Chapter 1

"My, my, my." Kimberly McMartin looked over the rim of her glass, her green eyes sparkled with interest as she watched the bodacious dark-haired man walk across the crowded bar.

"What?" her best friend, Margaret Panheriou, asked while stirring the contents of her strawberry margarita listlessly. She didn’t even want to be there in the first place, the only reason she was sitting at the bar of 'the Inferno' was because Selena had threatened to hoax her.

Knowing Selena's penchant for spell work, she had thrown on a pair of old faded black jeans and an off-the shoulder dark red top. Nearly half-an hour later they were still waiting, Selena was rarely on time for anything, tarot card reader that she was, but simple things such as watches and time didn’t matter as much to her as it did to the rest of the world.

"Dig the guy who just came in." Kimberly motioned subtly to the entrance of the town's hangout spot.

The sigh that rose to Margaret's lips quickly died as she turned to see whom Kimberly was looking at. It was amazing she could still draw breath, there was air everywhere but none of it seemed to want to circulate through her lungs.

The man was tall, a good six feet and then some, he had dark hair that was tinted so many shades of black and brown it was difficult to know exactly what color it was. What really captured her attention was his eyes, brighter than the color of clouds before a storm yet lighter than the purest silver, they gleamed and glittered eerily in the darkened interior of the room.

Red light played across the strong planes of his face, high cheekbones accentuated his look of regal power. She could imagine him leading an army into battle, no, not a battle, he reminded her of the gods. Proud, arrogant, and completely self-reliant he demanded attention although he didn’t seem aware of the interest he'd sparked. The roving hunger in his gaze that searched for something he had not yet found called to her. Made her want to go over to him and take the emptiness out of his expression.

"Isn’t he just...?" Kimberly hinted taking a short drink, she was pleased by the look of interest on her friends' face, it had been too long since Maggie had really taken a look at the men around her.

"Oh yeah, that and more." Maggie replied wanting to take her eyes from him, but finding that it was near impossible to even finish that thought. "I've never seen him before."

"Ash!" Dante grinned as he stepped into the shadows, "Long time no see."

Maggie noticed that there was no customary clap on the back or shaking of hands between the men, Dante kept a good distance from him and it almost seemed as if he too couldn’t meet the silver-lined gaze for more than a few minutes.

The ringing of her cell-phone snapped her out of her reverie. Damn the thing, she rummaged through her purse to find it. Kimberly hid her smile of amusement at the annoyance that emanated from Maggie's direction.

"Hello?"

“Hi, hon." Selena's distracted voice came across the wavelengths, "I'm not going to be able to make it. Kind of an emergency here, a man said he'll pay double if I read the cards for him."

"Don't you love tourist season?" Maggie smiled as Kimberly ordered another shot.

Selena's rich laughter echoed in the receiver as she hung up.

"So what's up? She just late or-"

"Not coming." Maggie replied as she put the phone away, "Customer said he'd pay her double for a reading."

"Awesome." Kim knew that this time of year was incredibly profitable for all the store owners and shop vendors. The men and women who flocked to New Orleans all seemed to love the exotic, mystical, and Selena was the epitome of all things magical. Her clothes spoke volumes, she was known to wear long flowing skits and renaissance type shirts.

Sunshine Runningwolf sold pottery, art, and jewelry from her cart in the French Quarter. Between her artistic views of the world and Selena's mystical predictions they were sold out by the end of the day.

"Oh look, here he comes." Kim moved down two seats to make room for him.

"No! What are you doing?! Get back over here." Maggie hissed nervously. "Kim, I'm going to kick your ass. Move over!"

Smiling, Kimberly did as she requested, she moved down another stool and laughed wickedly as a hard-rock song came on. In Dante's bar anything went, this was their day off and she was sure she didn’t know anyone. As the guitar solo crescendoed and the lead singer started the chorus, Kim threw back the contents of her drink and sang along too.

Pretty soon people were dancing to the beat on the neon-lit dance floor and Kim was trying to catch Ash's attention. In black leather pants and a loose fitting shirt she would have looked like the others occupying the bar had she not have had four chains hanging from her pants, black boots, and a chains of all sizes around her neck.

It was full goth-night for her and she proved it with the broken in leather jacket she had hanging on the back of the stool. As of now, Kim was standing on said bar still singing to the song, catching attention of people all over. She frowned, she wasn’t the only one dancing on the counter-top, but damnit she wanted Maggie to be happy again, and the guy wasn’t even looking over in their direction!

Acheron Parthenopaeus watched from the shadows waiting for the horde of Daimons that were supposed to try and raid the bar this night. He had gotten the tip from Talon, a Celtic dark-hunter, who assured him that Sunshine was sure of it.

He disliked bars and people, much rather preferring to spend time by himself than with others, it was uncomfortable for him to be surrounded by so many bodies. The heat rose every second, and still no sign of any blonde Fabio look-alikes.

There was still a good many hours before the sun came up, plenty of time for the Daimon's to roam before attempting to gather souls here. He detected a line of sad empty grief from somewhere in the crowd. He frowned and started toward it before settling back against the wall with a frown.

It was definitely coming from a woman, then he saw her as a waiter came through with a tray balanced in his arms. She had medium-length black hair that fell to the middle of her back in an organized muss. It looked as though it had just been washed and the water not yet out completely, it was a look that completely fit her.

She wore a shirt that bared one shoulder, he inwardly winced when that reminded him of Artemis' variety of outfits she paraded for him whenever he was summoned. Artemis, just her name was enough to send anger and betrayal flooding through him. She was the only one who accepted him, but he would never allow her to win the little game they played. Never.

The woman's first name was Margaret, he pulled it from her memory along with what was making her so sad. The man she had loved married another woman, now she didn’t think she was good enough for anyone and berated herself for not taking the initiative to tell him how she felt.

He didn’t know why he did this to himself. He had learned a long time ago that while he saved mortals on a day-to-day basis, there was no use in trying to get to know them. Their life-span was so short, a mere ninety years if lucky before their souls belonged to Hades.

His eyes glittered in the dark, he could see clearly in pitch-black had the occasion called for it. A waiter tripped and the trey wobbled unsteadily. The man caught it and breathed a sigh of relief before a glass fell off the side.

Ash intercepted it from hitting the floor and handed it back to the waiter. He was now standing in the middle of the room, easing pain was what he did best. Even though me made it a point not to talk to mortals, he found himself inexplicably drawn to the woman with the lithe, lightly muscled body.

"Hey, Maggie?" Kim glanced over as soon as the song had ended. "Max is here, I'll be right back, kay?"

"Sure, no problem. Bring him over."

"Will do." She climbed gracefully down from the stool and headed over to the entranceway. Max was Kim's boyfriend of ten years, they had met in ninth grade and were fast friends ever since. They started dating soon after and it was because of him her best friends life was turned around.

He was perfect for her and she for him. They shared innuendoes, wicked jokes, soft laughter, and were so deeply in love that it sometimes made her worry over the depth of emotion she saw. Max was dressed in black pants with a chained and spiked leather jacket. He had one necklace, a chain with a wolf's tooth on the end that Kim had found for him.

Underneath the jacket, on his right arm, he had a tattoo of a dragon. That was his forte, dragons and anything paranormal. His long black hair was tied back tonight and he pulled Kim into a corner to properly say hello.

They would be there awhile, Maggie half-grinned, they were always doing something like that. Holding hands, both being careful not to scratch fingers and skin on the claws that adorned Max's hand, nor the rings on Kim's, kissing, sometimes there was a complete make-out marathon that put Buffy and Angel's twenty-four hour day to shame.

She turned around to order a strawberry daiquiri when she saw him sit down next to her. He was even taller up close, and she noticed the three skulled earrings in his right ear. There was a stylized tattoo of a bird over his left arm pulse, and she smelled a faint aroma of burning logs, cologne, and a purely masculine scent that had her pulse picking up speed.

"Um, hello." She worked up the courage to say.

"Hello." He replied to her surprise. "Here alone?"

"No..." his eyes gleamed and oh wow, his accent. It wasn’t all that noticeable, but it sounded as though he were Greek. The way his muscles rippled, not too well cut, but not at all flabby either. She doubted if he even knew what the word meant.

"My name's Margaret Panheriou." She offered hesitantly glad when her drink finally arrived.

"Acheron Parthanopeus." The name rolled off his tongue and Margaret nearly fell off her chair when she heard him speak again. This man should be locked up somewhere, her cheeks were already over heated and the temperature had seemed to go up a few hundred degrees, and all he had said was his name!

"Duck." He said calmly taking out the largest switch-blade she had ever seen.

Maggie did as he said without question, the tone he said it in left no room for argument, contestation, or doubts. She fell into a crouching position just in time, had she still be sitting there a very blonde, extremely well built, and somehow reminding her of Fabio, guy with a long, wickedly sharp dagger would have stabbed through her stomach.

“Aww... look at the little dark-hunter all alone.” Another of the blonde men sneered.

“Lets get outta here!” the tallest of them muttered, “That aint no ordinary dark-hunter, that’s Acheron.”

“Acheron?” they stared at him in horror. They had all heard tales of the Atlantean that couldn’t be killed, he was the first ever dark-hunter made by Artemis herself. One of the oldest and most feared of them all, he had powers that none could truly comprehend.

Maggie looked around, no one else seemed to notice the four blonde men surrounding them. People danced, men drank at the bar, and Max looked darkly at a man who made a rude gesture towards him.

Ash’s eyes were swirling gray whether in anticipation of a fight or anger, she didn’t know. Power just naturally came from him, he was sitting with his arms crossed unconcernedly but there was the predatory look on his expression that betrayed all that.

“The Acheron Parthanopeus?” the last one with longer blonde hair snapped.

“No, I'm the nice one.” Ash grinned a cold smile that held no amusement. “Going to scurry home or face me like men and fight?”

“Go to hell” the tall one replied, there was only so much he could be expected to put up with! The man was still a dark-hunter and therefore could be killed. Somehow.

“Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.” Ash sighed as he got up. Maggie couldn’t help but stare, every move he made was elegant and graceful.

Ash deflected the dagger thrown at him without thinking about it, did they really think their weapons could hurt him? Rolling his eyes he sent two of them exploding into black vapor. The other two tried to run, but Acheron stopped them with his mind and made them turn around to face him.

“You would have been flogged unto death for that in the old days.” His eyes burned with contempt, the two Daimons disappeared in a puff of black dust.

She felt an ice cold wave of air go through her. Time seemed to stand still, then it was as before. Drinking, talking, no one else had seen! Acheron pulled on his black duster and made for the entranceway.

“Hang on a second.” Maggie reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. “What the hell was that? Were they vampires?!”

Ash just stared at her, how did she remember? Better question yet was how she had seen it. He made sure to put a mental block around himself and the Daimons so none of the humans would know of the danger they faced every day.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Maggie refused to take a step backwards though her very cells were quaking, “I’m not some puny mortal for you to hypnotize.”

“I'm not a vampire.” he said brushing it off. So many people had mistaken them for the ‘night-dwellers,’ if they only knew who the real monsters were...

“Then what are you?” she persisted.

Ash felt like laughing, men twice her size couldn’t meet his gaze or stay in his presence long. None dared to question his decision and no one touched him like she was doing now.

“The things of nightmares, everything that goes bump in the night.” He smiled and allowed his fangs to show. “Stay away from us, little one.”

Then he was gone, she stared at the crowd and then at where he had been sitting. The burlap bag he carried was gone as well.

“Hey, you alright?” Kim asked hurrying over. “He didn’t hurt you or anything?”

“No, not at all.” Maggie hastened to reply, she had seen that look before. It usually appeared right before Kim did something reckless, or as she warmed up for a fight. “Wait a second, how did you guys see?”

“Umm...” Kim bit her black lip-glossed lip, “It's kind of a long story.”

“We have all night.” Max signaled for the bill, but Kim had out a twenty before he could reach for his wallet.

“It was only a coupl’a drinks.” She grinned at Max’s sigh of irritation.

“So where are we going?” Maggie asked, judging by how tense they were the news was not going to be good.

“Well... you remember that little... calamity Grace had with the book?”

“Yeah, Julian of Macedon.” He taught history and ancient languages at the college. He had also been trapped inside a book as a sex-slave for two millennia.

“Well... he has friends.”

“I’d hope so.” Maggie replied lightening the mood.

“We really need to move this conversation somewhere... not here.” Max said ushering them to the door.

“And you just met one of them.” Kim said seriously from behind black- shadowed eyes.