Acheron (Dark-Hunter #15)(76)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Tory caught Ash’s meaning. "Yeah, I can’t really afford to be out of commission too long."

"Honey," the doctor said in a strained tone, "you died. You might want to think about that for a minute and let it digest. You’re really lucky you’re still with us so let me watch over you for a few days before we turn you loose, okay?"

It was hard to argue when he put it like that. "All right. Thanks, doctor."

He inclined his head before he left them alone.

Tory looked over at Ash who was standing back with that stoicism he wore like a force field to keep the rest of the world away. She knew how hard she’d hit the ground and it wouldn’t have been a bit softer for him. Yet he’d dragged himself to his feet and then carried her. His strength mystified her. "How did you get me here?"

"I have my evil Jedi ways," he said in a flat, even tone. "The Force is strong with this one."

She laughed again. He could be so charming when he wanted to. And so sweet. "Well if the doc won’t release me, what do we do?"

He shrugged while keeping his arms crossed. "We keep an eye out for our new friends and make sure they don’t decide to finish the job they started."

She nodded. "They think I have the journal, don’t they?"

"Would be my guess. Either that or they’re just really bored and thought knocking us around would alleviate it."

"Speaking of boredom . . . what am I going to do while I’m locked in here?"

"Wanna read some manga?"

She grimaced at him. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "It’s like crack. Once you start, you have to keep reading. I have some Priest, Hellsing and Trinity Blood issues handy. Interested?"

"Actually, I’d like to read the journal we found. Someone who’s really tall and male hasn’t finished teaching me Atlantean."

"It’s not in Atlantean. It’s Greek."

"So say you."

Groaning, Ash shrugged his backpack off his shoulder and manifested the journal inside it. One of the reasons he always kept a backpack with him was so that he could teleport things that he needed without arousing mortal suspicions. Since no one knew what was in his pack, they didn’t know when he used his powers to get something he needed or wanted.

It also held the things that meant the most to him and kept them from harm. Ryssa’s three journals that he’d found after Didymos had been destroyed, her hair comb and Simi’s teething toy that Savitar had given him for her when she’d been a toddler. Her baby fang marks were forever etched into the wood. The backpack also held his mother’s medallion wrapped in one of the black scarves that Simi had brought back from one of her many visits to Kalosis.

And Nick’s soul that he’d traded to Artemis, that Artemis had then given to Acheron.

He pulled out Ryssa’s journal and handed it to Tory. "Can you read it without your glasses?"

She sighed irritably. "Not a single word. I hate being blind. Any chance I can talk you into going to my house and getting my spare pair?"

"I can’t leave you unattended. You know that."

"Then will you read it to me?"

Ash looked down at the leather as a sharp pain pierced his chest. It was hard to read Ryssa’s words because with each one, he saw her clearly in his mind and heard her sweet, calm voice speaking to him.

And it cut him deep in his heart.

Tory touched his arm again. "Please, Achimou?"

A muscle worked in his jaw as her tender voice worked magic on his resolve. "You are the only being who’s ever called me that."

"Well I’d call you babycakes, but I think that might offend you even more."

He smiled. "All right, stop the torture. I’ll read."

Tory watched the blurry shadow that was Ash as he took a seat near her bed and opened the book. When he started reading, she closed her eyes and listened to the deep resonant tone of his voice. From the ease with which he translated as he read, one would have thought it was written in English. He didn’t even hesitate with the words.

"Today I spoke to my father about visiting Atlantis."

Tory straightened up in the bed. "Atlantis?"

Ash cringed as he realized what he’d said. He’d actually forgotten he was reading to an outsider. Tory had become such a part of him that he actually wanted to confide in her. "Yeah, that’s what it says."

"See! I told you it was real!"

He had to calm her down. "It doesn’t mean anything. For all you know this is an ancient Bridget Jones’s Diary."

She scoffed. "They didn’t have novels back then."

"History says they didn’t have books, yet what’s this thing in my hand? It’s square, bound paper that’s been written on. Looks like a book to me."

"Thank you, Captain Sarcasm. How nice of you to join us again. Can we get back to the story?"

"Just don’t throw another hammer at me," he mumbled under his breath before he returned to the book. "Today I spoke to my father about visiting Atlantis and as usual it made him angry. Our negotiations with them aren’t going well. Uncle sent word that war could break out again at any moment. But I don’t understand why it’s too dangerous for me to visit there while my brother and uncle live there. Surely it’s not safe for . . ." Ash paused as he saw his name mentioned, "my brother. I can’t stand not seeing him. The letters he sends aren’t enough for me. I want-" Ash choked on the words on the page as pain hit him hard in his chest.-my brother home with me. Someone needs to make sure Acheron is kept safe from harm and though Uncle swears he’s fine, I wish I could make sure of it for myself.

"She wants what?" Tory prompted.

"My eyes are hurting," he lied. "I think it’s the lighting. Can we pick this up later?"

Tory frowned at the odd note in his voice. It sounded like he was choking on tears, but that didn’t make sense. "If you wish."

"Cool. I’ll just return it to my backpack." He got up and rustled around in it.

"Ash?" she asked after a couple of seconds.

"What?"

"Did anyone call my family?"

"I don’t know. You want me to ask?"

"Please. I don’t want my family invading when I feel fine. Especially not while we have insane people chasing us. I would die if one of them got caught in the crossfire."

"Okay. I’ll go get Kim and find out. If you need anyone . . ." He put the hospital buzzer in her hand. "I know you can’t see well so if you get scared at all, buzz the nurse and I’ll be right back."

His concern touched her. "Got it."

Tory sat in the silence, processing everything that’d happened today. The things she’d learned and those she still only suspected about Ash. Not to mention the fact that she now knew she had people out to end her life any way they could over something she didn’t even possess.

What was she going to do?

Ash returned a few minutes later. "Kim spoke to your grandfather and Aunt Del. She said they want you to call them as soon as you can." Ash stepped close enough that she could see him.

"Thank you, Ash."

"You’re welcome. Kim also said she’d have Pam bring your spare glasses over to you just as soon as she can."

She put her hand over the one Ash had resting on her railing and gave a light squeeze. "Thank you for remembering to ask about them, too." She picked his hand up and placed hers against it. She’d always thought of her hands as mannish since they were so much bigger than most women’s, but compared to his hand, hers were dainty. His fingers were long and graceful with calluses that also marred his palms. They were manly hands and she couldn’t help wondering what they’d feel like skimming her body . . .

"Your hands are so huge."

"Yours are soft and little." She didn’t miss the catch in his voice before he moved his hand away. "Mine are also really rough." He said it as if it embarrassed him.

"I like your hands. I think they’re beautiful."

"I don’t know about that, but they do what they’re supposed to most times I guess."

She shook her head. "You hate compliments, don’t you?"

Ash’s gut tightened at the unwanted memories her question provoked. As a human, compliments had been followed by either unwanted gropings or all-out beatings from the people who didn’t want to be attracted to him. As a god they’d become extinct which, given his former experiences, was fine by him.

"You want me to get you something to eat?"

Tory nodded. "I’m always hungry."

"I’ll be back."

She didn’t move as she watched him leave again. He was so strange and so seductive. Protective, arrogant and at same time unsure of himself. Which really made no sense to her. How could he ever be uncertain?

She lay there for several minutes as she pondered the dichotomy.

"Hey girl."

She smiled at the blur that was Pam. "Hey hon."

Pam came forward and put Tory’s glasses on her face. Tory breathed a sigh of relief as the world came into focus again. "Bless you."

"Anytime. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good considering I just got hit by a car and died."

Pam growled at her. "You’re not funny. And where’s your delectable bodyguard?"

"He went to find food for me."

"Ooo, good looking and he quests for food when you’re hungry. He’s a keeper. So when are you going to sleep with him?"

Ash paused outside the door as he heard Pam’s question to Tory.

Tory made a very undignified snort. "Sleep with him . . . pah-lease. Like I don’t have better things to do with my day. I swear the way you have sex on the brain, you should have been born a guy."

"Oh yeah right, Tor, look at the man. They don’t make a finer model than that one. Trust me. Unlike you, I look a lot. He’s without a doubt the finest thing on two legs, or three if you play your cards right."

Tory let out a sound of utter shock. "Stop talking about him like that. He’d die of embarrassment if he heard you."

Pam tsked at her. "I’m telling you right now, Tory, if you let that one get away without sleeping with him, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life."

"And given my history with men, if I tried to sleep with him I’d kill him. The last guy I tried to sleep with ended up in a body cast."

Pam laughed. "Look at me and tell me honestly you haven’t thought about it."

"I’m not that blind, but I don’t think of Ash that way. I’m much more interested in him for his brains than his body. Now move on to the next topic before I push the button and tell the nurses I’m being harassed by an insane stalker friend."

"You would, too."

Deciding it was now safe to make an appearance, Ash walked in. Pam’s face turned instantly red as she moved to the other side of the bed.

He set his bag down on Tory’s tray table and moved it closer to her. "I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I got some of everything."

Tory smiled. "There’s not much I don’t eat. Curse of my Aunt Del always telling me about the poor children who have to eat dirt just to keep from going hungry."

Ash adjusted the tray for her, then opened her soda.

"Um guys," Pam said as Tory unwrapped a hamburger. "I don’t think you’re supposed to eat that right after surgery. Don’t they put patients on clear liquid diets or something?" She looked uneasily out the door. "Where’s Kim when I need her?"

Tory waved her words away. "I feel fine."

Ash pulled the fries out for her and set them down. "I wouldn’t have gotten anything for her that would cause her more pain."

Tory held the burger up toward him. "You want a bite?"

"No, thanks."

Looking at Pam, she gestured at him with the burger. "I swear he’s living proof that air has calories. Otherwise he’d shrivel up to nothing."

"Oh like you have room to talk. If there was any justice in this world, you’d be bigger than my house. You eat like a man and you’re skinny as a rail." Pam smirked at Ash. "My mother used to call her Jack Sprat when we were kids. Thank God her aunt owned a deli, though I swear Tory ate up all the profits whenever she worked there."

Ash laughed.

"Only ’cause Del makes the best koulourakias, kourabiethes and melomacarinas ever."

Pam smirked at Ash. "Did you understand a single word of what she just said?"

"Of course he does, he’s Greek. Even if he doesn’t eat, he knows the cookies. I’ll bet his mother stuffed him full as a kid."

Ash snorted at the image of his mother cooking anything, other than world destruction. "Not really. My mom wasn’t the Betty Crocker kind." Not unless it involved napalm or plagues.

A sharp gasp at the door made them all look to see Kim in the doorway. "What are you doing eating that!"

Tory and Pam pointed at him. "He brought it."

Making a sound of distress, Kim rushed to the bed to take the burger from Tory’s hands.

Tory pulled it away. "Not on your life, Kim, and I mean that literally."

"You can’t eat that right after surgery. It’ll make you sick."

"Better the cow than your hand which I’m going to take a chunk of if you reach for it again. I’m hungry. You of all people know better than to come between me and food."