A different instinct went off in Darian's mind, one that recognized the look on the Black God's face as being another sign Jenn was in more trouble than expected.
A hand swept the dark memories from her mind, and she sagged against Darian, feeling the same sense of peace overtake his mind.
Across the room, Darian shifted closer to the battle, one hand rubbing the back of his head.
After her conversation with Xander, she couldn't help wondering if there was something more that made Darian seek her out or made her willing to humor him.
Alone with Jenn and the Other, Darian looked between the two.
Amused, Damian looked at Darian and tossed his head towards the door.
And Darian was the final key.
And, since you said you weren't sure you could trust her, Darian.
Any minute now Darian's going to beat down your door.
As Darian suspected, the small creature was unwilling to reveal its true intentions.
As for trusting Claire, there were still days Darian wasn't certain her father wasn't still trying to be the puppet master.
As if feeling what she did, Darian lunged at her.
As if noticing him for the first time, Darian stared at Bianca's brother, an odd look crossing his face.
As if sensing her look, Darian turned.
As pissed as he was, Darian was his brother.
As the brother charged with watching over Darian, Dusty had been responsible for keeping the Grey God from killing himself and others during his angry teenager stage.
At least, Dusty hoped that's what Darian did.
At Sofi's icy voice, Darian turned away from the safe and faced her.
At the very least, Dusty hoped Darian grew out of the terrible twos.
At this point, he had no choice but to trust Darian.
Before his enslavement, Darian had reigned over the city, as had his forefathers.
Before she started to drift into an in-between place, she saw Darian stand and look around, awake for the first time in thousands of years.
Between her and Sofi, they'd brought Darian back from the dead.
Bianca jumped at the voice and peered out of the kitchen at the man named Darian.
Bianca waited for Darian to say something more insightful, but nothing came.
Both breathed hard, and she noticed a red slash across Darian's face.
But part of her knew Darian would not only excel at the games she played with people; he'd push back.
Can you stabilize Darian?
Charles whipped out his weapons, and Darian soon saw why.
Claire, Darian said again.
Damian appeared pensive as he responded to Darian's playful strikes.
Damian can do that, too, but Darian's too weak yet to tap into his power.
Damian had taken his place when betrayal rendered Darian near-dead then enslaved to a madman for thousands of years.
Damian said nothing, and Darian didn't have to look at his little brother to know he was trying not to grin.
Damian waved him away, his attention returning to Darian.
Damian went to the gym, where Darian spent most of his time.
Damian's nature was not like Darian's and their father's, but he'd shouldered the responsibility to protect humanity and battle the Black God without question.
Damian's smile widened, and Darian could see how touched his little brother was at the words.
Damian's wine goblet was never empty during the day, and he always had well-cared-for boots and more fresh flowers in his room than Darian.
Darian and I were experimenting in the kitchen.
Darian and Jonny were cracks in her armor.
Darian anticipated her first kick and snatched it, sweeping her off her feet again and falling with her this time to keep her from escaping.
Darian appeared confused as he took in Jule and Dusty, recognition blooming slowly.
Darian ascended the stairwell to the second floor and strode by Jenn's room.
Darian asked in a hushed voice.
Darian asked in a sad voice.
Darian asked, eyes narrowing.
Darian asked, gazing into its clear green eyes.
Darian asked, stepping into the center of the room beside the White and Black Gods.
Darian asked, studying the Other.
Darian asked, taking in the vamps outside the doorway of the Black God's fortress.
Darian basically had to trade a life debt to the Others to keep them from taking me.
Darian began to cry, and she held him tighter.
Darian blinked his memories away before squatting.
Darian breathed, reacting to the quick succession.
Darian can email me if he wants.
Darian closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, not yet able to channel his newfound magic.
Darian cocked his head to the side, as if hearing someone call his name.
Darian cocked his head to the side.
Darian collected his two favorite cats then packed a small suitcase and Traveled to the cabin.
Darian considered the words, well aware of the same truth.
Darian crossed to the door.
Darian crouched beside his brother, studying him while emotions flew across his features.
Darian cursed at it under his breath, knowing it hadn't done what he said.
Darian darted towards the house.
Darian debated how to find Jenn before he risked talking to her mentally.
Darian deflected it and dropped his hip, sweeping her legs out from under her.
Darian didn't flee, but suddenly, Jenn wanted to.
Darian didn't know when he'd lost his ability to speak clear sentences, but the idea Jenn scrambled his mind made him want to laugh.
Darian didn't remember it any more than he remembered much of the thousands of years he spend enslaved by Jonny's predecessor.
Darian didn't resist, and Damian delighted in the idea that the sound of him breathing meant his brother was truly alive.
Darian didn't say what he wanted to, that she was as big of a fool as he was.
Darian dismounted and lifted Claire off the horse, settling her gently beneath a tree.
Darian dismounted and pulled out his sword.
Darian drew a breath and faced the Other.
Darian ducked, eyeing her as he moved away.
Darian emerged from the kitchen, trailed by a small, shapely woman with dark, curly hair tied in a ponytail.
Darian exited and dressed in all black, arming himself with knives.
Darian eyed him warily, not recognizing him, before he knelt beside her again.
Darian faced the safe to hide his smile and continued searching.
Darian felt a thread of warmth in the hallway.
Darian felt like he was walking through a dream.
Darian flipped a knife in the air then sat down on a chair in the corner.
Darian flushed and looked down guiltily.
Darian followed his gaze, not smelling or seeing blood.
Darian found a summer cabin beside a lake in a small logging town near the Black God's hideout.
Darian gave another of his annoyed sighs and hung up.
Darian glanced at his warriors.
Darian glanced towards his closest friend.
Darian glimpsed an orchard with flowering trees and emerald grass as he ducked his head through the portal.
Darian got up again, distracting her.
Darian grabbed another zombie-vamp and tried to heal him.
Darian guided the horse through marble streets marked by statues of his forefathers and beyond the city into the wood running along a stream that ran through the immortal countryside.
Darian had a long way to go, but he was alive.
Darian had a plate of cookies in his lap and milk on the table.
Darian had also been clear about the type of relationships Dusty preferred.
Darian had been a shell of a man when Sofi found him several months ago.
Darian had been lost in the mental cave that was his mind.
Darian had even tried to warn him, and he'd never wanted to see what was in front of him.
Darian had followed her around like a lost puppy before she was assigned to the Black God.
Darian had never felt threatened around her, even with his desire to find some reason to write her off as another Claire.
Darian had quieted as the scenes of his violent demise played through her dreams.
Darian had survived two lives and was on his third.
Darian has to leave his past behind, or we're all screwed.
Darian held her dark gaze.
Darian held his head, and she wrapped her arms around him, wishing she could protect him from the dark memories breaking free.
Darian held out his as well, and Jule took both their hands, at once bombarded with Bianca's cool energy and Darian's hot energy.
Darian held up his hand and stared at it.
Darian hesitated, and fury filled Dusty.
Darian hoped his excitement at the assignment didn't show.
Darian hung back and watched, arms crossed.
Darian jerked the door open and stormed out.
Darian knew him because of Sofia.
Darian lay on his back staring at the ceiling with brooding golden eyes, his horribly scarred body hidden under turtleneck and gloves and socks, even in the safety of his room.
Darian left the study and returned to his room.
Darian lingered, unable to figure out exactly what was wrong.
Darian looked at her, content with cookies resting on one thigh and the cat on the other.
Darian looked at him uneasily.
Darian looked unusually calm.
Darian lowered the phone, losing hope once again, when it vibrated.
Darian met Damian's gaze.
Darian mounted his horse again, joining Jule as the Original Immortal led his horse down the beach.
Darian mounted his horse.
Darian moved away from the door and kept to the edge of the room, sensing he was only welcomed because he was in the unique position to defend everyone there if the Other started blasting people.
Darian moved closer, gut sinking.
Darian moved sluggishly towards the shivering woman.
Darian muttered a curse and rolled off her, gripping his nose.
Darian needs a mate, or it'll be catastrophic.
Darian nodded and looked the vamp up and down.
Darian opened his eyes and looked around, surprised to find the location familiar.
Darian opened the door and slid into the storage room.
Darian opened the door into the wine cellar.
Darian peered out the window, where he had a good view of the barn that had been converted into a gym.
Darian picked up after the first ring.
Darian pierced her defenses twice.
Darian placed her behind Dustin and climbed behind Rainy.
Darian pulled on a down vest.
Darian reclaimed the bag.
Darian remained for another long moment before Traveling to the nearest town, determined to figure out what was going on.
Darian replied in irritation.
Darian retreated to the hallway.
Darian rolled onto his side with a noisy sigh.
Darian said a Watcher ordered you to kill your mate?
Darian said nothing, unaware of how much his brother missed him until this moment.
Darian sat on one of the couches.
Darian sat, hunched and unresponsive on the far side.
Darian sensed at least one gathering its magic to shred him from the inside out.
Darian sensed him and whirled, his eyes lighting up before he looked down.
Darian sensed the vamp's unease despite the bravado.
Darian shook off his unease.
Darian shouted, staggering beneath the weight of his magic.
Darian smiled to himself at his sister-in-law's Irish lilt.
Darian smiled, knowing how much Damian loved his family despite his complaints.
Darian staggered, dropped her, and landed hard on his backside.
Darian stared at the portal, memories swirling through him.
Darian started towards the palace, intending to take her to bed with him once more before he started his official duties.
Darian stepped away to a towel rack.
Darian stepped away, his breathing quick.
Darian stepped off the gym floor and showered quickly, disturbed by Jenn.
Darian stirred, pushing himself farther into the corner.
Darian stood at the other end of the hallway where it met the foyer.
Darian stood obediently, and Damian's throat tightened again to know his brother was at his side.
Darian stopped when he was close enough to Jenn for their bodies to touch.
Darian straightened from his position slouching against the wall.
Darian struggled visibly, his gaze stormy and his frame shaking.
Darian studied him a moment before his gaze went to the flowers floating from the apple trees.
Darian studied his friend, unable to discern exactly what Jule wanted him to know.
Darian swiped his towel from another machine and approached.
Darian tell you to come get me?
Darian took them to an area where he'd felt a consistent, high level of Other activity.
Darian Traveled back to Damian's, arriving in the gym.
Darian tucked the feline under his arm with one more look at the mirror.
Darian walked down the hall and stairwell to the study where his brother, the White God Damian, was probably plotting how to outsmart the pesky little immortals who'd declared war on them.
Darian walked through the fortress, retracing their steps from earlier, until they reached the foyer.
Darian wanted to strangle the Other.
Darian wants nothing to do with any woman after what he's been through.
Darian was a god, one betrayed by the only woman he'd ever loved.
Darian was cowering at the gate-line, his wide shoulders hunched and his frame shaking.
Darian was crying, and her head hurt.
Darian was gone, Jonny distracted by his newfound gun, and she in need of a friend.
Darian was in the shadows, dressed in his workout gear, splattered with blood.
Darian was lean as a whip, his body honed to the point where instinct and reaction were one.
Darian was right about Dusty being a dictator.
Darian was scared, unsure.
Darian was showing more signs of life.
Darian was staring at the ground.
Darian was stretched out in the space beside her, hands beneath his head.
Darian was the first to spot them.
Darian was thigh deep in snow, though the storm had stopped and the half-moon was out and bright.
Darian wasn't capable of begrudging Damian for anything he did.
Darian wasn't crying for once, and his voice almost too hushed to make out.
Darian wasn't sure what his little brother would decide.
Darian wasn't sure what to make of her reaction.
Darian watched her, startled by her abruptness.
Darian watched him, gauging the emotions crossing his features.
Darian watched his little brother, at once proud of the White God that Damian had grown into and crushed by the sense of his own failure.
Darian watched them leave, not surprised Jonny didn't approach.
Darian waved an elderly woman over.
Darian won't stop talking about Bianca's cookies.
Darian wouldn't leave her alone.
Darian wrung his hands like an excited child at the news.
Darian, I swear you've gotten even faster.
Darian, who had willingly hired a sailboat and sailed straight into a tropical storm.
Darian, who he'd just pulled off the bottom of the ocean instead of attending his planning session to deal with the Talon issue.
Darian's disapproving gaze mirrored Damian's, and Sofia hid her face against Damian's chest as the three men facing her gave her similar looks.
Darian's eyes glowed and swirled.
Darian's eyes were glazed and still, his confusion clear.
Darian's gaze flew up to her face.
Darian's gaze grew pensive.
Darian's gaze swept over his mate's form.
Darian's gaze was intent and shadowed.
Darian's golden eyes pulsed and swirled with battle fever.
Darian's grounded 'til further notice.
Darian's head was spinning, his mind reverberating with the power of the site.
Darian's interest was piqued.
Darian's mind was like a disaster scene after a hurricane.
Darian's popping in and out stressed her out, and she turned up the TV, trying to lose herself in a movie as she calmed.
Darian's power had grown; the air of the room shimmered, and light and dark alike warped in the space around Darian.
Darian's probably going to ask you if he can go visit the cat.
Darian's scent and touch overwhelmed her while his hot kisses set fire to a desire stronger than any she'd ever experienced.
Darian's voice came as if across a great distance and echoed around the room.
Darian's voice held a note of triumph.
Darian's voice jarred him out of his thoughts.
Darian's voice reminded Dusty of the world outside Bianca's body.
Darian's voice was low and husky.
Darian's voice was monotonous.
Darian's whisper was tortured.
Darian's words haunted him again, and he quickly suppressed the memories.
Darkness crossed Damian's features, the same darkness Darian felt go through him as he alluded to the fact he was broken beyond repair.
Don't get too cocky, Darian.
Don't make me make up my own rules for you, Darian!
Dustin approached, his gaze as haunted as Darian's.
Dusty and Darian, both drenched and covered in what looked like seaweed, were in the foyer.
Dusty didn't know if a few months of Darian having his own mind back were enough to erase thousands of years under the control of another.
Dusty didn't say what they both knew, that Darian's attempt to save the world broke something they didn't know how to fix.
Dusty looked from Darian's hopeful face to Jonny's pale and sullen features.
Dusty twisted to look up at Darian, not understanding Darian's concern.
Dusty wanted nothing more than to order Darian back to Ohio to finish one mess before dragging them into another.
Dusty was prepared for the worst, but Darian's story left him speechless.
Dusty wouldn't be there to fish her out as he had Darian.
Dusty wrenched the bedroom door open, even angrier to see Darian and Bianca on the couch, talking.
Dusty's not allowed out of his room without her—" "Darian!" she said with a laugh.
Dusty's shout to Darian was lost in another burst of thunder.
Even though she wore a snug shirt beneath it, Darian couldn't help willing her to hurry.
Figured everything would turn out okay, Darian said with a weak shrug.
For a moment, Dusty was reminded again of the strong, confident leader Darian had been, long ago.
For a moment, she wondered if Darian had followed her here, too, like he did everywhere else.
Good. Easier for me than Darian to readjust.
Half his face was burned beyond recognition, but the other half … Darian, you fool!
He and Darian would make for a thrilling match, she noted.
He continued to gaze at her, his eyes showing the same fire Darian's had when he returned from killing Others.
He disappeared much as Darian did.
He felt fury at the mention of Darian's name mixed with resignation.
He fished around in the remains of Darian and yanked free something that glimmered silver in the early morning light.
He grated his teeth to see Darian's number on the screen.
He had a feeling the worst was going to happen, and the sense he wouldn't be the only one who died this weekend if he had to depend on Darian made him feel sick to his stomach.
He helped Darian to his feet.
He hoped, no he prayed, Darian regained himself someday soon.
He knelt, ruffling the snow from Darian's hair.
He looked at Darian, recalling Sofi's warning.
He looked at Darian, who frowned.
He moved forward, stopping to stare at Darian.
He no longer needed to feel as if he still dwelt in the shadow of Darian's death.
He paced, mind racing with memories he could no longer suppress, thoughts of his brother, of Claire, of Darian's death.
He paused, bristling with lightning and rage at the thought of Darian betraying their family.
He pulled his phone free, realizing neither Toni nor Darian had checked in for a couple of hours.
He reached out to his brother and touched his head to Darian's forehead.
He recognized the procedure but hadn't heard of it being used since before his brother, Darian, had died thousands of years ago.
He returned to the house to await Darian, not surprised to see Bianca's black and white cat darting down the stairs.
He rose and left Darian's room for the foyer, where Toni was waiting for him.
He stalked away, sensing how hurt Darian was.
He stared into Darian's gold eyes, seeking some sign of the man he'd known.
He was also a favorite with Darian's advisors and court, with a knack for connecting with everyone, even the servants.
He was expecting worse than a cat in Darian's room.
He was glaring at Darian, who sat across the kitchen on another stool.
He was reliving the pain of Darian's death, sickened by his own cowardice.
He wasn't part of the plan to kill him, but he found out from Claire when they met shortly before Darian's death.
He watched the change, irritated by the bizarre mood swings and cryptic ramblings that defined Darian's speech lately.
He'd planned on waiting until his anger cooled before dealing with Darian.
He'd spent so long hoping Darian became what he once was.
He'll be a warrior, methinks, Darian said.
Her gaze went from Darian to her father, and Jule saw the flash of anger that crossed her face.
Her mind raced as she sought some way to save Darian.
Her whole life, no one had made her feel as Darian did.
His body afire, Darian belted out a laugh of pain-filled triumph.
His brother, Darian, however, tended to follow her around like a lost puppy.
His considering gaze returned to Darian.
His eyes flashed, and she willed Darian to respond to her.
His gaze swept over her body, lingering on her breasts, and she wished she'd stopped by the locker room to pull on a shirt instead of racing to get away from Darian.
His own father hadn't mated with his mother for ten years, until after Darian's birth.
His resolution brought home just how much she didn't know this Darian.
I believe in you, Darian.
I can do it, Darian said.
I can't help feeling bad for him, Darian said, his gaze growing dark and distant.
I don't have the pretty little boundaries you do, boy, Darian replied.
I don't need your help, Darian said and turned away.
I fell for you that day, Darian.
I just need you to remind Darian of something.
I know she's not, but I'm telling myself she is, Darian thought to himself.
I know you said no, Darian grated.
I know, Darian! she replied, hoping the man in her head didn't distract her.
I liked it better when it was just us, Darian.
I need Darian alive, in case the plan to rule the mortal world doesn't quite work out for me.
I told Darian not to let you help him.
I touched her so she could show me where you were, and I felt what she can do, Darian said.
I was talking about Darian.
I'll protect you, kiri, Darian said into her mind.
I'll try to be better, Darian whispered.
I'm going to take Darian home to Damian and come back.
I'm grateful for your counsel, and I'll protect you as I would my brother, Darian replied.
I'm not, uh, restricted to either realm, Darian said.
I'm proud of you, Darian.
If anyone could, it would be Darian while Damian was away.
If Darian can't return her, I'll bring her back after the battle is over.
If Darian lost his focus and disappeared again, he suspected it'd be another week before he had a chance to sleep.
If Jonny found out, if the Others grab me, they'll use me to destroy Darian.
If she closed her eyes, she'd see the home video of Darian's funeral pile.
Immobilized, fear rose within her as she watched the Black God lift Darian's bloody form from the ground.
In the long silence that followed, she heard Darian's sobs.
Instead of waiting for the Other to attack again, Darian spun and plunged his knife into the creature's belly.
Interacting with Darian was too appealing.
Isac was the first to slam an axe into Darian's body, his brutal strikes falling over and over.
It all depends on Darian.
It was Sofi's whisper in his mind, a new trick she'd picked up from Darian.
It was the least of Darian's many offenses.
It's all dependent on Darian.
Its green gaze turned intent, and Darian waited for it to speak again.
Jenn cupped Darian's face with her hands then rose to kiss him lightly again on the lips and walk away.
Jenn obeyed and hefted Darian's shoulders as Damian took his ankles.
Jenn took several steps towards him, Darian shifted, reminded of another temptress, one that had succeeded not only in mating with him but betraying him.
Jonny looked confused and uneasy, while Darian looked like he was ready to pounce.
Jule chuckled, as aware of the youth's temper as Darian was.
Jule left them in peace, and Darian offered his hand to Claire.
Jule was quiet, trying hard to remember something from before the Schism besides brief glimpses of Darian and Damian.
Jule watched the beautiful woman knock Darian to the ground for a second time.
Like Darian, she'd lost all she'd ever loved long ago.
Lookin' good, Darian, Jule said.
Looks like Darian took out everyone's power but Damian's.
Maybe because you dumped her and Darian off on me and disappeared?
Maybe Darian hadn't been talking about infidelity but about something else.
Memories of how much Darian loved Claire, of his own nights in her bed, overwhelmed him.
More than is probably good for either of us, Darian whispered.
My name is Darian, and I'm the Grey God.
No, Darian, Damian said, perplexed.
No, Darian, I'm not going to do it.
No, Dusty, Darian needs me.
No. It was Darian's rule—if you trust someone, don't do it.
Not entirely satisfied, Darian started in the opposite direction.
Not wanting to ruin their morning, Darian took her into his arms.
Nothing new, Darian replied.
Of all the coddling he'd accused Sofi and Bianca of doing, he'd been working hard to protect Darian from anything that might force him to grow into his powers.
Pierre hopped out and helped her and then Darian.
Please, Darian, come back to me.
Purple magic arced from his body and slammed Darian into a tree.
Reminded he didn't give Bianca the rules he gave Darian and Sofi, he retrieved his phone.
Satisfied he could find it, Darian started towards the door.
Seems like somewhere we'd like to be, Darian reasoned.
She accepted Darian's hand, and he pulled her up.
She clambered over one and landed beside Darian, who smelled like burnt flesh.
She could predict them but not Darian.
She didn't even feel the bruises and scrapes covering her body, but she felt Darian's scorching fingers.
She didn't think she'd fall asleep with the thoughts of her family and Darian's body close enough to make hers tingle with more than warmth.
She focused them on Darian, the man she tried to protect by convincing him she felt nothing for him.
She followed Dustin and Darian down the hall.
She found herself liking this Darian too much.
She had no phone, no way of contacting Dusty or Jenn or Darian.
She hopped off the four by four, reached out to Darian and grabbed his hand, pulling him with her.
She hopped to her feet and shoved Jule's arm away, pulling Darian to the ground beside her.
She laughed, a contagious sound, and he saw her effect even on Darian, who had relaxed and sat in a chair nearby.
She looked at the unconscious woman in her lap then twisted to look up at Darian.
She looked away fast for fear of the sizzling blue gaze and dropped to her knees in front of Darian, pulling his hands from his face to see the wound.
She looked up at Darian a short distance away, watching his dark-light power streak around the room.
She placed her hands on her face and winced as Sofi vacuumed her power as Darian had.
She pulled loose from Darian and strode to him.
She pushed the thoughts of Darian from her head, instead focusing on seeing herself seated in his throne.
She put a heaping plate in the oven and returned to the living room with cookies and milk for Darian.
She recognized Damian and Darian as they neared and crept closer to Jule at the sight of the strange man with red glowing eyes.
She recognized Damian, Darian, Jonny, the woman who accompanied Jonny, and several others.
She recognized the necklace that marked Darian as the White God.
She sat and leaned against the nearest boulder, studying Darian.
She sat between Darian and Jonny across from Toni and two others.
She shifted away from Damian and touched Darian's forehead, absorbing the horror of his memories.
She shook her head and sat down, sending a text to Darian.
She sneaked a peek at her phone, agitated that Darian hadn't been at all concerned with the situation he left her in.
She squatted beside a fallen statue of one of Darian's forefathers.
She squeezed Damian harder, praying Darian did what he was resurrected to do.
She stirred from her trance at the voice, mind replaying scenes of Darian's death.
She suspected part of it was the knowledge that Xander—and Sofi—believed her to be Darian's mate.
She took Darian's hand and led him down the hall like the lost child he was.
She twisted, one knife drawn before she recognized Darian's dark shape crouched over her feet.
She wasn't about to encourage Darian, not when she couldn't handle the results.
She wasn't about to go through losing someone she cared about or letting Darian go through his loss again.
She wasn't about to let him use her to betray any of them, especially Darian, who had gone through too much already.
She went to the door leading into the gym, pausing to watch Darian.
She wondered if the dead man in her head, Darian, felt this way when he cried.
She'd almost managed to return to the zone when Darian gripped the chain at the top of the punching bag, stabilizing it before her and disrupting the swaying rhythm.
She'd always had an eye for a man with a body, and Darian's was perfect.
She'd asked if Darian was okay.
She'd never battled anyone with Darian's speed.
She'd never loved Darian and had used him to gain his title and power.
She'd sparred with Darian hundreds of times and never noticed the way he smelled or the heat of his body against hers.
Silently, he admitted Darian wouldn't back down if an Other crossed his path.
Sofi stepped to him, unafraid, while Darian edged closer.
Sofia pushed Darian's hands away.
Stop Claire, Darian all but demanded.
Surprised, Darian stared at the motionless body, waiting for it to spring up and attack him.
Surprised, Dusty turned to see Darian pull his cell from a pocket.
Suspecting he'd missed something important, Darian joined them in the office area.
Tears began to spill again, and she began to understand how Darian felt, utterly alone and abandoned in the corner of her mind.
That she'd used him, killed Darian … "Damian."
That's not possible, Darian.
The creature he sought was lifting weights, and bristled as Darian appeared.
The Darian he remembered had never been brooding or hesitant like this man.
The Darian he'd known was gone.
The Darian she'd left behind two weeks ago hadn't resolved his issues with his past.
The devil reached over to Darian, placing a hand on his red forehead.
The Guardians were here, ready to take the shot that would kill Darian.
The idea of losing herself to Darian was more appealing than she expected.
The men on the small base drew their weapons at the sight of Darian.
The new voice in her mind was the same as the voice she'd heard during the chopper ride with Darian.
The Other glowed purple-black in the night, and more lightning streaked towards Darian.
The Vamp is here, and yet the only tear between realms was caused by Darian and is being pursued by the Watchers and Others, Damian said.
The Watcher approached Darian, who knelt in response to a silent command.
The Watcher winked out of existence, and Darian looked up.
The White God winked at him, and Darian resisted the urge to snort.
The White God, Darian, strode through his marble halls, the soft footfalls of his leather boots the only sound in the imperial corridor.
Their faces inches apart, Jenn looked up into Darian's eyes.
There was a reason he banned thoughts of Darian and Claire from his mind, an instinct he'd never been able to face in all the years since Darian's death.
There was bemusement in Darian's voice.
They looked after him before she met Darian's gaze.
They maneuvered Darian's body through the doorway and into the living room, where they deposited him on the couch.
They reached the beach, and Darian saw his young brother wielding a sword in complex weapons forms.
They sparred hard for several moments, until Darian's upper body carried a sheen of sweat.
They Traveled, and Darian opened his eyes in a place where it was dark and cold.
They walked past Darian, with the Black God hesitating before continuing on.
Think about what I said, Darian.
This is what I do, Darian.
This isn't a safe place for you to be, Darian.
This was Darian, not the shell of a man whose mind was stuck somewhere else.
Toni pushed both women behind him, and Darian took a teetering step towards him.
Trusting Claire had led Darian to his enslavement.
Um, boss, that Darian guy is trying to walk straight into the town.
Unaffected by Darian's magic, Bianca touched Jonny's lifeless body, recalling the Watcher's words.
Unless you have something you want them to look for, Darian?
We're evac-ing you and Darian next, he ordered.
We're gonna blow the place, Darian!
What did Darian do this time?
What does this have to do with Darian?
What I know is that our fates will end up in Darian's hands.
What took two gods and two Original Beings to do in Ireland, Darian had done on his own.
What was left of Darian went up in the second funeral pile in his honor.
What would Darian tell you to do?
When Jenn saw Darian drop from the air she launched forward.
When she didn't hear Darian drop behind her, she turned.
When she entered, Darian stood in the middle of the foyer, surveying the vamps staring at him like the god he was.
Where Xander used brute force to subdue an opponent, Darian was wily.
Why not send for Darian, too?
With a shiver, Darian Traveled back to the cabin he'd claimed.
With her large, warm brown eyes, plumped lips, and fingers stopped just north of his belt, Darian began to believe her about not needing her magic.
Xander didn't pull punches, Darian.
Xander's attention was caught first by Darian.
You came here running from yourself and said it's about Darian, Dusty summarized.
You can disappear if you get scared, Darian snapped.
You have sixty seconds to tell me what happened, Darian.
You here to kick Darian's ass again?
You need to leave, Darian.
You were meant to be at Darian's side.
You-- and Darian-- have to fix this.
You're a good man, Darian.
You're a handsome man, Darian.
You're my brother, Darian.
You're no brother of mine, Darian.
Your Oracle and Darian had to do the real work.
Your path is intertwined with Darian's, so you'll be there when he needs to know this.
Yully, you've met Damian and Darian.