Authors: Sherrilyn Kenyon
A total lack of regard. Not just for Styxx, but for the man who’d once led an army for the royal house and defended all of them while they’d languished here at home in luxury paid for in Styxx’s and Galen’s blood and sweat. To this day, Styxx lacked the full use of his right hand from where a Greek assassin had pinned it to the ground with a dagger.
How dare they.
When the service was over, Styxx had Antigone and her family escorted to guest chambers in the palace. Bethany went with him to his room, where he sat in a chair for hours without speaking. Then he began pacing like a caged lion.
“What’s on your mind, Styxx?”
“Nothing and everything.”
She held her hand out for him. “Does your head ache? Would you like for me to rub it?”
Taking her hand, he sank down at her feet and laid his head in her lap then sighed as she ran her hands through his short blond hair. “I have such a bad feeling about things, Beth.”
“You’re just upset over Galen, and you have every right to be.”
“No, it’s more than that. Something bad is coming. I can feel it with every part of me. It’s dark and it’s dangerous, and it’s out for blood.”
She ran her hand over his cheek and jaw. “Have faith, my love.”
“I don’t know if I have any left. I’m not really sure if I ever had any at all.” He lifted his head and placed his hand against her stomach. “If something were to happen to you and the baby, I don’t know if I could survive it.”
“Nothing will happen to us.”
Yet Styxx couldn’t shake the horrible dreams he’d been having. The feeling that pure evil stalked him.
Someone had killed Galen because of him and he had no idea who. It could have been a stranger or one of his family members or the bastard Apollo.…
But it didn’t matter who had struck the fatal blow. The assassin had been after
him.
What if, in their desire to hurt him, they turned their sights to Bethany? How would he live with himself knowing that he’d caused her harm?
May 9, 9527 BC
Misery itself rained down on Katateros as Archon panicked. He’d fully expected Apostolos to come knocking on their door as soon as the day dawned.
Luckily, he’d been wrong.
At least so far.
“Relax,” Epithymia told him as the Atlantean gods all huddled in their main hall, expecting Apollymi to escape at any moment and attack them. “It’s not today that he hits his majority. Not until the anniversary of the human birth. We still have a handful of weeks to find him.”
Archon cursed. “A slight stay of execution. It is imperative we stop this from happening!”
Bethany had had enough. She had no idea where Apostolos was, and honestly, she no longer cared. The only thing that mattered was the baby inside her, and the betrothed she wanted to marry more than anything else. She hadn’t been here for the imprisonment of Apollymi and, no offense, given what they’d done to the goddess, they deserved her wrath.
Let Apollymi have them.
Unable to stand the arguments of the Atlanteans, she flashed herself to her aunt Ma’at’s temple in Thebes.
Ma’at joined her immediately with a warm smile on her beautiful face. “To what do I owe this joyous visit?”
Bethany smiled and hugged her. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything for you, you know that.”
She was about to test those words. “Make me human.”
Ma’at stepped back with a stern frown. “Excuse me?”
Bethany touched her stomach and thought of the life she carried and nurtured there. “I want to be fully human. I’m done with all the politicking and garbage that goes with godhood. I just want to raise my baby and live my life with Styxx, as a human, just like him.”
“Oh, honey, think long and hard. If we do this, there’s no way to undo it.”
“I know, Mennie. But…” Bethany paused as she felt the lightest fluttering inside. Was that…? Smiling wide, she gaped at her aunt.
“What?”
Laughing, she took Ma’at’s hand and led it to her stomach. “I just felt my son move!”
Ma’at smiled as she felt it, too. “Oh … He’s a strong one.”
“Like his father.”
Ma’at cupped her cheek and gave her a stern scowl. “You think about this, long and hard, and I’ll prepare the serum to make you and your baby human. But really, Bet’anya. Consider it well. Without your powers, you won’t be able to protect them, and you of all creatures know the dangers that lurk for those who can’t fight the gods.”
Her aunt was right, but … “Those powers come with their own curse. As long as I have them, I’m torn between this pantheon and my mother’s. I just want to be left alone with my husband and son, and not be pulled into drama I want no part of.”
Ma’at nodded. “All right, sweetie. Go share this moment with your Styxx.”
Bethany hugged her close then left to find him.
* * *
“
Styxx?”
Cursing under his breath, Styxx tensed at the sound of his father’s voice calling out to him as he came down the main stairs. What did the old man want?
Though to be honest, his father had been much more pleasant now that he knew Bethany was a wealthy princess and demigod, and the king was safely assured Styxx wasn’t Ganymede or sterile.
“Father?” he asked as he entered the study.
The king looked up from his desk. “You’ve said nothing to me about your wedding plans.”
They weren’t his to make. Whatever his betrothed desired, he would do. “Bethany wants it in Egypt with her family.”
“And you’re fine with that?”
Styxx gave him a bland stare. “I would paint my skin blue and set myself on fire, Father, if she asked me to.”
His father scoffed. “Now I know you’re being ridiculous. I was thinking we should have at least a small ceremony here at home. Let everyone know that your heir is legitimate.”
“No one will doubt the paternity of my son.”
I’m not the cruel bastard you are.
“You think it’s a boy?” his father asked hopefully.
“Bethany assures me it is so, and I trust her judgment implicitly.” Except for the sanity of loving him and her willingness to marry into this insane family. That he’d never understand.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of you, Styxx.”
Then you should have said that to me when it mattered.
Now, those words left him numb. Cold. He was long past the age of seeking his father’s approval for anything. Honestly, he no longer cared.
Styxx was starting a new life with Beth and their son. Absolutely nothing else mattered to him.
He just wished Galen were here to see it.
But, unlike his family, he wasn’t completely heartless and frigid. “Thank you, Father.”
His father inclined his head to him. “Just wait for your birthday. I have an amazing feast planned.”
Just what he didn’t want. He’d never once in his life enjoyed the anniversary of his birth. He’d rather forget all about it.
Sighing, Styxx turned around and almost ran into Ryssa in the hallway. She glared at him.
“What did I do now, lamb-head?”
“You always have to outdo me, don’t you? You can’t let anyone have one thing better than
you.
”
He scowled at her unreasoning anger. “What are you talking about?”
“I had Apollo. So what do you do? You run off to another pantheon to get an older, more powerful god’s daughter. And then you
marry
her. It’s ridiculous, Styxx. Really.”
Yes, it was. But not for the reasons she thought. “Why are you so jealous of me?”
“I’m not jealous of
you
. I pity you. You’re pathetic.” Her eyes blazed with abject hatred. “And don’t think I don’t know how you went after Apollo. You even branded his mark on your back to get his attention.”
He started to set her straight then stopped. What was the use? For whatever reason, she would always vilify him and whatever actions he took. Her heart had never been big enough to love both her brothers. And he knew why she was angry. His father was pulling out the stops for his birthday and in her mind, she was comparing it with hers.
That
was what had her enraged.
“Prince Styxx?”
He looked past her to their servant. “Yes, Dorcas?”
“The Princess Bethany is here for you.”
Grateful beyond measure for her appearance, he left his sister to glare in his general direction as he went to where Beth waited in the foyer. Dressed in her plain gray peplos, she was breathtaking. More so due to the slight bulge at her waist that was just really starting to show.
He walked up behind her and placed his hand on her stomach before he kissed her cheek.
She tsked at him. “You should be warned that my betrothed has a fierce temper and sword arm, and he’d be terribly upset to find a strange man molesting me.”
Styxx laughed at her teasing. “Then we’d best meet…” He trailed off as he felt the subtlest of stirrings against his palm. “Is that—”
“Your equally fierce son?” She covered his scarred hand with hers. “It is indeed, my lord, which is why I came. I knew you’d want to feel him, too.”
He splayed his hand wider, trying to feel it again. Then he cupped her stomach with both hands. “Where did he go?”
She moved his left hand lower so that he could feel the baby.
“That’s … wow … We did that?”
She smiled at him. “We did.”
Expelling a happy breath, Styxx looked up as he felt someone watching them. It was Ryssa and Acheron. Both of them glared at him as if the thought of his happiness repulsed them.Thankfully, with Bethany’s presence, he couldn’t hear their hatred in his head. He could only speculate at what ill wishes they had for him.
“What’s wrong, love?” Beth asked as she laid her hand on his face to feel his expression.
“Nothing.” He dropped his gaze from them to the only thing that was important to him.
Out of nowhere, his nose started bleeding. Releasing her immediately, he stepped away before any blood fell on her.
“Styxx?”
“It’s all right, Beth. Just another nosebleed.”
“I thought they’d stopped.”
“They’re not as frequent, but no … they haven’t stopped.” Taking her hand, he led her up the stairs.
As he reached the top, Acheron and Ryssa continued to glare at him and refused to make room for them. “Excuse us.”
Bethany slowed as she heard him talking to someone. “Who’s here?”
“My sister and brother.”
“Acheron?” She paused. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
He mumbled something that might have been a greeting, but she wasn’t sure as he quickly walked away from them.
“You’ll have to forgive my brother. He has a bad history with Styxx’s fiancées.” Then Ryssa retreated, too.
Those words stunned her. “Plural?”
Sighing, Styxx led her to his room. “No, not plural. Just one. The year you were gone, my father betrothed me to Nefertari.”
Her eyes widened in anger. “You agreed?”
His nosebleed worsened. “You’d left me, Beth. With no way to contact you, and I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. I never touched her, and we only kissed once, briefly, on the day we met.”
“Oh, fine,” she snapped. “Just throw logic and guilt at me, why don’t you?” Calming down, she sighed. “So what happened to her?”
“I sent her packing.” At least that was what everyone had told him he’d done.
“And your brother and her?”
He used his cloth to pinch his nostrils together. “She said he tried to rape her.”
Bethany arched her brow. “Did he?”
“I highly doubt it. While Acheron is an ass, raping women isn’t his style. Besides, he’s even less social than I am.”
She let out a low whistle. “That’s an impressive feat. I could have sworn you were the record holder.”
Styxx sniffed back the blood as he checked the cloth then reapplied it. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about my siblings.” He sat down and leaned forward.
Bethany walked over to him. “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to stress you more.”
He kissed her hand. “Honestly? You’re the only one in my life who doesn’t stress me at all.”
But as he sat there, he had a bad feeling in his gut that Ryssa and Acheron were going to do something to try and ruin this for him. Both of them were still convinced he’d tried to kill their father and both lived in fear of his taking the throne. Which made no sense given the fact that he’d gladly cede them the entire palace if they’d just stop glaring their mutual hatred at him all the time.
May 15, 9527 BC
Styxx knew he was dreaming, but he couldn’t wake up for anything. He saw himself in his battle armor, mounted on Troian, with his army stretching out for miles in three directions. Gaius was mounted on a white horse to his left and Galen was on his right with a brown stallion. His phoenix emblem was painted on every shield and the phoenix banners blew in a hot, desert wind.
They were on a hill, looking down on a field below where a blond woman, dressed in black, walked like a ghostly shade.
Across from them was the enemy. An army of demons who had swirling skin tones and wings, they were dressed in black armor and fought under a banner that held a sun symbol with three silver lightning bolts piercing its center.
From somewhere off in the distance, a cry sounded that spurred the enemy to ride down the hill to attack.
Styxx gave the order for his own troops to move forward.
He could hear and feel the thunder of the horses’ hooves as the cavalry and charioteers rushed to engage the enemy. As his hoplites ran and locked their shields together. The air was completely and eerily still as the two armies collided. Screams, grunts, moans, and shouts filled the air and were punctuated by the sound of metal clashing and arrows and stones whizzing.
Troian went down under the onslaught. Styxx kept his hoplon high as he cut through the demons, trying to protect Gaius and Galen.
All of a sudden, a shadow fell over him. He raised his hoplon in time to deflect a killing blow.
It was the enemy leader.
He was dressed in black armor that matched Styxx’s, and his blue skin tone was covered with black and red blood. The two of them fought with equal skill. Every move he made, his opponent seemed to know.