Xypher nodded before he looked at Hades. "I need all my powers returned to me."
He curled his lip. "You're dead."
"And I need my Oneroi powers back if I'm to help her."
Hades narrowed his eyes. "Don't think you can escape me even with them. You made a bargain and you are bound by it."
"And I will abide by it."
Hades snapped his fingers.
Relief flashed across Xypher's brow before he dressed himself. When his gaze met Kat's, she saw sincerity and gratitude there. "I'll be in touch." He vanished.
Kat smiled in contentment until Hades shook his head. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"I think I do."
"No, Kat, you don't. Did you even bother to ask anyone why he was served with a death sentence?"
"You said it yourself. He was a Skotos who refused to be reined in."
"Yes, he was. He would also hunt down humans and terrorize them until they went mad from it. Not a few people, Kat. We're talking more than a hundred. His last victim set himself on fire, trying to escape the nightmares Xypher had caused."
Kat covered her mouth as horror filled her. "Why didn't you tell me that?"
"Because you said you knew what you were doing. Nice to know you lie like everyone else."
That stung on more levels than she wanted to acknowledge. She hadn't meant to lie to anyone, and she hated the fact that Hades knew just where to attack someone.
But she wouldn't let him know that he'd struck a nerve. "Thanks for your help, Hades."
He inclined his head before he left her alone with her own fear over what she'd done. By trying to make things better she had a bad feeling she'd just unleashed another menace into the world.
At the rate she was going, who needed to fear the gallu? It appeared she was the biggest threat to humanity.
Her guilt churning, she left to go tell Sin the latest good news.
Kat flashed back to Simi's room first to make sure the two of them were fine, especially Simi. She didn't know if the demon was friendly with Kytara or not, but experience had taught her that Simi took the death of her friends extremely hard-it was something Kat should have thought of before she'd sent her to Olympus with Kytara's body.
But as soon as Kat entered the room, she realized that she'd worried over nothing. Xirena had ordered room service, and the two of them were steadily eating their way through it.
"Fighting makes a Charonte really hungry," Xirena explained as she paused while eating a hamburger.
That worked for Kat, who wasn't going to pursue the matter any further than the fact that the demons were occupied and she hadn't scarred Simi.
Kat left them and went to Sin's penthouse. She found him lying sprawled across the bed, fully dressed. It looked as if he'd just laid down for a second, only to succumb to exhaustion. Her heart broke for him. He'd been through so much in the last couple of days.
Poor baby.
Using her limited powers, she stripped his clothes so that he could lie more comfortably. She bit her lip at the choice sight he made naked. He really did have one of the best bodies she'd ever seen on a man. From the broadness of his battle-scarred shoulders to the deep indentation of his abs, he was yummy. And it took all her willpower not to nip at that bronzed skin with her teeth. Really, he was as tempting as sin.
She stifled a laugh at her bad pun before she brushed her hand through his silken curls.
"How did it go?"
The deep rumble of his voice made her jump. "I thought you were asleep."
"I was until you touched me." Yawning, he rolled over onto his back.