"There's no need to thank me, Atlantean. One day, I'll ask you for a favor."
"And I will return it."
"I know." Suddenly the stoic veil dropped from Savitar's face. "I don't mean this to be patronizing, Acheron, but I am proud of what you have become. You have learned much and used it wisely, unlike some people I know..."
Ash nodded. Savitar had his own demons that he hid. But then everyone did.
"I hope you find peace, my brother," he said to Savitar.
Savitar scoffed. "Peace walks hand in hand with a quiet conscience."
"Then we're both seriously screwed."
Savitar laughed. "Yes, we are."
Ash fell silent for a minute as thoughts and scenarios played through his mind. "Question?"
"Answer?"
He gave Savitar an irritated grimace. There were times when Savitar enjoyed provoking him. "Would killing Stryker be such a bad thing?"
"Only you can answer that."
"I hate it when you play prophet with me. But I suppose I deserve it."
Savitar shrugged. "All of us answer to someone."
Those words surprised Ash. He found it hard to believe that Savitar would allow anyone to have any power over him. "And who holds your chain?"
"If I told you that, you'd know too much about me."
"You already know too much about me."
Savitar didn't comment on that. "Life is what we make it," he said slowly. "You don't need me to tell you what would happen if you killed Stryker. You know that answer." He moved to stand to Ash's side. "You let your emotions control you in New Orleans and what happened?"
Complete and utter disaster.
Ash bit his tongue to keep from asking if Alexion would survive the coming battle with Stryker. If the answer was no, then there was no way he could not interfere.
I have to stay out of this.
"Don't worry, Atlantean," Savitar said quietly. "The one thing I can assure you... through your own actions, you will be saved."
"And Alexion?"
"Through his, he will be damned. But then you already knew that."
Alexion spent the next two days getting used to Xirena being a part of him, and popping off his body at inopportune moments because his blood was racing and his blood pressure was elevated. It seemed his demon couldn't tell the physical difference between when he was in danger and when he was "in" Danger.
To which Xirena often commented, "Naked human sex, ew!"
That was okay with him since the idea of naked demon sex was equally repugnant to him.
Meanwhile he continued to grapple with fears about Danger's future. Part of him wanted the voice back in his head that had warned him originally to watch over her. Who had it been and where had she gone?
How could he get her back?
Damn. There were never voices in his head when he needed them.