She nodded, and held the curtains open for him. "Now, speaking of people who should tend their wounds, you need to come back here and let me help you. Goodness, but I've never seen anyone with their back in worse shape than you. Why on earth you let anyone beat you like that is beyond me. And I know you had to let them. A Dark-Hunter with your powers would never take something like that unless he wanted to."
Ash didn't answer, but he knew the reason. Artemis never willingly let go of one of her Dark-Hunters. The price of their freedom was a high one.
He had agreed to sacrifice some of his flesh in order to gain Kyrian a chance to kill Desiderius.
Most of all, his torn and bruised back had bought the General a chance for happiness. It was a bloody ritual he willingly underwent every time a Dark-Hunter wanted his or her soul back.
A ritual none of them knew about.
What went on between him and Artemis was private. And he would always keep it that way.
Kyrian eased his way over to Bourbon Street where he'd found the punks before. The pain in his side was lessening, but still excruciating. It took him a full half hour before he found what he was looking for.
And the look on the punk's face was priceless.
"Holy shit!"
Kyrian grabbed him before he could run. "Tell Desiderius we're not finished."
The kid nodded.
Kyrian released him and watched as he tore down the street at a dead run.
He knew the first rule of war was that a surprise attack virtually guaranteed a victory, and he had just blown his best surprise. Still, he refused to keep his advantage at the risk of Amanda or one of her family members being hurt. Desiderius wouldn't go after them so long as he had a Dark-Hunter to contend with.
Limping, he returned to Nick's car and finally headed back to the one thing that gave him peace.
"Where have you been?" Amanda asked as soon as Kyrian returned.
"I had something to do."
Nick cursed. "You went to find Desiderius, didn't you?" He cursed again. "You sent word to him that you were alive."
Kyrian ignored him as he headed to the couch and sat down.
"Are you okay?" Amanda asked.
He nodded as he stretched out.
Nick glared at him. Rounding the sofa, he clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides. "Dammit, Kyrian, why would you-"
"Nick, lay off me. I'm not in the mood."
Nick's nostrils flared. "Fine, go and get yourself killed. What do I care anyway? I get the house, the cars, everything. So you go right ahead and tell him you're wounded and half-dead. Tell you what, why don't I just leave the door unlocked and invite him on in here?"
"Nick, you're not helping," Amanda said gently.
She saw the agony in Nick's eyes. The filial affection he had for his Dark-Hunter. "You know what?" he said through gritted teeth. "I don't give a damn. 'Cause I don't need anyone." He pointed at Kyrian. "I don't need you, your money, or a damn thing. I've never needed anyone but myself. So you go right on and die, 'cause I don't care."
Nick turned to leave.
Faster than she could blink, Kyrian was on his feet in front of Nick.
Nick glared at him. "Get out of my way."
Kyrian's face showed the patience of a father with a rebellious teen. "Nick, I'm not going to die on you."
"Yeah, right. How many times do you think Streigar said that to Sharon before he was turned into an extra crispy fried Dark-Hunter?" Nick shrugged Kyrian's hold off his arm and stormed out of the house.
A tic started in Kyrian's jaw as he pulled his cell phone off his belt and dialed it.
"Acheron," he said after a brief pause, "I have a renegade Squire who is no doubt headed out to the Quarter in a new anthracite Jag XKR convertible. Can you catch him before he does something stupid?"
His brow creased with worry, Kyrian met her eyes as he listened. "Yeah, thanks."
He looked extremely peeved at something Acheron was saying. "Yes, O great lord and master, I'm resting."
A shocked look came over his face. "How do you know I'm standing?"
After a brief pause, he snorted. "Bite me, Ash. Good luck with Nick." He hung up the phone.
Even though she didn't know exactly what Acheron had said, she caught the gist of it. "He's right, you need to lie down."
Kyrian's black eyes flashed. "I don't need to be coddled."
"Fine, Nick. Want to tell me how you need nothing and no one too and then storm out of the house?"
Kyrian offered her a sheepish smile. "Now you know why I tolerate him. Two peas in a pod."
Amanda laughed, even though her heart felt for both of them. "Let me guess, you were just like him at his age?"
"Actually, he's a lot more tolerable than I was. Not quite as stubborn, either."
Amanda stepped into his embrace and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Come on, let's go upstairs."
To her amazement, he allowed her to take him back to the guest room and put him back to bed.
As she undressed him, she saw his pink, healing wounds. Taking his arm in her hand, she touched the small nail holes. "I can't believe you're up so soon after what happened."
He sighed. "You can't keep a Dark-Hunter down for long."
Amanda barely heard his words. As she touched the wounds, images flashed through her mind. She felt Kyrian's rage, his pain. Then she saw a flash of the future. Of Kyrian spread out against a wall and at Desiderius's mercy.
Of Kyrian dying.
Gasping, she let go and stepped back.
Kyrian frowned at her. "What is it?"