The Dark Hunters

Chapter 1- Who am I, other than a worthless whore

Please read the very end, after it say end Chapter, important message about my comic book, and upcoming TV show...thanks...

Apollo, the Greek God, was a ruthless, cunning god, set into motion a means to take over Atlantis from the older gods. Unlike his father and uncle, he knew the Greeks could never defeat the Atlanteans in open warfare. It was only from within that one could conquer the ancient advanced civilizations.

So when Zeus banned Apollo's warring race, the Apollites, from their native Greece, Apollo gathered his children together and led them across the sea to the shores of Atlantis.

The Atlanteans sympathized with the psychic, godlike Apollite race that had been persecuted by the Greeks. They looked to the Apollites as cousins and welcomed them so long as they abided by Atlantean law and caused no strife.

Publicly the Apollites did as they were told. They made sacrifices to the Atlantean gods while never breaking their covenant with their father, Apollo. Every year they picked the most beautiful virgin among them and sent her to Delphi as an offering to Apollo for his kindness in giving them a new home where they would one day reign as gods.

In the year 10,500 b.c the beautiful aristocrat Clieto was sent to Delphi. Apollo fell instantly in love and sired five sets of twins on her.

It was through his lover and her children that he foresaw his destiny. At long last, they would lead him to the throne of Atlantis.

He sent his mistress and children back to Atlantis where they married into the Atlantean royal family. As Apollo's older children had intermarried with the native Atlanteans and blended the two races together, making his children even stronger, so would they. Only he would keep the royal bloodline pure to ensure the strength and loyalty of the Atlantean crown to him.

He had plans for Atlantis and his children. Through them, Apollo would rule the entire earth and cast down his father as his father had cast down the old god Cronus before him.

It was said that Apollo himself would visit the queen of every generation and father the male Atlantean heir on her.

As every eldest son was born, Apollo would then go to his oracles to find out if this son would be the one to overthrow the Atlantean gods.

Every year he was told no.

Until 9548 b.c.

As was his custom, Apollo visited the Atlantean queen whose king had died more than a year before. He came to her as a phantom and fathered his son on her while she slept dreaming of her dead husband.

It was also that year that the Atleantean gods became aware of their own destinies. For the queen of the Atlantean gods Apollymi, found herself pregnant with Archon's child.

After all the centuries of aching for a child of her own, the Destroyer at long last had her desires granted. It was said the island of Atlantis flourished that day and knew more prosperity than ever before. The god-queen celebrated joyously as she told all the other gods of her news.

As soon as the Fates heard her announcement, they looked at Apollymi and Archon and proclaimed that Apollymi's unborn son would ring about the death of them all.

One y one, the three Fates each spoke a single line of prophecy.

"The world as we know it will end."

"All our fates will rest in his hands."

"As a god, his every whim will reign supreme."

Terrified of their prediction, Archon ordered his wife to slay the unborn infant.

Apollymi refused. She had waited too long to have her child to see him needlessly dead over the words of the jealous Fates. With the help of her sister, she birthed her son prematurely and hid him away in the mortal world. To Archon, she delivered a stone baby.

"I've had enough of your infidelities and lies, Archon. From this day forward you have hardened my heart toward you. A stone baby is all you will ever have from me."

Enraged, Archon along with the rest of the Atlantean gods trapped her in Kalosis, a nether realm between this world and theirs.

"There you will stay until your son is dead."

And so the Atlantean gods turned on Apollymi's sister until they forced a confession from her. But Apollymi had hid her son Apostolos in a pregnant queen of Greece, and tied her child's life to her own. And so the Greek Queen bore twins, Acheron and Styx, Styx for the river of hate, and Acheron for the river of woe.

What Apollymi didn't know was that on the day Acheron was born, his twin Styx looks exactly alike, except for one thing, their eyes. While Styx's eyes were blue, Acheron was swirling silver. Her sister the Goddess of desire, touched Acheron cursing him to be desired by all, and with that touched changed his eyes to his Atlantean true god colored eyes.

Acheron was cursed a cursed god, upon his birth the high priestess said 'he will be called Acheron for the river of woe. Like the river of the underworld, his journey shall be dark, long and enduring. He will be able to give life and to take it. He will walk through his life alone and abandoned-ever seeking kindness and ever finding cruelty. May the gods have mercy on you, little one. For no one else ever will.'

Archon sought the confession of Apollymi's sister, and she lied and sent him on a quest for Apollo's son.

"He will be born when the moon swallows the sun and Atlantis is bathed in total darkness. His queenly mother will week in fear of his birth."

The gods went to the Atlantean queen whose son's birth was imminent. As predicted, the moon eclipsed the sun as she struggled to give birth, and when her son was born, Archon demanded the baby be slain.

The queen wept and begged for Apollo to aid her. Surely her lover wouldn't see his own son killed by older gods. But Apollo ignored her and she watched helplessly as her newborn son was slain before her eyes.

What the queen didn't know was that Apollo had already been told what was going to happen and it wasn't his son she bore, but another child he had switched in her womb to save his own.

With the help of his sister, Artemis, Apollo failed to return to the Atlantean queen to father another heir, her hatred of him grew. She despised the Greek god who couldn't be bothered to give her a child to replace the one she had lost. Twenty-one years after she had witnessed the sacrifice of her only child, the queen learned of another child fathered by the Greek god Apollo.

This one was born to a Greek princess who had been given to the god as an offering in hopes of swaying the god's benediction toward the Greeks, who were at war with the Atlanteans.

As soon as the news reached the queen, her bitterness swelled deep inside until the tide of it overwhelmed her. She summoned her own priestess to ask where the heir to her empire would be found.

"The heir to Atlantis resides in the house of Articles."

The same house where Apollo's new infant son had been born.

The queen screamed in outrage at the proclamation, knowing Apollo had betrayed his own children. They were forgotten while he forged a new race to replace them.

Calling out her personal guards, the queen sent them off to Greece, to make sure that Apollo's mistress and child were killed. She would never allow either of them to sit on her beloved throne.

"Make sure to rip them apart so that the Greeks will believe it was done by a wild animal. I want nothing to make them look to our shores for this."

But with all acts of vengeance, this one, too, was uncovered.

Heartbroken, Apollo, without thought, cursed his entire once chosen race. "A plague to all who are Apollite born. May you reap all you have sown this day. None of you shall ever live past the age of my precious Ryssa. You shall all perish painfully on the day of your twenty-seventh birthday. Because you acted as animals, you shall become them. Let you find your nourishment solely in the blood of your own kind. And never again will you be able to walk in my realm where I will see you and be forced to remember what it is that you did to betray me. As god of the sun, you shall now be bound to walk the night."

It wasn't until the curse was spoken that Apollo remembered his own son back in Delphi. A son he had foolishly damned along with the others.

For once spoken, such things can never be undone.

But more than that, he had sown the seeds for his own destruction. On his son's wedding day to Apollo's most treasured high-priestess, Apollo had entrusted his son with everything in life he valued.

"In your hands, you hold my future. Your blood is mine and it is through you and your future children that I live."

With those binding words, and in one fit of anger, Apollo had damned himself to extinction. For once his son's bloodline died, so then would Apollo and with him the sun itself.

You see, Apollo isn't just a god. He is the essence of the sun and holds in his hands the balance of the universe. On the day Apollo dies, so dies the earth and all who dwell here.

Stryker begged his father to remove the curse, but once spoken he could not. Stryker went to Apollymi and with an act of weakness on her part over having to hide her son, never being able to hold him till he came of age. However, he'd been fatally wounded by his father, and to strike back at Apollo she'd shared her blood with Strykerius and fortified him. While that act had saved his life, it had also tied their life forces together. If he died, she died. It was why her son would never really harm Strykerius no matter how angry the Daimon made him.

Sharing her blood with Stryker, taught him that he could save the rest of the Apollites. The Curse Apollo had set, was made so that the Apollites could only feed off of one another, Apollymi just taught him how to save the rest. They could feed off the humans, becoming the creatures of the night knows as vampires. Feeding off the humans, they absorbed their souls which sustain them for periods of time, based on the strength of the soul.

Artemis, seeking a way to tie Acheron to her forever, using the blood she drank from him, she created a race of Dark Hunters, using Acheron's abilities to bring back those that were dead. When a soul screamed out in vengeance, Artemis could hear it all the way to the halls of Mount Olympus. She decided that she would use that power to create that race of Dark Hunters, because Acheron's one weakness was his compassion for the human race. He would never stand for anyone to go through any kind of pain that he himself suffered through his entire mortal life.

Playing on his weakness, she made him leader of the Dark Hunters. A chore he never wanted, and knew it was nothing more than a reason Artemis would use to keep him as her pet, tying him to her forever. But, he had no choice, his compassion for human suffering, outweighed what should be his right to be selfish. So they made rules to govern the Dark Hunters, and an out-clause for them as well. The price for their Soul to be returned to them, for them to once again have a normal life, Acheron would have to suffer any and all pain and torture Artemis would dish out. So the Dark Hunters would be gifted with strength, agility, and each would be given a certain special ability to help them in their fight against the Daimons. They would also have their weaknesses, they would also be banned from the sun, their canine teeth would be elongated, and their eyes would be pure black, better to see in the darkness.

2010- Kalosis

With my hands tied in shackles, my wrists bleeding as the shackles cut into my wrists. My naked body dragged across the floor, as I was led into the torture room, yet again. Attaching the shackles onto a hook hanging from the ceiling, I was hung four feet above the ground. The pain shooting through my arms, from my shoulders down as I held all 225 pounds of my body's weight.

The beatings began again, starting with a whip that was coated with my dried blood. Again and again the stinging lashes of the whip cut into my back, as I felt the blood leaking from the cuts being created on my body.

It always started this way, whipping my back harder and harder, faster and faster, hoping to hear a scream. A scream I would never give them the satisfaction of hearing, biting hard on the inside of my cheek, tasting the blood in my mouth, to hold back the screams that begged to be released.

Savagely pulling my hair back, causing my head to whip back, Stryker put his lips to my ear and began speaking in such a sinister voice, chills erupted down my spine.

"Why do you insist on making me punish you, when all you have to do is beg me not to hurt you?" he asked.

I spit blood on the ground before him, before I spoke.

"I have to much respect for myself, to give you the satisfaction of begging you for anything." I answered bitterly, knowing I was lying I lost respect for myself eons ago. No that's not right; Stryker stripped all respect for myself eons ago.

"Respect? How can a worthless whore have respect for himself, how can a bastard dog like you even think he knows the meaning of the word respect?" he asked condescendingly.

"And a ruthless, soulless, heartless, animal like you thinks he knows the meaning of the word respect?" I spoke keeping my voice calm and leveled, trying not to show the utter agony of pain I was feeling, or the burning desire to kill him where he stood.

"My army of Daimons respect me, they serve me, answer to me, do as I bid. What more respect could I ever ask for?" he asked, believing the words he spoke.

"That's not respect you fool, that's called fear. They serve you because they fear you, you are their leader, and to disobey you would result in their death. It's such a far cry from the true meaning of the word respect, your nothing but a coward, a sadistic coward. You only feel good about yourself, when you have power over anyone, through causing fear. Through abusing those that cant stand against you, or tying up people like me, because you're afraid to fight me and lose. You are, and always shall be a coward." I spat angrily.

"Ha, ha, ha, after 10,000 years of torturing you, I have yet to break your spirit. You are either stubborn to a fault, or you truly enjoy all the torture that has been inflicted on you." he said.

"Oh for the love of the Gods, can we get on with the torture? I'm truly getting bored here, don't we have more pressing things to do Stryker?" his sister Satara asked impatiently.

"Your right sister, we do have more pressing things to do. Did you find out if Acheron is with our dear old auntie Artemis, or has the bitch released him?" he asked.

"She has released him; he's freed yet another Dark-Hunter. Paying for it in blood, as his worthless son here can relate to. We have Nick Gautier, right where we want him; it's time to use him to bring Ash down. In turn I get to exact my vengeance, by killing that bitch Artemis and taking her powers for myself once and for all." the corner of her lips turned up into an evil grin.

"All in due time sister, first things first call in some of my men, and let them use this whore till his holes bleed, and he's unable to sit for a month, or eat for a week." Stryker ordered.

Let the humiliation began, the ugliness of my existence continue. The beatings, the rape, the degradation. The only existence I've ever known, pain, suffering, humiliation. Since I can remember Stryker has abused me, abused me mentally, emotionally, physically. Allowing my body to be used, to serve the sexual pleasure of others. The abuse of using my body, to train his assassins to torture in the most cruel and inhumane ways.

His men came in and one by one, they raped me body, my spirit, my soul. I screamed till my throat was raw, till my voice was so horse my throat burned from taking a simple breath. My body hung limply, not an ounce of strength left, since I uselessly fought them, causing myself only more pain.

But Stryker wasn't done yet, not by a long shot. He had a gleam in his eye, one I had grown to know so well. A gleam that came only when he was ready to do something...something unbelievably evilly horrible to me. My heart sank into my stomach, bile rose in my throat, as my whole body shook uncontrollably.

"The time has come Jace, for you to feel the worst kind of pain imaginable, the most degradation possible. Nail him to the cross, and leave him in the main hall for all to see. I want to hear is screams, I want the halls to shake from the torture he feels as each nail is hammered into his hands and feet. Do not let him fall unconscious, I want him awake for ever second this great event. Take you time so I may savor every moment of his misery, every orgasmic sensation of the pain inflicted on him. I will break you Jace, you will bow down to me if it's the last thing you'll ever do. If I can`t have your fathers head on a stick, then I shall just have to settle for taking it out on your worthless ass. One more things guys, I was you to take a sledge hammer and break his legs at the knees." Stryker smiled wickedly.

"Brother, how is it that you have kept Acheron's son here with out Apollymi ever find out?" Satara asked.

"The only time she comes out of her throne room, is when I've done something to her beloved son Apostolos." he answered.

"Stryker? I've asked you my entire life, only one question; will you answer it this time? Why? Why me? Why have you brutalized me, my entire life?" I asked, needing to know why.

"It's quite simple really, Jace. Your father! I can't touch your father, even though he has taken everything away from me. He's hunted and killed my people; he turned my son against me. He's thwarted all my plans, time and time again. Protecting my father Apollo, and auntie Artemis though they both have done nothing but caused him nothing but grief. He's the bane of my existence, yet his mother the Goddesses Apollymi protects him at all cost.

She'd as soon kill herself to protect her precious child, and since my life is tied to hers, it would be like committing suicide for me to kill him. However, that doesn't mean I can hurt him where it counts most, and that Jace is you." he explained.

My head was swimming with the information he spoke, I fought against the pain my body was in, trying to make sense of his words.

Father? I have a father! A grandmother, whose life, was tied to this evil bastard. Where are they?

Do they even know about me?

And if they were Gods, wouldn't they be able to sense me, if they knew who I was?

And if they are Gods, does that mean I am a God? If I am, why haven't I felt any powers within me? Why haven't I been able to protect myself all these centuries, why haven't I been able to stop the beatings, the rapes, and the torture, all of it?

Simple!

Truly simple, my father doesn't care, nor my grandmother. Why would they, I'm nothing but a worthless whore, a slave to the highest bidder, a slave to Stryker. Never allowing me to eat, unless I serviced everyone, and was sure to leave every one pleased, satisfied. No matter what they wanted me to do, no matter what they forced me to do, everyone was to leave pleased by me, or I was punished in the most unimaginable ways.

I've never knew the meaning of the word "hope", I just accepted my existence for what it was, what its always been...that I was owned by Stryker. That I was there for his entertainment, the more pain that was inflicted on me, the happier he was. The more I screamed, and begged, and cried, the more he sought to hurt me, to humiliate me. Stripping me of any shred of dignity, self-respect, learning that my place was less than a dogs place at his master's side.

Now, to hear that this all had nothing to do with me, that all of this was revenge on father who has never even claimed me. A family of Gods that have been Gods know where, watching, or ignoring, not caring what I've suffered all my life, all for a hate of a father I've never known.

Damn you Fates, Damn you!

Why was this my destiny? Why was my birth nothing more than a joke, for the Gods to watch and laugh while I suffered in pain?

Why?

"What's the matter Jace, no question as to who you father really is?" Stryker taunted me.

I spit in his face, completely disgusted with him, more so than I've ever been.

"Screw you, and that bastard you call my father! I have never, nor will I ever have a father. So take your vengeance out on me all you want, I don't care anymore, actually I stopped caring a long time ago. I resigned myself to the hand the Fates have handed me, and I will suffer through till the day I die and am free from this hell called life." I spat angrily.

"If you only knew your father, Acheron. You truly are his son through and through, he would be proud, that would be if he ever knew he had a son.

But what a beautiful lie, you are my dirty little secret, stolen from your mother without her knowledge; while your father was clueless to what that bitch was doing behind his back anyway. Ah, dirty family secrets, they destroy lives, makes enemies when we should be banding together and ruling the world. But alas, the Gods have drawn the lines, and unfortunately for you, you get to suffer for it. Hang him on the crucifix, and leave him in the hall for all to see." he ordered his men.

So my father had no idea I existed, no one did. So be it, this is my fate. Then let the (Fates) bitches enjoy the threads of my miserable life.

As they dragged my bleeding, beaten body into the main hall, I smiled for the first time ever in my life. I have a father, a grandmother. They may not know about me, but for all the pain inflicted on me by Stryker, means that they have spent their lives causing him misery. I couldn't help but smile knowing that I had family out there, giving Stryker the hell, I could never give him while I've been chained up down here living as his slave.

Stryker's men laid me down on a wooden cross, holding my arms stretched out wide, as they drove long thick nails through each of my hands, and then my feet. I screamed as I have never screamed before. Knowing my screams could be heard round the world, only no one would ever come searching to find its source. Tears streamed down my face, as I cried, and screamed and begged till my voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper, knowing no one would ever help me.

Each time I passed out of consciousness, I was awoken, never giving me a moment's reprieve. They lifted the cross up, and the weight of my body hung on the nails driven through my hands and feet. In my mind, I begged and prayed that death would take me, that this would be the final torture I would ever have to endure.

But I could never be so lucky.

"Now for the icing on the cake, break his legs, now!" Stryker shouted excitedly.

I don't know how long I hung there; time meant nothing to me, when all I could feel was the never ending pain. Out the corner of my eye, not sure if I was seeing things due to the deliriousness of the pain I was in, I saw a beautiful demon standing in a far corner, staring at me with a look of confusion, mixed with horror. I'd never seen a demon as beautiful as this, its skin like marble, with the color of its skin a swirling purple, and fuchsia. Wings spread out behind its back, with two black horns on its head. Long flowing blond hair, with eyes that were ocean blue, but a circle of crimson red riming the outer ring. It stared at me for the longest time, and I prayed that it would either come kill me, hoping it was hungry from the blood I was losing. Or if it were friendly, that it would spare me any more pain, and kill me to put me out of my misery.

But my luck holding out for the worst as always, it turned around and disappeared into the shadows.

Tears escaped, as the tine sliver of hope that surfaced inside me at seeing the demon, was for naught.

Then Stryker's men began taunting me, while throwing daggers of me, as well as anything else they could get their hands on.

Please...Please just let me die...by the Gods, let me die!

Apollymi's Chambers-

Akra, I must speak with you please!" Samsun, used the female term 'Akra' for Lady and Master.

"What is it Sami, what's the matter?" Apollymi, the Atlantean Goddess of Destruction asked.

"Akra...I...I did something I wasn't suppose to do...and..." he began nervously.

"Sami, you are young, and I understand that sometimes it's hard for you to follow my orders. But tell me, why do you look as if you have seen a ghost?" Apollymi had a soft spot for Sami, for he was the youngest of her Charonte Demon guards. She felt like a mother to him, more than just his Goddesses to be worshipped.

"I was walking through the Kalosis "Atlantean Hell realm", when I heard a scream that shook me to my very core. A scream that tore my heart in ways I never dreamed possible, the sound of pain, the begging, the agony. I knew it wasn't a human being devoured by Stryker's men, this was far worse than any human I've ever heard being killed. So I went to see what was happening, when...when...I..." he stewarded nervously.

"Sami, talk to me. What is it, what did you see that's caused you to be this frightened?" She asked, wrapping her arm around him.

"I saw horrible, unimaginable things. They were torturing a boy, in the most horrific ways. The beat him, raped him, hung him on a cross and broke his legs. The sounds of his scream...my Goddess, I can still hear him, feel him. But that's not all, Akra...he looked...he looked like Apostolos. Akra, he looked like your son!" Sami voice cracked, as the tears streamed down his marbled skin. Apollymi shook her head unbelievingly.

"No. No. Sami, surely you must be mistaken. If Apostolos was ever to enter Kalosis, I would be released. I would end the world; I have sworn to destroy those that have harmed my son. My word is final; if I don't keep my word it would end my own life. No, my son would never come here; he holds humanity over anything else. Though I don't know why, or how he can have compassion for the human race after all they've done to him. No Sami, it has to be some human the Daimons have brought here, to torture and feed off of." Apollymi wasn't sure she believed her own words; she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince herself or Sami.

"Akra, I swear on all my love for you, and you know you are more than just my Akra, you are a mother to me. But I swear, the boy looked exactly like Apostolos. I know if Apostolos was to come here, it would mean the end of the world, but the boy...he looks like Akri Apostolos!" Akri being the Atlantean term for Lord and Master.

Apollymi paced back and forth, knowing that she should see for herself, yet a feeling of dread had washed over her. Something wasn't right; she knew it to the depths of her soul.

Fear!

Fear for what might be, what could be, prevented her from moving her feet.

She remembered everything that had been done to her son, the way the humans had tortured him, made him their whore, made him feel worthless, how Apollo had used a dagger to stab him in his heart, and slice down to his navel.

NO!

"I am Apollymi Thanata Deia Fonia Katastrafia Megola Pantokrataria Thanaina Atlantia Deiaoly! (Appolymi the Great Destroyer All Powerful Death to the Gods of Atlantis. I killed the entire Atlantean Pantheon, my own family for their part in what happened to my son. I fear no one, I fear nothing! Sami, take me to him." she shouted.

The Main Hall-

The pain was more intense than anything I have ever felt, in all my years of being tortured. Stryker had out done himself this time, and I only pray that this time I die.

And people in hell want ice water.

I don't know how long I'd been falling in and out of consciousness, nor did I care. I just kept praying every time I open my eyes, I would find myself dead.

And if wishes were horses, even beggars would ride.

They next time I open my eyes, I found the most beautiful Angel standing before me. Tall and statuesque, her long blond hair flowing all around her. But when I look into her eyes, my heart skipped a beat. It was as if I was looking into a mirror, the same mercurial and silver swirling eyes as mine. Tears flowed down her cheek; they fell like ice down her cheeks, glittering in the darkness.

I must be dead, surely I've died.

Please let me be dead, don't let this be a wasted dream.

Apollymi stared at him as tears flowed down her cheeks, she couldn't believe the sight before her. He was the spitting image of her son, from his beautiful, yet pained filled eyes, to the same perfectly sculpted body, the same full pouting lips.

"Are you an Angel? Am I finally dead?" I begged.

"No." her voice was barley a whisper. The pain I saw in her eyes sent a wave of emotions through me I wasn't familiar with. No one had ever cared about me in any way, but how well I pleased them, how much fun they had torturing me.

But looking in her eyes...it was just too much to believe in, to much to hope for, that someone would actually give a damn about me.

"Are you enjoying the view? If you wish to use my body for your pleasure, I'm afraid there isn't much I'm capable of doing to please you in my current state." I said sarcastically.

I almost felt bad, when I saw the look on her face. She looked as if I had slapped her, but I had been abused far too long to start trusting anyone now.

Before I knew what happened, we were flashed into a beautiful room fit for a queen. My body lay down on a bed, so soft it felt like laying on a bed of feathers.

"Why..." I began.

"Quite, just close your eyes. Rest while I clean your wounds, M'gios." she said using the Atlantean word for son. Why should she care about a worthless whore like me, let alone clean my wounds.

"Why do we have the same eyes, why do I have so many similar features as you do? Are you the grandmother Stryker told me about, or is this just another cosmic joke being played on me?" I asked, trying not to get my hopes up.

She ran her hand through my hair, and I felt a tingling sensation run through me. She gasped suddenly, before she began screaming.

"No! Not again, how could this be? How could this be happening right under my nose without my knowing? Damn you Fates, damn you three little bitches!"

"You saw...you saw what they've done to me haven't you?" I demanded.

"Yes M'gios, I did. I saw all the vile things Stryker and his men have done to you, everything from your birth till tonight. I want to kill them all; I want to bathe in their blood. I swear..."she began.

"Stop, don't say it. I know that your life is bound to Stryker, if you kill him, you die. I won't have that, have you kill yourself over vengeance on a worthless whore." I said adamantly.

"The same things have been done to my son, and then some. You are not worthless; you are a God, the son of two of the most power Atlantean Gods. You can't ask me not to take vengeance; you are my grandson, my flesh and blood. I cannot stand by and let Stryker get away with this...I mean that bastard, I took him in, gave him the means to survive against his fathers curse. I gave him of my powers, I gave him everything and this is how he repays me!"

"It wasn't about you; he said he did what he did to get back at your son. He said he was off limit, protected by you, that if he couldn't get his revenge on Artemis, Apollo, and mostly your son, then he would make me suffer in his place.

I don't know what you son has done to him, or why he truly hates him so much, and frankly I don't give a damn. All I want to know right now is one thing, are you going to set me free, or return me to the hell I call my life, back to being nothing more than a worthless whore?"

"YOU ARE NOT A WHORE! Being forced to do the things you have, tortured for the pleasure of others, which was never by choice, you were forced. No one will ever lay a finger to you again, I will see to that." she said heatedly.

"If you are Gods, and I'm a supposed God, why was I not able to protect myself, and how come none of you ever knew about me?" I asked.

"I don't know other than Stryker was masking you from us. But I want answers, and I'm going to get them. Savitar! Savitar, get your ass down here right now!" she screamed into the air.

A man appeared, wearing nothing more than shorts, soaking wet from head to toe.

"This better be important, a big wave was just coming in." he said.

"Savitar, look at this boy, and tell me what you see?" she asked.

He looked me up and down, before turning his head back to her.

"Looks to me like you've tortured the poor bloke; you are a Goddess of destruction. What am I suppose to see, Apollymi?" he asked.

"Look at his face, look into his eyes you fool!"

Reluctantly he turned to look at me, and his eyes opened wide, as if he was seeing the face of someone he knew.

"Grom (Youngster), but it can't be, if Apostolos was here the world would be ending. What's the meaning of this, what's going on here Apollymi?" he asked.

"Stryker, that dirty little bastard, has kept him locked up as a slave, to torture him since he couldn't harm Apostolos. I know Artimis was able to keep Katra a secret from Apostolos, but how could he have another child without knowing. How is this possible?" she asked.

"First things first, why don't you let me heal the boy and we'll go from there." he said.

Touching the center of my chest with his hand, a surging pain shot through my body, as bones and cuts began to heal. Before I could blink, I was free of the pain I had been living in.

"His powers have been locked, I can undo it, but that's really going to hurt. Do you think you can handle that?" he asked.

"Believe me; I've suffered enough pain to handle anything you could throw at me." I answered.

He brought his hands down to either side of my head, and there was a pain so intense I thought my head was going to explode. Then a warm tingling sensation running through my body filled me with an over powering sensation of...power.

I began screaming as my mind was filled with the sounds of millions of voices, all screaming out in pain. I began seeing various outcomes of each one of their lives taking place, based of the choices they made. Infinite possibilities, with infinite outcomes, but the horror of some of their outcomes was overwhelming, painful to my heart.

"Please stop this, please I can't take it anymore! Make the voices stop, their pain, and those poor people. By the Gods, please make it stop..." I screamed, as my insides began twisting, my mind was so filled with voices they caused a blinding pain within my head, and my stomach to churn till I turned over to my side and puked unable to stop myself.

"Listen to me you must focus on the sound of my voice; close your mind to everything else. I know it's hard, the flood gates have been open and you feel as if there is no way to close them. You must trust me in this, just close your eyes and find the calm center, hear only the sound of my voice." Savitar explained.

I tried everything I could think of to close my mind to the voice, and only focus on his. But trusting anyone wasn't anything I was used to, nor do I feel I would ever be able trust anyone ever. Still, I wanted the pain to stop more than anything, and I may not trust these people but they seem to know what they were talking about.

Giving into him, one by one the voices screaming out in pain began to fade until all that was left was his voice. Opening my eyes, I found my skin to be completely blue, my fingernails long and black like claws. I reached for my face, and found horns protruding out of my forehead.

"What have you don't to me, damn you?" my voice coming out demonic.

"Calm down Jace, this is your true Atlantean God form. You must calm yourself, for in moments of true anger, and emotional outbursts you will revert to your natural form." Savitar explained.

"How do you know my name, I've never told either of you?"

"That's not what you really want to ask, so why do you ask what's really on your mind!" Savitar said.

"Fine then, straight to the point. I get this Apostolos is the sperm donor that created me, that you are his mother. I have no idea who you are, but what I'd really like to know is who's the woman he donated his sperm to?" I asked crudely.

"I know your angry kid, and you have every right to be, but there is no need to be so vulgar in front of your grandmother. Oh who am I kidding, be as crude as you like." Savitar laughed.

"You'd do well to remember you're in my domain Savitar, and I'm only hanging by a thread before my full fury over what's happened to Jace, explodes. You don't want to be on the receiving end of my wrath, Savitar." the venom in her voice was enough to cause my knees to tremble.

"Obviously you know your father is Apostolos, son of the Great Destroyer Apollymi. Supposedly the last of the Atlantean Gods, since your Grandmother destroyed the rest of your Pantheon. But, low and behold Artemis hid a daughter from Acheron, Apostolos or Ash, depending on who knows him. So it would seem you have a sister, Katra, who I'm sure would be thrilled to meet you. By the way no one can know Ash is Apostolos, or that Apollymi is his mother. Long story, for another time." Savitar rambled.

"Okay, thanks for the family tree, but you haven't answered my question completely, who is my mother?"

"That's the million dollar question isn't it?"

"Quit being so dramatic Savitar; just say it's the Greek bitch Goddess, Artemis." Apollymi spat angrily. Obviously there was no love between those two, and I'm not sure I wanted to know the answer as to why.

"How can you be so sure, Apollymi?" he asked.

"Who else could it be, Savitar? That bitch has her claws stuck deep inside him, she's ruined his life, both when he was human, and when he became a God. She's tricked him, and trapped him to her. She's played on his weakness, his love and compassion for humans, to keep him chained to her for eternity. She drank of his powers, and forced him to drink of her, to bind them together. There is no one else, that bitch made sure he would live his Godly life, like he lived his human life, tortured and humiliated, she abuses him to release the souls of his Dark-Hunters. She kept Katra a secret from him, why wouldn't she have kept Jace a secret as well. Just another way of torture Apostolos, giving Jace to Stryker to be used and abused, just for another way to stick it to my son." Apollymi screeched.

A fissure of power surged through the air, and before I knew it a tall beautiful blond appeared. Once again I was thrown for a loop, as she looked a cross between my new found grandmother, and myself.

She looked from my grandmother to Savitar, then to up my naked body stopping at my face. She stood frozen in shock, as she stared at my face. My heart began pounding in my chest, as the reality of all that transpired today.

But if there was one thing I believed in, it was when things seemed too good to be true, they usually were.

As I thought of how ridiculous I must look, lying on my grandmother's bed naked, I wished for nothing more than to be dressed. To my surprise, no sooner had I thought it, a pair of jeans and a tee shirt appeared on my body.

"Katra..." Apollymi began.

But before she could finish speaking, Katra, tears forming in her eyes, walked the two steps it took to reach me, and held her hand out reaching for my face. I instinctively flinched, as if she was going to hit me. She paused for a second, to let me know she meant no harm, before she finally touched my faced.

This time, as I felt the tingling sensation of her seeing my past with her powers, I was able to use my newly unlocked powers to do the same thing. Tears welled up in my eyes, as I saw Artemis showering love on Katra as she was growing up. But also felt the pain of knowing that Apostolos was her father, yet never being able to tell him.

A lump rose in my throat as I seen her finally meet our father for the first time, the look on his face, the tears in his eyes, the fear he felt that she would reject him, and the relief he felt the moment she embraced him. The hug they shared, the happiness in his face when she called him father.

It was so overwhelming, the feelings of loss, and love, the fear and relief of acceptance. I couldn't take it anymore; the tears ran freely since I could no longer hold them back. More so as I wondered if I would ever know what that would feel like, to be loved and wanted. To be hugged, and feel wanted.

But I saw Katra's childhood, she was pure and good, of course he would want her. I on the other hand was a worthless whore, who'd been used to please, abused and tossed around like trash. Who would want to ever claim me...Happy endings were for other people, never for me.

Tears streamed down her cheek, as she ran her hands down the side of my face, till she lifted my chin up to look her in the eyes. I avoided making eye contact, focusing on a spot on the floor.

"Look at me Jace, please!" she begged.

"I can see you..."

"Jace, please look into my eyes?" I heard the catch in her voice.

"I'm not worthy to look into your eye Goddess, and my eyes generally disgust people."

"Jace, your eyes are beautiful and the value of a man is measured by the choices he makes and the wisdom he uses to see them through. You were forced into a life of submission, pain and then some. But, you were a child, with no one to protect you, no one to stop what was being done to you. You never chose the life you've been dealt, so you can never hold yourself responsible for what was forced upon you." she said adamantly.

Her words touched my heart, but didn't change my mind on how I felt about myself.

I looked into her eyes, and saw the pain she felt, the pity, and I was sure I never saw a look of disgust. I wanted so much to have her hold me like I mattered, to embrace me like she loved me, like I mattered. But, I couldn't move.

She ran her hands up and down my face, before she leaned in and kissed my cheek before hugging me tightly.

I cried like a baby who had been longing for his mothers touch, for the touch of a family member. She cried as you hugged me with all her might, wanting to be sure I felt her love.

I stepped out of her embrace, turning my back on her and wiping my eyes away.

"I don't need your pity, princess!" I said.

It was also safer to hurt someone before they hurt you. I wasn't about to let my dreams of being loved, lower my guard, just so they could stomp on my heart in the end.

"Jace, I'm so sorry for everything you've been through. I don't pity you; I hate what was done to you. I just want to get to know you, as your sister, as a friend, I hope. You don't know how many nights I wished that I had a brother or sister, how I wish that I was allowed to know my father, that I wasn't kept as my mothers dirty little secret. I know was luckier than you, so I'm not complaining by any means. All I ever wanted was to know my father, to meet him to talk to him, to touch him. But...I couldn't, no I wasn't allowed to, it would have hurt my mother so I never did. But now you have a chance to have a family, a real family that will love you, protect you, be there for you...if you let us." she spoke passionately.

"I know your being sincere, and I appreciate that more than you will ever know. But I have a lot of baggage; I don't even know what's going to happen next. I know Apollymi saved me from today's torture, I know Savitar healed me, but I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that, or feel about that. I don't know what you will all demand of me, in return for helping me. One thing I've learned is nothing is freely given, everyone wants something in return.

Hell, I don't know what Stryker will do next; I don't know how he will react to finding out I'm missing. He's going to come after me, and as much as I hate to say it, I don't know how to fight back. He's going to come after me, and if I want to continue to taste this little taste of freedom, I've got to get out of here, hide, and stay away from all these Gods and Demons, and live under the radar.

You're my sister, and that is a miracle in itself. But to know I have family out there, family that could have come to save me at anytime.

I used to cry myself to sleep, while I was chained naked, handing by chains from a beam on the ceiling, while Stryker's men raped me over and over, time and time again, wishing the whole time that one day my parents would come and find me. Come to rescue me from the monster, who I pretended kidnapped me while I was still a baby.

That they were human, and he was a Daimon, Vampire, something humans didn't believe in, so they never knew where to look. There was no way for them to find me, while this monster brutalized me for his pleasure.

But that was just the fantasy I had, the reality is far better. My parents are Gods! Gods! Gods who abandon their child, and left him to a monster who's destroyed every part of my being. All that's left is the shadow of a man, a ghost existing in a world he's never been apart of, except being the whore and whipping boy of others.

Katra, I'm so happy that you had your mothers love growing up. I'm glad you found your father, I'm happy that meeting him was everything you ever dreamed it was.

But I don't care to meet him, nor do I have a desire to meet your mother, who from what little I've gathered has made him suffer his entire life. I don't want to know if they know about me or not, I don't want to figure out how it's possible for Gods to not know they have a child. I don't want anything to do with anyone.

People hurt you, that's all there good for. Stryker it would seem is family, and he hurt me worst of all. So you'll forgive me if I'm not jumping up and down with excitement, for meeting family that will probably hurt me one way or the other."

"This point is Moot, Apostolos can't find out about you. Ever!" Savitar said.

"I will not make the same mistake twice Savitar, I kept Katra a secret from my son, and I will not do so again." Apollymi said angrily.

"Stop for one second Apollymi, and think. If Apostolos ever learns about what Stryker did to his son, he will lose all reasoning, and kill Stryker. He kills Stryker you Die, if he comes here to kill Stryker, it's the end of the world. Just what do you think that will do to your son?" he asked.

"I'm a goddess of destruction, not a goddess of mercy. Do you think I give a damn about anyone, other than my family?"

"I'm well aware of the fact that you don't give a damn about anyone other than your family, it's the reason your trapped here in the first place. But the one thing I know you care more about than anything else is your son. If he ends the world, you know it would tare him apart. Are you willing to put your son through that kind of guilt, and pain?"

"No damn you, I'd sooner kill myself than watch him suffer. He'll never forgive us, if we keep yet another child a secret from him. Damn the fates, I should have killed them when I had the chance."

I listen to them going round in circles over what to do about me, while they never heard a word I said. Slave to Stryker, or apart of this family, seems to be no different, I still don't count. It's as if I'm invisible, and can not be heard.

I know what I plan to do with my new found freedom, if I get away from these people. I'm going to hunt down every last one of the Daimons that raped and tortured me all these years. I may not be able to kill Stryker because his life is tied to Apollymi, but I sure can make his life a living hell by killing off his men.

"Stryker! Get you ass in here right now!" Apollymi shouted.

He entered her room through the main doors, walking with a deadly gait that could only be compared to a lion on a hunt. I quickly averted my eyes, as I had done so many times before when he was near me. I wanted to kill him, but years of fear cause me to stand there paralyzed. I couldn't control the rapid beating of my heart, or the shaking of my hands and knees.

I watched him from the corner of my eyes, as he ignored my presence as if I wasn't even there.

"How dare you? How dare you torture my flesh and blood, and think I would never find out?" Apollymi demanded, as she clenched her fists at her sides.

"What ever are you talking about; I have never laid a finger to Katra. Ask her yourself, have I ever touched you Katra?" he replied.

He still never looked my way, as he stood their acting like he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Do not play games with me Stryker; I am in the mood for blood. Jace, my grandson! How dare you commit such heinous crimes against him, from when he was a child no less?"

"Jace? I have no idea who you're going on about, really Apollymi."

"My brother Jace, the one standing right here next to me. The one you're pretending not to know, you sick bastard. If your life wasn't tied to my grandmothers, I swear I'd kill you were you stand!" Katra said, as she put a hand to my shoulder.

"What do you mean your brother; this is just a play thing Satara got for us long ago. One of the many children left as an offering to Auntie Artemis, only she doesn't keep boys only the girls. How could he possibly be your brother, surely Apostolos would never throw away his own son?" the lies flowed easily from him, he never even blinked.

"And it didn't seem odd that "the boy" just happened to have the same eyes as my son, and I?" Apollymi asked.

"Well I let him feed off of my blood, which just like my eyes changed after you allowed me to feed from yours, I assumed it was just par for the course." he lied.

"Seriously! As if you didn't notice that he looks like Apollymi, or Acheron, or me? You are so lucky your protected, or I'd skin you alive." Katra said.

"You'd do well to remember that not only do I have some of Apollymi's Atlantean powers, I am also the son of Apollo, a Greek God mixed with Atlantean God powers!"

"Don't you dare threaten my grand daughter..." Apollymi began.

"It's okay, grandmother. Stryker, you'd do well to remember I am the daughter of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, Daughter of Apostolos the Destroyer son of Apollymi the Great Destroyer. A god killer who has the ability to command the primal source of the universe. Go near my brother again, and I'll make you wish you'd never been more than a cum stain on your parents bed sheets!" Katra shouted, and then waved her hands causing him to disappear.

"Damn him, I wish I had never laid eyes on him." Apollymi said.

"If I may ask, what are you going to do with me now? I mean, am I to be your slave now, and am I to be caged here too?" I asked.

"No, Jace you are free now. No one will ever hurt you again; we only want to love you." Apollymi said.

She reached her hand out to touch me, and instinctively I flinched back.

"Apollymi, he needs time. He must come to trust you on his own time; this is all too new for him." Savitar spoke softly.

"Stryker won't be happy about this, one way or another he will come back for Jace. He will have to be trained on how to defend himself, as well as use his powers." Katra said.

"Savitar, your island is the only place no one can get to without an invitation. You must train him, just as your trained Apostolos." Apollymi begged.

"I know, and I will."

"That was a little too easy, what aren't you saying Savitar?" Apollymi asked.

"Jace is the Elekti, the chosen one. What has happened to him, will serve in what he his destined to do. Just as Apostolos is the final fate of the world, so is Jace the chosen one for a higher purpose. That is all I can tell you, remember Apollymi, we all answer to a higher power. That is all that I am allowed to say on the matter, at least for now. Say your goodbyes, and we shall be off to begin your training." Savitar said.

I stood there feeling completely confused as to what I was supposed to do right now, saying goodbye wasn't something I was familiar with. Usually, I was used for sexual pleasure and tossed aside like trash.

"Um...thanks for helping me down from the cross..." I mumbled looking down at the ground. Apollymi reached her hand out to touch my face; she pulled my chin up so that I was looking at her.

"I'm so sorry for all that you have suffered, but now is a chance for a new beginning for you. Know that I would love for you to visit me anytime you'd like, and that you may call on me whenever, or where ever you are. Simply call out my name in your mind, and I will answer you. I love you Jace, I know that might sound strange to you, but we are family, and you are my blood. I will love you all the days of your life, and I hope in time you will come to love me. Listen to Savitar, and train hard to learn your powers, and defend yourself.

I am a Goddess of destruction and so much more, I know what you plan to do once you've learned how to fight. I don't blame you, if I could leave this place I would be there by your side, fighting with you. I love you, and will always be here for you." she hugged me, and once again foreign sensations ran through me, with tears welling in my eyes.

"Jace, you going to be seeing a lot of me. Since Savitar sticks to his island, spending his days surfing, I'm going to teach you all about the world. It will allow you to fit in anywhere you go, and make getting used to the humans you'll come in contact with. Their slang, pop-culture, music, movies, my favorite thing, dancing, and so much more. I hope you'll allow me to be your sister, and come to trust in my love for you as my brother. I know some of the things you're going through, some of the emotions you're dealing with, and I hope you'll allow me to help you through them. And trust me; I will be fighting by your side always. I love you brother, and you can never know how happy it makes me to know we've found a part of our hearts that has been missing all this time." Katra hugged me, and this time I couldn't hold back the tears the streamed down my face. The feelings running through me were just to power, and way to intense to reign in.

"Thank you, both of you for everything. I...um...I...want...well...um...I want to say I love you...but it's a foreign concept to me, and I just hope you'll both be patient with me while I figure all this out. I've never had anyone to love, or anyone that wanted my love, I know what I've dreamed about, thinking what love would be like. I truly hope I figure it out, and that I can give that love to you, and accept yours one day. Trusting anyone isn't going to be easy, when I've never seen a kind hand before, nothing comes for free; I've paid in blood for everything. But I make this promise, I will open myself up to finding a way, no matter how hard I know it's going to be to learn to trust you, and one day say the words I love you." I said, averting my eyes from them. I could feel my cheeks burning, and knew they were glowing red.

"Sami, come here young one." Apollymi called the demon I had seen with its beautiful skin that looked like marble, with the color of its skin a swirling purple, and fuchsia.

"Akra Apollymi am I in trouble for telling you about him?" he asked her while pointing at me. She put her hands on both sides of his face, and smiled down at him.

"No, you aren't in trouble. You did very well in telling me about Jace, and now I need you to do something even more important. I need you to bond yourself to him, and protect him as if he were me."

The thought of tying someone to me, terrified me on a level I wasn't ready to handle. But looking down into his loving gaze that didn't judge or condemn me, made me feel lost and unsure.

"I don't want a demon, no less one bond to me." I said quickly.

"Would you cast him out into the world alone?" she asked.

"No! But doesn't he live here with you?" I asked.

"He lost his family, and is all alone. The two of you need each other, he will watch over you as you watch over him" she smiled.

"Are you my Akri?" I was no ones Lord and Master, but how could I refuse to bond with him when he didn't look at me with pity in his eyes, or judgment over what had been done to me. Looking into his large green eyes, all I saw was love and innocence.

"Sami, you saved my life today. If you had not found me, and told Akra Apollymi where I was, I would still be a prisoner of Stryker and his men. However, I am no ones Akri, but you can call me Jace." I said kneeling down and putting my hand on his shoulder.

"But I needs my Akri, my family is all gone now, I miss my daddy, my family. A Charonte must have his Akri, please be my Akri!" he begged. His eyes filling with tears, my heart caught in my throat. How could I say no, I knew what it felt like to be alone with no one to love me.

"How about this, I will be your father."

"Really?" he beamed.

"I swear to you Sami, you will never want for anything." I smiled at him, as he jumped into my arms and hugged me tightly.

"Then Sami has the best Akri-papa in the world. Sami loves his Akri!" he smiled.

But no sooner had the words left his lips; he faded, as he faded my skin just above my heart burned. Hissing, I jerked up my shirt to find a small colorful dragon emblazoned on my skin. I touched it gingerly, and heard Sami's laughter in my head. The tattoo inched its way up, toward my neck. His motion on my skin tickled until he settled over my collarbone.

"Sami is a part of you now, Jace. While on your body, he won't be able to hear you unless you call for him. But he will be able to monitor your vital signs. Should he sense you're in danger, he will appear to you in demon form to protect you." Apollymi explained.

"But he's only a baby."

"Even as a baby, he's deadly. Never mistake that. The Charonte are by their very nature killers. He will be hungry and you'll have to feed him often. If you fail to, he'll eat whatever is near him...even you. Make sure he doesn't get overly hungry. And the last thing you should know is that his kind age very slowly. Roughly one year of a human's development equals a thousand years of theirs. Sami is over three thousand years old."

"What? Maybe this isn't such a good idea, shouldn't he be with other demons of his own kind?"

"You are all he has in this world, M'gios. You'll be the one to teach him everything he needs to know, he will love you, and obey you, and protect you. He will come to mean everything to you and you to him. I love you, my darling grandson." she said, hugging and kissing me goodbye.

I placed my hand over the tattoo on my shoulder.

I was a father...

But how could I train and protect a demon son when I didn't even know how to use my own powers, what have I gotten myself into?

One Year Later-

Savitar's Island-

Savitar and I were sitting on surf boards, riding the waves. This is what Savitar loves to do most in life, sit on his surf board waiting for the next big wave.

"How long to you plan on keeping me here?" I asked.

"Why, do you have somewhere you need to be?" he asked sarcastically.

"I'm ready to go out into the world, I've trained hard, and I know how to protect myself. I know how to use my powers, what more do I need to learn?" I demanded.

"How to surf, get up there is a big wave coming!"

Before I knew what hit me, I was swallowing water as the sure took me under. I popped back onto my surf board, as Savitar was laughing at me.

"It's the ones you don't see coming that can take you out kid. You'd do well to remember that, Jace. We've practiced fighting, but you have always seen me coming at you. The Daimons you're going to go after when you leave here, never walk alone. They stick to the shadows, and are always ready for battle. If you let distractions take away your focus, you'll find yourself drowning in a pool of your own blood." he said, as he made my board disappear from under me, causing me to go under again.

"You really get a kick out of doing that, don't you?" I said, manifesting another board to sit on.

"Are you prepared to come face to face with your father?" he asked the one question I had hoped he wouldn't.

"I have no father!"

"Jace, can you really hold him responsible for what others have done to you? Would you want people holding you responsible for what Stryker and his men did to you, no I didn't think so."

"No I wouldn't...but what's the point of working myself up over a father, when he can never learn who I am, or what was done to me? It would mean the end of the world, you said so yourself." my voice betrayed the emotions I felt over never being able to tell my father who I am, and I hated myself for that.

"Fate won't be denied. You will come face to face with your father, and he will one day learn who you are."

"What does that mean? That I'm chosen to end the world? If he's going to find out about me anyway, why didn't you just tell him to begin with Savitar?"

"Because for everything there is a time, and a place. Maybe you'll be able to prevent him from destroying the world. Maybe you'll find a way to stop him from reacting the way we said he would. There are many different outcomes, infinite possibilities to what may or may not happen.

But I know for sure you will meet him, and how you handle the situation will affect the outcome."

"Thanks for nothing Savitar that really helps a lot. I feel so much better now! As if growing up in a hellish nightmare of a life wasn't bad enough, now I'm this chosen one, who's been chosen to end the world if I handle meeting my father the wrong way. Chosen to cause pain and suffering to every living person, the same way I suffered all those years. It's so great to be chosen, wouldn't you agree?" I said sarcastically.

"Thank you captain sarcasm, how nice of you to join us again.

Listen to me Jace; in all our pasts lie our futures. By our own hands and decisions we will be damned and we will be saved. Whatever you do put forth your best effort, even if all you're doing is chasing a never-ending rainbow. You might never reach the end of it, but along the way you'll meet people who will mean the world to you and make memories that will keep you warm on even the coldest of nights.

You've come along way since we first met, and this is really just the beginning for you. The path ahead will be hard, the burden heavy but you will find that you carry an inner strength that will help you walk the path ahead. I understand the need to kill the Daimons who tortured you, and I know that no matter what anyone says nothing is going to stop you from killing them. I just hope you realize that if you're looking to find inner peace by killing them, all your going to find is more nightmares.

Killing them will never erase your past, only you can lay your past to rest. If you wish to kill them to protect humanity, then the self-worth you're looking for will be found. Vengeance is never sated; it will consume you with a hunger so powerful that in the end there will be nothing left of you but the need for blood.

You are a rare gift to this world, with a higher purpose than killing those that have done you wrong. You can be a champion of the people, a fighter for those who are too weak to fight, those who you were once like.

When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others. While every man is free to rise as far as he's able or willing, but the degree to which he thinks determines the degree to which he'll rise. Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."

He popped me back into my room, leaving me with plenty to think about. I've been so focused on what I was going to do once my training was over, how I was going to use my new found powers and fighting skills to kill the bastards that tortured me. The ones that ruined my past, which left me, waking up screaming every night as I relived the horrors they inflicted on me. That I never stopped to think about who I am now, what I've become, what I want to do with the rest of my life, other than hunting down the bastards that abused me.

Freedom is more complicated than being a slave, at least when I was a slave I knew my place. I knew I had to please every sick bastard that came near me, that I had to take whatever they dished out no matter how painful, humiliating, degrading it was.

No, I've got to stop thinking like that, my life is different now, and I'm different now.

`You're a worthless whore, not good enough to lick the bottom of my shoes. Now beg me to allow you please me, whore!'

Stryker's words tore through me, like a knife gutting me. I screamed as loud as I could, hoping it would make me feel better, but knowing it never would.

Sami's moved from my shoulder to over my heart, causing a tingling sensation to run up and down my spine. It'd been to long since I'd let him come off me to feed, I knew it was selfish, but part of me loved feeling him there, knowing I wasn't alone.

"Sami, it's time to come off me, I've kept you from eating way to long." The tattoo left my body, and Sami took his normal form.

"Akri is sad, that's why he don't let his Sami come off him. Why is Akri so sad, tell you Samkey!" he loved when I called him by that nickname, and I loved that he knew me so well.

"Samkey, I'm okay really. I shouldn't have kept you on me so long, let go get you something to eat." I said, not wanting him to worry.

"Akri is bad liar, his Samkey know when he's hurting cause I hurt too."

"Your right Sami, I am sad. I was remembering my past, and the way those evil Daimons used to hurt me. But I'm happy now, cause you're here with me, and I know I'm not alone anymore." I said holding his face in my hands.

"Sami never leave his Akri, Samkey love his Akri. Sami won't let the Daimons hurt you again, Sami is going to eat them." it felt so good to have someone care about me enough to want to take vengeance out on my behalf.

"That's right, Akri will let Sami have his fill of Daimons and Demons, but remember Sami is not allowed to eat humans."

"Sami remember, humans are off the menu, but Sami is going to enjoy barbequing Daimons. They be tasty treats, especially with barbeque sauce. All this talk about eating, is making Sami hungry. Can we eat now, Akri?"

"Yes Sami, come on we'll get you tasty cows to eat. I love you Sami, always remember that." I said hugging him.

"Sami know Akri love him, and Sami love his Akri always." he said hugging me tightly.

I really couldn't tell sometimes who needed who more, me or him. Only I was so happy that I had him with me, and grateful to my grandmother for giving him to me.

The next day-

"Today's the day kid, your final free to go!" Savitar exclaimed as he appeared in my bedroom.

"Couldn't you wait to tell me, after the sun came up?" I said covering my head with a pillow.

"Jace, its morning. The sun is up, and you're just cranky because you were out all night feeding your Charonte. Next time don't wait so long to feed him, and he won't be so hungry. Now get up, we've got a big day ahead of us." Savitar said, disappearing out of the room. I groaned, and turned over in bed when I was suddenly soaking wet, as water fell out of the air over me.

"Savitar!" I shouted.

"I said we have busy day, now get up!" he said, laughing the whole time.

"One day Savitar, I'm going to get you good!" I shouted into the air.

I used my powers to remove my wet clothes, and then popped myself into the shower. As the hot water ran over my body, I suddenly realized what Savitar had said. I was free to go, free to leave this island. Whoa, I'm free to leave! Woohoo!

I flashed myself out of the shower, and quickly manifested a pair of black leather pants, and a Misfits tee shirt. Opaque Black Oakley sunglasses, cherry red Doc Martens boots, with skull and cross bone buckles going up each side. A long black coat, with Apollymi's symbol of a sun pierced by three lightning bolts on the back.

I walked out of my room, to find Savitar standing on the veranda staring out into the ocean he loved so much.

"A penny for your thoughts, Savitar."

"Ah kid, if you think you have baggage, you don't want to get anywhere near my head. We all have demons that we try to bury, and mine could give you a run for your money. Enough about me, let's talk about you, shall we?"

I wanted badly to ask him what skeletons he was talking about, but the haunted look in his eyes told me it was best to leave it alone.

"Savitar, before you start in on me, I wanted to say some things to you first..." I began.

"Oh no, we're not about to have a girl moment are we?"

"Savitar, please let me do this, it's hard enough for me as it is without your commentary. Look, I know you didn't have to bring me here and train me. I know you don't get along with my grandmother at all, and I'm assuming that the way you always defend Apostolos, or Ash, whichever you call him by, that you brought me here more so because of him and what he means to you.

I know I wasn't the easiest person to be around, but you stuck by my side no matter what I threw at you. When you talk to me, you treat me with respect and dignity, not like the worthless whore who was sold off to the highest bidder.

You never sit in judgment of me, or hold my past as if it's something to be ashamed of. I've heard the words you've spoken, and they have given me insight into the kind of man I'd like to be, that kind of man that can hold his head held high, and walk with dignity. That I do have choices and my past does not have to dictate what my future will be. That I can do good in this world, and protect others with the powers that I have been given.

That I can give my life meaning, where I never that my life meant anything other than the slaves of others.

I want you to know I took to heart all the lessons you have taught me, and I have heeded some, and will work on incorporating the rest into my life. That I will try to become the person, you've allowed me to see that I can become.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want you to be proud of me, and I promise to do everything in my power to make you proud of me.

I don't know if you consider me your friend Acheron son, or if you just consider me your friend Jace. But, you're the real first person I've spent so much time with, who didn't want anything from me, who didn't want me to pay him in blood and tears...and well...I hope you consider me a friend, because for the first time in my life I feel that I have a friend in you.

That's all I wanted to say, and I'm just going to shut up now." I said feeling my cheeks flush red.

"If you tell anyone I said this, I'll cut your balls off and feed them to you! Most people who know me fear me, and they have every right to because I usually kill anyone that pisses me off without a second thought. I don't have many people I consider friend, because, well I really don't like people. But the very few, and I do mean few that I do hold as dear friends, are great men who I trust at my backside.

I have never had anyone stay with me on my island, for as long as you've been here. Sure in the beginning I did it because of my friend ship with Ash, you don't know your father, or what he's been through in his life, but I do. The fact that he's had a harder life than anyone I've ever known, in my immortal life, and still finds a way to have compassion for the human race, the very race that caused him nothing but pain, and unimaginable horror, is what causes me to have the respect I have for him.

You are your father's son, and it is my honor to call you friend.

I know you Jace, the real you. I know you don't let anyone stand at your back; you keep your back to the wall never wanting anyone to come at you from behind. I know why you keep your hair long, because you can stand for anyone to breath on your neck, you can't stand for a breeze to hit the nape of your neck. I know why you hide your eyes behind those sunglasses, and have chosen a Goth look. I know why you push people away, and fear letting anyone in lest they betray you, or hurt you in any way.

I saw the boy that came here a year ago, scared, angry, alone, and now see the young man who stands just a little taller, and has open his heart to his sister, grandmother, Sami, and yes even me.

I know what it's taken you to do those things, and that's only part of what you've done in the year you've been here. But I want you to know I am proud of you, and I know you will do great things. The road will be hard, and you will be tried again and again. You will have choices to make that will affect the lives of those around you, the lives of people you will even come to love.

I see the future laid out before you, and know that you will be saved by the choices you make, or damned by the fears that haunt you.

But I know you're ready to go face the world out there, and began the path to your true destiny. I will always be there when you need me, I won't always give you the answers you seek, but nonetheless I will always be there for you." he said passionately.

"Why is it you can see my future, but I can't see mine, or yours for that matter?

"I don't see the future until after I act on something, from that point I see the choice I make unfold with no way of stopping or controlling it. You can see the future, but not when it comes to you or those close to you, or anyone that impacts your future or destiny. That's the curse the Fates gave to your father, and has been passed down to you as well. I know we really haven`t spoken on things of a sexual nature, but you need to know something. Your father was touched by the hand of the Goddesses of Desire, your grandmother's sister. She did so in an attempt to kill Apostolos, and in doing so anyone that reaches puberty, become so attracted to him, the desire over riding all rational. It`s what caused your father a human life of or horrors I will not go into, but that curse has been passed on to you as well. That is why men and woman alike, lose control when it comes to you. It is why Stryker and his men could not control them selves around you, and also led to a hate for what they felt was you making them want you, that they sought to punish you. I`m hoping that by releasing your Atlantean God powers, that it will lesson the curse, but I`m not going to hold my breath. I wish I had better news for you on that front, but I don't."

"Thank you Savitar, for everything you've done, and everything you've said. I promise to take it to my grave, that when it comes to girl talk, nobody does it better than you! And that secretly, you made me surf with you, so you could get a good look at my tight muscular build, and hard 8 pack washboard abs, and large bubble but." I said laughingly.

Katra appeared on the island in front of us, as we were laughing at the comment I had made.

"Jace is that a laugh? And me with out my camcorder! You have the most amazing dimples, laughing and smiling become you little brother." she said hugging me.

"You just live to embarrass me, don't you Kat!"

"What are older sister for. So are you ready to leave this Island, or are you going to stay and ride the waves with Savitar?"

"No offence, but I've babysat for the last year, I need a vacation from the Parthenopaeus family." Savitar said laughing, as he lightly punched me in the shoulder.

"So this is it huh, you sure you ready to leave this sunny place?" Katra asked.

I really wasn't sure if I was ready to leave, but I knew if I didn't do it now, I wouldn't do it later. It was time, I couldn't hide from my future, and I was pretty sure I didn't want to anymore.

"I'm ready, or as ready as I'm every going to be. So where are we going, neither of you have told me anything." I asked.

"I've set you up in a place called New Orleans, its pretty much Daimon central. But its also one of the greatest places to live, with non stop entertainment 24/7. I set you up with your own apartment, clothes, money, driver's license and everything else you'll need to fit in." Katra began filling me in.

"Are you sure that's wise Katra? Maybe it would be better if you started him off, oh I don't know; let's say somewhere that your father isn't likely to run into him on his first day there?" Savitar asked sarcastically.

"Grandmother and I talked about this, and we feel it the best place for him to be. Jace is going to be attracting attention to himself anyhow, fighting Daimons and all. The Dark-Hunters are going to wonder who he is, and will report it to Ash anyway. You know dad, he'll come to investigate, and when he sees Jace, and sees that he can't see Jace's future at all, he's going to know something is up. He won't give up until he finds out why Jace is a blind spot to his powers, and I'd rather it be in New Orleans where Ash is amongst friends. Friends that may be able to soften the blow, of finding out he has a long lost son he never knew about.

Ash loves New Orleans, he's calmer there than any place else. I think it's best if we play on his home turf, and handle this by staying one step ahead of him. Either way, Jace is going to go looking for our father as soon as he gets off this island. Doesn't matter if I dropped him off in the North Pole, he'd still find his way to Ash in New Orleans anyhow." Katra explained.

"How many times do I have to say I don't have a father, that I want nothing to do with Ash? Why would you think I would go looking for him, when I've said he means nothing to me?" I said angrily.

"Because, I was once in your shoes. I didn't know who my father was, and when I found out who he was, I was never allowed to let him know who I was. I bumped into him one day as he was coming to visit mother, and when I saw his face for the first time it caused a pain inside me to open up, one that I never knew was there. The pain of wanting a father, a pain only he could heal. After that, I found myself watching him from afar, seeking him out where ever I could. I watched him fight, and helping people, I watched him walk with the pain he hides from the rest of the world and it only made me ache for him more. But the pleasure I got from being even that tiniest bit closer to him, was enough to last me all the thousand of years till I finally met him.

Jace, brother, even though you say you want nothing to do with him, I know in my heart that's a lie. A lie you tell yourself to ease your pain, to help you deal with feelings of abandonment you have. I know, because like you I used to feel the same way. As your sister, I want only what is best for you, and I believe this will help you to begin healing some of the pains of your past." she said, as she ran a hand down the side of my face...

"Let's just leave this a happy day, and not sully this day talking about your father. So what say you Savitar am I going to New Orleans?" I asked.

Please say yes, please, please say yes...I just wanted to have one glimpse of my non-father...just one brief moment to see if we really did look alike, to see if he really was a good guy, that he did do all the amazingly good things Kat said about him.

Plain and simply I just wanted to see the man she loved so much, the man they all loved so much and would gladly give up their lives for. I wanted to see what was so special about him, that they would risk everything for him at any time.

Who is Ash Parthenopaeus?

A glimmer of light shined in the air, and Apollymi's Shade form, appeared before us.

"You didn't think I wouldn't come to see you off into the horrid world of man, with being here to try and talk you out of it...relax Katra, I promised you I wouldn't, doesn't mean I wasn't going to through out my objection. Hello my darling angel, Jace. You're sure your ready to do this, you sure your ready to face the cold harsh world?" she asked, her eyes filled with fear, and concern over my wellbeing, and it touched me to the depths of my soul.

I went to touch her and my hands went through her, as I forget she could only come as a shade with no corporeal form since she was trapped.

"I told you a year ago I would one day find the way to say I love you, but only when I was able to feel it, and mean it. I'm not healed, I have a long road ahead of me, but it won't start till I'm out in the world dealing with other human beings. But I have come to understand love on a certain level, not the full level, but enough to know that I do love you Matera (Mom), and I love you Katra, and even you Savitar. You all have taught me to open myself up to learning to trust, to love, to believe I am worthy of love. I hope you never break my heart, I don't know if I could handle it, but know right now I believe in the three of you, and I believe in the trust and love I have for you.

Thank you all for everything you've done for me, and I hope to make you proud of me, and use everything you have taught me to be the best kind of man you'd be honored to call family, and not deny me as your family for acting in anyway that causes you to disapprove of me. I'm not perfect, but I will do my best." I smiled, as Katra hugged me, and Savitar patted my back. Apollymi help her hand up, and I laid mine against hers, though we could touch for real, the jester meant more to me than she would ever know.

"I will check on you soon Grom, especially when you least expect it, so stay on your toes and watch your back." Savitar said.

"M'gios, call on me, and I will always answer you. And, please come visit me often, I need to have my family around me. At least three times a week! What's that look for? Fine, once a week at the least, and call on me daily, at least till I know you've settled in. I love you, M'gios."

"I love you all, now let's go before Savitar starts crying and embarrasses himself." I said laughingly.

"Get him out of here Katra, before I kick his but till he isn't able to move again for at least a month."

"Remember M'gios, you are a God of Fate, one word, even uttered in anger, you become bound by it, if it is not seen through, you will die. Be brave, for in the world of man you are a God."

New Orleans-

We faded to New Orleans, standing on the balcony of my new apartment at 620 Pirates Alley, which overlooked the courtyard of the St. Louis Cathedral. As I would come to learn. It was dark, but the sound of music drifted up from the Old Absinthe House below, as well as laughter and chattering from people on the street.

"So this is what you meant by New Orleans is non-stop action, it amazing. Looking at the life, and lights and beauty here." I said excitedly.

"I knew you would love it, it kinds of runs in the family. Come on lets get you settled inside, I've got to get back to Greece, before my assignment realizes I'm missing off a moving boat in the middle of the Aegean Sea."

We walked around the wrap around porch, entering into a set of double doors. The place was huge, compared to the box Stryker used throw me into that barley fit my body. It was a furnished home, with a huge kitchen, dinning room area, living room, office and a bathroom in the hall, and a master bedroom with a bathroom fit for a king.

I was so full of joy; I actually picked her up and twirled her around.

"This is so beautiful, its so big, I never dreamed of living some place so nice that I could call my own. But, how ever will I pay for it?" I asked, fearing the answer.

"Jace, you're my brother, you're a God, we have more money then we'll ever know what to do with. It's something you'll never have to worry about. Now, I want to show you all your clothes, and where I have put them all away, before I take you out on a quick tour of the near by area, and the main hunting grounds.

But I have to tell you something first, and I don't think your going to like it.

Father lives in this same building, though he's on the first floor in one of the smaller apartments. Don't worry he's barley ever here, but there is always a chance you could run into him. I know you say you don't want to, but I'm also your sister and like I said before I know that need inside that is going to cause you to want to catch a glimpse of him so you'll just have to get over that feeling. Now, come on let me show you your up to date fashion clothing, and then a quick tour of the area...plus I want to end with us going to Sanctuary, were the Were-hunters are, the cousin of the Appolites and other off limit demons tend to hang. You can't kill them there, or you'll bring the wrath of Savitar down on you.

I'll explain more about all of this later." she said, overwhelming me with bad news.

She should me around my new home, my clothes, and my never ending supply of money. But my favorite part was the hidden weapons arsenal. There was everything, from knives, to swords, retractable staves. You name it, and I had it, a boy could get used to this.

She took me on a quick tour of the town, from Bourbon Street, which held the party, clueless folk, dancing and drinking the night away. We finally ended up at Sanctuary, owned by Weres, that could change into Bear forms, and others inside who worked for the them, who could change into wolves, leopards, tigers, even a dragon that mostly stayed on the top floor do to his huge size, but stayed there in case he was needed to erase the memories of humans who just happen to see something they shouldn't have of. She took my by Pandora's Box, an adult fetish store that belonged to her friend Tabitha, and to Liza's doll making shop, where she secretly made weapons for Dark Hunters.

"Alright, I think I've showed you enough places for now. Wish I could introduce you to friends, but I'm sure seeing how much we look alike would only raise suspicions." she said guiltily.

"It's okay I'm used to being everyone's dirty little secret. Why should that change now, now that I know who some of my family members are." I said somberly.

"Jace, it's not like that. I would love to walk around and introduce you to friends, and other Dark Hunters, but we're trying to protect grandmother. You know what Dad would do if he found out what was done to you; it would be the end of the world. I love you Jace, and I'm honored to have you as a brother even if we just have to keep it a secret for now. Remember you are the Chosen One, and that could mean anything, chosen to stop Ash from killed Stryker and in turn Grandmother. But you have enough of us for now, that love you, respect you and more than anything want to keep you safe...I'm sorry I have to leave but I'm only a call away, one shout and I'll by your side...So walk around, learn the area, and be safe...I love you little brother...Please watch you back. This world is filled with Demons, many different kinds, not just Daimons..." She said hugging and kissing me. Something I was sure I would never get used to, people touching me, let alone kissing me. But I didn't want to hurt my new found sister, and I was beaten till I learned to bury my own feelings and do what pleases others, why not my own family?

"Thanks for everything Katra, I owe you big time, and don't think I won't pay you back."

"We're family, you never owe me anything. All I want is your love, and for you to love me. Your trust, and for you to trust me. Just give it time, and you will see what real family is all about...Love you Akribos (Brother in Atlantean)."

And then she faded, leaving me with a hole in my heart.

Family!

Stryker was family, and he destroyed me.

My parents were family, yet they never came to save me.

Even now, with as much love as Apollymi, Katra, even Savitar tried to show me, that hole in my heart was filling up; it was just getting emptier, and emptier.

What would it take to make me whole again?

I walked aimlessly through the streets of New Orleans, not knowing where I was headed, only hoping to find Daimons to kill. As I walked down Bourbon street, and the throngs of people partying away, completely unaware of what was really going on in the night made my pity them. The smell in the air, was very different then the hell dimensions I was forced to live in, and I also find the smell more refreshing then Savitar' Island.

As I made my way towards Sanctuary on Ursulines street, I could sense a group of Daimons following me. Just what I was looking for, tonight I would begin my revenge. I let them think that I feared I was being followed by them, and cut through the alley leading behind the Sanctuary bar.

I find myself completely surrounded by Daimons, who think they have me right where they want me.

"Look at what we have here boys, his soul is strong can you smell it?" the leader asked, as they all smelled the air.

I smile to myself as I look at them, hearing their thoughts of both hunger for my soul, but more so the wave of desire they have when they stare at me. (A desire that is a curse of the Atlantean Goddess of Desire, that Ash was cursed with, and so it would seem, was passed down to his only male child) I remove my sunglasses, and let them look upon me. Recognition of who I am flashes across their faces. The heat of their desire causes my stomach to churn, and a rage inside me to swell to levels I fear I won't be able to control. But I must remember what Savitar taught me, if I lose control, I lose focus, I get killed.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little run away whore. We've missed you since you suddenly disappeared. Stryker would be thrilled to see we found you, but before we take you back why don't you get down on your knees and open wide, so you can do what you do best." the leader commanded.

It took everything in me to keep Sami from coming off my chest and killing them, hell it took everything for me not to let him do it.

I wasn't sure how I would feel when I finally say my captures, I thought I would just kill them and call it a day. But my anger burned my insides, and my heart demanded their blood. But the most surprising feeling was the fear I felt, like the same scared little boy who serviced them, pleased them, and was abused by them over and over again.

I hadn't even realized I had gone down on my knees that I was in the same position as I always was when they started on me.

"That's a good little whore, still knows his place. Lets see if you still remember how to please us." the leader said as he walked closer and unzipped his pants. He let his cock hang out as his men got excited, that their turn would be next. My hands trembled as he neared me; he grabbed a fist full of my long blond hair, and yanked it back and held his cock towards my mouth.

Just then a dirty blond haired man walked out of the back door of the bar Sanctuary. Standing at 6'3, he had a body made for sin, with muscles bulging out all over. His shoulder length curly hair, hung in beautiful ringlets. His piercing emerald green eyes, took my breath away. As he smiled an evil grin, I saw the most adorable dimples. His tight Sanctuary shirt left little to the imagination. He was not a man you wanted to fight with.

The way he walked even exuded sex appeal, and an air of confidence I could only dream of feeling. But letting my mouth water over him, made me forget that this man, as strong as he looked, he was out of his league. This was the Spathi Daimons, the oldest Daimons they were trained to be assassins, and are an army with no equal. It was one thing for me to put myself in harms way, and another to allow an innocent human, to be killed for wanting to do the right thing and help someone in trouble. I couldn't use my powers in front of him, but the Daimons couldn't either so hopefully the would just leave, and I could hunt them down later with no witnesses to stop me.

I could use my powers to make him forget, but I wasn't too good at it to risk doing him damage.

"Looks like I showed up to the party just in the neck of time, did you fagots think you were going to rape this poor innocent boy behind my bar, without us knowing?" the blond asked.

"Oh come on Peltier, this doesn't concern you. The little whore likes to please us, so turn around and go back inside before we have to hurt you too. Plus look how hungry he is for our cocks. So you can either join us or leave and pretend you never saw anything." the leader of the Daimons said.

"Sorry can't do that, it's not in my nature, and if that looks like desire on his face, then you've been out of the sex game for to long. He looks like he's about to puke, or laugh at the size of the thing between your legs. So leave the boy alone or you're going to be in a world of pain!" the blond threatened.

Great save the human of kill my rapists, save the human or kill my rapists...Damn save the human it is...

"It could have been the easy way cousin, but you've chosen the hard way. Especially over a worthless whore that was begging for my cock! Get him, since he's outside the safety and rules that Savitar has laid out, so free feel to kill him!"

The leader yanked my hair even harder, which was something I hated, and set my ire on fire.

Before I knew what happened the bombshell began fighting the Daimons, as magnificent as he looked, he fought just as beautifully. I used the opening to manifest a fighting staff. I brought it up between the leader's legs, and brought him down bellowing in pain.

"Don't let the whore escape, Stryker will want him alive, and have our heads if we let him escape." he shouted from the ground, holding his penis in his hand.

I got up and stomped on his cock, before I entered the fray trying to reach the human who seemed to be holding his own. I would dodge and use the sharpened tip to stab the Daimons and free the souls trapped inside. The Daimons exploded into golden powder. As I stabbed the black mark in the center of their chest where the souls resided.

Six of the Daimons were on top of the human beating him down. Holding my hand out, I sent them flying against the walls in the alley freeing the human.

"Get out of here now; I can handle this on my own!" I ordered him.

"It didn't look that way with you on your hands and knees ready to be force fed Daimon cock!" he smirked.

So he knew what Daimons are, and as a matter a fact, the lead Daimon called him cousin.

Just who is this guy?

"That was just for show; let him think he had power over me till I was ready to make my move." I shot back.

"Really, so why was there a haunted look on your pale face, while you shook uncontrollably? Your plan didn't work because your fear took over, you lost the advantage the moment you went to whatever dark memory is haunting you." he explained, and I wanted to kick him for that.

"And your in way over your head, if I hadn't gotten those six Daimons off you, you'd be dead smart ass!"

"That was all a part of my plan genius!" he said, as he turned around and stabbed a Daimon in the chest.

He really could hold his own, but I wanted my revenge, and I wanted it alone. I used my powers to flash him back inside the bar as he was surrounded by to many.

"Don't kill the little whore, we need to take him back to Stryker." the leader said as his men surrounded me.

I twirled the staff in my hands around, as I began knocking out the Daimons. What I hadn't known was the hot human was at the door listening along with reinforcements. Two Daimons where coming at me one from behind and one head on, the one coming at me was moving to fast, so I kneeled down stabbed him in the chest and lifted him up and over my head, where he exploded in a golden powder. I quickly spun around, stabbing the Daimon in the chest who had been coming at me from behind. I spun my staff around my sides, and above my head before stopping in a fighting stance.

The hot human and what had to be twin brothers, four in all, and a beautiful blond girl who had to be their sister came running out and helped to rid the alley of five more Daimons.

All that was left was the leader, who was rose to his feet.

"You Peltier's have made a big mistake helping the little whore Prince. Stryker will be sure to return and seek his revenge on you from protecting his property. As for you slave, you will regret what you've done today, and when Stryker hears about it, he's going to do far worse to you, than he's ever done before. He's going to make you wish you had never been born!"

"I already wish I had never been born, and there is nothing worse he could do to me than what he has already done! To bad he'll never find out what happened here today. I'm not ready for him to know!" I said.

"Just wait whore, Stryker wants you in a bad way, and what he has in store for you will make everything he's ever done to you, seem like a day at Disney Land! What Stryker wants, Stryker gets." he laughed.

"Stryker will get what's coming to him, because Karma is a bitch and what goes around comes around. But as for you, you won't be the one to tell him about me, because today you die!" I said.

Just as he opened a bolt hole (Door way back to Kalosis). I manifested a dagger and threw it at his back, and it went straight through his chest causing him to explode.

"Okay, that was exciting. Now do you want to explain what just happened, why Stryker wants you so badly? And just who the hell are you anyway?" the hot blond asked.

"Last time I checked I don't answer to you, nor did I need your help." I said.

"Are you a Dark Hunter? Do you work for Ash?" he asked.

"No! And Double NO!" I said bitterly.

"Kyle, why don't you lay off him? He doesn't want to talk, but why don't you come inside and let us clean up that head wound for you? Would you mind taking off the sunglasses?" the pretty blond said.

I hadn't even realized I had been hit in the head, till she said something. When I reached up I felt the blood running down the side of my face, I would have just used my powers to heal myself but I didn't want to give away what kinds of powers I had to strangers. Plus the Daimons called them cousin, and I wanted to know why.

"Sure, thanks that's mighty kind of you. But as for the sunglasses, no, they stay on." I said.

Inside Sanctuary, we entered into a medical lab were she started cleaning off my head wound.

"Normally we have a doctor on the premises, but he's stepped out to help a friend." she said.

"It's fine really, it doesn't hurt at all." I said.

"So what's your name anyway? I'm Amy Peltier, and this is one of my many brothers Kyle."

"The name's Jace."

"Jace? That's all, just Jace! What is it like just Cher, or just Madonna?" Kyle asked sarcastically.

"Is he always a smart ass, or did I just catch him on a good day?" I asked.

"You'll have to excuse my brother; we dropped him on his head a lot when he was a baby." Amy answered.

"I can tell. I do have a last name, I'd just rather not say right now." I said.

"Everyone is allowed their secrets, so Jace it is. So would you mind telling us why Stryker wants you so badly, Jace?" Amy asked.

"That's the part I don't understand myself, honestly." I answered.

Okay, well I knew why he used to want me, but now that grams knows who I am she'd kill him if he touched me. So I really am clueless, but I sure am going to find out why.

"So, do you mind telling me why that Daimon called you his cousin?" I asked.

"Well, since we pretty much know your nota human, and you know about Daimons, it wouldn't hurt to tell you the rest." Amy said.

"Thanks, I'd really like to know." I said.

"In the beginning, King Lycaon of Arcadia had no idea that when he wed, his precious, beloved queen she wasn't human. She was born a cursed Apollite race destined to die at 27.

It wasn't till her last birthday, that Lycaon watched his beloved die horribly of old age, that he realized that two sons she had borne him would follow her to an early grave.

Grief-stricken, he had sought out his priests who all told him there was nothing to be done. Fate was fate and they would always have their way.

But Lycaon refused to heed their wisdom, he was a sorcerer and he was determined that no one would steal his sons not even the Fates.

Capturing his wife's people he magically spliced their essence with various animals known for their strength, bears, panthers, leopards, hawks, lions, tigers, jackals, wolves and even dragons.

He spent years perfecting his new race until at last he found a cure for his sons. Giving them ten to twelve times longer lives than humans, and strength, and endowed with magical powers.

The Fates looked down and saw what the proud king had done. Angry at his interference in their domain, the Fates decreed that he must kill his sons and all like them.

Lycaon refused.

It was then the fates sought out their own form of punishment for his hubris. His children and all like them were cursed anew.

"There will never be peace among your children." Clotho, the Fate who spins the thread of life, proclaimed "they will spend eternity hating and fighting until the day when the last of them breathe their last breath.

And so it was, whenever Lycaon blended an animal with a human, he, in fact, made two beings. One being who held an animal's heart and one who held a human heart.

Those who walked as men and who held human hearts were termed Arcadians after Lycaon's people. Those who held animal hearts were termed Katagaria.

The Katagaria were born as animals and lived as animals, yet once they reached puberty, when the magical powers were unlocked by their hormones, they would be able to become human, at least externally.

Their animal hearts would always govern their actions. Likewise, the Arcadians were born as humans and lived as humans until their puberty brought with it their magic and their ability to shift into animal form.

Two sides of a single coin, the two species should have been at peace. Instead, the goddesses sent Discordia to plant mistrust between them. The Arcadians felt themselves superior to their animal cousins. After all, they were humans with human rationality while the Katagaria were only animals who could take human form.

The Katagaria learned quickly that the Arcadians weren't honest about their intentions and would say one thing, then do another.

All throughout time, the two groups have preyed upon each other while each side took the moral high ground. The animals believe the Arcadians are the real threat while the Arcadians believe the Katagaria must be controlled or put down.

It is an endless war.

And as with all wars, there has never been a true victor. There have only been casualties who still suffer from the prejudice and unfounded hatred.

So the Omegrion, which is the high council lead by Savitar, govern over all Katagaria and Arcadians. Limani means sanctuary, and Savitar gives certain places permission to be a sanctuary, a safe haven for all." Amy explained.

So Savitar left out a big chunk of information, and I want to know why. Unless, someone here at Sanctuary seriously impacts my future. If that's the case, then who could it be, and why. I am so going to kill Savitar, for all the secrets he keeps from me.

"Wow, okay that was an informative history lesson. Thanks for sharing; it puts some things in perspective." I said.

A tall man came through the door, wearing all black, his blond hair shoulder length with a braid running down the side of his head.

"Hey Talon, who called you?" Amy asked.

"I was told a Dark Hunter was hurt in the area, that there was some sort of attack with a bunch of Daimons." Talon spoke in an Irish accent.

"You heard wrong, I'm not a Dark Hunter, and I'm not hurt." I said quickly.

"Then why were the Daimons after you, kid?" Talon asked.

"When I find out, you'll be the last to know. Look, thanks Amy for cleaning me up and for explaining things. As for you Kyle, I'm glad you can hold your own, and I would say it was a pleasure meeting you, but I'd be lying. So before anyone else comes in here asking questions I don't have the answers to, I'm going to be heading out." I said getting up, I must have gotten up so quickly that I got dizzy and Kyle moved so quickly to catch it me. When he held me in his powerful arms, some kind of an electrical current ran through me. Something that took my break away. We locked eyes, and I quickly moved away trying to stand my own ground.

"Easy tiger, you must have been hit on the head a little too hard. Just sit down and breath, plus I have some questions for you." Talon said.

Everyone was staring at me, and Kyle's stare was enough to send a wave a panic rush through me.

"Look, I don't know any of you, and I don't owe any of you any answers. If you don't mind, I'll be leaving now." I said trying to make my way to the door.

"I'm sorry kid, no can do. Ash will be here any second, and we'll straighten this whole matter out. See, we can't have rogue humans doing Dark Hunter work. And if Stryker is personally after you, that makes you in more danger than you can possibly even imagine. So till Ash gets here, you just can't leave." Talon demanded.

My heart began to race, my hands shaking uncontrollably. I was sure I had gone pale in the face, and I felt like I was about to puke. Ash was coming here now, I wasn't ready for this. Savitar was right, we would have to come face to face, but I can handle this right now. Everything began to move in slow motion, as I tried to push my way through everyone.

"Jace, Jace, calm down your in good hands. Ash is the best guy out there, and the best friend you want at your back. Especially when it comes to the Daimons, there is no one better to protect you." Amy said.

I couldn't think straight, I wanted to use my powers but I couldn't even control them. I wanted to should for Savitar, but I had a feeling he wants me to run into Ash, and wouldn't help.

"I'm sorry, I feel like I'm going to puke, I need a restroom please!" I begged, my voice shaking.

"There is a trash can right there, your not getting out of my sight until Ash gets here." Talon said, standing firmly at the door.

"I'm sorry is this a jail cell I'm in, cause last I heard this is a Limani, and Savitar the Omegrion would see you holding me hostage as a violation of the laws of this Sanctuary. So get out of my way, or I swear I will call down this Savitar on you!" I demanded.

"You're not being held hostage, your being protected even if you don't want it. So call Savitar all you'd like, I'm sure he'll agree with Ash that you need protecting." Talon stood his ground.

Sweet home Alabama started playing loudly from the bar downstairs, and everyone's eyes went wide at hearing it.

"Their playing Ash's theme song, so he must be on his way up here. Don't worry Jace; Ash is someone you can trust." Amy said.

I freaked out, this wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening. I had to get out of here, and I had to get out of here now. We can't come face to face with each other, it's not time yet, I'm not ready.

My panic reached a new level, and my powers must have reacted to it, for suddenly the lights started exploding, and the medical equipment started flipping off the tables. I darted for the door, pushing my way past everyone. Talon went to grab me, and I ducked his arms, and punched him in the gut causing him to keel over.

I took off running down the hall, not knowing where I was going; only knowing I wanted out.

"Hey, kid, hold on there I just want to talk to you!" Came the Atlantean voice of Acheron, that I so wasn't ready to hear.

The sound of his voice stopped me dead in my tracts. I felt paralyzed, as all I wanted to do was turn around and have one look at him.

"It's all right, I won't hurt you, and I'm just here to help." he said.

Words, they were just words. I wanted to scream at him, and ask where was your help when Stryker and his men were raping me. Where was your help when they tortured me till my skin was ripped off my back, till the blood ran down and still they never let up on whipping me. Where was your help when I really needed you, when I was a child you were supposed to be protecting and nurturing?

"Damn you, damn you and your help. I don't want anything from you; I don't even want to look upon you. Stay away from me, I hate you, I hate you more than I've ever hated anyone and that's saying a lot!" I shouted.

I could hear the foot steps of the others coming out into the hall, as I shouted those words at Ash.

I needed to get out of here, and I needed to do it now.

Move legs, move!

"Jace, please Ash can help you, just give him a chance!" Kyle shouted.

"What do you care Kyle, you've made your dislike of me loud and clear. I don't need his help, and I don't want any of yours. Just tell me how the hell to get out of here, I want out now!" I shouted.

"Jace, my name is Ash, and I'm a friend. I know Stryker, and if his minions are after you, then you're in danger. I can help you, I can protect you. Turn around and talk to me, look at me, I swear I will help you." Ash said.

"It's too late for you to help me, you could have saved me a long time ago, but you didn't. I didn't come here looking for you, or your help. Just stay away from me, I don't ever want anything to do with you, ever, do you hear me!" I said taking off down the hall.

"Damn Ash, what the hell did you do to that kid?" Talon asked.

"I don't even know who he is, and I really like to stop him and talk to him face to face." Ash said.

I could hear them following behind me, as I turned yet another corner down another hall. Finally I saw a window at the end of this hall, and since I could use my powers I had only one choice, and that was to jump out the window.

"Jace, stop, there is no where left for you to go. Just talk to us, we can help you; you have to trust somebody sometime. You can't fight Stryker alone, you can trust us." Kyle said.

"Everyone I've ever trusted, made me pay for that trust in blood and tears, so forgive me if I'm not big on trusting a bunch of strangers. Plus, I don't see how you can ask me to trust you guys, when all of you are hiding things from one another, and you're supposed to be friends and family. I've been burned enough in my life to know better; the only one I can trust is myself." I shouted as I took off running for the window.

"Jace don't!" Kyle yelled.

"If you won't let me out, I'll make my own way out!" I shouted as I jumped through the glass window, heading two stories down.

I shouted for Katra in my mind, hoping she would be able to sneak away and get to me right away.

"Jace, what the hell is going on?" Katra said as she appeared next to me in the alley.

"Hurry, get us out of here. Ash is up there, and they'll be at the window any second." I said as she touched me and flashed us back to my apartment.

"You want to explain what that was all about, Ash?" Kyle asked.

"I have no clue, I've never seen that kid before, not that I saw his face. Was Kat here at all, because I smell her essence?" Ash asked.

"No, Kat wasn't here for any of this. Nothing makes sense here Ash, one second he's about to be a Daimon play thing, the next he's kicking ass and not taking any names. Then he finds out your coming, and wants nothing more than to bolt out of here. So he's not scared of Stryker, but you he fears like the plague?" Kyle said.

"He certainly seemed to know who you were, since he repeatedly said how much he hated you Ash. And what's with the, you had plenty of chances to protect me, but you never did, that he was spewing?" Talon asked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Talon, I want all Dark Hunters in the area to be on the look out for Jace, I don't want them fighting him, and I just want to know if anyone spots him. If he needs back up, then help. But I want to be called right away, one way or the other, Jace and I are going to have a long talk." Ash ordered.

Ash closed his eyes, using his powers to recreate the past, trying to see what had unfolded here tonight, Ash found his powers unable to work.

`Great, I can't see the past. That can only mean one thing, this kid, who ever he is, he must seriously impact my future if I'm not able to see anything about him.

Great, just what I need another blind spot. Now if I can only find out if he's an enemy, or a friend!'

Jace's Apt-

"What the hell happened Jace, you scared the crap out of me?" Katra asked, as she healed my wounds.

"Everything was fine, I hunted down some Daimons, killed them all. Okay so there was a little help from a Kyle Peltier jerk, but anyway everything was fine. Then this Talon guy comes in, and wants to know who I am, because they all thought I must be a Dark Hunter, and when I kept saying I wasn't that just made them have more questions I wasn't ready to answer. That's not the worst part of this all, they called Ash, and told him what happened, only I had no idea.

As I was trying to get out there, I find out he's in the building and on his way to see me. I freaked out, I lost control of my powers, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Lucky for me, he never saw my face, but I said too many things I shouldn't have. Things that are going to make him want to come looking for me, things that he's going to want answers for.

Savitar was right, I wasn't ready for this, I wasn't ready to be in the same place Ash would be. I can't handle it Kat, I just can't. Hearing his voice, hearing him say he only wants to help, that he only wants to protect me.

Why then, why couldn't he have protected me when I was just a kid, when I really needed a father's protection...why Kat...why..." I cried, as all the feelings I was not prepared for came pouring out.

"I'm sorry baby; I know it couldn't have been easy for you. I just wish you'd give dad a chance, let him explain. Let us find out what really happened, and why. You can't allow yourself to be vulnerable again, and if being around dad causes your powers to go all wonky, then your going to have to deal with him sooner rather than later."

"It's all too soon, I mean I know I was on the island a year with Savitar, but I never really had to deal with daddy issues. But now, Kat, I can't tell you how it felt to hear his voice, to hear actual concern in the way he talked to me. I wanted nothing more than to turn around and look him in the face, and tell him who I was. But I can't ever do that, we all know what will happen if I do. I hate this, I hate all of this. Why wouldn't the fates just let me die, all the times Stryker made me bleed, till the point that I knew I would die if I was just left alone one more moment, but no the fates had to allow him to save me. Just so he could start all over again, damn them, damn them all." I cried into her arms.

"I'm so sorry baby, I'm so sorry. The Fates have messed with our family in the most horrible ways, starting with grandmother, then father, and then us. I'm sorry it had to be this way, I'm sorry for everything that's happen to you. But the only way you're going to be able to deal with the past, is to face the future. You're going to have to face our father, and deal with this once and for all." Kat said determinedly.

Kalosis-

"So it would seem Auntie Artemis is having a tiff over Acheron's newest interest, and you'll never believe who it is!" Satara spoke excitedly.

"And just what do I care, little sister?" Stryker dismissed her.

"Because it's the Prince Whore, that Acheron is all worked over." Satara gloated.

"So the little prince has resurfaced, I'm surprised Savitar let him go so soon."

"Aren't you a little nervous over what Acheron will do once the little whore opens him mouth, and tells him everything you've done to him all this those years?" she asked.

"Haven't you learned anything from me, over these last thousands of years? I always have a back up plan; I never leave anything to chance. I knew one day Prince Jace would be found, and freed. Actually I didn't expect it to take so long, but then again when dealing with these Atlanteans that are so wrapped up in themselves, what more do you expect. I tortured the Prince in everyway possible, every way I would love to have tortured his father, but knew I couldn't. It's too bad really, that the Prince should have suffered instead of his father.

If my life wasn't tied to Apollymi, I swear I would have Acheron's head on a platter. How could you possible have a child, and not know about it. Not feel his pain, not feel like a part of you is missing?"

"This coming from the man who slit his own son's neck, for marrying his enemy!" Satara said.

Stryker held his handout, and brought her to him. He wrapped his hand around her throat, and squeezed ever so tightly.

"Don't you dare talk about Urain to me, ever! I loved him, gave him everything. He was my right hand, the leader of my army, the heir to my kingdom. And he betrays me, me his father, his flesh and blood. I might have slit his throat, but Acheron was there to bring him back to life. He was working with my sworn enemy, the bane of my existent. Its poetic justice that I should take his son, when he took my son from me!" Stryker said, as he released his sister.

"Cough, cough! Fine, so I'll stay off the subject of your son. What I would like to know is what you plan to do about the Prince Whore, and Acheron?" she asked.

"I told you, I always covered all my bases. Acheron can never go near the Prince; I've made sure of that. For every time he touches his son, he will cause him unimaginable pain, the same pain he's caused me. I will have my revenge; I will watch Acheron suffer pain the likes of which no one on this earth has seen. I want him to feel every blow he has given to me, everything he took from me, and still continues to take from me. Since I can't have his head, I will settle for making his life as miserable as I possibly can." Stryker said angrily.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side, ever!"

"I need you to go let Auntie Artie know who's taking her precious Acheron's time away from her, but under no circumstance are you to ever let her know that he's Acheron's son. Make him seem like one of Acheron's humans he's so concerned about, that he has no time for anything else but protecting him. Then, suggest to her that she should get rid of him. Make her think she's come up with the idea of releasing the Dolophoni, Deimos will lead his men and stop at nothing to kill the Prince. Acheron will do everything to protect him, and we'll see who winds up dead. Now go, I've got some spying to do!" Stryker order her.

New Orleans

It had been a week since the fiasco at Sanctuary, and I've made it a point to stay far away from there. Okay, that's so a lie, something keeps bringing me back, but at least the part of my brain that still working has left me lurking in the shadows. I'd like to say that it was just because of my father, but that wasn't the case. I was drawn to a smart-ass, yummy curly blond haired, pain in my ass, with a body that is just begging to be pleased.

That fact that words like that could come out of my mouth, when the thought of being touched by any makes my skin crawl, is saying a lot. I guess more than anything is the fact that I couldn't see his future, my powers should allow me to see anyone's future who doesn't impact my life directly.

So what is it about him that causes me not to see his future, how will he effect my life? Katra taught me a lot about this world, the lingo, the music, television, food, clothes, but she never told me anything about the people you come into contact with, and the different effects they have on you emotionally, physically, mentally.

I am mental, it's not like I could have any kind of normal relationship with anyone. The closest I've come to a normal relationship, is with a demon that has been bonded to me. Speaking of which, it's time to feed him.

"Samkey, take human form." I said as his tattoo came off my body, and he took on the form of a human.

"Akri, we need to change some things. Sami needs to eat, Sami is hungry and Akri keep him on him. Akri say don't eat this Sami, don't eat the humans Sami, and don't come off me unless I tell you to, even if Sami's Akri is in trouble. Sami is supposed to protect his Akri, but no his Akri say no Sami this, no Sami that. Sami don't like the word no!" he rambled on adorably.

"Samkey, I'm sorry, your right I do keep you on me to long but you have to know I do it because I love knowing you're with me. It makes your Akri feel not so...alone. I don't want to tell you no, but the things I say no to I only say no because I need to protect you. If anything happens to you, I'll be alone again. Now you don't want me to be alone, do you?" I asked.

"Well, when you put it that way. Akri would be lost without his Sami, and Sami knows you do it because you love your Sami. So can you just let me eat more, and I know, I know, not the tasty humans. But, you did promise me some more of those tasty Daimons. Are we going to eat some of those, Akri?" he asked excitedly.

"Not right now, but I promise you some later. I have something else in mind for you, and it's very important that you do what I ask. I want you to go into that bar over there, and order anything you want. Use the money I gave you, and don't forget to pay extra, that tip thing Katra told us about." I started to explain.

"Akri, that's easy, they got some good eats at Sanctuary." he said excitedly.

"Sami, you've been in Sanctuary before?" I asked.

"Of course, I told you they got them some good eats. And Amy loves Sami; she always gives me extra ice cream."

"Sami, when have you been to Sanctuary, and who do you know there?" I asked curious to hear this.

"Akra Apollymi always let me go there to watch over Apostolos, and his Simi. Ah, Simi, she is the dreamiest Charonte there ever was." Sami said dreamily.

"Sami, I need you to focus. Who else do you know here, like do you know Amy's brothers? Does, Apostolos know about you?" I asked.

"No, no, no, Apostolos would be mad at Akra if he knew she sent me to keep an eye on him. Sami knows them Peltier family, they's good peoples. I especially like the one that helped you the last time you were here and Sami also know your heart was pounding harder in your chest when he touched you." Sami said proudly, as if he thought him knowing that would make me happy.

"Could I be any more embarrassed than I am right now, you can actually tell my heart was pounding when Kyle caught me. Okay, eww, we are so not talking about this again. Moving right along here. I guess you knowing them will make what I want you to do easier, so here it is. I want you to um...I don't know...ask them about me...no you can't do that, they'll wonder how you know about me. You know what, never mind I don't want you do anything but go eat and enjoy yourself." I said frustrated with myself for even thinking of doing something so childish.

"Sami understands, Akri wants to know what Kyle thinks of him. That easy to find out, Kyle always talks to Sami. Kyle always talks about how he wishes he knew what love was like, how he wondered what it would feel like to hold someone close, kissing them, making love to them." Sami said, using Kyle's voice.

"Okay, I didn't know you could mimic someone's voice, hell I guess there is a lot about you I don't know. Okay fine, go in there and be yourself since they are your friends already. Just find out what you can, and not just about that I want you to find out about Kyle, but I want to know what Acheron is up to, what he thinks and what he knows. Just find out whatever you can, and do me a favor and be really careful. Remember, don't say anything about me. Please watch your back; I don't want anything to happen to you." I said.

"Don't worry Akri, Sami take care of himself. Sami love his Akri, so Akri needs to promise his Sami that he will be safe and watch his back too." he demanded.

"I will, and...I love you too, Samkey." I said hugging him.

He disappeared, and my stomach instantly dropped. What was I doing, and how much does Sami know about these people.

"Matera (Mother)? Matera can I talk to you please?" I shouted into the air. Apollymi appeared as a shade in front of me.

"Matera, you are so beautiful, do you know that?"

"Not as beautiful as you are M'gios, not as beautiful as you." she said.

"Thank you Matera, gosh, I really wish you were my mother. It would make things so much easier, than what I'm dealing with now."

"What's wrong Darling, talk to me?" she asked, and the concern in her voice warmed me like nothing ever had before.

"I heard his voice Matera, I heard his voice, and I heard him call me. I was five feet away from him, and as much as I say I don't want anything to do with him, all I wanted to do in that moment was turn around and look at him. Turn around and let him see me, and see if he would know that I was his. See if he would want me to be his, if he would want to call a disgusting whore his...son!" I said, turning away from her.

"Jace, don't you ever think of yourself like that, you are not a whore, you are a prince. You and Katra are the last of the Atlantean Gods, the most powerful of all Gods. If only Apostolos would come set me free, I would destroy all those that harmed my family!" she said adamantly.

"Which would mean destroying the world, and though you're a Goddess of Destruction, Apostolos, Katra and I couldn't stand to see anyone harmed for our sakes. Ironic isn't it, being the children of Gods of Destruction, yet wanting to protect the world from that Destruction."

"As much as it goes against my nature, and my burning desire to make all those pay for the crimes against my family, it makes me proud that Apostolos and you both stand firmly on the need to protect those that have done nothing but caused you both pain and suffering. It says a lot about the both of you, that you didn't let the suffering you've both endured to taint your compassion for life." she said, talking her shade of a hand and ran it down my face. Though I couldn't feel her touch, a light breeze brushed across my face. I relished the feeling of love freely given, with nothing wanted in return.

"I wish you would just tell Apostolos who you really are; I know he would be thrilled to have a son. It would please his heart, and fill him with a joy he's never known." she said.

"If I did that it would end your life, and I just can't do that either. I won't risk destroying the world, or your life, for the love of a father I've never known. You saved my life Matera, you gave me a real chance at living, and you've given me my first taste of love. I won't lose you now or ever, not for anything in this world. Even for finding out what a fathers love would feel like, something I've always dreamed of having, I could never lose you now that I've found you. I love you Matera! See, I said I love you, something I never thought I'd be able to say, let alone feel, but I do.

It's wild and crazy, these new feelings and emotions that love causes, but I relish every second of these feelings. I used to long for death, praying and hoping the Gods would just put me out of my misery. I woke up longing for death, and closed my eyes wishing for the same thing.

Now, because of you, Katra, Sami, and even Savitar I wake up feeling loved. Feeling cared about, knowing that all of you are thinking of me and wishing me well. Now that the door is open I'm feeling all these new emotions, I have fears that anything should happen to any of you. I can't long for death when I know I have Sami who loves and needs me, and a sister who I drive crazy because she wants to protect me, she wants me to find a peace that constantly eludes me. A grandmother willing to let death have her, just for the sake of me having a father.

Feeling this...something...this love...it's the most terrifying, yet excitingly exhilarating feeling I've ever experienced." I professed.

"M'gios, please come stay with me if you won't tell your father who you are! At least with me I will know you are okay, and I will help you as only a mother could. Please Jace, I beg of you come stay with me, let me love you and protect you if you won't go to your father!" she begged.

"The fact that you want me means more to me than you could ever know. I swear to you Matera, one day, when I face my inner demons I will return to you. Right now, the thought of going back there...the thought of the place...the empty, cold, hopeless feeling...Matera, I'm sorry I'm not ready to face that place yet." I said my voice breaking.

"I'm sorry M'gios; I wish life could have been different for you and your father. I will always be there for you, whenever you need me my love."

"Thank you Matera, I wish the same thing. Matera, what is Apostolos like? I mean, could you just tell me about him?" I asked her really wanting to know.

In the lower depths of Hades -

Artemis flashed herself to the lower depths of Hades, to talk Deimos the leader of the Dolophoni. The Dolophoni are the Greek Gods assassins, when they wish to rid themselves of anyone that stands in there way, or has wronged them. Deimos sat in his high chair, with his hands folded in front of him.

Dressed in all black, his hair long and black, charcoal black, much like his eyes.

Artemis appeared wearing a white chitin, a Greek Gown that showed every curve of her perfect body. Long curly red hair, hung down to the middle of her back. She was truly perfect in every way, Goddess of the Hunt and Moon; she was as cunning, as she was lethal.

"Deimos, I have a situation I'd need for you to contain." Artemis said.

"What is it now Artemis did one of your servants speak out of turn?" he asked, growing tired of Artemis is constant whining.

"Don't take that one with me, you serve the Gods, we say jump, you say how tall!"

"How high Artemis, its how high! When will you ever learn to say a phrase, without killing it?" Deimos grew tired of her inability to coin a phrase properly.

"I don't care, you know what I mean! Your in a bad mood, I would think you'd be bored down here with nothing to do and welcome a chance to get out of this dank, dark hole you call home?" she said looking around, as the place disgusted her.

"To go on an errand for the Gods, some petty human who dishonored one of your temples needs to be put down, or some human looked at you the wrong way. It's always the same thing, some poor pathetic human, who can't put up a proper fight. I haven't seen real action in thousands of years, why don't you handle the human on your own. Come back when you have someone worth the effort, and can give me a proper fight. Like the days of Hercules...now those were some battles! Hera, now she knew how to pick a battle worth fighting." Deimos smiled in remembrance.

"This isn't some petty human; he has strength far greater than even my Dark Hunters. I'm told, he would give even you a run for your money." her eyes gleamed as she spoke.

"Then why don't you send one of your Dark Hunters after him, and be done with it already?" he asked.

"Because, he's already shown he could take out even a Dark Hunter. You said you wanted a challenge, I'm giving you one."

"What's this really about Artemis? It's not like you really care if you lose a Dark Hunter, we all know you only created them to keep Acheron in check." he smiled evilly, knowing the subject of Acheron was off limits.

"How dare you speak to me that way, I am the daughter of Zeus, Goddess of the Hunt, I will kill you in ways even you could not dream..." she began.

"Yada, yada, yada...It's always the same thing with you, say Acheron's name and you throw a hissy-fit! Now tell me daughter of Zeus, why do you want him dead?"

"Because he's a loose canon with no allegiances to anyone but himself, he is on a mission of some kind, and won't let anyone stand in his way. If he's willing to attack Dark Hunters, and Apollites alike, it would mean we don't know which side he is on. We don't know whose side he's on, or why he's even entered the picture so suddenly. He's interfering with the order in which I like, I want him ended."

"That's not the reason, and you really need to learn to lie better. Whenever someone is interfering with you, if could only be over one thing...Acheron! You don't seem to know anything about this person, and yet you want him dead. Seems to me he's taking your play thing away, and you don't like that very much."

"You bastard, you don't know anything. Your muscle, plain and simple. Do as I say or I swear by the river Styx, I will skin you alive and make Deimos boots to wear!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist; I know the truth Artemis, your servant's gossip way too much. This boy is taking your precious Acheron away, and you want your pet's attention. I've already looked into the matter, and have seen the boy fight. He's no where in my league, but I'm sure to get some entertainment out the matter. Either way, if Acheron really is interested in the boy, when I kill him, Acheron will be sure to pay attention to you...by ringing your neck. So, for the pleasure of knowing Acheron will come after you, I'll take care of this matter.

I just want you to remember, the choices we make, can always come back to bite us in the ass. In the case of this boy, you're going to learn a lesson you'd wish you'd never had." Deimos knew who Jace really was; Satara had filled him in, since she knew how much Deimos hated Artemis and wanted her to suffer more than any of the Gods.

"What are you talking about, what lesson would I have to learn from ridding of myself of a mere human boy?" she asked.

"You should learn to pay attention to the human realm more; he's not a human by any means. You'll learn the lesson Artemis, when it's too late to do anything about it. Now be gone, and let me began this erroneous assassination!" he said, as he flashed out of Hades.

"By the Gods, what is he talking about? What does he know anyway? Sure Acheron might be upset with me, if, and that's a big IF, he learns that I was the one who sent Deimos on this mission. But I'm the mother of his daughter; he'd sooner kill himself than he would me. Either way, it is I that own Acheron, and not the other way around. Without me to feed from, Acheron would lose his humanity and revert to the mindless monster, the Harbinger. He would free his mother and end the world, and Acheron, no matter how mad or how much hates me, when never destroy this world.

Just in case, I better come up with a good reason to feed Acheron as to why this boy needed to be killed...just in case...

New Orleans-

Sanctuary

"Between Simi and you, Sami, the two of you could eat us out of business I swear." Kyle and Amy laughed, as Sami finished off his fifth slab of barbeque ribs.

"You've got to stop talking about Simi, to the Sami, because now the Sami be thinking how the Simi be some good eats...if you know what the Sami means. Speaking of which Kyle, who was that long blond haired guy that was fighting those demon a while back? You know the one with those cool sunglasses, doc martens, black leather pants, and the Atlantean symbol on the back of his coat. He kicked Daimon ass, and saved your life."

"Sami, how do you know about him, I don't remember seeing you here that night?" Kyle asked.

"The Sami was coming to eat when I saw it all go down; Sami was going to come help but the two of you made such a great team there was no point. So who is the mystery man, and the Sami wants to know what's going on between the two of you?"

"That's what I love about you Sami; you cut right to the chase. I don't know who he is, all I know is he's in trouble but doesn't want our help. That and the fact that he sure couldn't stand me, he acted as if I was in the way rather than trying to help him." Kyle said.

"It didn't look that way to the Sami, it looked more like you wanted to impress him and show him how strong you were. Were you trying to get him to take an interest in you, cause from where I was standing it looked like it was working." Sami said smiling.

"How would you know, the closest you've come to getting near someone you liked, is watching Simi from the shadows." Kyle asked curiously.

"The Sami still a boy, and knows what its like to want someone, and thinks all the time of ways to get the Simi to notice him. The Sami just not allowed, otherwise he would talk to the fair Simi. The divine Simi is perfection, and the Sami like what he sees. If the Sami was not sworn to never let Ash, and the unattainable Simi know that he watches over them, the Sami would not waste a single precious moment not talking to the Simi and telling her how much the Sami want her." Sami explained.

"I know his name is Jace, that's about all I know about him. I know he fights with a grace so magnificent, it's like he's dancing when he battles. I know he's brave, and caring otherwise he wouldn't have helped me when I was in trouble. I know I felt an electric current run through me when I was around him, and when we touched I felt as if my heart began pounding so hard, it was like a jack-hammer in my chest. Sami, I've never felt an instant connection to someone before, not like this. Only I have no clue who he is, where he is, or if I'll ever see him again. I do know that I haven't stopped thinking about him since that night, the way he smelled of all man, with a hint of cologne called Malto Smalto, spicy, and the smell of him intoxicated me. It filled my head like no one ever has, and that's saying a lot. I mean come on Sami, you saw him, he was tall, with a body that looked like it was sculpted to perfection. I could feel his strong bulging muscles when I held him for that brief moment, and it made my mouth water like no one else before has ever done.

I wanted to run my fingers through his long hair, and taste those full luscious bow shaped lips. I wanted to hold his face in my hands, and run my fingers across every line, every angle of his face. But more than anything, I could feel his pain, sense his confusion, his anger, his grief, and it was so overpowering that I swear it threatened to bring me to my knees. I wanted to hold him in my arms and tell him everything was going to be alright, and that I would protect him with my life. Were-Hunters can only find one mate in their lives, and I'm sure the Fates don't have a man destined to be my mate, the have it fated for me to be alone all my life watching all my brothers and sister finding love, while I am left to always stand on the outside looking in. But I swear to you, when I was near him, I felt the pull of a mate. I know it sounds crazy, it's not like I've ever mated to know what it feels like. But I've talked to my brothers, I know that the feelings they spoke of, the instant knowing within all of your very being that this one person is supposed to be your mate, I know I felt a sampling of that in the brief moments with him. I don't know, I'm probably never going to see him again, so it's a moot point anyway. Plus I know I'm going to grow old alone, never finding someone to love me anyway so what does it really matter. He's probably not even into guys, and he sure didn't like me at all so why dwell on wishes. I'll never get what I want, but then again people in hell want ice water and never get it, so why should I be any different?" Kyle said sadly, his eyes watering at the loneliness he felt.

"Kyle, don't think that way, the Sami know you'll see him again. Because Kyle is a good man, even for a half human. I know he'll like you, what's not to like. Your tall, and have those huge muscles you humans care so much about. And your eyes, they are the most beautiful eyes the Sami has ever seen on a human. How many people do you know that have emerald green eyes, not many that for sure. You even have those adorable dimples when you smile, and what a smile you have. Even your amazing curly hair hangs just right. Why if I was human, and into men, I'd be all over, with barbeque sauce of course. You be good eats, that's for sure. He's going to come back, and he's going to need you and the Sami happy to know that Kyle will take care of him, and help him He'll have to fear, no pain, and won't refrain from opening himself up. The Sami think you can heal Jace's heart, and mind, and teach him to trust and love. Trust the Sami, he knows." Sami said, feeling warmly and happy about the insight he saw into Kyle's heart.

"Sami, you sound like you know way more about this guy, then you're letting on! Do you know him Sami; do you know where I can find him? Is he in trouble? Do you know why Stryker wants him, or why they called him a Prince? Or a Whore?" Kyle bombarded Sami with questions.

"Kyle, the Sami is a demon; we can smell what's wrong with you humans from a mile away. Plus it helps to know a certain Goddess with the powers to see into people, its how I was told I could trust Amy, and you before I ever started coming here. Trust the Sami, there will be happy endings for Kyle and Jace, I promise." Sami said hugging Kyle, and hoping that he bought it.

Sweet Home Alabama started playing in the bar, letting everyone know that Acheron was there. The Peltier family always played this song, so that any demons or Apollites wanting to hide from Acheron or his Dark Hunters had a chance to leave before they came in.

"Sami, you've got to go, Ash is here! But can you do me a favor and find this Jace guy, and I don't know, talk to him. Tell him he can trust me and that if he needs a friend I'd gladly be one." Kyle said quickly.

"You've got it Kyle, the Sami will make sure of it, plus the Sami already know where he is. Don't forget to give Simi the hot fudge sundae I bought her, and tell her it's from her secret admirer." Sami said.

"I will, wait Sami you know where he is? Tell me please?" Kyle begged, but Sami quickly disappeared out of the bar.

"Damn it, little shit, I'll get you for that." Kyle shouted into the air.

"Who you talking to Kyle, cause I know your to old to still have imaginary friends!" Ash teased.

"Blow me Ash!" Kyle shot back, annoyed that Sami knew where Jace was and hadn't told him.

"Not in this life time buddy! Now what's wrong, because it's not like you to talk to me that way? This is the only reason I let you get away with it, by the way." Ash asked concerned for his friend.

"I had a lead on that kid from a couple weeks ago, but the little rascal flashed out of here when you came in, before I could get an answer out of him." Kyle answered.

"He's gotten a whole lot stealthier than that night; the Dark Hunters and I are only getting to him at the end of his fighting Daimons. Soon as he kills them, and sees us coming, he's out of there. I wish I knew more about this kid, because I know he's not a Dark Hunter yet he's not fighting only regular Daimons, he's fighting Spathi Daimons which are the oldest, strongest, and smartest of Stryker's men. He's packing some serious powers, and he's out for their blood. He's even kicked a couple Dark Hunters asses when they tried to catch him, even though I warned them not to. I just don't know..." Ash said more to himself than to Kyle, wishing he knew why he couldn't see the past, present or future of this kid. How this kid was tied to him, Ash wondered.

"We'll if Stryker wanting him isn't enough of a reason to go killing them off, than I don't know what is. But, the night we met, I don't know I felt such raw pain from Jace, pain like someone whose soul is screaming out in agony. If I wanted to guess, I would say whatever that pain is, it has to be something Stryker or his men have done to him. It was powerful, Ash, it's worse than the one time you came here after your back had been whipped by someone, and your powers weren't working and you couldn't mask yourself. I couldn't even stay in the same room as you, my powers of empathy were on overdrive, but other than you I'd never felt anything like that till Jace. If it's even possible, I would say that his pain made a mockery of yours. I swear I don't mean to sound like I'm diminishing your pain, I'm just trying to give you a little insight into his." Kyle explained.

Ash almost couldn't breathe at hearing that, his heart hanging heavy. He remembered the day he had come in here; it was after he had had to bargain with Artemis for a Dark Hunters soul. If Ash wanted one of their souls back to free the Dark Hunters of their service to Artemis, he would have to exchange himself body and all to her for it. It was her way of controlling Ash, but he had no other choice. He wanted his Dark Hunters to be freed, and to find love, and lead normal lives. Artemis used them to keep Ash as her whore, her pet to play with whenever and however she wanted. Which usually meant, he'd please her sexually, and she would beat him in every way possible, because she hated the fact that she was in love with him, and he could never love her again after what she had done to him. That's a story for another day, Ash thought to himself. He didn't feel like reliving the past right now.

"That is saying a lot Kyle, I hide my pain because I know first hand what it feels like, and even I don't know where I find the strength to get up every day. This kid is in danger, and in pain, and needs help I can feel it with every bone in my body." Ash said, grinding his teeth in frustration.

"Why can't you use your powers to locate him, I mean Ash, I know no one else knows who and what your really are but I do, and I know you know I've never spoken a word about it to anyone, nor would I ever."

"That's why I like you Kyle, and trust you, because you do know the truth, and you've always kept it to yourself. Your loyalty means more to me than you could ever know, and it's also the reason I haven't killed you. (Ash smiled) My powers don't work when it comes to someone who is personally close to me, or who seriously impacts my future. But I've always been able to see glimpses into everyone, even the ones that do become friends or seriously impact my future. This kid is a total blind spot; I see nothing at all, not even the tiniest little glimmer of anything. Which makes him either super dangerous to me, or someone truly important to me. I'm hoping for the latter." Ash explained.

"It is the latter; I know that with all certainty." Kyle said, knowing that Ash's mother would never allow Jace to hurt her son, and if Sami knew him, which Kyle was now sure of, he was sure Ash's mother knew him as well. He just couldn't tell Ash, and the only reason Ash couldn't read Kyle's mind about it, was because Apollymi blocked Ash from reading Kyle's mind to protect Sami from ever being found out by Ash.

"Just how would you know that, Kyle?"

"I have my Jedi ways; the force is strong with this one!" Kyle teased.

"I just wish I knew why he was saying all the things he said to me that night, I mean none of it made any sense to me. Did he say anything about me before I came, Kyle?"

"Like I said before, when I asked him if he was one of your Dark Hunters, he just made a face and said hell no. Each time we mentioned your name he just made a face...of sorry to say but like hate. Only I don't know, I wasn't sensing hate from him at the mention of your name. I was sensing more of a feeling of pain, sadness, loss, something along those lines. It makes no sense, since the two of you have never met before." Kyle explained.

"Your powers of Empathy are either really strong, of this guy really had an impact on you." Ash said, grinning at Kyle.

Kyle's face turned a few shades of red, since Ash was the only one that knew he was gay.

"Ash!" Kyle lightly punched Ash in the arm, as he looked around to see if anyone had heard him.

"Come on Kyle, I told you its nothing to be embarrassed about. Plus you're a great kid, and it would be nice to finally see you happy in the L. O. V. E. department. For an attractive young man like yourself, I'm surprised you're always single." Ash said matter a fact like.

"Ash, your like another father to me, and while I love you, I hate when you bring the whole love thing up with me." Kyle's cheeks still burned ten shades of red.

"I'd like to think of myself more as your brother than father, it's hard enough finding out I have a full grown daughter." Ash said.

"Alright BROTHER, since you did save my life when I was just a small kid, I can live with thinking of you as a brother more so than a father. Plus, you're the only one who really knows me, or ever takes the time to listen to me. It's not easy being a Bear-swan, the youngest one of the bunch and ever being taken seriously. Everyone orders me around, or tells me who to live my life. None of them ever try to get to know me, or even thinks I'm old enough to be talked to. They leave me out of everything, as if I wouldn't get what they're talking about. May the Gods forbid I have an opinion to give, or they listen to anything I have to say, because they all feel I don't have any life experience? Besides you and Sami...I mean Simi, no one really knows me. So I really am grateful that I have you in my life, even if you do give me crap most of the time. You always treat me as and equal, and never as a child." Kyle said, putting his head down.

"It's because I relate to you so much, in so many ways. No one ever listened to me growing up, which I won't get into, but I know how bad it can be. I know what being different feels like, how alone it can make you feel. When I saved your life, I made you a promise to be there for you always, and I always keep my promises. I saw the kind of man you would one day become, and to be honest there are not many good men in the world, or even ones I would trust at my side. I know your heart Kyle, I know you, and I'm really proud of you. I just know what its like to be alone all the time, and I hurt for you, and wish you'd meet someone already. So I can finally tease you in front of someone, and really make your cheeks burn." Ash teased.

Across the street from Sanctuary-

Sami appeared next to Jace and Apollymi, as they stood in the alley way across from Sanctuary. Jace had tears in his eyes, as Apollymi had been telling him all about Ash.

"Akra-Apollymi, the Sami is so happy to see you, even if it's not your real form." Sami said excitedly.

"I'm happy to see you Sami, you've gotten so big precious one."

"Thank you Akra Apollymi, Akri-daddy takes good care of Sami, he feeds me good eats. But why Akri daddy crying again, he know Sami hate to see him so sad and crying all the time?" Sami asked, laying his head on Jace's shoulder.

"These aren't sad tears Samkey, these are happy tears. Akra was telling me all about Apostolos, and it made me happy to know that he's a good man." Jace explained.

"Akri Apostolos just arrived at Sanctuary with his yummy Simi, so Sami got in a good looking at the Simi, and then left before he could see me." Sami beamed that he followed directions.

"I saw him going inside, you did good Sami!" Jace said.

"Sami also talk to Kyle, just like you ask and learned some good stuff, Akri!" Sami beamed knowing he was making Jace happy.

Jace's eyes opened up wide, not wanting Sami to say anything in front of his grand mother.

"What did you want to learn from Kyle, Jace?" she asked.

"Nothing, just trying to keep my ears to the ground about what they know about me, or have figured out." Jace tried to play it off.

"No Akri Jace said `Could I be any more embarrassed than I am right now, you can actually tell my heart was pounding when Kyle caught me. Okay, eww, we are so not talking about this again. Moving right along here. I guess you knowing them will make what I want you to do easier, so here it is. I want you to um...I don't know...ask them about me...no you can't do that, they'll wonder how you know about me. You know what, never mind I don't want you do anything but go eat and enjoy yourself.'

Then Sami say `Sami understands, Akri wants to know what Kyle thinks of him. That easy to find out, Kyle always talks to Sami. Kyle always talks about how he wish he knew what love was like, how he wondered what it would feel like to hold someone close, kissing them, making love to them.'

Remember Akri?" Sami asked, after making his voice sound like Jace and repeating their earlier conversation.

"Thanks Sami, why don't you come sleep for a while, and we'll have a long talk about what privacy means later!" I said, as Sami turned into a dragon tattoo and floated onto my chest where he lay above my heart.

"Matera...I...um...I can explain, it's not what you think...it's..." I struggled searching for words.

"M'gios, you don't ever have to explain anything to me, especially not when it comes to the hearts desire. Just don't expect me to like anyone you date, or not kill them if they hurt you in any way. My vengeance on your behalf is a grandmother's prerogative." she smiled warmly.

"Thanks Matera, thank you for everything tonight. I loved talking like this with you, it made me feel so...good...great...loved!" I said.

"Anytime M'gios, I loved every second we spend together. I miss you, and love you always, my heart. I hope you will come see me soon, even if it's only for a quick hug and kiss...Jace look out!" Apollymi screamed as Deimos and three other appeared behind Jace.

Before Jace could move, Deimos picked him up over his head, and threw him into a car parked on the street. Jace didn't have time to get his bearings before Deimos grabbed him by the head, and pounded it into the already damaged car.

"It's time to give you a real beat down, Prince Jace!" Deimos laughed.

Deimos threw him towards the other three, where one of them closed-lined Jace and slammed him into the ground. As another one went to punch Jace in the face, Jace rolled over and he hit the street instead.

Jace got to his feet and wiped his arm across his bloody nose, before manifesting a fighting staff and taking a fighting stance.

"You picked the wrong day to mess with me psychos; I'm so in the mood for kicking ass!" Jace shouted.

Jace twirled the fighting stick, as he flipped up in the air and brought the stick down on one of the men, knocking him flat on his face. He spun around and whacked another who was coming at his back, then brought the stick up hitting the third sending him flying back in the air.

"What's the matter, afraid to take me on your own tough guy?" Jace said turning to face Deimos.

"Their not here for you, they're here to keep the others busy while I, Deimos, tear your ass to pieces!" Deimos explained.

"Then let's dance asshole, because if you think you're going to tear my ass apart, you're seriously mistaken. Bigger men have tried, and they're all dead now." Jace spat blood on the ground in front of Deimos.

"From the way I hear it told, they used your ass pretty good, again, and again, and again, whore!" Deimos taunted.

Jace screamed in fury as he attacked Deimos, with hit after hit.

Inside Sanctuary-

Apollymi's shade form appeared in front of Ash, as he stood talking with Kyle.

"Matera, what's the matter? What are you doing here?" Ash asked, his voice filled with panic as he saw the look on his mothers face.

"Outside, hurry, you've got to help Jace!" she shouted.

Ash flashed himself outside, as Apollymi turned to Kyle.

"Ash?" Kyle said into the air, as Ash disappeared. Apollymi made it so Kyle could see her shade form.

"Kyle, you must go outside and help Apostolos protect Jace! Go now, he's in grave danger!" Apollymi begged.

Kyle took off running for the door, his brothers and sister seeing him run out like that panicked and followed behind.

Outside-

Jace brought his staff down hard on Deimos, breaking it in half. Deimos laughed, as if it had no effect on him at all.

"Is that all you've got whore, no wonder they used you like a little bitch! It's because you are a little bitch, you hit like a girl!" Deimos continued to say things that would make Jace lose control.

"Fuck you, you bastard! I'll show you what a bitch I really am, when I tear your eyes out and feed them to you!"

Come on Jace; remember what Savitar told you, anger is your enemy. If you allow your enemy to anger you, you've already lost the battle.

I flipped myself backwards bringing my feet up and kicking him in the jaw, sending him flying back. As I ran forward to jump on top of him, I was grabbed from behind. My arms pulled back over my head, as I was held there. Deimos was in front of me now, using the opening to pound me in my stomach again and again. The breath knocked out from me, I gasped trying to breath.

As he pulled back to make the next punch, I lifted my feet up and kicked him hard in the chest knocking the breath out of him. I flipped the guy holding me over my back, and threw him forward onto Deimos. The third one came up behind me, and hit me in the back so hard; it felt like he broke every bone in my body.

I was on the ground, as he continued to hit me again and again. I fought to stay conscious; I knew if I passed out I would be dead. I tried to flash myself out of there, but I was in to much pain to focus my powers. Before I knew it, Deimos and the other where stomping on my head and back.

"ENOUGH!" Ash shouted as he threw out his hand and sent the three of them flying backwards.

As much as he was the last person I was expecting to see, I couldn't have been happier to hear his voice, and know that I would make it through this. I was already using the last bit of energy I had, keeping Sami on me, so he wouldn't come off to fight, and get hurt.

"Acheron, how good it is to see you again!" Deimos said, picking himself up and dusting his self off.

"Take your girls out of here now, or I swear you will all be begging for a mercy that will never come!" Ash spoke, his voice coming out demonic.

"Come now Ash, what do you care about this pathetic human boy?" Deimos asked.

"The real question is, why are the Dolophoni after this kid, especially if he's nothing more than just a pathetic human boy?" Ash asked angrily.

"We all answer to someone, and we have orders to kill him, you know that I have to do as ordered! Now get out of our way, or get ready for a smack down!" Deimos said.

"You have no power here Deimos, not with me around! If you want a beat down, prepare for an Atlantean smack down!" Ash said.

"Get him, you fools!" Deimos shouted at the demons.

Deimos held out his hand and I went flying into his clutches, where he began chocking me. The demons began attacking Ash, when Kyle and the rest of his family appeared and began fighting along side him.

How nice it must be to have others willing to fight at your back, to bad I would never know the feeling.

"You worthless whore, how did you expect to fight all those Daimons, when you couldn't even take me on?" he asked.

I brought my hands up in between his arms, and spread them apart causing him to drop me. I flipped up and over him, and kicked back over my shoulder, hitting him in the head causing him to stagger.

"I'll show you who's the whore here, you asshole!" I screamed as I shot my hand out sending a God-Bolt at him, the white lightning hitting him in the chest and sending him flying back.

If only Savitar could have seen me do that, he had said it would be a long time before I would be able to use a God-Bolt, I guess all it really took was getting my ass kicked.

Weakened by using it, plus the beat down I was taking, I fell to my knees to catch a breath. I looked over at the group that came out with Kyle, as they easily brought the three demons to a halt. Deimos getting up, and looking a little worse for ware, looked over and saw that his demons where all held by at least two of the members of the Peltier family, decided it was time for a retreat.

"This isn't over, not by a long shot! Acheron can't baby-sit you all the time boy, and just when you think it's safe to come out, BAM, I'll be there to get you!" Deimos smacked his hands together for effect.

"I don't need Acheron to baby-sit me, if you want a fight, I'm ready, bring it on!" I said, standing on two very shaky legs, trying to look tuff.

"It's brought, little boy. Watch your back, because we will meet again!" Deimos shot back.

"You'll have to go through me, Deimos. Leave the kid alone, or I'll show you pain the likes of which you've never seen!" Acheron commanded.

"I don't answer to you Atlantean, but I'll be sure to send your regards! I'll be seeing you, boy!" Deimos spat, knowing I would take the word boy as another word for whore.

`You'll never be nothing more than a whore, begging for food, water, and anything else you need. Your worthless, and you'll please me and my men before you even think to get those basic needs, boy!'

Stryker's words rang through my head, and I hated him more in that moment than I ever did before. Because I knew what he spoke was true, nothing came for free, everything I ever got was only caused I let them use me to earn it. I paid in blood, sweat, and tears for just a drop of water. Surely Acheron and his friends would be no different, in the end I would still be screwed one way or the other.

Deimos flashed his demons out of there, and smirked evilly at me, before he disappeared himself. I fell back to my knees, not being able to hold myself up any longer.

Acheron and the others came over to me, as quickly as they could.

"Here, don't move, let me heal you." Acheron said.

As he laid his hand on me, I screamed out in agony as a pain so fierce tore through me. Acheron and the others stood shocked, as they watched my hands spread out, and I screamed as an invisible nail went through each of my hands causing them to bleed.

It was the same as the last time Stryker had them nail me on a cross, all over again. Only this time the force was unseen, suddenly it was as if the sledge hammer was used to break my knees was being used again. I screamed out as the sound of my knees being broken rang out, daggers being thrown at my chest, and my back tarring open as if the whips Stryker's men used, were being used again.

"What's happening, Ash? We've got to help him, please!" Kyle begged.

"I don't know...I don't understand..." Ash said, confused by what was happening.

Ash touched me again, to try and heal me, and I screamed out as that horrible last night Stryker had me, before my grandmother saved me, played out again. That was when I realized that Acheron's touch was what was causing this to happen to me. My whole life wanting to feel a fathers touch, to know the loving a hand of a parent, and when I finally have my real father touching me I'm forced to relive the horror of that awful night.

"DON'T...PLEASE STOP TOUCHING ME! I...CAN'T TAKE IT...DON'T TOUCH ME! IT'S YOU...IF YOU TOUCH ME...THIS HAPPENS...PLEASE I BEG OF YOU DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed as Acheron went to touch me again.

"I...I don't...I don't understand, I can heal anyone...why...why would my touch do this to you?" Acheron asked, his voice filled with pain.

It was in that moment I knew, Stryker hadn't willingly let me go, he wanted me to go. To go find my father, and cause him pain when he found out I was his son and he couldn't touch me. To cause me pain, knowing I would never feel the touch or love of my father. Damn you Stryker, Damn you!

I wanted to call out for Katra, but I knew I couldn't, not while Ash was here. There would be too many questions, and now more than ever I never wanted Ash to know I was his son.

I hadn't heard, or even realized through all the pain, that Kyle was on the ground shouting right along side me. I was in to much pain to ask why, and when I looked over and saw his family holding him it made me weep more.

"Get Kyle away from Jace, his powers are letting him feel everything that Jace is going through!" Ash ordered.

Two of his brothers picked him up, and moved him across the street.

"What can I do...how can I help you?" Ash asked.

"S-s-s...Sav...Savitar!" I screamed through as a wave of pain tore through me. I couldn't think of anyone else to help, Savitar was the only one, and he would know how to deal with Acheron's questions.

"Savitar! Savitar, I need your help, now!" Ash shouted into the air.

Savitar appeared, and a mixture of shock, pain, and anger swept across his face.

"Who did this, Ash? Tell me you didn't, tell me you didn't do this?" Savitar shouted angrily down at Acheron, though Savitar knew it wasn't him.

"Of course not, the second I touched him this happened! I have no idea what's going on with him, why this is happening." Ash said angry that Savitar would even ask that of him.

"You touched him, and this is what happened?" Savitar asked confused.

"He was beat up pretty badly, and I went to heal him, when I touched him suddenly he was screaming out in pain, and it was as if he was being hung on a cross and tortured! Is that really important right now, he needs help?"

"Amy have a room ready inside Sanctuary, it will be best if he stay there for the time being." Savitar ordered.

"Meaning you want a secure room, where no one can get to him. Got it!" Amy said, before she flashed out of the street.

"Savitar...please make it stop...please!" I begged as the torture Stryker's men did to me that night was felt a hundred times over. Again and again, my hands, then knees, the whips, the daggers, it was as if that night was starting over again, and again. Each time I lost consciousness, a new pain would suddenly wake me back up screaming.

"I'm sorry Jace, I can't stop it, it has to go through the full course, before I can heal you! If I try to interfere with what's happening to you, it will make what you're going through feel like I walk through the park. I won't be able to correct the bones properly till after this stops, we're going to have to wait it out little one, I'm sorry." Savitar said, but I could hear the anger over what was happening to me in his voice.

"How do you know Jace, Savitar? And who the hell did this to him, why would my touching him cause this? Damn it Savitar, I want some answers!" Ash demanded.

"This is not the time for a Q&A, Acheron! Now move out of the way, and let me help him!" Savitar said, brushing Ash aside.

"Please, just go away! I don't want you by me, just go away!" I screamed, not wanting Acheron to ask questions, Savitar couldn't answer.

"Acheron, I think its best of you leave now. I'll talk to you later, once Jace is okay, I'll come talk to you." Savitar said.

"You already said that nothing can be done for him until after whatever this is plays out, Damn it Savitar what are you not telling me? Who is this kid, why is he a blind spot to my powers? How come I can't see the tiniest speck of the future when it comes to him, or hear his thoughts, or anything else? You know who he is, and you know how he impacts my life, so just tell me damn it!" Ash demanded angrily.

"You know I won't interfere with your future in any way, we've been down this path before and you know that when it comes to your future, I won't get involved, I won't take the chance of ruining what's meant to be in your life. By your choices Acheron, you will be saved, or you will be damned. I need you to make the right choice, I want for you to be saved and I will do anything and everything to make sure you succeed. Your future means everything to me, you're my brother Apostolos, anything and everything I do is for your protection. Right now, I beg of you, and you know I beg no one, but I beg of you to trust me in this, leave this alone. I know how the future plays out if you don't, and believe me when I say everything, everything you've worked for will be for naught if you try to go down this road." Savitar pleaded with Ash.

"I'll leave for now, but I'm far from through with this. Jace has something important to do with me; I can feel it in my bones. I won't rest until I find out why." Ash said, as he looked at me one last time before disappearing.

Savitar flashed me into Sanctuary, into the room Amy had prepared for me.

The cycle of the torture that Stryker had done on me, had completely stopped. The shade of my grandmother appeared, as Savitar healed my body. I screamed in utter agony as my bones reconnected, and the cuts sealed and healed.

"M'gios, my darling, are you alright?" Apollymi asked.

"Thanks for your concern, but thanks to Savitar I'm all healed up now." I answered.

"If the family reunion is over with, I've got some screaming to do right now, at a certain young man that doesn't know how to listen to me when I tell him to do something!" Savitar said angrily.

"Don't you dare take that tone with him, not after what he's been through tonight." Apollymi spoke angrily at Savitar.

"Apollymi, I swear if your going to interfere with what I'm about to lecture Jace on right now, I will make it so your shade is sent back to your very boring hell realm with no way to get back until I am finished. Do we have an understanding?" he asked.

"You are so lucky you are protecting my son, and grandchild, or I swear I would show you the true magnitude of my destructive powers." she said angrily.

"Please, grandmother, Savitar, please for me will you both get along? Grams, Savitar is right, this time at least, so let him have at me." I said.

"Well, why don't you just take all the fun out of yelling at you! You are so your father's son, I can't believe how much you are like him. Fine, I wont scream at you, but I am going to give you a major talking to. I told you, you need to make a choice, tell your father who you are, or stay away from anywhere he might be. You can't have it both ways, not wanting to admit he's your father, yet not wanting to stay out of his way. Make a choice, tell him who you are, or stay away from where you know he'll be. Not to mention, just because we trained for over a year, we both know that you don't fully know how to control your powers. I understand you going up against Apollites, but going up against Deimos, you've got to be insane. He could have killed you, you could be dead right now.

Jace, and I swear if you repeat this, I'll hang you by your balls, I love you, you're the son of my brother, I feel like an uncle to you, I love you. I know how much you've been hurt, and I hate what's happen to you, and I'd hate for anything more to happen to you. For the love of the Primal Source, I'd love to wrap my hands around everyone that's ever touched you and kill them all in the most gory way possible. This has all spun out of hand, you have enemies coming out of the woodworks now, Stryker supposedly backed off, and now Deimos is after you, and he's ordered to go after people, so who sent him after you?

By the way, you are so lucky I gave you those amazing sunglasses, that don't come off unless you take them off yourself. Apostolos was staring you straight in the face, I'm surprised that even with the sunglasses on he couldn't see the family resemblance." Savitar started.

"For once Savitar is right...I can't believe I just said that, but seriously, Jace it's time for you to tell your father who you really are. This has become bigger than anything we could have ever imagined, to many demons coming out of the woodworks after you. You need help, you need your father, now more than ever." she demanded.

Katra appeared out of thin air at the very same moment, with a stern look on her face.

"I couldn't agree more, grandmother. Jace, enough is enough, I heard about what happened, and snuck away from a secret mission because I heard my brother had his ass handed to him by the touch of our father. That Deimos was after you, and you held your own I'm very proud to hear, but my Gods, Jace, you can't keep this a secret any longer. Father needs to know about you, and we need to be a family, and tell him together. If we tell him together, make him promise not to go off the deep end, we could make this work." Katra said.

"Wow, today must be my lucky day, the both of you agreeing with me about Jace..." Savitar began.

"HELLO! Do I get to have an opinion here?" I started.

"NO!" the three of them shouted as one.

"Will I get to talk if I say I have some answers, or will I still be told to shut up?" I asked.

"Well, that's a horse of a different color! What answers could you possibly have, Jace?" Savitar asked.

"First off, I need grandmother to promise she won't kill Stryker if I tell her. So promise grandmother, your bound by your words, and I won't say anything unless you promise." I demanded.

"I'm getting really tired with making promises, that truly go against everything I need to do to protect my family. But fine, if it will let you tell me, then I promise not to kill Stryker over this." she said angrily shaking her head back and forth.

"Well, it's simple really, to simple now that I think about it. Stryker kept me for 10,000 years, the whole time torturing me, and causing me pain to strike back at a father I never knew existed. His anger at Acheron, knows no bounds, his desire for revenge has no limits. His mind is sick and twisted, and aside from his ultimate goal to free himself, by killing his father Apollo, his one and only true hate is Acheron. If he kept me hidden all those years, used me as a punching bag to take out his anger with you grandmother, and Acheron, why would he suddenly be so callous and allow me to be discovered, and freed?" I put the question out there.

"I give, why did he play it out this way, when we all know he could have kept you locked down there for eternity without ever being discovered?" Savitar asked.

"It's truly simple really, how many nights did he hear me crying myself to sleep, begging for a mother or father to come find me and save me? How many nights did he hear me cursing them for abandoning me, to that sadistic bastard? Answer, every night. Every night I cried myself to sleep, either begging my parents to come find me, or wishing that death would take me. He inflicted enough torture on me, that he left me as damaged goods. That he left me with no hope, no dignity, nothing but a feeling of worthlessness. He took out his anger towards Acheron, and you grandmother, but that wasn't enough.

Stryker has something planned, something big that requires Acheron's attention somewhere else, maybe even yours too grams. I don't know that part, I haven't figured it out. What I have figured out is, Stryker was counting on me to be found, no he planned on me being found. His hope was that Acheron would learn of a son he never knew he had, and that it would occupy his time so Stryker could do whatever it is he has planned.

That and seek the ultimate revenge on Acheron, causing him pain that would strike Acheron straight into his heart, and soul...that's if Acheron would really care to have a whore for a son...but that's beside the point.

Stryker hoped Acheron would learn of me, and hoped that he would want to know me, I don't know maybe even love me, and want to spend time with me. What ultimate revenge would it be to find out you have a son, and know you couldn't touch him?

Do any of you know how long I've waited to feel the hand of my father lovingly touching me, no you don't, okay maybe you do. But today, when I was on my knees in pain, and the concern in Acheron's voice, the pain for me in his face...gosh, my heart felt like it would burst with such joy that he would care, and not even know I was his son yet. Then to finally feel his hand touching me, to know it was my real, true father's hand trying to heal me. At first his touch sent a thrill to joy, joy I've never known my heart could feel, joy I've longed for my entire pathetic existence. I wanted to grab his hand, and kiss it, I wanted to hold it to my chest and tell him I forgive him, that I love him, and that I hope he could one day love me.

Instead the pain of that last night as Stryker's slave, began to happen all over again. The pain and torture he ordered his men to do to me, I felt it ten million folds, over and over again. With each touch by my father, the pain of that night was relived ten thousand fold. I knew right then and there, Stryker was hoping Acheron would learn of me, only to discover he could never ever touch me. Never be near his own flesh and blood, ever. Stryker cursed me somehow, cursed me so that Acheron could never truly know his own son, if he so chose to know me at all. Stryker thought it all out, what better revenge than to take away one's son, the way Stryker feels Acheron took away his last son, Urain.

Stryker is clever, and when he wants revenge he truly thinks it through. He thought this out, and made sure to cross every T, and dot every I. Acheron and I can never know each other, and if you all say you love him as much as you do, are you willing to put him through more pain by finding out he has a son he can never be around, if he even wanted to be around a worthless whore?

More than ever, Acheron can never know who I am, for if he is as you all say, and really would want to learn to love me as his son, this would send him over the edge. No conversation could calm him from the wrath he would seek out on Stryker, nothing would stop him from killing him, and that means you would die to grandmother and I've already told you, I will kill myself before I ever allow you to die because of garbage like me." I spoke so fast, and poured everything out, I only hoped they understood, for there was no way I going to repeat it.

But as I looked at all their faces, and watched as they put their heads down in defeat, I knew they knew I was right.

"Sami, take human form!" I order. He came off me in a mist, before taking on his human form.

"Akri, are you alright? Akri can't keep his Sami on him when he be needing help, its torture to know Sami is supposed to protect you, but you won't allow me to come off of you!" Sami said hugging me.

"I'm sorry Sami, but I'm your daddy and its my job to protect you too. I won't let anything happen to you, I need you. Now do me a favor, go downstairs and check on Kyle, make sure he's alright. But remember, don't say I sent you, he can't know that your mine."

"Yes Akri, Sami will go check on the hotness that is Kyle, and Sami won't say anything about you sending him to check on him." Sami kissed me and left. My face turned ten shades of red. Note to self, kill Sami, well, since I don't want to kill him, remind him about nothing saying anything about who I think is hot in front of anyone.

"Hotness that is Kyle? Never mind, I don't want to know. It looks like the kid has a point, Stryker truly did think this all through. For now at least, Acheron can't know he has a son. Are we agreed?" Savitar asked the room.

"I don't agree, I want to kill Stryker with my bare hands, I want to peel his skin off, and bathe in his blood..." Apollymi began.

"Whoa, grandmother enough with the imagery." Kat said.

"Apollymi, you should have thought of that before you bound your life forces together. It's to late to do anything about that know, for now we keep this secret to ourselves, and when the time is right we'll find away to break the curse, and reunite Acheron and his pain in the but son." Savitar said.

"I love you to, big guy!" I said blowing him a sarcastic kiss.

Katra, sat next to me on the bed, and ran her fingers through my hair, and down my face.

"Is there anything I can do for you, little brother?" she asked.

"You're already doing it, your love is everything to me. All of you, I mean that." I said passionately.

"I love you little brother, and I will be back the second I can, I have to get back to the mission I'm on. You take care of yourself, and watch your back. If you need me, just call, I will come no matter what." she said kissing me.

"Thanks Kat, I love you too."

"Wait, what you said answers what happens when Ash touches you, but not why Deimos is after you." Savitar said.

"I don't know him, the only thing I could sense was a feeling of revenge on his part. But, I swear I've never met him before, nor saw him in my entire life. So your guess is as good as mine." I answered.

"Deimos is an assassin for the Olympic Gods, if anyone send him it would have to be one of them. Their weapons are made by Hephaestus, in order to cause the most harm, and to kill other gods. Once they have been set on a death hunt, the Dolophoni cannot be recanted. But, they can only kill for a reason justifiable to Themis, if they kill needlessly, they are executed. Themis might be out only hope in this, and stopping the Dolophoni from going after Jace. But why would anyone of them want to hurt Jace, who would they even know about him?" Kat answered.

"I don't know, but this is something I'm going to find out on my own. I am a Chthonian, a god killer. I am the check and balances of all Gods, and I'll be damned if they come after Jace again. So for now, Jace you have to stay here where I know you'll be protected, no one can bring a fight into a safe haven such as Sanctuary. I'll find out who order the Dolophoni after you, and put a stop to that once and for all. We need to find a cure to the curse that Stryker put on Ash, and once all that is over, then maybe Jace will be ready to tell his father who he really is. Agreed?" Savitar spoke commandingly.

"I'm not staying stuck inside this place, I have my own home. It's protected Katra made sure of that, I don't know these Weres, and I don't want to know them. I just want to go home, to my home, please!" I begged.

"For once in your life, can you do what I say and stay here till we figure this all out?" Savitar asked.

"Fine, but I'm not stay cooped up in here all day and night, I have my own demons to hunt." I pouted.

"Your as stubborn as your grandmother, and father." Savitar said.

"Remember call me if you need me, love you little brother." Kat said before disappearing.

"I'll seek out Stryker, and find some answers of my own. I'll let you know what I find out Savitar, you do the same. I love you M'gios, just call if you need me." Apollymi ran her non-corporeal hand down the side of my face.

"Love you too, grams."

"I can't believe Appollymi and I are working together, it must be the end of the world. Jace please be careful, and do try to stay out of trouble. I know that's a hard concept for you to understand, but I'd like to see you alive and well, living a normal life one day." Savitar said.

"Thanks UNCLE Savitar, your concern for me touches me so deeply." I joked.

"Your lucky I care about you, or I'd kick your ass into next year. Since I know you won't sit on the sidelines while we figure this out, I'm going to make your life a little bit difficult." Savitar said.

"Wait...what...oh no...what are you going to do?" I asked panicked.

"Amy, Kyle, get in here at once!" Savitar shouted into the air. They both appeared in a flash.

"You barked...I mean called Savitar?" Kyle said.

Savitar gave him a look that would make a lion cringe in fear.

"Jace here is to be protected at all costs, he is to stay here until further notice. If he leaves for any reason I want you Kyle to go with him, I don't ever want him left alone. If your under attack, shout out for help, don't try to be a hero, call for back up. If anything happens to Jace, I will take it out of your bear hide, is that understood?" Savitar ordered.

"Yes, Savitar." They answered in unison.

"Do you mind telling us what's going on, why Jace is being chased after, and why are we on guard duty?" Kyle asked. Amy smacked him upside the head.

"Boy, I give orders, I am answered to, not the other way around. Amy, I think its best if you teach your little brother here the rules. Your lucky someone likes you Kyle, I've killed people for just looking at me the wrong way. Jace is important to all our futures, if anything happens to him...well, lets just say it will be the end of the world as we know it. Is that answer enough, Kyle?" Savitar gave him a stern look.

"Yes sir, sorry sir, your wish is my command sir." Kyle said sarcastically, and I couldn't help but laugh. Amy hit him again, which only made me laugh harder.

"Jace, remember what I said, I'm not kidding, this is no joke. You are to stay here, and if you must leave, Kyle is to go with you. Or I swear I'll repeat what a certain demon said about hotness to everyone, got me?" Savitar said threateningly.

My face turned bright red, and for once I wasn't about to argue.

"Yes, I got you. Your evil, and you live to make my life hell. You'll make my life a living hell if I disobey, one day though I'm going to get you back I promise. Sooner or later, I'll find out my own secret about you and through it in your face. I'm under house arrest, and need a babysitter if I am to leave. Did I miss anything, oh Lord and Master?" I said sticking my tongue out at him.

"No that pretty much covers it, Amy I'm counting on you, this is truly a matter of life and death. Feel free to spank him if necessary, I won't be mad. I'll be seeing you soon, and remember just because I'm not here doesn't mean I can't see what's going on, Jace!" Savitar said before flashing out of the room.

"One day Savitar, one day!" I shouted into the air.

The three of us looked at each other for a long moment, before anyone spoke.

"Well Jace, seems your stuck with us, now we can do this the easy way or the hard, which one will it be?" Amy asked.

"Trust me, take the easy way, she's way tougher than she looks." Kyle joked.

"The easy way it is, I'm sorry I've gotten you guys mixed up in my crazy life. I'm sure the last thing you want to do is baby sit someone you don't even know, who's caused you nothing but grief since the moment I met you." I said.

"Don't worry kid, we've been dealing with these kinds of things all our lives. Plus with a brother like Kyle, I'm used to having to baby sit trouble makers. So are you hungry, I could bring something up in a jiffy?" she asked.

"Would it be alright if I came down to eat, I'm really not trapped in a room kind of guy."

"Sure, I'll go get started on making you a feast, and getting some meat on those bones." she said jokingly.

"Bones, I'll have you know this is 100% grade A muscle I've got going on here!"

"I noticed, still never hurts to have more. It will only make you that much more of a hunk, see you in a few." she said leaving the room.

Kyle and I stared at each other for a moment, why did he have to look so damn good. My cock grew inside my tight pants, and I only hoped he didn't notice.

"So your name is Jace, Savitar, the man who hates everyone, wants you protected like you're his own flesh and blood, Ash touches you and your body goes into torture mode, the Dolophoni are after you, Deimos especially has a hard on for you. You go after Daimons like you're a Dark Hunter, yet your not. For some reason my empathy powers don't work clearly with you, but from what I can tell you have some serious issues with Ash, who doesn't seem to know you from a hole in the wall. A shade appears to me and sends me to help you, and not just any shade, but the shade of the woman who allows Sami to come here. You have all these different emotions when your around me, anywhere from hate, to likeable, laughable, to wanting to strangle me. Is there anything I'm missing, and would you care to fill in the blanks?" he asked.

"You've pretty much nailed it on the head, with everything you've said so far. Though, I pretty much have the power to read your mind, and sense what your feeling, like for you whatever is messing with your powers of empathy, are also messing with my abilities to read your mind fully, or completely sense what your feeling. But from what I've gathered so far, your tired of being treated as the baby of the family, though you are. You hate that no one takes your seriously, yet you got a serious hard on when asked by Savitar to do something so important as watching over me. You used to hate that you could feel everyone's emotions around you, yet you've suddenly found that not being able to read mine is seriously frustrating, because for some reason you really want to know what's going on in my head. You took on my pain earlier when Ash touched me, and I'm sorry you had to go through that, no should have to go through that, no one..." my voice catching as I spoke.

"Hey, it's okay, really. I don't mean to pry, it just really is frustrating not to be able to read someone, when you finally find someone you want to read...I mean...you know what I mean, all these years of feeling everyone else's emotions, and now you come along and I can't get a clear reading on you. It's a challenge, and I can't let a challenge go. You know what I mean, Jace?" he said nervously.

"I understand, this is all new to me as well. And I truly can't stand challenges unmet, so we'll just have to suffer through together." okay I so didn't mean to say that.

"Or you can trust me, and just talk to me." he said.

"Trust is something I don't have in supply to give, every time I've put myself out there, I've found myself hung in a sling, and screwed to no end." okay again I didn't mean to say that, what's with this guy that causes me to say more than I mean to.

"Will leave the kinky stuff for later, sling boy. For now, I'll accept that you can't trust, but I'll hope that as time goes by you'll learn to trust me. I really am a good guy, well depends on who you ask, but for the most part I really am." he said sincerely.

"Trust me, I know Savitar wouldn't have left me in your hands if he didn't think you were trust worthy. Remember, he's see all, hear all guy." I said smiling.

"You'd both do well to remember that, I'm watching you!" Savitar's voice rang in the room.

"Savitar! I swear your like a peeping tom, who gets his jolly's out of letting me know your always watching me. GET A LIFE! Isn't there a wave somewhere with your name written all over it, shish."

"Okay, on that freaky note, why don't we head downstairs and see what Amy cooked up for you, since I'm on guard duty, we can just talk and get to know one another." he said smiling. His adorable dimple showing, and making my stomach knot up.

"Look, just so you know, I'm not used to having...a...friend...or someone to talk to, so if I'm not so good at it, just bare with me." I said sheepishly.

"Who better than a real bear, to bare with you!" he teased, causing me to laugh at his silliness. Gosh, I was really starting to like this guy. Jace, stop right there, it can never happen.

We made our way downstairs, and I was surprised to see a mix of Daimons, Apollites, Were-Hunters, and other demons mingling in a room that also had humans in it. A band played on the stage, as people ate, drank, played pool. In a far corner sat a coffin that read, this is what happened to the last guy that asked Amy out.

"Do the humans know about the 'special kinds of people' in here?" I asked.

"No, and we have someone to erase their minds if they see something they shouldn't. Sanctuary is a safe haven, an off limits place for any fighting. Everyone is welcomed here, as long as they cause no problems. Then they have to deal with my family, and trust me no one wants to deal with a bunch of angry Bears." he said.

"I remember seeing your family fight to help me, thanks again for that, and please thank them. I know they only did it cause Ash asked, but it still meant something to me." I said looking away.

"Hey Ash didn't order us to help, well okay, the shade who must not be named ordered me to go help, but I would have helped anyway if I knew you were in trouble. My family are good 'people', they'd have helped you regardless." he said. Somehow, I believed him, which was a surprise all in itself.

He took me over to the bar, where Sami was enjoying some ribs. Oh-oh!

"Hey Sami, I want you to meet a friend of mine, this is Jace!" Kyle introduced, and I prayed that Sami wouldn't give me away.

"Jace, that's a great name, you must be a great guy to have such a great name, don't you think Kyle?" Sami said. Oh great, my own little demon match maker.

"You two can stop pretending like you don't know each other, cause I know you do." Kyle said.

"What? How?" I asked.

"Hello, the shade of the woman who can't be named, the one who told us to let Sami watch over Ash, also orders me to go protect you. It's not that hard to put two and two together." he answered. Well, at least I knew he wasn't stupid, but I sure felt like an ass.

"You can't tell anyone Kyle, its important that no one knows, please!" I begged.

"Hey, calm down its okay, I promise I wont say anything. I've never broken the promise to keep Sami a secret from Ash, I won't do it to you either." he said sincerely.

"Thank you...um...that means a lot." I said.

"Good, Sami hate keeping Akri a secret from Kyle, Kyle good peoples, Kyle be a good friend to Akri Jace." Sami said excitedly.

"Akri? The only time I hear someone use that word, is when Simi is talking about Ash. So then tell me why he's calling you Akri, not that its hard to figure out." Kyle asked.

"Jace is Sami's Akri, Sami have the best Akri-Daddy in the world." Sami answered, before I could make something up.

"Look, Kyle, can we leave the tough questions for another time? Maybe start out slow and work out way up, please?" I begged.

"Fine, fine, take all the fun out of everything." he said. Amy came walking over with plates, and plates of food. When the smell hit my nose, I realized just how hungry I really was.

"Oh, you really are an Angel, Amy. I didn't realize how hungry I was till I smelled that delicious smell of food." I said.

"Well, dig in boys, it's all yours. I'll be serving tables if you need me, just give me a holler." she winked and walked away.

We dug in, eating like we hadn't seen food in years. Kyle made jokes, and I was surprised how easy it was to be around him. How funny, and charming he really way. It felt like I was starting to truly see into the man he is, the man he wants to be. I liked what I saw, and that just plain scared me.

Suddenly the song Sweet Home Alabama began playing, and everyone that was not `human' began disappearing quickly.

"What's going on, Kyle?" I asked.

"Ash is here, whenever he comes we play that song to let the `non humans' know he's here." he explained.

"Sami, quickly return to me!" I said, as he turned into a mist and became a tattoo on my body.

"Wicked, that's cool." Kyle said.

"I need to get out of here, I don't want to see him right now. I can't have him asking me questions, that I don't have the answers to." I said.

"Or wont give the answers to you mean, Jace?" Kyle said.

"Either way, please I don't want to deal with him right now. Let's get out of here, now!" I said panicked.

But it was to late, Ash had spotted me, and was heading my way. There was a man following behind him, but I couldn't see his face.

"Great, I could kill you Kyle, next time go means go." I said right before Ash arrived in front of us, his face full of concern that tore through me like hot pokers.

"Jace, your okay. I'm glad to see Savitar healed you, I was worried." he spoke so caringly, it made me want to cry.

"Um...yeah...I'm...um...peach keen." I stuttered looking down.

"Jace, I don't know who you are, or how we are connected, but I really wish you would talk to me. I know trust is a hard thing for people, I'm the first to say I hardly trust anyone, but something about you is calling out to me, and I need to know what it is." Ash pleaded.

"I...Its...Please...I can't...I think...I think I want to...no, I know I want to, but I can't, I just can't." I pleaded.

"Ash, maybe this isn't a good time. Jace had been through the ringer, why don't you give him sometime?" Kyle said, seeing the panic in my face, and hearing it in my voice.

"Jace, I won't hurt you, I swear on everything I am I would never hurt you, hell I don't know you, I have nothing against you. I just feel this pull, something I've never felt before. I just wish you would talk to me, maybe we could work through it, maybe we could figure it out together, unless you already know." Ash asked ignoring Kyle.

"Right, cause you never hurt anyone before!" said the man standing behind Ash.

"Put a sock in it Nick, that was an accident, and has nothing to do with what's going on here." he shot back.

The voice, I knew that voice, I remember it like it was yesterday. I knew he wasn't an Apollite, though I could sense strong powers coming off of him. But that voice, it was like a nagging fly that wouldn't stop buzzing around, I looked around Ash, but he was wearing sunglasses, and had a large Bow and Arrow mark covering half his face. Not something you'd be likely to forget.

"I promise you Ash, you will know everything in time, whether I want you to or not, there are others that demand you know everything. Till that day comes, could you please just leave me be." I begged.

"Deimos is after to you, Stryker is after you, I have some kind of connection to you, I feel this need to protect you. How can I do that if you don't let me in, how can I help you if you wont let me?" he begged.

"Just like you helped my mom and me, just like you helped New Orleans. You can't protect the world Ash, Stryker is after a bunch of us, are you going to create a center for the protection against Stryker haven? Get over yourself Ash, your just as limited as the rest of us, and cause more problems then you fix!" Nick spoke with such venom in his voice, and for reasons I've never felt before I felt a need to defend Ash, to defend my father.

"Just who do you think you are Ass-hole, talking to him like that? If your so bad assed, then take care of yourself, and quit bitching like a little girl that Ash can't handle it, while your following him around like he's your only hope!" I said angrily, the words leaving my mouth before I even thought them. Ash started at me stunned, Kyle thought I lost it.

"This coming from a kid who's held up in a Sanctuary, guarded by Weres, while Ash he begs you to let him protect you. Please, boy you don't know nothing about me, what I've been through, what Ash put me through. So don't go running off your mouth bout things you don't understand." Nick spat angrily.

It was then that I realized who he was, he had been there with Stryker, fed off of Stryker's blood, and enjoy a good round of using the worthless whore with the rest of them. He was in a blood lust, due to Stryker's blood, but that didn't stop him from raping me, from torturing me.

"You, its you! You sick son of a bitch, I remember who you are now, I remember what you did! I'll kill you, I'll tare you limb from limb!" I shouted.

I flipped over Ash, and landed in front of Nick, I kicked high up, hitting his chin and sending him flying across the room. The band stopped playing, and the humans began leaving quickly. I ran over to Nick as he landed on his ass, and began punching his face again and again. He flipped me off him, and did a KIP-Up, landing on his feet. I quickly got to mine.

"You messed with the wrong guy, boy. I have no idea who you are, and frankly I don't give a damn. You want to play with the big boys, bring it on." Nice said, before he manifested a fight staff. I did the same, and went on the offensive as Savitar taught me.

Blow for blow, we blocked each other, until I pulled a fake out, and wound up swiping his feet. I whacked his face back and forth, breaking his sunglasses. When I saw his eyes, his eyes that looked just like mine, I froze. I forgot that when he drank of Stryker's blood, his eyes had changed to that of our Atlantean swirling silver. That second of hesitation cost me, as he came up with his staff, hitting me in the chin sending me flying through the air. I caught my balance mid air, and stopped floating in the air. I lowered myself slowly to the ground, and took a fighting stance.

"You don't remember me, because the last time you saw me I was bound and gagged as you had your way with me. Does that ring a bell, Nick?" I spat his name out.

"You...but...it can't be? Look, sorry isn't enough, but you have to understand I wasn't myself, I was angry, and Stryker tricked me, I drank his blood and I wasn't in control of myself...what I did...what I did to you, I've never forgotten it haunts me to this day. I'm so sorry...I know that means nothing, but I'm truly sorry Jace!" he said sincerely.

"Don't you dare say my name like we're old friends, don't you dare think anything could ever excuse you for what you did. I will never forgive you, you made an enemy that day, and I will have my revenge. You better hope and pray Acheron, or no one else ever learns of what you did to me, or what happened to me in that hell hole, or I swear to you I will kill you myself, you sick son of a bitch!" I said, as I jumped on his and began pounding his face in. Punch after punch, blow after blow, he just laid there taking it. I grabbed him by the sides of his hair, and started slamming his head into the ground, the whole time not realizing that tears were running down my face, and that I was repeating the words I hate you, over and over again.

"Ash, do something, he's going to kill him! I don't think Jace could live with himself if he killed someone, in a moment of anger." Kyle begged.

"ENOUGH! Back off the two of you, right now!" Ash order, and waved his hands sending us flying to different sides of the room. Kyle came running to my side, as Ash checked on Nick.

"I can take care of myself, Asshole!" Nick said as he tried to help him up.

My anger at seeing my own father going to Nick's side, going to help someone who tortured his own son, drove me mad with rage.

I ran at Ash, and began pounding on his chest.

"I hate you, I hate you so much, you're a bastard, a real bastard! You check on him before me, you chose the world before me, you everyone else before me. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" I screamed as I cried and punched at his chest. Ash grabbed my hands to stop me, and hugged me close to his chest, as I cried, still staying the words I hate you.

When suddenly, the pain of the curse was triggered, and there I was on the floor screaming in agony. Ash above me cursing himself for forgetting. Kyle by my side screaming as he felt the pain I was feeling.

Great!

Savitar!

Is!

So!

Going!

To!

Kick!

My!

Ass!

END CHAPTER