Her heart pounded. "Where's Zarek? Sasha!"

A hand touched her arm comfortingly. "Easy now, darling. Everything's going to be all right."

"Where's my wolf?"

By the way the air in front of her face stirred, she could tell Sundown was waving his hand about an inch from the tip of her nose.

"Yes, I'm blind," she said irritably. "Tell me where Sasha is."

"He's the furry thing at your feet."

She let out a small breath of relief, but that was only half her concern. "And Zarek?"

"We left him behind."

"No," she said, her heart hammering once more. "I'm not supposed to leave him."

"We didn't have any-"

Astrid didn't hear the rest of his statement. She was too busy trying to open the car door.

A strong hand pulled her back. "Whoa, little lady, what I'm doing here is dangerous. I've got to get you as far away from the cabin as I can. Trust me, if anyone can handle this, Zarek can."

"No he can't," she said, trying to stand up. "I have to go back to him. If anyone finds out that I'm not with him, he's dead. Do you understand?"

"Lady-"

She brushed away his hand. "Thanatos will be sent for him. I have to go back."

"Youknow about Thanatos?"

Astrid reached out, trying to find Sundown's mouth to feel for fangs.

He dodged her hand.

"Do you work for Acheron?" she asked.

"Do you?"

"Answer me. Are you one of his... men?"

He hesitated before he answered. "Yes."

She breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Zeus for small favors. "I'm Zarek's judge. If I leave him unchaperoned, Artemis will call out Thanatos to kill him."

"I hate to break it to you. She already did. I just left the two of them at your place to have it out."

Astrid's head spun. How could this be?

"You're sure it was Thanatos?"

"That's what he said and after the way he tore through us Hunters, I tend to believe him."

Astrid felt ill at the news. This couldn't be happening.

Why would Artemis breach their agreement?

She knew Artemis had been anxious for a verdict, but still...

"You've got to get me back. Zarek can't kill him. None of you can."

"What do you mean?"

"Only Acheron has the power to kill Thanatos.Only Acheron. None of you stand a chance against him."

Sundown cursed. "All right. Hold tight and I pray God you're wrong, lady."

Astrid felt Sasha stirring as Jess turned the car around in a move that reminded her of a carnival ride.

"Shhh, Sasha," she said, reaching down to touch and soothe him. "Where are we? What happened?"

She felt him shifting slightly to look up at Sundown. He let out a low growl.

"And who the hell is this refugee fromA Fistful of Dollars? "

"He's a friend. So be nice."

"Nice? Fine. I won't bite him. Just yet." Sasha settled back a bit. "Why am I in a truck? How did I get here? And why does my head feel like it's about to explode?"

"I drugged you."

She had a distinct feeling Sasha had his eyes narrowed at her and his teeth bared.

"You what?"

She flinched at the anger in his voice. "I had no choice. But yell at me later. We have a problem right now."

"And that is?"

"Thanatos is loose. And he's already after Zarek."

"Good, the Dayslayer has taste."

"Sasha!"

"I can't help it. You know I don't like the psycho-beast."

Sighing, she buried her hand in Sasha's fur and used his eyes as her own. He climbed into her lap so that he could look out the window for her.

After a few miles, she recognized the scenery as they neared her cabin.

But what scared her was the sight of a huge fire off in the distance.

Sundown cursed and accelerated.

As they came closer, she saw her cabin burning. There was a lone shadow in front of it, but she couldn't tell if it was Zarek or Thanatos.

Terrified, she held her breath, hoping it was Zarek who was still alive.

It wasn't until Sundown pulled to a stop that she could tell for sure.

She went weak with relief. It was Zarek silhouetted by the fire. Letting go of Sasha, she opened the door and ran toward where she had seen him.

Astrid had no idea how he had survived Thanatos or where the Executioner was.

All that mattered was getting to Zarek.

She wanted to touch him, to make sure he wasn't hurt.

Halfway there, a fearful, masculine scream rent the air. Astrid slid to a stop as she tried to pinpoint where it came from.

She heard the snow crunching to the side of her and she assumed that was Sundown, heading for Zarek. Sasha came up from behind and nosed her hand with his muzzle.

It didn't seem to have come from any of them.

Then all of a sudden, an explosion sounded.

She dropped to her knees and used Sasha to see what was happening.

Her house had blown apart. Fire and debris shot high into the air, blending ominously with the aurora borealis.

Out of the midst of the fiery remains came Thanatos. Unmarred and undamaged.

Not even his hair was singed.

It was a horrifying sight.

Zarek cursed. "Don't you ever die?"

Thanatos didn't answer. Instead, he moved to slug Zarek who ducked the blow and delivered a staggering one back.

Sundown moved toward her. "I've got to get you-"

She took off running before Sundown could finish the sentence.

"Sasha," she called. "Attack."

"Like hell!" Sasha snapped. "I may be your guardian but that is Artemis's pet. I can't kill it. I'll be lucky to even faze him. And you know what people do to injured wolves... They shoot them."

Astrid panicked. She couldn't see. She could only hear the grunts of the men fighting, the sound of flesh striking flesh.

Someone grabbed her and threw her to the ground, then covered her body with theirs.

She screamed.

"Stop it!" Zarek snapped.

He rolled with her, then pulled her up and pushed her forward.

"What's going on?" she asked as he kept moving her forward.

"Not much," he said in a bored yet breathless tone. "Some invincible asshole is trying to kill me. And you're not supposed to be here." He let go of her. "Get her out of here, Jess." "I can't."

Zarek curled his lip. Had he been able to afford the drain to his powers, he would have slugged Jess for that.

Instead, all he could do was whirl around to face Thanatos who was stalking him relentlessly.

"What's the matter, Zarek? You afraid to die?"

He snorted as he pushed Astrid toward Jess. "Dying's easy. It's living that's hard."

Thanatos paused as if the words caught him off guard.

It gave Zarek just what he needed. Pulling the Daimon dagger from its concealed sheath inside his boot, he rushed forward and embedded it in Thanatos's chest where a stain that looked like an ink blot should have been. Normally the strike would release the human souls trapped inside a Daimon's body. The force of their exit was usually enough to blow the Daimon apart, causing instant decomposition.

This time, it didn't work.

Thanatos pulled the dagger out and reached for him. "I'm not a Daimon, Dark- Hunter. Don't you remember? I was an Apollite until I met you."

Zarek frowned.

Thanatos grabbed him by his collar and held him tight. "Do you remember my wife you killed? My village you destroyed?"

Memories flashed through his mind. Zarek saw nothing but his own village.

No, wait. He remembered something...

A flash of an invincible Daimon, but not the man he faced.

This one had red, glowing eyes.

No, that had been someone else.

His thoughts turned toNew Orleans .

To...

Why couldn't he remember?