Acheron?

He ignored her.

She didn't take the hint.

The Daimon menace is spreading faster than you can contain it. You needed help and so I've given it to you.

He scoffed at the idea of her help. The Greek goddess had never done anything for anyone other than herself since the dawn of time.

"Leave me alone, Artemis. We're through, you and I. I have a job to do and no time to be bothered with you."

Fine then. I shall send them out to face the Daimons unprepared. If they die, well, who cares for a human? I can just make more of them to fight.

It was a trick.

Yet in his gut, Acheron knew it wasn't. She probably had made these Dark-Hunters and if she truly had, then she would definitely do it again.

Especially if it would make him feel guilty.

Damn her. He would have to go to her temple. Personally, he would rather be disemboweled.

His gut tightened at the memory and it didn't appreciate his jest.

He looked to his demon. "Simi, I need to see Artemis now. You return to Katoteros and stay out of trouble until I summon you."

The demon grimaced. "The Simi don't like Artemis, akri. I wish you'd let the Simi kill that goddess. The Simi want to pull out her long, red hair."

He knew the feeling.

"I know, Simi, which is why I want you to stay at Katoteros." He stepped away, then turned back to face her. "And for my sake, please don't eat anything until I get back. Especially not a human."

"But-"

"No, Simi. No food."

"No, Simi. No food," she mocked. "The Simi don't like this, akri. Katoteros is boring. There's nothing fun there. Only old dead people who want to come back here. Bleh!"

"Simi…" he said, his voice thick with warning.

"I hear and obey, akri. The Simi just never said she would do so quietly."

He shook his head at the incorrigible demon, then willed himself from earth to Artemis's temple on Olympus.

Acheron stood on top of the golden bridge that traversed a winding river. The sound of the water echoed off the sheer sides of the mountain that rose up all around him.

In the last two thousand years, nothing had changed.

The entire area at the top of the mountain was made up of sparkling bridges and walkways, covered by a rainbow fog, that led to the various temples of the gods.

The halls of Mount Olympus were opulent and massive. Perfect homes for the egos of the gods who lived inside them.

Artemis's was made of gold, with a domed top and white marble columns. The view of the sky and world below was breathtaking from her throne room.

Or so he had thought in his youth.

But that was before time and experience had jaundiced his appreciation. To him there was nothing spectacular or beautiful here now. He saw only the selfish vanity and coldness of the Olympians.

These new gods were very different from the gods Acheron had learned about since his days as a human. All but one of the Atlantean gods had been full of compassion. Love. Kindness. Forgiveness.

His pending birth had been the only time the Atlanteans let their fear lead them-that mistake had cost all of them their immortal lives and had allowed the Olympian gods to replace them.

It'd been a sad day for the human world in more ways than one.

Acheron forced himself across the bridge that led to Artemis's temple. Two thousand years ago, he'd left this place and hoped that he would never return to it.

He should have known that sooner or later she would devise a scheme to bring him back.

His gut tight with anger, Acheron used his telekinesis to open the oversized, gilded doors. He was instantly assailed with the sound of ear-piercing screams from Artemis's female attendants. They were wholly unaccustomed to a man entering their goddess's private domain.

Artemis hissed at the shrill sound, then zapped every one of the women around her.

"Did you just kill all eight of them?" Acheron asked.

Artemis rubbed her ears. "I should have, but no, I merely tossed them into the river outside."

Surprised, he stared at her. How unusual for the goddess he remembered. Perhaps she'd learned a degree of compassion and mercy over the last two thousand years.

Knowing her, it was highly unlikely.

Now that they were alone, she unfolded herself from her cushioned ivory throne and approached him. She wore a sheer, white himation that hugged the curves of her voluptuous body and her dark auburn curls glistened in the light.

Her green eyes glowed warmly in welcome.

The look went through him like a lance. Hot. Piercing. Painful. He'd known seeing her again would be hard on him-it was one of the reasons why he'd always ignored her summons.

But knowing something and experiencing it were two entirely different things.

He'd been unprepared for the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him now that he saw her again. The hatred. The betrayal. Worst of all was the need.

The hunger.

The desire.

There was still a part of him that loved her. A part of him that was willing to forgive her anything.

Even his death…

"You look good, Acheron. Every bit as handsome as you were the last time I saw you." She reached to touch him.

He stepped back, out of her reach. "I didn't come here to chat, Artemis, I-"

"You used to call me Artie."

"I used to do a lot of things I can't do anymore." He gave her a hard stare to remind her of everything she had taken from him.

"You're still angry at me."

"You think so?"

Her eyes snapped emerald fire, reminding him of the demon who resided in her divine body. "I could have forced you to come to me, you know. I've been very tolerant of your defiance. More than I should have been."

He looked away, knowing she was right. She, alone, held possession of the food source he needed to function. When he went too long without her blood, he became an uncontrollable killer. A danger to anyone who came near him.

Only Artemis held the key that kept him as he was. Sane. Whole.

Compassionate.

"Why didn't you force me to your side?" he asked.

"Because I know you. Had I tried, you would have made us both pay for it."

Again, she was right. His days of subjugation were long over. He'd had more than his share of it in his childhood and youth. Having tasted freedom and power, he'd decided he liked it too much to go back to being what he'd been before.

"Tell me of these new Dark-Hunters," he said. "Why did you create them?"

"I told you, you need help."

He curled his lip in anger. "I need no such thing."

"I and the other Greek gods disagree."

"Artemis…" he growled her name, knowing she was lying about this. He was more than able to control and kill the Daimons who preyed on the humans. "I swear…"

He clenched his teeth as he thought about the first days of his new life. He'd had no one to show him the way. No one to explain to him what he needed to do.

How to live.

The new ones would be lost without a teacher. Confused. Worst of all, they were vulnerable until they learned to use their powers and there was no way Savitar would teach them.

Damn her.

"Where are they?"

"Waiting in Falossos. They hide in a cave that keeps them from the sunlight. But they're not sure what they should do or how to find the Daimons. They are men in need of leadership."

Acheron didn't want to do this. He didn't want to lead anyone any more than he wanted to follow someone else's orders. He didn't want to deal with other people at all.

He'd never wanted anything in his life except to be left alone.

The thought of interacting with others…

It made his blood run cold.

Half tempted to go his own way, Acheron knew he couldn't. If he didn't train the men how to fight and kill the Daimons, they would end up dead. Dead without a soul was a very bad existence. He, of all men, knew that one.