He shoved Urian away from him. Urian fell to the floor gasping, holding his hands against his neck to stanch the blood flow while his father faced the Dark-Hunters.
"You didn't really think I was stupid enough to fall for this trick, did you?" His gaze bored into Wulf and when he spoke, it wasn't Stryker's voice he heard... it was the voice of Cassandra's father. "I knew you would never bring me the baby. I just needed to get the guardians away from Elysia for a while."
Wulf cursed at his words as he moved to attack.
Stryker vanished into a black cloud of smoke while the Daimons attacked.
"Ak'ritah tah!" Acheron shouted.
The portal opened.
One of the Daimons laughed. "We don't have to go through-" Before he could finish the sentence, the Daimon was violently sucked through the opening.
The others quickly followed.
Ash ran across the floor to where Urian lay in a pool of blood. "Sh," Ash breathed, covering Urian's hands with his own.
Urian's eyes were filled with tears as he stared up at Acheron.
"Breathe easy and shallow," Acheron said, his tone soothing and deep.
Wulf and the others watched in stunned silence as Ash healed the Daimon.
"Why?" Urian asked.
"I'll explain later." Acheron stood up and lifted the hem of his shirt until his lean, well-defined stomach was exposed. "Simi, return to me."
The baby shot out of Wulf's hands immediately. She turned from an infant into a tiny dragon, then laid herself over Acheron's skin until she became a tattoo over his left ribs.
"I always wondered how your tattoo moved," Kyrian said.
Ash didn't speak. Instead, he raised his hands.
One second they were in the Inferno, the next, they were in the middle of Elysia.
More than hell had broken loose since Wulf and Kat had left earlier. Unending screams rent the air. There were scattered bodies of Apollite men, women, and children everywhere. Apparently, they didn't disintegrate like Daimons did unless they died on their birthdays.
Dread and fear tore through Wulf.
"Phoebe!" Urian cried, running for his apartment.
Wulf didn't bother to call out. No one could hear above the screams. So he ran as fast as he could toward his wife and son.
Several Daimons tried to stop him. His gaze glazed by fury, Wulf cut through them.
No one would get between him and his family.
No one.
He got to the apartment to see the door had been kicked open. Shanus's dead body was lying just inside the living room.
Wulf choked on fear until he heard fighting from his bedroom. Best of all, he heard his son's angry squall.
Running through the room, he reached the bedroom and paused. Chris stood in the farthest corner, holding Erik against his chest. Chris's two Apollite friends, Kyra and Ariella, stood in front of him as if they were a barrier to protect him and Erik.
Stryker and three more Daimons were attacking Kat and Cassandra, who were fighting them off with admirable flair and skill.
"You can't hold your shield forever, Katra," Stryker growled.