bugs and rats? Oh, and I found where I think the lab was. Iggy asked about it. She said we have to destroy it, too."

Dusty looked from Darian's hopeful face to Jonny's pale features. As if noticing him for the first time, Darian stared at Bianca's brother, an odd look crossing his face.

"I can leave Jonny," Dusty said.

"No," Darian said in a low growl. The Grey God had tensed, his suspicious gaze on Jonny. Jonny looked confused and uneasy, while Darian looked like he was ready to pounce.

For a moment, Dusty was reminded again of the strong, confident leader Darian had been, long ago.

"God-slayer," Darian added. "He has to stay with you. It must be so."

"Very well. I'll send others," Dusty said. "But I want you to move the cured people out of here and then level the city and the lab. I'm not taking chances that mosquitoes or whatever remain."

"I saved everyone?" he asked, hopeful once more.

"We'll know when everything's done," Dusty replied.

"You won't destroy the people?"

"No. You're in charge of this operation," Dusty said with some effort.

"Oh my god! Really?"

"You'll be held accountable if anything bad happens," he reminded him. "Clear the people, wipe out the town."

"Do I get minions?"

"I'll send a team to help you. They're not minions, Darian, they're Guardians. Treat them with respect and take care of them. You need to learn a few more things on your own. I'm entrusting you with this operation." Dusty gritted his teeth, feeling much like he was setting a child with a credit card free in a candy store.

"I can do it, Dusty!" Darian's eyes glowed. He straightened.

Dusty responded with a curt nod, hoping the Grey God was right. His gaze turned to the east, where yellow lined the horizon.

It's time, his sister said again.

"You remember what I told you about family?" he asked.

"I won't fail again, Dusty, I promise. I tried to make it right." Darian's face fell.

"I've gotta return to Florida. If you fail, I'll send Jonny here after you."

Darian glared at the confused young man and said, "I promise, Dusty, I'll take care of the girls even after the Black God kills you."

Jonny gasped, but Dusty nodded, aware his fate was sealed.

* * *

Some strange poison ran through the Black God's body. It was familiar to her, but too much a part of him to heal. She glanced up, troubled. If she didn't know better, she'd say whatever the poison was, it felt like what lingered in Jonny's body. Talon was glaring at her, ready to attack, when the Black God launched them through the portal.

Raindrops splattered against her head. Startled, she looked up. The clouds far above were starting to swirl with hypnotic slowness, the rain beginning to fall again, and the sea beneath their feet rippling and shifting beneath the rubbery surface.

The Black God ignored Talon as the vamp snatched his arm to retain his balance, instead wrapping his free arm around her and clamping a hand around her forearm. His skin was colder than snow, the power radiating off him like an arctic breeze. His eyes turned black, fathomless, and she knew whatever creature possessed the human body was loosening its grip on its powers.

Despite her fear, she wrapped her arms around him. Thunder roared. Lightning exploded in the sky. Rain pelted her. The wind snapped free of its bonds, nearly tearing her from his grip with its first gust. The world exploded into life, sucking the air from her lungs and drenching her.

And then the sea swallowed them. She breathed in nothing but water and panicked, clawing at the arm wrapped around her.

He's going to kill me.

She kicked and fought, unable to escape his grip when the cold in-between world swallowed her. The world dumped her on top of a pile of sand near the boardwalk with the angry black sea roaring behind her. Her body strained to heal itself and the Black God, whose touch sucked her healing power fast. He released her, and she rolled, coughing. Water, sand, and hair stung her vision and lungs. Through blurred eyes, she saw the ocean poised above them and to either side, angry waves kept at bay by whatever magic the Black God employed.

He was the first to his feet and dragged her up the beach. His own body told her he was spent. He shouted at her, fury on his face, but his words were lost to the storm. She struggled to get her feet beneath her before she finally found her footing in the sand. He refused to release her, instead pushing her into a painful run up the beach, over the sandbags, and out of immediate danger.

She dropped, exhausted. It was then she noticed Talon wasn't with them.

Fury was on the Black God's face as he stared down the storm, ignoring the gale tearing at his clothing. She dared not stand on her own with the winds strong enough to knock her over.

The Black God moved at last, turning to her with his fathomless eyes. She looked away, wanting nothing more than to disappear. He snatched her arm. She felt another drain as he took another swig of her power, and coldness, then silence.

She fell when he released her. They were in someone's living room. The Black God knelt before her, phone outstretched. His eyes were closer to normal, swirling black spheres.

"Call him, love."

She inched away at the inhuman tone. He snatched her neck and shoved the phone at her.

"Now."

"Who?" she gasped.

"Your Watcher."

Confused, she concentrated on gripping the phone. He released her. She hit the speed dial button. The Black God snatched the phone back and straightened.

"It wouldn't be fitting for the Black God to call you," he said.

"No, it wouldn't," the Watcher said in a tone more subdued than any she'd heard. He'd appeared near the doorway to the bedrooms.

"You know what I can do, Watcher," the Black God warned.

Bianca was even more unsettled to see the Watcher's reluctant nod. The creature's emerald eyes stopped sparkling, and his face grew long.

"There must be a Black God," the Watcher said. "Only one."

"My time isn't up!"

"You started down this path when you enlisted the help of the Others. When you forsake divine code, it has a way of forsaking you."

"Yet you warned me," the Black God stated.

"I did."

"It wasn't you influencing Talon."

"The Others betrayed you and chose Talon to replace you. I cannot let that happen, lest the balance sway permanently, and all is lost," the Watcher said.

"No one will replace me!" The Black God was bristling with checked power that made her inch away from him. The Watcher looked at her.

"Then keep the healer with you," he said with resignation. "She has the power of ancient healers to return to life that which otherwise wouldn't live. What's been set into motion can't be stopped, but you at least have a chance if you have her."

"Get outta here!"

Bianca's mouth was slack as she watched the Watcher disappear in a wink of light. She'd wanted to yell at him to save her, and he'd all but guaranteed the Black God would enslave her!

"Stay here," the Black God ordered and disappeared. She sagged, horrified and fatigued. Looking around, she realized why the tiny living room was so familiar.

It was her father's.

She pushed herself up, cold inside and out. Without even asking where she lived, the Black God brought her home. The apartment was identical to when she'd left it a week before yet seemed somehow foreign. She couldn't explain the sense that she didn't belong despite the pictures of her and Jonny on the walls and all her things sprinkled around the room.

She made her way to the notebook near the desk phone.

Aaron. Her eyes went to the wall clock. She was supposed to meet him in a few hours. Such a normal thing seemed... weird.

With a frown, she wondered why she'd never seen it before, why she wasted seven years trying to make things work with someone who couldn't hold a candle to the man she was meant to be with.

Her hand went to her throat, where Dusty's necklace dangled. She belonged with him, even if she was second rung to his war against bad guys or even if he was never able to devote himself to any one woman at all. She was doomed to fall for men unable to commit to her!

She rubbed her face and wobbled towards the bedroom, determined to change before the Black God returned for her. A few minutes later, she sat in the living room, granola bar clenched between her teeth while she tied her shoes.

She felt him appear, as though the AC was suddenly set to high.

"Why don't I show you what I'm going to do to that little shit of a brother of yours?" he asked with a slow smile and a gleam in his eyes that made her breath catch.

The Black God was covered in bright blood. She winced as he snatched her arm, and familiar coldness descended over her. When the coldness released her, she stood in the middle of a large conference hall. The storm beating against the windows had shut down the power; the hall was lit by candles and makeshift torches. She looked around.

One buffet table sagged beneath the weight of five kegs while another held food wrapped in cellophane and tinfoil. The room was otherwise arranged as if for a wedding with two sets of neatly lined chairs on either side of a long aisle. Where the altar would've been were two long buffet tables lined with weapons.

She shivered, not wanting to know what Talon planned.

Czerno slammed open the doors at one end of the hall. She started to follow and tripped, then stifled a cry. What looked like a leg lay in her path, and a pool of blood and more mangled flesh nearby indicated where the Black God had gotten the blood covering him.

She covered her mouth and hurried away. The Black God strode through the quiet buildings until he reached a long hallway overlooking a courtyard packed with hundreds of vamps and several bonfires. She slowed, unwilling to join the throng of bloodsuckers. Instead, she pushed open a door leading to a small balcony overlooking what would've been a large garden, prior to the vamps arrival.

The first story of the building was overflowing with vamps. She wondered what Czerno planned on doing, until she saw him stride out of the building towards the center of the vamps.

"Gotcha, bitch!" The vicious whisper was accompanied by a thick hand clamping around the back of her neck. Talon hauled her away from the balcony. "You left me in the fucking ocean! When I'm the Black God, you'll be the first human to suffer like no one else ever has!"

## Chapter Ten

Dusty studied the scenes on the screens of his command center, agitated by the weather hindering their ability to deal with Talon's vamps. Radar and thermal image coverage was decent, indicating the vamps were mainly gathered in one spot. He took in the various scenes, to include the local news, which blasted photos of the black skies and mounting waves of the tropical-storm-turned-hurricane.

The Black God was back, which meant Bianca wasn't far from him. It took effort to repress his anger and his desire to tear outta there to find her.

"No word on Talon," Jenn said from beside him.

"The Black God's there?" Jonny asked. "What about B?"

"Shut up, kid," Dusty replied. "How many vamps?"

"Several hundred, close to a thousand."

The young man drew away from the table. Jenn touched the earpiece tucked in her ear, frowning.

"And so is Darian."

"Darian?" Dusty echoed.

"Hey, boss, the storm blew out our explosives work." Jimmy's scratchy voice came across the intercom. "We can blow half the place up and send in a team to finish off the rest."

"Wait one," Dusty said and whipped out his phone. He prepared himself for the worst and dialed the Grey God.

"Don't yell!" Darian picked up after the first ring. "I have to, Dusty! You'll understand!"

"We're gonna blow the place, Darian! Get out of there!"

"Dusty, you can't! Bianca's here!"

"What happened to taking care of Ohio?" Dusty asked after a pause. "Shouldn't you be saving those people so I don't blow them up?"

"I will, I will," Darian said impatiently. "Iggy found a temporary solution to stop the spread, and I sealed the area around the town. Nothing can get in or out. Trust me, Dusty!"

Dusty wanted nothing more than to order Darian back to Ohio to finish one mess before dragging them into another. Instead, he drew a deep breath and said, "Find Bianca. I'll be there soon."

"Talon just showed up," Jenn said quietly.

It's time. Dusty hung up the phone and gazed at the screens.

"Jimmy, throw everything you've got at the target in thirty minutes," he said into the intercom. "Jenn, keep Jonny away from that place and safe." He checked his weapons and pulled off his jacket, clipping as many magazines to his belt as he could.

"What're you doing?" Jenn asked, watching him closely.

"Whatever I have to," he replied. "Watch the kid and get word to Damian tomorrow morning."

"Dusty, just send in a team to pull her out. We've done this a million times!"

"Not this time, Jenn. Talon and Czerno are about to face off, and Talon can't be the one to walk away from there."

"At least hold off on-- "

"Jenn!" he said, gripping her arms. "I don't have time for this shit! Watch the kid, and make sure nothing-- and I mean nothing\-- leaves that place alive! If I can't do what I need to in thirty minutes, we're all fucked!"

Jenn appeared torn. Dusty released her, strapped in the last weapon, and looked around.

"Where's Jonny?" he demanded.

"I'll take care of it. You're running out of time," she said. "He can't go anywhere anyway."

Dusty gave a curt nod and closed his eyes. Coldness, then the sound of the storm beating the building around him. The conference hall was dimly lit, and he immediately smelled the blood of a recent kill. His senses thrummed with presence of so many vamps. Drawing a weapon, he walked through the hall and into a corridor. He sensed Darian and Czerno distinctly, the level of power the gods possessed distinguishable despite the massive presence of vamps.

He moved through the building towards Darian, finding him on the ground floor away from the vamps. The Grey God was pacing, his golden eyes glowing in the dark room.

"Are you even trying to find Bianca?" Dusty snapped.

"I know where she is."

"This place is gonna blow soon. You need to leave, Darian."

"No, Dusty!" the Grey God said firmly. "I have to be here, same as you."

Something in his voice had changed. The teenage whininess was gone, replaced by confidence.

"Where's Jonny?" Darian asked.

"With Jenn at HQ," Dusty replied, studying him. "He's too chicken shit to kill you, Darian."

"Not worried about him killing me."

"Where's Bianca?"

"You don't wanna go after her yet, Dusty, or you'll get killed," Darian advised.

"Just answer the fucking question!"

The Grey God gave a familiar, noisy sigh and turned, pointing out a window. Dusty's gaze followed his finger, where Talon and the Black God stood apart from the others under the protection of a small verandah. Bianca hung back from both, kept in place by two vamps on either side of her.

She was pale beneath her warm color with dark circles beneath her eyes. He studied her, feeling as though he was seeing her for the first time and the last. If he weren't damned to die this night, he could see himself with her forever. His gut twisted at the idea of never again seeing her bright smile, holding her, smelling her sweet scent. But if he didn't act, no one walked away from here alive, even her. He looked away and steeled himself.

"Take this," he said, handing Darian the phone. "If you let anything happen to her, I swear to the Original Beings I'll haunt you from the grave for the rest of your life!"

"What're you doing?" Darian asked in a hushed voice.

"I believe in you, Darian. Always have," Dusty said, slapping him on the shoulder. "Don't fuck up."

"Dusty, we can just blow everything up," Darian said, a note of panic in his voice.

"We will. You've got twenty-seven minutes to get out of here before Jimmy levels this place." Dusty walked away, drawing his weapons. He strode through the vacant hallways to the verandah doors. Rain and wind battered him. The vamps around Bianca whirled, and he raised the hand cannons, blasting all four before they reached the door.

Bianca gasped as he strode by. Talon drew his weapons, but the Black God smiled.

"Damian's assassin," Czerno purred.

"My beef isn't with you, Czerno, but with your pet," Dusty said. Talon's nostrils flared.

"Pop, blast this idiot!" Talon snarled.

"Looks like a convenient match-up between demigods," Czerno responded. "Do your own dirty work, son."

Talon's sneer faded. The Black God held out his hands. Talon took one and Dusty the other, feeling the coldness of Traveling from one place to another. They appeared in the conference hall, whose seats were filling with vamps eager to see Talon's show. Czerno had left Bianca, giving Darian the opportunity he needed to snatch her and run.

At least, Dusty hoped that's what Darian did. He glanced at his watch. Twenty-four minutes. He needed to draw this out as long as possible, so Jimmy's explosions took out Talon and all the vamps if he couldn't.

"You're too young to remember, but in my time, we didn't have guns," Dusty said to the bastard son.

"I don't give a shit how I have to kill you!" Talon replied. "You want knives, I got knives. You want swords, I got swords. Either way, you're dead."

Dusty stripped off the clunky modern weaponry, keeping his sword and knives. He removed the bulletproof vest and the body armor on his arms and legs to help free his movement.

Czerno was gone. He looked around, bristling, and then saw the Black God reappear with Bianca.

"Dammit, Darian!" he muttered.

"It's cool, Dusty, I promise," Darian said from nearby. "I'm here to make sure you don't fuck up the universe."

"I don't give two shits about the universe!" he said, turning to face the Grey God. Darian's eyes glowed and swirled. They were pinned on Czerno, his power once again bending light and dark around him.

"Just fight, Dustin," the Grey God said in a hushed voice. "I'll take care of everything else, I promise." The Grey God looked possessed. Dusty studied him a moment longer, recalling his conversation with the Watcher. Czerno gave Darian a warning look, and Dusty stepped onto the dais, where Talon awaited him. At this point, he had no choice but to trust Darian.

Bianca watched in horror and awe as the two men fought. The brutal display of strength and speed was unlike anything she'd ever seen. Swords clashed and spit sparks while their feet danced too fast for her to follow. Talon fought with fury, his eyes glowing red, while Dusty fought with a calm, controlled intensity.

Several times she'd thought Dusty had the upper hand and could've killed the leering vamp, and several times, he'd stopped, once with a glance at his watch. Lightning tore across the otherwise silent room, where vamps stood enraptured by the battle before them.

Darian hadn't been able to look away from the Black God, whose hand was clenched with painful tightness around Bianca's forearm. She quelled her rising panic. She hadn't seen Darian since he dumped her with the Black God in the alternate dimension, and she didn't like the way the air around him shimmered, at once dark and light. While he stood in Dusty's corner, she wasn't convinced he'd chosen a side.

Talon stumbled, and Dusty froze rather than pounced, his head whipping around. The Black God tensed simultaneously, and Darian's eyes glowed brighter. They stared towards a hallway too dark for her to see into. Talon lashed out at Dusty, and she gasped as he barely blocked in time. The two continued, but the Black God snatched her by the neck and moved out of the candlelight, into the darkness.

Whatever was in the hallway distracted Dusty again, and red splashed across his forearm as Talon's blow grazed him.

"Dusty!" she cried.

Czerno squeezed her neck hard with a shake, and she gasped as he cut off her air. Across the room, Darian shifted closer to the battle, one hand rubbing the back of his head.

Lightning split the ceiling with a boom, frying several vamps in the crowd. The force of the strike knocked everyone off their feet and deadened the firelight, except for the torches in the corners. The storm roared in through the ceiling, hail and water pelting her body while thunder deafened her.

Still, Czerno didn't let go of her. He pulled her to her feet and against the wall, where the rain was less harsh. He'd stopped draining her healing power, and she felt a change in his body. He was weak, a type of weakness she couldn't heal.

In another flash of lightning, she saw a form dart from the hallway, around the stunned crowd, towards her. The scent of burning flesh filled the hall, and she shuddered beneath the onslaught of rain and wind.

Dusty and Talon rose, Talon taking the chance to launch himself at Dusty. She gave a strangled cry as Dusty twisted out of reach, the sword slicing through the back of his shirt. Sparks soon flew again.

Some vamps raced out of the hall while others crowded around them, the Black God forgotten. Still others torched the wooden chairs until a fire blazed in the back of the hall. Dusty's shout to Darian was lost in another burst of thunder. He pointed to his watch.

Suddenly, she was flung to the wet floor. Surprised, she twisted in time to see a tall form hack again and again at the Black God, whose own knife was planted in the attacker's chest. Lightning revealed Jonny's face.

"B!" he shouted, dropping beside her. He pulled the knife from his chest, tossing it on the still body of the Black God. His face was drawn and pale, his eyes wild.

"Jonny!" She flung her arms around him. His body drank her healing power. She squeezed him tight.

"I got you, B, don't worry!" he said, breathing hard. "I got you!" He shuddered as her magic worked on him and then wobbled to his feet, taking her hand. "Dusty's gonna blow this place up! We gotta go!"

"Blow it up?" she shouted above the storm, careening into him as he maneuvered around a fallen table.

"C'mon, B!"

She stopped him, heart wrenching. "Jonny, we can't leave him!"

"B, we have to go! Now!"

"No, Jonny, I-- "

He pulled her towards the dark hallway, staying close to the walls. They ducked into the hall, and she pulled away.

"Jonny, please! We have to-- "

"Bianca!" he said, shaking her. "Come with me, please! We don't have much time!"

His attention was drawn over her head, and his mouth went lax. She turned to see the hall in disarray, a mist darker than night slowly creeping through the crowd. Talon and Dusty no longer fought. Instead they searched their surroundings wildly in the light of periodic lightning and the fire at the far end of the hall. Talon knelt where Czerno had fallen and then rose, roaring in anger. His gaze turned towards the hallway.

Darian was a black hole for light and dark, both swimming around him until he appeared encapsulated by them. In the distance, she heard the familiar, unmistakable sound of an explosion. The dark mist slid to the floor and crept towards them. Vamps, chairs, the floor-- all disintegrated at its touch.

"I don't have much time," Jonny whispered. "Run to the end of this hall, then go out the double doors to the left. It'll take you outside to the west lawn. Run, B, and don't stop." He dropped her hand and started back to the hall.

"Jonny? Jonny!"

"B, go, please!" He pushed her further into the corridor, and she watched, horrified when he broke into a run, headed straight towards the dark mist.

Talon grabbed him, his movement blurred. She rushed forward, screaming when Talon's dagger fell twice, thrice, five times. Jonny fell and didn't move. Talon stood and threw his head back in a booming laugh of triumph, until Dusty launched at him and knocked him off his feet. The two began their struggle anew. Bianca inched closer, panicked gaze on her brother. When the warring men careened away, she ran to Jonny and dropped beside him.

"Jonny!" she shouted above the din. Talon's strikes had torn Jonny's chest and abdomen open. Jonny's eyes were open and blank, his face pale.

The ground beneath them shook, and suddenly, the world slowed and fell quiet. She looked up at Darian a short distance away, watching his dark-light power streak around the room. Raindrops fell as if in slow motion, and lightning stayed, brighter than the midday sun. The vamps moved as if in slow motion. Unaffected by Darian's magic, Bianca touched Jonny's lifeless body, recalling the Watcher's words.

"Heal him, Bianca." Darian's voice came as if across a great distance and echoed around the room.

"Come back to me, Jonny," she whispered, crying as she placed her hands on his face. She concentrated as hard as she could, listening for his body to speak to her. At first, there was nothing. She concentrated harder. A tiny cry of his soul, and a spark reached out to her. She channeled her energy towards it, feeding it. It roared awake, thirsty and demanding.

Jonny took a gasping breath. She sat back, dizzy with effort. He sat and looked around.

"Jonny! I can't hold this!" Darian bellowed. His face blazed red from exertion, his eyes glowing brightly.

Her brother rose, helping Bianca to her feet. The world continued in its delayed movement, and they turned to watch the battling duo. Talon went down hard. Within seconds, his head flew across the room.

She gasped as the mist swallowed his body and paused at Dusty's, creeping up his boot without harming him. It moved up his leg. His body shook, and he flung his head back to the sky with a hoarse shout.

"Dusty!" she whispered, stricken. The earth trembled, and her legs crumbled beneath her. She felt Jonny's intent gaze on her as he knelt. "None of us are gonna survive this!"

"You will, B. I swear it," he said and hugged her. "I love you." He kissed her forehead and launched to his feet. Startled, she watched him dart towards Dusty. Jonny snatched the sword Dusty used against Talon and plunged it through the frozen demigod.

Dusty fell, and the mist swallowed Jonny. Darian shouted, staggering beneath the weight of his magic. Bianca screamed. She crawled and clawed her way to Dusty, looking wildly for her brother. She collapsed on top of the still assassin, her healing powers flowing unabated.

"Bianca!" The Grey God snatched her in one arm and Dusty in the other. The slow motion world around them snapped into real time, throwing them against a wall. Explosions ripped the ground from beneath them and blinded her.

Familiar coldness and silence washed over her before the quiet was replaced by the storm's furious bellow. Darian staggered, dropped her, and landed hard on his backside. She looked around, disoriented. Her ears still rung from the explosions lighting up the sky.

"Jimmy's... real good... at that," Darian managed, gasping.

"Jonny," she whispered. "Where's Jonny?"

"He's okay."

"He escaped?" she rasped. She twisted to see the Grey God, whose ashen face and dulled eyes were trained on the still body beside her.

"Sorta," Darian said.

"Where is he?"

"He's okay, I promise. Can you fix him?"

She looked at Dusty's still body, feeling overjoyed and fearful. With effort, she rolled him onto his back. He was alive and unconscious. His body drank what healing she had to give. She brushed water from his face and traced a finger along his jaw.

"Damian's gonna be so pissed," Darian said to no one in particular.

"Dustin!" The familiar voice was carried on the wind. She squinted towards the blazing buildings to see a dark figure half-trotting, half-limping towards them. Jenn reached them and bent at the waist, gasping. "Don't even try... to help," she griped at Darian.

"I didn't know you were here," he said with some chagrin.

"That little shit Jonny made me bring him then knocked me out. Where is he? He needs an ass beating!"

"He's okay."

"Whatever happened drained all my power," Jenn said. "You?"

"Kinda used up all my resources and then stole everyone else's. Figured everything would turn out okay," Darian said with a weak shrug. "Looks like I was right."

"You're a shithead! Didn't stop to think we might be in the middle of helping when you sucked us dry? Gods, I don't know what might've happened if I'd been in mid-Travel or some shit! Not to sound like Dusty, but you gotta learn some self-control! Who knows what the f-- " Darian grumbled as Jenn berated him.

Bianca listened, numb. Her hands rested on Dusty while her gaze remained on the burning clubhouse. She waited for Jonny, her gut twisting in fear.

* * *

"Trinka," he said, kneeling in front of his little sister.

"Hi Dusty," she murmured. She flung her arms around him, the sweet smell of innocence and softness of her body making him melt.

Gods how he missed her!

"I brought you something," she said, holding up her tiny, balled-up fist.

He held out his hand, and she deposited a small trinket in it. He recognized one of the orbs she'd played with. The orbs resembled marbles with colorful lights that danced. He'd given her more than one as a child.

"It's so you don't forget me."

"I've never forgotten you, Trinka."

"Yes, you did, Dusty!" she said in as stern of a voice as a ten-year-old could muster.

"You brought me here to lecture me, little one?" he asked with gentle gruffness.

"You died, Dusty. I just wanted to say hi before you left. I miss you." At the mournful note in her voice, he hugged her tightly.

"I miss you," he whispered.

"I want you to be happy."

"Very hard when I'm there and you're here," he said with forced lightness.

"I'm there, too! I'm always there!" she said stubbornly. "And you're not happy. But now you will be."

He hadn't thought himself unhappy; he'd never thought about it at all. He was content with his life, and yet, at her words, he remembered what it was like when he truly was happy. Long ago, before her death, when he'd had a family. If he let himself, he'd feel that again with Bianca.

"You have to go," Trinka said with some sadness. "You have my plaything. Now you won't forget me!"

He squeezed it, not wanting to let her go.

His first vision was that of Bianca's wet, pale face with dark curls stuck to her cheeks. He felt completely depleted of his power, the sense of being fully human again returning. He'd felt similar when the Black God's powers crept through him, stripping his demigod powers in preparation to give him something more.

Jonny. Trinka. Dusty's memories righted themselves. He sat, surprising Bianca, who wrapped her arms around him. He almost dropped the orb in his hand.

"I thought I lost you!"

"Poor excuse for not following my rules," he grumbled.

Darian looked like shit, a stone wall propping him up, and Jenn was hurt and pissed. The woman in Dusty's arms shook from cold and fear. He gazed at the distant blaze, the scent of burning vamps carried on a wind along with the rain.

He looked at his watch, satisfied to see it was past dawn despite the storm-blackened sky. Bianca's cool magic ran through his body, repairing all but his exhaustion. He held her, never imagining anything could feel so right despite the rain and cold. Carefully, he shifted her and placed Trinka's orb in his pocket.

"Uh oh," Darian whispered.

He felt the Black God's presence and released Bianca. He stood. A tall form stood halfway between the fire and them, flanked by two vamps.

"Jonny!" Bianca cried, seeing the man as well. "I didn't lose either of you!"

Dusty caught her arm as she launched forward. She looked up, eyes bright. He looked at Darian, who frowned. Dusty took her hand, his other pulling his remaining knife free. They moved towards the three. Jonny looked healthy and rested, his dark eyes swirling, his clothing dry and neat despite the storm. He motioned the vamps away.

Dusty stopped a safe distance from the Black God, sensing Bianca's confusion. Jonny held out a hand, and Dusty reluctantly let her go. She closed the distance between them and hugged her brother.

"You're him, aren't you?" she whispered.

"I wronged you and had to make it right." Jonny's voice was coldly monotonous but soft. He smoothed her hair from her face with a gloved hand.

"I forgive you, Jonny. I'll always love you. Will you still come to Papa's grave tomorrow evening?"

"I will," Jonny said then looked to Dusty. "Tell your king I will abide by the divine code, but that I have a duty to perform. You will take care of my sister."

Dusty gave a nod of agreement. The Black God released his sister. She stepped away from him. Jonny turned and walked away, disappearing after a few steps. Exhausted, Dusty took a silent Bianca's hand and led her back to the others.

An odd ringing sound punctuated the rumbling storm. Surprised, Dusty turned to see Darian pull his cell from a pocket. By the Grey God's cringe, it could only be one person. He held out his hand, and the Grey God tossed it to him.

"Damian!" Dusty greeted the White God.

"So... what's up?"

Dusty smiled, then chuckled, relieved.

"Jule and I were Traveling back. Kinda felt like our power short-circuited. Dropped me in... not sure where, but Jule thinks he's in Ireland. My batteries are low-- think I can Travel in an hour or so. Jule's shit outta luck," Damian continued with forced calmness. "The fucking Watcher just popped in with a furious Sofi who refuses to talk to me. What did Darian do this time?"

"I'll tell you everything when you get here."

"That bad?"

"I missed you. What does that say?" Dusty asked.

Damian snorted. The phone beeped, and Dusty glanced at it, not surprised to see his other brother and Damian's commander of the eastern hemisphere, Jule, on the other line.

"See you in a few. D out," the White God said.

Dusty waited to hear Jule's voice, never imagining how happy he would be to hear from either of his brothers again.

"There's a man on the corner with a sign saying the world is going to end, but the sign's dated last year," Jule said. "Any idea what that means?"

"It's time for a vacation," Dusty replied.

"Good call. Looks like I'm on an involuntary one myself," Jule said with a warm chuckle. "Say hi to Darian. Tell him I got a new tattoo. Oh, and I look forward to kicking his ass."

"Will do. Safe travels. Watch out for the Watchers. They've been busy lately."

"Little bastards are like cockroaches," Jule growled. "Chat later."

Dusty pocketed the phone. His brothers weren't any closer than they had been, but the sound of their voices made him realize how alone he'd really felt the past two weeks. And how fortunate he was to have people who cared for him. His eyes found Bianca, who stood shivering in the rain, staring towards the fire, as if waiting for Jonny to reappear.

"Jenn, looks like we need a ride. And communications to Ohio. I need to know if the infected town is still under lockdown. Looks like Darian took out everyone's power but Damian's."

"I'm on it," the pissed Guardian replied and tugged a phone free. "If I wanted to be a fucking mortal, I would be!"

"I think I can Travel," Darian said as he pushed himself up.

Dusty looked at Bianca, not wanting to send her away before talking to her. His gaze caught the movement of a few vamps that had escaped gathering around the edges of the fire.

"Take Bianca home then come back for us," he said.

Bianca didn't respond to his words. Darian moved sluggishly towards the shivering woman. Dusty watched her until they disappeared. Jenn met his gaze, and he looked again towards the fire.

"I think you need to be somewhere else," she said. "Why don't you let me take care of Ohio?"

He clenched his jaw, torn between his heart and his duty. He reached into his pocket to wrap his hand around the orb.

"I am capable, you know," Jenn said and crossed her arms.

"I've never walked away from a battle," he said with some difficulty.

"You have a reason to now."

He said nothing, one hand going to the chest wound Bianca had healed.

* * *

She hoped Dusty's direction wasn't as farewell-ish as it sounded. When she opened her eyes, she was distraught to see the cozy living room of her father's apartment. It was where she belonged, now that she'd helped those that needed it and lost her brother. She felt crushed.

"Maybe tomorrow... would you... you know," Darian said.

"Peanut butter?"

He nodded, concerned gaze on her face.

"Sure," she said, forcing a smile. "And maybe you can bring Sunny back, too."

"Yeah."

"Thanks, Darian."

He waited. When she moved woodenly towards her bedroom, he disappeared. She paused in the hallway to gaze at a picture of Jonny and her from the previous summer. He'd been wearing his vampire gear and refused to smile, but she'd wrapped her arms around him and beamed. Even then his gaze was haunted, as if he somehow knew his fate.

She shivered and shrugged the sense away. He was alive, after all, and there was some good to him for wanting to make things right. She'd lost her father and her brother. She'd hoped not to lose the man she loved as well.

"Peanut butter," Darian hissed.

She turned in time to see Dusty glare hard at the Grey God, who took the hint and left. Dusty was bloodied and drenched, his clothing torn from his battle with Talon. He remained every bit the noble Greek prince with his commanding blue gaze and chiseled features.

"Shouldn't you be saving people in Ohio or something?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I am where I belong," he said with his unflappable confidence.

Any resistance she might have mustered melted at his words. She flung herself into his arms, gratified when he squeezed her hard.

"I owe you one for bringing me back from the dead," he whispered into her hair.

"Yes, you do!" she replied in a small voice.

"I'm sorry I couldn't spare you or Jonny from all this shit, Bianca." His words made her heart somersault. "Rule number five: you are mine for all eternity."

"You're the most unromantic man I've ever known," she said, a laugh bubbling free. "I'll agree, if I won't be second rung to your duty or other women."

"Where did those come from?" he asked.

"I've had bad luck with men."

"Gods. No, woman, you won't be second rung."

"Okay, then, I have some rules for you," she continued. He eyed her. "Rule one: I get to decorate your apartment next time. Rule two: Sunny is coming with us. Rule three: you will eat three square meals a day and sleep every night with me, because you couldn't take care of yourself if you tried. Rule four: I want to try to help turn vamps into humans again."

He snorted.

"Rule five: Jonny is still my brother. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of our father's death, and we made a pact a few months ago to go there every year at the same time. I want to go every year, peacefully, without any gunfights or whatever."

She stopped and waited.

"Yes to the first four," he said. "The last will require some discussion with Damian. He'll have to talk temporary truces with the Black God."

She looked up at him, surprised at his easy agreement.

"Now, you wanna get outta these wet clothes or not?" he asked.

She smiled in response, thrilled.

* * *

Damian, the White God, hauled himself out of the ocean onto the beach. He'd managed to miss the hurricane, though the waters were still rough and the waves high. He flung water from himself, furious to have his Travel ended prematurely. At least he'd made it near shore after being stranded in Iceland for the night to regain his power. He glared at the ocean and strode up the beach littered with wood, boats, and cars, to the highway.

His phone was destroyed and his power drained. He couldn't Travel yet, or even use his telepathy to order someone to come get him, so he jogged along the highway towards the heart of Miami, fuming in the early morning fog. He could sense his mate and used her gentle pull to guide him. He'd been jogging for an hour when a black Tahoe pulled up alongside him. The window rolled down, and his chief assassin glared at him.

"Now you show up," Dusty said icily.

Damian smiled wide and opened the door, sliding into the passenger seat. His assassin's gaze was bright and his face healthy, a pleasant surprise. Damian suspected what kind of hell Dusty had been through and was pleased to see his trusted friend looking good.

"You know what I've been doing for the past few months?" Dusty went on.

"Yeah," Damian replied.

"You can't possibly!"

"Let's see, a new Black God, Darian's madness, running the world. I think the worst is you've been whipped by a woman," Damian ticked off. He watched Dusty, whose grip tightened on the wheel as he muttered curses. "I leave for a few days and you blow up Florida. I miss anything?"

"Sofi's pregnant."

Damian stared at him.

"Damn that felt good! You always beat me to every punch, D, and for once, I nailed you!" Dusty exclaimed. "You realize I can't get salt water out of this leather? It'll smell like a whale died in here now, and I've only got three more Tahoes that survived the hurricane."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Damian growled. "Why did she tell you first?"

"Maybe because you dumped her and Darian off on me and disappeared? You ever think of that, D? You've always been bad with woman."

"Not sure how, when you've been nagging me for thousands of years."

"You're a shitty god." Dusty struggled not to smile then released it with a chuckle.

Damian laughed, thrilled to be back with his adopted brother and to see the glow in his face. Dusty, his heartless assassin, had found his mate.

His heart rejoiced at the thought of his own mate carrying his child, but he couldn't help but to think of his own upbringing. The path of a White God was not an easy one, and he felt for the child who would grow up with war, pain, and a destiny filled with both.

"What happened to Jule?" Dusty asked.

"No idea. Last night he said he was stuck in Ireland. I couldn't reach him. Things are getting rougher. I'm hoping whatever happened here in Florida didn't permanently damage our power. The Black God's vamps haven't lost theirs," Damian said. "Darian tell you to come get me?"

"Sofi did. She's discovered quite a few annoying little powers of her own while you were gone."

Damian smiled, pleased. He'd known how powerful his little Oracle could be. If he had anything to do with it, he wouldn't let her leave his side again. And he was going to be a father. His smile turned to another chuckle. As dark as the war was quickly becoming, he had hope in his adopted brothers, his little Oracle, and his child.

* * *

A team of Guardians lined one road on the small country cemetery while a team of vamps lined the opposite road. Two figures stood between the two lines in front of a headstone.

"Your brother-in-law's the Black God," Damian said with a snort.

Dusty glanced up at the sky, where the clouds had gone from black to slate. The rain had stopped, and the landscape around the graveyard was dotted with reflective pools. He met the White God's golden gaze. Damian's silver-white hair was braided down his back, his thick body causing him to sink two inches into the mud.

"Kinda fucked up."

"What's fucked up is the fact none of us can use our power," Dusty replied. "And Jule's stuck overseas."

"Whatever the Watcher did to keep us there is preventing me from going back," Damian said with a frown. "Hate those little bastards."

Dusty didn't say what they both knew, that Darian's attempt to save the world broke something they didn't know how to fix. None of the Guardians, save Damian and Darian, had their immortal powers, though the Naturals seemed unaffected. Worse, the vamps and Black God seemed unaffected as well. The battle over humanity was about to get even more brutal.

"What's worse is they want to use our backyard as their warzone. Thank the gods they picked a fool like Talon," Damian continued.

Both their gazes returned to the two figures talking quietly in front of their father's grave.

Poor Jonny. Dusty didn't think he had an ounce of sympathy in him, but he couldn't help wishing he could spare Bianca's brother the hell that came with being the Black God. Jonny's penance for betraying his sister would last an eternity.

"Shit happens," Damian stated softly, reading his thoughts. "We got a war to fight and women waiting for us. Darian won't stop talking about Bianca's cookies."

"Darian's grounded 'til further notice. When he finishes clean-up in Ohio, he's been instructed to count the stalks of wheat in the field outside Speck's farmhouse and not return until he's done," Dusty growled. "Cookies are absolutely forbidden."

"Good thing Bianca sent him off this morning with a bag full."

"Damn women."

They were quiet, watching the siblings talk. Both were dressed in black, the Black God pale and stoic and Bianca smiling sadly while a stiff breeze whipped her curls around.

Her brother was alive. It was something. That he was the Black God was another issue he and Damian didn't know what to do with. Jule would remember the last Black God's transition, but Czerno had been the Black God since long before Damian's birth.

"We're going on vacation. I left you a mess to clean up in Ohio," he said.

"The whole world saw that go down," Damian said with a sidelong look at him. "You could blame the explosions and shit down here on the hurricane. A little harder in Ohio."

"Just one massive gas leak," he said with a shrug. "Shit happens." He slapped the White God on the arm and moved towards the two figures, holding his arms out to the side of his body to keep the vamps across the cemetery from blasting him.

The Black God turned at his approach. Jonny's brown eyes, now black, traveled past Dusty to Damian. He gave a nod of greeting, then spun on his heel and strode towards the awaiting vamps.

Dusty gave Bianca a moment. She knelt beside her father's grave to place flowers, then rose and turned. Her smile lit up his day. Her eyes were watery, and she crossed to him, sinking into his arms. He breathed in her familiar scent, her curls tickling his face.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she whispered.

"Let's go home, kiri," he replied.

She took his hand. They walked towards the White God and the Guardians. Dusty felt the Black God's piercing gaze on him.

Good-bye, Jonny.

War of Gods series

Damian's Oracle, Book I

Damian's Assassin, Book II

Damian's Immortal, Book III

The Grey God, Book IV

## Also by Lizzy Ford

History Interrupted – time travel romance

West

East

North (2016)

South (2017)

Omega Beginnings Series

Alessandra

Mismatch

Phoibe

Lantos

Theodocia

Niko

Cleon

Herakles

Omega Series

Omega

Theta (2016)

Alpha (2017

Non-Series – 2014 & 2015

Black Moon Draw (about a reader sucked into her book)

Highlander Enchanted (2015)

The Door

Water Spell (2016)

Dragon Tear (2016)

Lost Vegas Novellas – young adult post apocalyptic

Aveline (2016)

Tiana (2016)

Arthur (2016)

Black Wolf (2016)

Sons of War – contemporary military romance

Semper Mine

Soldier Mine

SEAL Mine (2017)

Super Villainess Chronicles

It's Not Easy Being Evil (2016)

It's Complicated (2016)

Starwalkers Serials (with Julia Crane) – new adult science fiction serial

Severed

Trapped

Exiled

Revealed

Escaped

Heart of Fire – sexy dragon shifter

Charred Heart

Charred Tears

Charred Hope

Incubatti – Buffy meets 50 Shades

Zoey Rogue

Zoey Avenger

Rhyn Trilogy – new adult paranormal with demons

Katie's Hellion

Katie's Hope

Rhyn's Redemption

Rhyn Eternal – Death finds love

Gabriel's Hope

Deidre's Death

Darkyn's Mate

The Underworld

Twisted Fate

Twisted Karma (2016)

War of Gods – paranormal with gods, guardians and exceptional humans

Damian's Oracle

Damian's Assassin

Damian's Immortal

The Grey God

Damian Eternal

Xander's Chance

The Black God

Hidden Evil – paranormal with angels and four horsemen

Hear No

See No (2016)

Speak No (2016)

Unnamed Series

Unnatural (2016)

Unmade (2017)

Omega

Omega

Theta (2016)

Alpha (2017)

Anshan Saga – new adult science fiction romance

Kiera's Moon

Kiera's Home (novelette)

Kiera's Sun

Santa's Ninja Elves (short stories)

Natasha & Hunter

Non-series titles – 2011 - 2013

Star Kissed

A Demon's Desire

The Warlord's Secret

Maddy's Oasis

Rebel Heart

Witchlings – young adult paranormal

Dark Summer

Autumn Storm

Winter Fire

Spring Rain

Broken Beauty Novellas – new adult dramatic fiction

Broken Beauty

Broken World

Voodoo Nights - young adult paranormal

Cursed

Chosen (TBD)

As SE Reign, erotica writer

101 Nights Box Set (Serials 1-7)

