Chapter 3

I reached the small town that Mike had discribed before sunrise, with just a little time to rent a hotel room and call Jen. She answered on the first ring, and I found myself sitting on the edge of the floral-patterned sheets, watching Nikitas sleep as I told her the entire story- finding his mother dead, finding Nikitas nearly frozen into a block of ice, and what the hell I was going to tell Zarek.

She was silent for a few more mintues as realization sunk in. "You mean you have a child of the enemy sleeping in your hotel room?" She finally hissed. I groaned silently as to not wake the sleeping boy.

"Jen, what kind of damage could he possibly do?" I snapped. "He's four years old, for god's sake. It's not like he has killed anyone." Yet, My mind said darkly. I forced these thoughts from my head as I clutched my cell phone tighter, listening to her response.

"The problem is, one day he's going to. And Zarek is too insane to care about a little Apollite. What is going to happen when he grows up?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" She sighed, sending a wave of static in the phone line.

"How are you going to keep him alive?"

"He's going to have to leave soon, I guess. It's not like I'm adopting him," I said uneasily. She snorted.

"What, you're just going to find a nice Daimon family to raise him?" She said snidely. This was what worried me the most- the thought of little, innocent Nikitas, Being raised by the monsters that preyed on innocent humans. Of him becoming one of the monsters thatthe Dark-Hunters had sworn to kill. She was silent as she waited for my reply.

"You know what, Jen?" I yelled. "Shut the hell up. What would you do if James was an Apollite?" I immedeately was overcome with regret, upon mentioning Jennifer's little brother who still lived in France, who was battling Cancer. She was angry with me, I could tell.

"I'd kill him," She said in a sickeningly calm voice. "Or get one of the Dark-Hunters to kill him if he ever went Daimon." Not expecting this to be her response, I was silent in shock. James was pretty much up there with God on her list of important people. Right up there with God and Orlando Bloom. This showed a lot about how devoted she was to the Dark-Hunters and Acheron.

"I'm sorry I said that, Jen, but-" She cut me off bitterly, in a voice colder than the Alaskan hotel room.

"Just forget it, Ivy. Bye." She hung up, leaving me once more with the quietly snoring Apollite child and my thoughts on how I'd keep him alive. Forget Zarek- the one I needed to keep him away from was Jennifer. She had just proved to me how crazy she really was.

"What brings you to Alaska, little lady?" The man at the back counter of the small store said when I entered, Nikitas at my side. The man was a heavyset, perhaps in his late 50s, with a greyand black beard on his chin. "You don't look like a local."

I smiled in an almost ruefull gesture. "What gave it away?" I said with a laugh. Nikitas stayed silent, shy as always. He gripped my hand tighter.

"You're not used to the weather yet, I can tell. Stay up here a while, and you will be. Also, you're not inside on a day like this." I looked out of the windows again and saw that it was, once again, snowing. I lost my smile instantly, groaning and stomping my foot down.

"Oh, come on! I have to drive in this!" I growled angrily. The man behind the counter laughed.

"Like I said, you'll get used to it soon enough. Where are you going, anyway?" I rubbed my head, staving off a migrane.

"I have a new job-I'm the personal assistant to a man living here in town." I said, not willing to give many details.

"You mean Zarek?"

I was shocked, for the second time of the day, and I answered cautiously. "You know him?" I asked.

"I've heard his name once or twice, and he comes in to town occasionally in the winter months. But other than that, no. He's not really a very social person, from what I can gather. I'm sure he lives alone." He gave me a look, then looked down to Nikitas. "Why, is this your son, ma'am?"

I shook my head quickly. "Oh, no, he's my nephiew. He came to live with me here, in Alaska, while I work for Zarek." I gave a silent prayer that Nikitas wouldn't break his shy silence just yet. Surprisingly, he did, and his response to the man's question startled me. He losened his grip on my hand, grabbing my legs tightly.

"She's my Auntie Ivory." He said quietly, staring up at the man. The man chuckled.

"Ivory?" He repeated. I nodded. "I'm Charles Bunkner. Nice to meet you."

"You, too," I said with a smile at the friendliest person I'd met in that little town. "Come on, Nik. We have to go see Auntie Ivy's new boss." I looked down, and with a small smile, I saw a small carved statue of a cowboy rising a bucking bronco. I faught back a laugh as I picked it up and set it back down. Now, who could've done that? It almost looked a little too much like Sundown, to me.

There is nothing in this little town that is normal, and that ittle statue just proved that to me.

I smiled again at the man, and Nikitastook my hand as we walked out of the small warm store.

"New boss is nice?" He asked as I pulled him onto my lap, sitting down on the snowmobile which I was still getting used to driving.

"Nope," I said, hoping that he didn't hear me. I wouldn't want to give him any misconceptions about the psychopath that we just might have to live with. But he said not a word as we sped off into the snowy morning.

Being the idiot I am, and with my luck, I forgot to fill up the gas tank on the snowmachine before I left with Nikitas to see Zarek, thus I ran out of gas about an hour away from the location of Zarek's 'home'. So I ended up in the middle of a snowy, barren wasteland, with no cell phone (I left mine in the damned hotel room), and a now-sleeping Apollite child. I'm sure somewhere, the Gods were laughing at me.

"Damnit!" I hissed as the snowmobile spluttered to a stop. I knew it could go fast, but with no gas it was just a shiny piece of metal.

"What'd you say?" Asked Nikitas sleepily. I froze.

"Nothing!" I said quickly, looking around. Just as I suspected- nothing. Not even any trees, let alone a house. I cursed again, quieter this time.

Suddenly, I remembered reading something in a magazine about a woman who had been trapped in a situation like this once. She had thought of her husband's name and then thought of where she was, and he found her quickly. ESP, they said. I didn't neccicaraly believe in that stuff- but then again, I worked for Gods and immortal vampire slayers. How crazy could it get? Might as well try it.

Now, Zarek wasn't my husband, but I was pretty sure that it might work, despite the fact that I had no frigging clue where I was.

Hey, asshole, I thought. It's your squire. And unless you want me to freeze to death, come and get me once it gets dark. I'm about an hour away from you. Come and rescue me, prince charming! I added sarcasticly, feeling insane.

Since I was really sure no one was coming to rescue us, I though first to get Nikitas to a safe place, where he was less likely to die of hypothermia. I saw, about a quarter of a mile away, a small shape in the snow, unmoving. First thinking of a dead body, then a dead Dark-Hunter, I began to run toward it. Nikitas groaned sleepily in my arms.

"I don't wanna go to preeschool!" He murmured. "Lemme sleep!"

I smiled, despite the situation, as I aproached the shape, and found it to be a collection of bushes. I wasn't sure what kind, but this would be a good place to keep Nikitas out of the storm until it passed, so I situated myself with him among the leaves. It wasn't comfortable, but it was dry and not being thrown about by wind, so it would have to do.
Before I could stop myself, I fell asleep.

"Hey, you!" A voice called. Strangely, I found myslef no longer in the snowstorm. As i looked around, I found that the place was strangely familiar, and the it hit me like a freight train.

Oh, no. I was no where near the snow. I was on Olympus. And I wasn't alone, I noticed, as the young girl chained to what looked like a rock called to me again.

"Dumb bitch!" She hissed. "Can you hear me, or are you a mute?"

"I can hear you!" I glared at her, and also saw that she was familiar. Then that also came to me. Our faces were almost identicle, down to the long dark hair and the scar on both of our cheeks. Except, I noticed, that she was wearing greek slave clothing, and I was wearing the clothing of a royal. "Who are you?"

She snorted. "And I thought that you were smart, kid. I'm your twin, dumbass."

"Wash out your mouth!" I snapped."And no, you're not."

"Yes, O godess of pain, I am."

"Then why are you chained up?" I asked. "And I'm not Ivory of the myths! I'm Ivory of Miami! I just happen to have bad luck."

"Okay, O godess of pain who currently residing in Alaska, why do you hurt people then?"

"It's not my fault! AND YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION!" I suddenly realized that I had a whip in my right hand, the weight of it heavy in my palm. I struck out with it, hitting the girl on the arm. She shouted in pain, kneeling down as blood stained her tunic and her arms.

"It's fun, isn't it?" She breathed raggidly. "Giving out pain. Recieving it, however? Not so much." I gasped, dropping the whip. She reached out, breakingone of her chains as she grabbed the whip.

"Yes, little twin," She giggled darkly. "My bonds are breaking. Go and cause more chaos. I'll leave you with a reminder." She slashed the air with the whip, and I felt the end of it catch my arm and drag me down. She pulled it back like a snake, and when she did, I saw that I was left with marks around my wrist, though there was no blood.

"Ivory!" Someone else shouted, and I heard someone else scream loudly. Then I lost the will to stay consious as I konked out unconsious in the house of the Gods.

"Missus Godess Lady?" Whispered a voice that I recognised as Nikitas. "Please stop screaming, Godess lady. That's only a bad dream. Calm down, you're gonna scare the guy over there."

I sat up immedeately, a weapon once more in my hands. I barely registered that I had large, angry looking bruises on my wrists. "Nikitas, calm down,yourself. It's probably someone lost, like us." But I wasn't really willing to take any chances on that. "Stay here, okay? I'll be right back."

So I went forward to confront whoever or whatever it was. As came closer, I saw that it was a man, perhaps 6'7" or so, wearing all black. I assumed it was Zarek, though the hair color was invisible through the snow.

"Who are you?" I asked, shouting over the wind. There was no reply, and suddenly I realized that this person was probably dangerous. Taking up every ounce of my strength and drawing myself up to my full height of five foot four, I used all of my might to roundhouse kick the man in the groin. He fell to the ground, scremaing profanities as I kicked him again. Then I heard his voice, thickened with pain and what I recognized as a Greek accent.

"What the fuck, squire?" He screamed. "You're more insane than I am! What, were you luring me out here to rape me, or something?"

Oh, shit. I helped him up quickly, mortified beyond belief. "H-h-hello, Zarek, sir!" I squeeked.

"So you're my squire?" He said, looking at me, no longer in pain, apparently. Dark-Hunters heal fairly quickly. "The least they could've done was send me someone better looking."

I glared at him, then, for good measure, I kicked him sharply in the crotch again. He dodged me quickly, expecting it this time. "What is that supposed to mean?" I shouted, already hating him.

"Do you always solve your problems with violence, lady?" He snapped, grabbing my foot to stop me from attacking anymore. Flipping me upside down by my foot, I crossed my arms and felt all the blood rush to my head.

"You didn't answer my question!" I wailed. "Nobody ever does!"

"Maybe it's because some answers aren't excactly what you're looking for," He replied, "And the truth hurts, baby."

I ignored him as he let me back down. "Come on. My...adopted little nephiew came with me. Well, actually, I found him," He gave me a strange look. "But I'll explain later. I just don't want him to die of hypothermia, or something."

"Why not?" He asked. "He's not really yours, and it's a dog-eat-dog world out there."

"He's FIVE!" I shouted. "For God's sake!"

He walked across before the barren landscape before I could catch up, and he stared at little Nikitas, who had fallen asleep, aparently. He turned slowly to face me, scarrier than the Devil himself and twice as handsome.

"You brought an Apollite to live with us, you insane bitch?" He asked me in a dark, warning voice. I resisted the urge to cry, though it was tempting.

"I couldn't leave him to freeze to death!" I cried. "He's FIVE, may I remind you?"

"Well, I'm leaving him, and if you don't want to freeze to death, too, you'll come with me and leave him."

"Have fun explaining to Acheron that you let me die!" I retorted, thinking that he was bluffing. His face stayed cold and calm. "Oh my gods. You're not kidding, are you? You'll really leave a five year old to die?"

"I'm four," Said a little voice with a lisp. We both looked down again to see Nikitas staring down at us. "And where you going, auntie? Why can't I go?"

"Ask him," I said, pointing to Zarek accusingly. Nikitas turned his pleading face to Zarek.

"I was alone here one time. I don't wanna be again, and I want auntie Godess to go with you still and be cozy. Do you like her?" He aksed. "Are you her boyfriend? If you are, don't leave her here. That's what happened to momma, and now she's gone. I don't want auntie to be gone, too."

His little speech brought tears to my eyes, and Zarek was silent. Then he sighed, apparently giving up. "No, kid, I'm not your aunt's boyfriend, but I won't leave her here. Or you, either. I don't like you, but I'm not that sadistic." He grinned over at me, not a friendly smile.

"Now, come on. It's gonna be dawn pretty soon, and unless you want to be here alone again, you'll get moving."

This was my 1st encounter with my new boss.