Gena Showalter: The Darkest Whisper

“What’s next with us?” Sabin asked. “Well, after my heart starts beating again, I’m going to crawl my way down your body and—”

“No,” she said with a laugh, batting his hand away as he tickled her stomach. “With the Hunters.”

He sank deeper into the mattress, his arms tightening around her. “Danika thinks Galen is going to try and pair Distrust with the woman in the painting with him. If he succeeds, it’s gonna be a free-for-all when it comes time for the next battle. They won’t merely try to injure us, they’ll go for our heads. They’ll want our demons free so they can pair them with new hosts of their choosing.”

She’d suspected that, but still shuddered. “Brilliant of my…Galen, to place a piece of your beloved friend inside the body of your enemy.”

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have expected anything less from the man who fathered you. Your sisters wouldn’t happen to have come into their powers or whatever it is, would they? If so, maybe we can convince them to stay.” Sabin traced hearts along her spine. “I’ve heard that every Harpy develops some sort of ability after living a few centuries. An ability like time travel. It’d come in handy, that’s for sure.”

“Only Taliyah. She can shift into other forms, as her own father could.” Talking about her race was becoming easier. She wanted Sabin to know about her.

“Even better.” He sighed. “We’ve gotta find those artifacts before Galen does. If he hasn’t already found one. That snake-whip…the more I think of it, the more it reminds me of the creature that was guarding the Cage of Compulsion. The same kind of creature that supposedly guards each of the artifacts. As he’s the keeper of Hope, I don’t think he’d have any trouble convincing even a monster to help him.”

“If he has one, we’ll just steal it. I mean, you’ve got a Harpy and the goddess of Anarchy on your side. The odds are in your favor.”

He chuckled. “Maybe you and I can visit the Temple of the Unspoken Ones. Something there told us about Danika, the All-Seeing Eye. Maybe whoever—whatever—it was will help us find something else.”

Gwen traced her finger over his chest, loving the contrasting tones of their skin. “And if we find those people listed on the scrolls, we can convince them to help us. You don’t have to worry about Doubt causing trouble. He knows I’ll spank him.”

“That he does.” He kissed her temple. “But yes, I’ll do anything—within reason—to win this war, including convincing criminals I helped incarcerate to help me. And actually, that should be easy. After all, I convinced the fiercest Harpy of them all to give me her heart.”

“And would you do anything—within reason—to keep that Harpy happy?”

“Don’t you know it.”

“Do I?” She grinned up at him. “Prove it.”

“My pleasure.”

She was on her back in the next instant, giggling like a schoolgirl, her body and soul Sabin’s, just the way she liked it.

Aeron—Keeper of Wrath

All-Seeing Eye—Godly artifact with the power to see into heaven and hell

Amun—Keeper of Secrets

Anya—(Minor) Goddess of Anarchy

Ashlyn Darrow—Human female with supernatural ability

Baden—Keeper of Distrust (deceased)

Bait—Human females, Hunters’ accomplices

Cage of Compulsion—Godly artifact with the power to enslave anyone trapped inside

Cameo—Keeper of Misery; Only female warrior

Cloak of Invisibility—Godly artifact with the power to shield its wearer from prying eyes

Cronus—King of the Titans

Danika Ford—Human female, target of the Titans

Darla Stefano—wife of Dean Stefano; Sabin’s lover (deceased)

Dean Stefano—Hunter; Right-hand man of Galen dimOuniak —Pandora’s box

Dr. Frederick McIntosh—Vice President of the World Institute of Parapsychology

Dysnomia—Greek, goddess of Lawlessness

Galen—Keeper of Hope

Gideon—Keeper of Lies

Gilly—Human female, friend of Danika

Ginger Ford—Sister of Danika

Greeks—Former rulers of Olympus, now imprisoned in Tartarus

Gwen Skyhawk—half-Harpy, half-angel

Hera—Queen of the Greeks

Hunters—Mortal enemies of the Lords of the Underworld

Hydra—Multiheaded serpent with poisonous fangs

Kane—Keeper of Disaster

Legion—Demon minion, friend of Aeron

Lords of the Underworld—Exiled warriors for the Greek gods who now house demons inside themselves

Lucien—Keeper of Death; Leader of the Budapest warriors

Maddox—Keeper of Violence

Mallory—Grandmother of Danika

Pandora—Immortal warrior, once guardian of dimOuniak (deceased)

Paring Rod—Godly artifact, power unknown

Paris—Keeper of Promiscuity

Reyes—Keeper of Pain

Sabin—Keeper of Doubt; Leader of the Greece warriors

Sienna Blackstone—Female Hunter

Strider—Keeper of Defeat

Tabitha Skyhawk—Harpy; mother of Gwen

Tartarus—Greek, god of Confinement; Also the immortal prison on Mount Olympus

Themis—Titan, goddess of Justice

Tinka Ford—Mother of Danika

Titans—Current rulers of Olympus

Torin—Keeper of Disease

Tyson—Human; ex-boyfriend of Gwen

William—Immortal, friend of Anya

Zeus—King of the Greeks