Authors: Sherrilyn Kenyon
* * *
S
tyxx came awake
with a sharp, painful groan. Completely disoriented, he scowled at the amount of blood on the floor and on his body. Grimacing, he touched the wound that was directly over his heart. Blood still seeped out, but it was light compared to earlier.
His assassin was going to be shocked when he learned he’d failed. The coward must have checked his pulse, since he was now on his back and he’d fallen on his stomach.
At least he knew Acheron wasn’t dead.
Unsure of how much time had passed since his attack, Styxx feared for the rest of his family. The attacker could have gone after his father, sister, or Apollodorus. He had to make sure they were protected.
Ignoring the pain in his chest, he pushed himself up and grabbed the red cloak Gaius and his men had given him. He took his sword then headed for his father’s bedroom.
He bypassed the snoozing guards in the hallway and threw open the doors. “Father?”
Groggy, the king pushed himself away from the naked young slave woman in his bed and glared at him. “What is the meaning of this?”
Styxx pulled the cloak aside to show him the blood. “Someone tried to kill me while I was sleeping. I wanted to make sure they hadn’t come for you.”
His father paled at the sight. “You live?”
Obviously.
Somehow he managed to bite back that sarcasm before he responded. “Yes.”
Styxx stepped away from the bed and turned on the guards who’d finally awakened and joined him in the king’s bedchambers. “You,” he said to the one on the right, “stand fast and protect your king. You, rouse the others for a search. Lock down the palace until we’ve looked everywhere for my attacker.”
As they went to follow his commands, Styxx headed straight for Ryssa’s rooms.
He checked Apollodorus first. The babe was asleep with his nurse. Styxx left two guards with them as an alarm was sounded for the others then he entered Ryssa’s bedroom. She lay so still and pale that panic gripped him. Was she dead?
Gently, he touched her arm.
She came awake with a fierce screech.
Styxx breathed in relief, until she slapped him twice for waking her so rudely.
“What are you doing here at this hour? How dare you barge into my room uninvited! Who do you think you are? Are you trying to scare me to death?”
He ground his teeth as his cheek stung. “No, sweet sister. I wasn’t trying to kill you. I was stabbed in my sleep and wanted to verify that you weren’t attacked, too.”
Her eyes widened as she saw the blood on him.
“Acheron!” She bolted from the bed and grabbed a red wrap. She was so worried about Acheron that she didn’t even bother to close the door.
“Follow the princess,” Styxx ordered the guard nearest him. “Don’t let her out of your sight.”
She didn’t even ask if
I
was all right.
Even though he was covered in blood. Nor did she apologize for slapping him when all he’d done was come to ensure her safety.…
The pain of that stung deep as he quickly searched her room to make sure it was clear. He left a guard posted in it then moved to check his brother. He was rather certain Acheron was unharmed, since Styxx felt no pain and lived.
“What do you mean?”
Styxx paused as he heard Acheron’s question. He glanced at his two siblings, and the concern on Ryssa’s face for his brother while his own cheeks stung from her slaps cut him deeply. There was no telling how red they were. Not that she cared. She’d never given him a single kind thought.
Acheron met his gaze over the top of Ryssa’s head. The panic in those silver eyes felt like a kick to his groin.
He probably fears that I’ll blame him for this.
But Styxx wasn’t Ryssa. Having been on the receiving end of many false allegations, he tried not to jump to conclusions without hard evidence.
But as the defender of Didymos, it was his responsibility to keep his family safe.
“Find my attacker,” he ordered the new group of guards, rushing toward them. “I want him now. Do you hear me? Search every corner until we have him.”
“Have you seen anyone?” Ryssa asked Acheron.
He shook his head. “I was in my room.”
Styxx started away then paused as a new threat went through him. He tended to forget that Acheron wasn’t battle trained. Anyone could kill his brother.
“Guards!” he called out to another group that entered the hallway. He gestured to his brother who stepped back in fear as if he thought Styxx might arrest him without cause … like their father had.
That fear made his heart clench.
I would never willingly hurt you, Acheron. Damn you, Ryssa, for the lies you tell against me.
Heartsick, he pointed to Acheron. “Guard him. I want someone at his back at all times.”
Knowing his siblings didn’t want him disturbing them, Styxx went to help search the rest of the palace.
As soon as he reached the stairs, he saw Galen bursting through the main doors as if Cerberus was on his heels. Relief spread across his grizzled features the minute he saw Styxx on the landing. Galen took the steps two at a time until he was in front of him.
Placing his hands on Styxx’s shoulders, he scanned his body with a stern frown. “Good gods, son! You shouldn’t be up. Where were you struck? Where is the physician for you?”
Tears choked him at Galen’s concern. Out of a palace full of people, only Galen had bothered to ask after his welfare. He lowered the neck of his cloak to show the wound. “I’ve had worse.”
Galen snorted. “Yes and no. That needs stitching.” He grabbed a young guard who was coming up the stairs. “Fetch the physician and send him to Prince Styxx’s room. Fast, damn you, fast!” Then he took Styxx’s arm and pulled him back down the hallway.
“I was searching for my assailant.”
“Did you see him?” Galen asked.
“No. Not really.”
“Then you’re no good in a search, are you?”
“Yes, but—”
“No buts.” Galen forced him into his room. “Your Bethany would have both our arses if she saw you searching with a wound like that. And you’re covered in blood. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Styxx had no choice as Galen hauled him to the bathing pool and helped him to wash the wound.
“Where’s your father?”
“I left him in his rooms with his guards.”
Galen glanced about the empty chamber. “Who’s guarding
you
?”
Styxx held his sword up from where it rested on the floor beside Galen. “Me.”
Galen scoffed as he glared at the wound and took the sword from Styxx’s scarred hand. “And you’re doing a mighty fine job of it, I must say. Why wasn’t there a guard at your door?”
Styxx hissed as the warm water burned the injury. “You know I don’t like people around me.”
Galen arched a brow at that. “And yet you tolerate my sorry ass.”
“You’re entertaining.”
“Keep insulting me and I’ll stitch your wound myself. I know how much you enjoy that.”
Styxx snorted as he remembered all the times he’d cursed Galen as the old man stitched his wounds after battle. “What can I say? Your delicate touch stings me.”
Galen’s gruff smile melted into a stern glower as he helped Styxx out of the water and to bed. “I don’t want you to sleep again without at least two men on your door. I will be doing random checks and if I find your door unguarded again, I’m going to start standing at the foot of your bed at night.
All
night long.”
Apollo would love that. Which was part of the reason Styxx hadn’t wanted anyone at his door. That and he could hear their thoughts.
But Galen was right. After this, he couldn’t afford to be stupid.
“Yes, sir.”
Galen growled as he looked about the room and especially at the huge bloodstain on his sheets and the floor next to the bed. “Where’s that damned physician? You could have bled to death by now.” Then his frown deepened as he realized that they were in the room alone.
Where’s your father? What kind of man doesn’t bother to check on his own son when he’s damn near murdered in his sleep? No wonder he didn’t care about killing my boy. He couldn’t care less about his own.
Stupid bastard.
When he glanced back, Styxx took care to keep his expression blank. “Can I get you anything?” Galen asked.
“I’m fine.”
The physician came in. Galen stayed while Styxx was stitched then afterward Galen went to help search.
* * *
H
ours later after
Styxx, against Galen’s dire threats, had rejoined the search for his attacker, it was obvious the culprit had escaped. Damn. It’d happened so fast and unexpectedly that he hadn’t seen even the smallest detail as to who it’d been.
On his way back to his chambers, Styxx paused as he saw Acheron returning to his own room. Alone. Fully dressed and wearing a cloak and shoes, Acheron had obviously been outside the palace.
“Where have you been?”
Acheron glared at him. “You don’t own me. I owe you nothing.”
Bastard.
Styxx held his temper in check. “No, you don’t. But you should be careful. My attacker might come for you.”
Thank the gods you didn’t see me.
That unexpected thought slapped him harder than Ryssa had.
“I’ll take care it doesn’t happen to me,” Acheron mumbled as he headed for the stairs.
“Acheron?”
He paused to look back at him.
Styxx wasn’t sure what to say. He wanted to ask if Acheron had killed him. If his brother had discovered the truth Styxx had learned that afternoon when he’d first met Bethany. That he couldn’t die unless Acheron did.
If Acheron knew, he gave nothing away while he waited for Styxx to speak.
“Sleep well.”
Acheron scowled at him before he turned and continued on his way without responding.
February 23, 9527 BC
Bethany wanted nothing more than to see her prince. She’d had enough of Archon and the others raging over the fact that no one could find Apostolos, and that they only had a few more weeks until Apollymi came out of her jail, wanting their collective throats. If they kept this up, she was going to move to Egypt and be done with the lot of them.
She pushed open the cottage door. Dynatos ran ahead, barking happily. “Styxx?”
“Right here, sweet.” He pulled her gently against him and held her close.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. I can feel it in the way you touch me. What’s wrong?”
Styxx ground his teeth then smiled. He could never hide his feelings from her. She had an uncanny way of seeing his every emotion as if she could read his thoughts as well as he read everyone’s but hers. “I think my brother tried to kill me while I slept.”
“What?!”
“Don’t breathe a word of it to anyone, please. I have no proof, and the last thing I want is to see him hurt over a suspicion that could be false.”
Trembling for him, she ran her hands over his body, seeking an injury. “Were you hurt?”
“Stabbed.”
“Where?”
He took her hand and led it to the stitches.
She sucked her breath in sharply at the location. “Your heart?”
“No. My heart is here.” He placed her hand over her own chest.
“You’re not amusing.”
He pulled her back into his arms and laid his head on her shoulder. “Just hold me for a little while. Please.”
His humble, heartfelt request brought tears to her eyes. She sank her hands into his hair that was slowly growing longer and held him close. He’d needed her and yet again she hadn’t been here for him because she’d been off with the others. It nauseated her that she’d let him down again. Yet he said nothing about it.
And as minutes went by and he didn’t withdraw from her, she realized just how hurt he really was. Not physically, but emotionally. Who could blame him? If he was right, his own family had attempted to slaughter him while he slept. No wonder the man had so much trouble sleeping.
“Did you tell Galen your suspicion?”
“No. I was afraid to. As I said, I have no real proof and didn’t really catch a look at my attacker.”
Which meant he’d talked to no one about it, but rather had lived in silent torment. “When did this happen?”
“Four days ago.”
She ground her teeth in anger that he’d been so long alone. “I’m sorry, Styxx.”
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry over. You didn’t stab me, did you?”
She growled at his ridiculous question and ignored it. “You were hurt and I wasn’t here.”
“You were with your family. I understand.”
He always said that to her, as if it was more important to him that she honor that obligation over the love she had for him. “You’re my family, too.”
“It’s all right, Beth. Really.”
Tears choked her as she held on to him. He
was
her family now … more than he knew. He was the father of her unborn son, but she couldn’t tell him that yet. It was too soon.
She’d only realized it yesterday. For a couple of weeks now she hadn’t felt well, which was extremely unusual for a goddess. Then, two nights ago, she’d dreamed of their son. He’d been fair-haired like his father with blue eyes and a precious smile, and he’d been dressed in a Greek helm … a very small version of his noble father.
She’d conceived him when Styxx had been in her temple eight weeks ago, and their son would be born October fourth. She wanted to tell Styxx so badly that it was a physical pain. But she was terrified of how he might react. For too long Apollo and the other gods had played with his life. How would he react when he learned that his blind human fisherwoman was a goddess from two pantheons, far stronger than Apollo?
While Styxx might still love her, he’d be crushed that she’d lied to him. Or worse, he might blame her for not helping him combat Apollo or for fighting against Styxx and his people in their war with Atlantis.
Given the way he’d reacted in her temple when he’d discovered her emblem …
It was possible he’d hate her forever. Not to mention what her mother’s pantheon had done to him for the year she’d ignored him, and paid no attention to them. He had every right to hold that against her. Her undeniable stupidity deserved nothing less.