“And they call us cold.” Paris shook his head. “So glad I livehere.”
Urian didn’t comment on that. “Who’s Savitar?”
Apollymi answered that one. “A rank, arrogant Chthonian bastard. Surly as hell. Pray to the gods you never have to deal withhim.”
Urian was shocked by the venom in her tone. That was the type of hatred usually only reserved for Apollo or Artemis and in the back of his mind, he seemed to recall her speaking of him before, now that he thought it. But it’d been years ago.
They all bowed to their goddess.
The Were-Hunter hesitated, then realized it was probably a good idea to follow suit.
Apollymi walked over to Nicander to examine him a little closer. “So you’re Savitar’s currentpetproject. Why?”
“No idea, my lady.”
She narrowed her gaze speculatively. “He doesn’t come off that island lightly. Nor does he meddle in the affairs of the gods without a damn good reason. Did the Dark-Hunter Acheron ask him to?”
“I don’t know anyone by that name.”
But Urian did. He immediately remembered the creature he’d met whose eyes matched hers. Were they related?
“Who leads the Were-Hunters?”
“You mean the Omegrion?”
“Not that. Who are the founders of it? The first blood children?”
“The Kattalakis princes. Dragons and wolves.”
That still didn’t seem to pacify her.
She cut a gimlet stare toward his father and then him. “I leave it up to you, Strykerius, if you want to allow the Were-Hunters a haven here. They are cousins to you, after all. Their blood … and souls should feed you, being that they are hybrids.”
There was something Urian hadn’t thought about. But the goddess was right. They were chimeras and since she’d pointed it out, he could detect the soul within them.
That baby was ripe for the plucking, and he wasn’t the only one to know it. Several of his men around him were now salivating.
But his father quickly put a stop to that. “So long as they hold to Eirini Law, so will we.”
Damn those peace laws.
Nicander inclined his head respectfully. “Thank you. And know that my people are setting up limanis with Savitar’s approval and his oversight. Not even a Dark-Hunter can breach their sanctity without suffering his wrath. It’s a place where Daimon, Apollite, and Were-Hunter can gather in the human realm in peace.”
“And if the humans attack?”
A slow smile spread across Nicander’s face at Urian’s question. “Come in peace or leave in pieces.” He turned back toward Apollymi. “We’re slowly learning to live among humans. Although a lot of Apollites have done what you have. They’ve moved to underground communes. We’re setting up networks, with signs that will subtly alert our kind without the humans knowing.”
“About time,” Archie growled.
Paris rubbed his back, but he shrugged off his sympathetic touch. Not that Urian blamed him. He’d now lost all of his children and his wife to Dark-Hunters, and three grandchildren. They were sick of their predators.
Right now, they were losing this war. Not even their aunt Satara was able to help them with the information she gleaned from spying on Artemis and Apollo while she attended Artemis as one of her handmaidens in her temple on Olympus.
There had to be more they could do.
And Urian was done with this. He motioned for his team and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” his father asked.
