Yeah, right.
Even though her heart was broken, Phoebe didn’t cry. Urian had taught her better than that. He was a warrior, battle born and battle hardened. As his wife, she would honor his courage and show the same strength he did. So she breathed through her pain and forced herself to stand at the rear of the boat, staring desperately where he’d been, hoping to glimpse some sign of his fate.
You better be okay. I won’t forgive you if you die saving me.
Cassandra held on tightly to her seat belt. “Hey, Chris? How fast are we going?”
“Over a hundred at least. These things can move as fast as one hundred forty with the wind, but only about forty against it.”
The blonde moved to stand beside her. “He’ll be okay, Phoebe. His father wouldn’t really hurt him. Stryker may be psychotic, but he loves Urian.”
She didn’t believe that for an instant, and Kat was a fool if she did. Damn her husband for his protective ways.
And damn her for asking him to do this.
Hating herself, she glared at Cassandra, hoping that she didn’t live to regret this action. Then she turned to the Dark-Hunter. “Keep going north. We have a safe place where we can hide all of you.”
Two seconds after those words were spoken, a horrendous shriek sounded above the boat engine, winds, and cracking ice. It was followed by the distinct sound of wings flapping.
Plugging her sensitive ears, Phoebe looked up and gaped. Holy Katateros, it was a dragon!
And not just any dragon. That would be Urian’s psycho dad after them.
You better not have eaten my husband …
“Oh my …” Cassandra didn’t finish her sentence. She stood there as catatonic as Phoebe felt.
Kat threw herself over Cassandra.
Stryker shrieked louder as if frustrated by her actions. Fire blew across the prow of the boat, making Phoebe duck. The Dark-Hunter didn’t slow down at all. He pulled his gun out and fired up at the beast.
Still in dragon form, Stryker dove straight for them, screaming as he came. When the bullets struck him, the dragon recoiled. Yet those wounds didn’t faze his animal form at all.
Stryker continued toward them with a single-minded determination.
Closer.
Closer …
If anything, it just seemed to piss the creature off.
The Dark-Hunter reloaded his clip and fired more rounds.
Then just as Phoebe was sure they’d be toast, Stryker vanished.
For a full ten seconds, no one moved.
Chris popped his head up like a scared meerkat. “What happened?”
“He must have been recalled,” Kat answered. “It’s the only thing that could have stopped him like that.”
The Dark-Hunter finally slowed a degree. “Recalled by whom?”
“The Destroyer,” Phoebe said. “She won’t let him hurt Kat.” For reasons no one knew, she was more sacred to Apollymi than anyone.
“And just why is that, Kat?” the Dark-Hunter asked.
Kat appeared uncomfortable with that question. “Like Stryker, I’m one of her servants.”
