Something passed between them, some shared nightmare Amanda knew nothing about.
Julian took Grace's hand. "Grace, this is my friend Kyrian of Thrace. Kyrian, this is my wife."
Like a graceful black panther coming out of its deadly crouch, Hunter rose to his feet with Vanessa cradled gently in his arms. "I'm honored to meet you, Grace."
"Thank you," Grace said. "I have to say the same about you. Julian's talked about you so much that I feel like I know you."
Hunter narrowed his eyes on Julian. "Considering how often he censured my behavior, I shudder to think what he's told you about me."
Grace laughed. "Nothing too bad. Is it true you once incited an entire bordello into-"
"Julian!" Hunter snapped. "I can't believe you told her that."
Completely unabashed, Julian shrugged Hunter's irritability off. "Ingenuity under pressure was always your forte."
Grace gasped, then put her hand against her distended stomach. Julian reached out and took her arm, watching her worriedly.
Taking deep breaths, Grace rubbed her stomach and offered them a tentative smile. "Sorry, the baby kicks like a mule."
Hunter stared at Grace's belly, and a strange light came into his eyes. For an instant, Amanda could swear they glowed.
"It's another boy," he said quietly, his voice distant.
"How did you know?" Grace asked in surprise as she continued to run her hand over her stomach. "I just found out yesterday."
"He can feel the baby's soul," Julian said quietly. "It's one of the protective powers of a Dark-Hunter."
Hunter looked to Julian. "This one is going to be strong-willed. He's loving and giving, but completely reckless."
"Reminds me of someone else I once knew," Julian said.
The words seemed to haunt Hunter.
"C'mon," Julian said, taking Vanessa from Hunter and setting her down even though she squealed in protest. "I need to get you upstairs and tend that wound."
Amanda stood in the hallway, unsure of what she should do. She had a million questions she wanted answered, and if not for Hunter's wound, she'd be on her way upstairs right now asking them all. But Julian was right. That vicious-looking wound needed tending.
With a wistful glance to the stairs, she turned back to Grace. "You're amazingly calm given all this chaos. Gods poofing out, people coming in wearing bloody clothes, and getting blasted in your foyer. I would think by now you'd be freaking out, especially given your condition."
Grace laughed as she herded the crying Vanessa back into the living room. "Well, over the last few years, I've gotten rather used to Greek gods poofing in and out. As well as other things I don't want to think about. Being married to Julian has definitely been an education in staying calm."
Amanda laughed halfheartedly as she glanced toward the stairs and again wondered about her enigmatic Dark-Hunter. "Is Hunter-or Kyrian-a god, too?"
"I don't know. From the things Julian has said, I always assumed Kyrian was a man, but I'm as much in the dark as you are."
As Grace sat down, Amanda heard the men talking through the baby monitor.
Grace reached to turn it off.
"Please, wait."
Amanda took a seat and played with Niklos while she listened to the men above.
"Damn, Kyrian," Julian said as soon as Kyrian handed him his shirt. "You've got more scars on you than my father had."
Kyrian let out a deep breath while he gently probed the burn on his shoulder from Aphrodite's blast.
The two of them were alone in the twins' nursery at the end of the upstairs hallway. Kyrian squinted against the bright yellow teddy-bear wallpaper that hurt his light-sensitive eyes and reached for his sunglasses.