Her expression one of terror, Danger held Xirena close.
Alexion cocked his head at the strangeness of Stryker's threat. The momentary panic that he held her soul lasted for only a few seconds, before he realized something. "Run with Xirena, Danger. He doesn't have your soul."
Stryker laughed at him as he passed a pitying look to Danger. "How wonderful. Your lover thinks to call my bluff."
"It's not a bluff," Alexion said assuredly as he faced the Daimon coldly. "I don't know what you have, but it's not her soul."
Stryker's gaze was cold, sinister, and if he'd actually had Danger's soul, Alexion might have been scared. "Are you willing to take that chance?"
Alexion didn't blink. "Yes."
"Alexion!" Danger snapped, her voice filled with fear. "If it is my soul-"
"It's not," he said, looking at her. "Trust me in this. Artemis holds those souls too closely and there's only one man alive who can get them from her. You can bet your life, your ousia, and everything else you have that Stryker's not him."
"Are you so sure?" Stryker asked as he toyed with the medallion in his hand. He tightened his grip around it. "Artemis is my aunt, after all."
Alexion scoffed. "Yeah, and she hates your guts with a blazing passion. The only way for you to get a soul is for Acheron to hand it over to you and we both know the chances of that."
Cursing, Stryker threw the medallion down and crushed it under his heel.
Danger cringed until she realized that nothing had happened to her.
She felt her chest just to make sure...
Nope, she was still intact. Breathing in relief, she returned to Xirena, who was still holding her chest where Stryker had stabbed her.
"I told you to kill them all," Stryker commanded his Daimons.
Danger stood before the demon to protect her. As the Daimons attacked and she fought them, she realized something terrifying. Her powers weren't there in full strength.
With every strike and blow, she seemed to weaken.
The Daimon she was fighting kicked her backward. Danger hit the ground so hard, it knocked the breath from her. She rolled, trying to get away, only to find herself at the feet of another Daimon. He laughed as he raised a sword to behead her.
Just as she was sure she was dead, the Daimon was thrown back. She looked up expecting to see Alexion.
Instead, it was Kyros who stood over her.
He had killed the Daimon, and was holding his hand out to her. "I've been a stupid fool," he breathed as he pulled her to her feet. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to."
He glanced to Alexion who was fighting Stryker. "I know." He pushed her toward the door. "C'mon. We have to get the other Dark-Hunters out of here before it's too late."
Before she could say anything, he bent over and picked Xirena up to carry her away from the Daimons.
Alexion paused as he saw Kyros and Danger working together to get the others to safety. She'd been right-he had come around in the end. Gods, he owed that woman more than could ever be repaid.
He did a quick head count of the Dark-Hunters who were leaving and realized that only three Dark-Hunters had been killed by the Daimons so far.
They'd been the ones who hadn't moved to the right.
Kyros and Danger were fighting the Daimons as the rest of them rushed to make it out of the room.
To buy them more time, he lunged at Stryker again.
The Daimon turned with a snarl. "You can't stop me," Stryker said ominously.