Yes, yes, it was.
Before Styxx could comment, Sin turned to Savitar. "I have two gods and a demigod requesting permission to enter your home and join our powwow."
Savitar gave him a look that questioned his sanity. "Who?"
"My brother, Seth, and your least favorite god of all time."
"Noir?"
"Second least favorite," Sin quickly amended.
Savitar made a sound of supreme disgust. "I thought that bastard was dead."
"Apparently not."
A tic started in Savitar's jaw. "Why?"
Sin shrugged. "They say they can help with this."
Hands on his hips, Savitar glared at Acheron and then Kat. "Apollymi owes me. Big. And so do you." He he looked back at Sin and gave a curt nod.
Styxx was even more confused than before, especially when Set appeared beside Acheron with a man identical in looks to Sin-only with longer hair. The other newcomer bore a remarkable resemblance to the man Styxx had rescued in the desert.
Just what the hell was going on?
The Sin lookalike laughed and nudged Set to look at Styxx. "Now there's a photo op expression if ever there was one."
With a wry grin, Set transformed into the redheaded man Styxx had saved a few months back in the desert and Zakar into his "brother" then they quickly returned to their immortal appearances.
"Over four thousand years ago," Set explained, "Apollo and his whore mother used my son Seth," he indicated the red-haired man with them, "to trap me in the desert without his knowledge of what was being done to him and why, and restricted my powers so that the Greeks could take over my pantheon and hand my son over to my bitterest enemy. But for you, Styxx, I'd still be there, chained in the desert, fighting off vultures-human and animal." He glanced to his son and his gaze softened instantly. "And my son would still be hating me for something I tried my best to spare him."
Styxx's scowl deepened. "Why didn't you tell me it was you when I freed you?"
"You were in enough anguish over Bet. I didn't want to make it worse on you when I didn't think I could do anything to fix it or help you. Especially after you did me such a massive favor." Set inclined his head to Sin's brother. "Zakar and I were allies back in the day, which was why I had you take me to his place to recuperate. Since you left, we've been trying to find a way to revive my daughter without awakening the other Atlanteans."
The more they talked, the less clear all of this became. Why would they worry about another pantheon? "But Bethany was Egyptian, not Atlantean."
"From me, yes. Her mother is Symfora."
Styxx's stomach churned as an image of that cold-blooded bitch went through him and he had perfect clarity as to his wife's real name. "Bethany's Bet'anya Agriosa?"
Set nodded. "For an obvious reason, she was scared to tell you the truth. She was so afraid you couldn't forgive her for what they did to you without her knowledge or approval, that she was planning to give up her godhood entirely, in both pantheons, to live a mortal life with you in Didymos. Her aunt had already mixed the serum that would have stripped her of everything so she could be with you and not hurt you."
Tears clouded his vision as Styxx remembered Bethany telling him the truth after she'd freed him in Atlantis, and his steadfast. In his mind, he hadn't seemed feasible at the time. Now ...
"I wouldn't have cared." At least not after he'd had a chance to aborb it all.
"Good. Because if you want her back, you're going to have to bleed Apollo and battle the worst of the Atlantean gods for her."
"And you're not going to fight without us." Maahes and Ma'at flashed into the room, next to Savitar.
Savitar growled. "Anyone else you want to bring to the party?"
Maahes grinned insolently. "Mother, may I?"
The look on Savitar's face said that Maahes was barely a step away from becoming a lion throw rug on Savitar's floor.
Ma'at stood up on her tiptoes to place a kiss to Savitar's cheek. "Remember, you like me."
"I don't like anyone who barges into my home uninvited, Mennie."
"You'll get over it." She turned her attention to the group. "All right, children. Where are we?"
"From what I'm hearing ... screwed." Styxx crossed his arms over his chest as he considered everything they'd told him. "I'm going to be dense for a moment because I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this.... Bethany can be brought back. Yes?"
Ma'at and Set nodded.
Pain exploded inside him at the news. All these needless centuries he'd been forced to live without her.... He glared his fury at Acheron. "Why didn't anyone tell me this before?"
His brother held his hands up in surrender. "I had no idea your Bethany was Bet'anya or that she was in my basement garden of statues. That's the truth. I was a little distraught and disoriented eleven thousand years ago when my mother took me to Katateros the first time. After I teleported their statues to the basement, I locked the door and never went near that area again."
Even so, it took everything Styxx had not to punch Acheron where he stood. Had his brother ever bothered to meet her and speak to Styxx for five heartbeats this could have been resolved centuries ago.
You stupid bastard....
He looked at Set and Ma'at. Why hadn't they told him?
"Sugar, every one of us thought she was dead," Ma'at said gently. "Believe me, had we known she was frozen in Katateros, we'd have freed her for all of our sakes."
"Well, we would have tried." Set sighed. "Probably would have failed. It was the alignment on the twenty-first that made this possible ... that and the demon." He turned his gaze to Simi.
Simi flashed a happy smile at Styxx that melted him on the spot. How something so lethal and cold could be so adorable and cute defied his best attempts to explain. Yet she succeeded. "I told you wishes can come true, and not just at Disney World. The real world does a good job, too, sometimes."
Acheron scowled at Simi's familiarity with him. "When did you two become friends?"
She wrinkled her nose. "On your birthdays, akri. Did you know akri-Styxx don't gots no one to spend his special day with? He all alone on it and so the Simi went to apologize and make him her friend, too, so he won't be alone on his special days anymore. But he done broke my heart so now he my other akri-baby like Baby Bas and akra-Kat. The Simi has officially adapted him ... no ... adopted him." She grinned so wide, her fangs flashed.
Instead of being angry, Acheron laughed and kissed her cheek. "All right, Styxx. Your show. How do we do this?"
Styxx glanced around at the gods and demons. "Still the sole human in the room. I don't know what we're up against or who we're fighting. I need more details."
Acheron spread his hands out and a schematic of his temple on Katateros appeared on the wall that showed the basement and the statues housed there. As he spoke, the animation illustrated his words. "A dozen gods woke up while Simi was in the basement with Xirena, looking for Bet'anya. Since I was in Vegas with Sin and Katra fighting off Ren's nightmare, and Tory was with my mother in Kalosis, the two demons were alone to create well-intentioned mischief. As soon as the gods began to stir, Xirena ran to tell Alexion and Danger. The three of them grabbed Simi and escaped here to Savitar to let him know what had happened."
"That's when they called me in Minnesota," Urian said. "And told me not to come home for a few days as we had ancient interlopers in Katateros who most likely would not host me a Welcome Back party."
Acheron sighed. "We're also flying blind." He motioned to his wall decoration. "We have that tidbit based on Simi's recollection. After Simi and crew vacated the premises, Archon and the others have blocked out our sforas. None of us can see where they are or anything inside the main temple."
Styxx nodded as he absorbed it all. "Do we know who we're up against?"
Acheron glanced to Simi before he answered. "We're not one hundred percent sure. Because Simi was an infant when they ruled, she's a little iffy on some of their identities and she was the only one who got a look at them. Best we can figure, it's..." He again turned to the images on the wall-one of which looked more like Wreck-It Ralph than an actual god ... go Simi. "Dikastis, Ilos, Isorro, Asteros, Epithymia, Diafonia, Nyktos, Paidi, Teros, Phanen, Demonbrean, and we know for a fact Archon is with them as he's the one we've been talking to. And of course everyone's favorite dickhead, Apollo."
"Beautiful." Styxx ground his teeth as old memories churned. "My ideal guest list ... for a fete in hell." The Who's Who of the gods who had personal grudges against him and who'd gone out of their way to leave a scar on his soul. The Fates were definitely mocking him with this.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Styxx went over them for the others so that they'd know who they were fighting. Unlike Simi, he knew the names and faces of every one of them ... even Wreck-It Ralph aka Demonbrean. They were forever seared into his memories.
Styxx used Acheron's diagram of the gods he'd named to highlight each one. "Apollo's not a problem. He's an effing idiot when it comes to things like this. And he's a bully with no courage who will back down to someone more powerful." Which sadly wasn't him. "He won't be leading a charge, but will stay back until he can land a punch from safety. Unfortunately, Archon isn't any of that. He's sharp and deadly. Vindictive as hell. Brutal. But out of the list, Epithymia and Asteros"-he highlighted them-"are the two we have to neutralize immediately. Do not underestimate them, especially Epithymia."
He swept his gaze around the room's occupants. "And do not let that bitch touch you ... Demonbrean is even dumber than Apollo, but he's also the size of an effing house. His skin is armored and he lives to crush things. Treat him like a python and don't let him get his arms around you. Dikastis will hang back to get the lay of the situation and might not fight us at all. The rest are followers. Lethal, but pawns nonetheless. They were servants for Misos in war, and only did what they were told to do. You take out Archon and they will stand down.... Now what do we know of their demands?"
Savitar let out a bitter growl. "Because I was their Chthonian, Archon contacted me, not knowing my relationship with the Grom. They want Acheron as a sacrifice so that they can use his blood and heart to bring back the rest of their merry band, except for Bethany. Archon blames her for this, as if he wasn't the one who caused Acheron to be cursed ... what were you telling me about his intelligence?"
"Steadfast denial is not the same as intelligence." Styxx rubbed at his eyebrow as he digested the little gold nugget no one had bothered to tell him about when they'd asked him to be Acheron. "Just out of curiosity, what was the game plan you had once you sent me in to die and they discovered my blood and heart couldn't bring back their dead?"
Savitar shrugged nonchalantly. "Buy us time to gather enough Chthonians to take them down."
'Cause the Chthonians were such known people pleasers ... yeah. Their official motto-Does Not Play Well With Others. Do Not Mix With General Population or People. Period.
And whatever you do, don't feed them after midnight or any other time of the day as they would take the hand feeding them and shove it in an uncomfortable place on your body.
Styxx would be tempted to laugh if he wasn't so pissed. "Thank the gods none of you were among my military advisors. We'd have had our asses handed to us," he mumbled under his breath. Then louder, "Are they at full strength?"
Acheron shrugged. "No idea."
"Let's assume yes." Styxx ran over the facts. "So our numbers are basically even. The weakest link in our group is me.... What are our strengths?"
Simi opened her bag and pulled out her barbecue sauce. "Demons ready to eat, Sir Akri-Styxx! Gimme!"
Laughing at Simi's enthusiasm, Acheron jerked his chin toward his other daughter. "I don't want Katra in harm's way, but she's a siphon."
That was a good power to have, especially when it was on your side and not theirs.
"I'm also a trained soldier, Dad." Kat rolled her eyes at Acheron then looked at her husband, Sin, and warned him with her gaze not to say a word. She turned toward Styxx. "I was my mother's primary kori, and unlike my seriously overprotective father and husband, she-"
"Put her ass in harm's way all the damn time with a blatant disregard for her safety that still pisses me off," Sin growled.
Kat smiled and cupped his cheek. "Yes, baby, but had she not been so careless, I wouldn't have you. Now would I?"
He grumbled under his breath.
And like Bethany, Kat was born of the two pantheons they were up against. A definite plus.
"What else do we have that they won't know about?"
Set folded his arms over his chest. "For thousands of years, my son was the High Guardian for Noir in Azmodea."
Seth nodded. "I'm used to battling angry gods. I can also get us a bird's-eye view of anything you need. What I use, they can't block."
"And thanks to Davyn," Urian said, indicating the friend he'd brought with him out of Kalosis. "We have this." He held up a necklace that meant nothing to Styxx.
However, Set's eyes widened with recognition. "How did you get that?"
Urian snorted. "My enemy's enemy is my best damn friend. Davyn borrowed it from my father who was more than happy to lend it and wants us to tie it in a bow around Apollo's neck."
"What is it?" Styxx asked.
Set laughed, low and evil, and made no moves to touch it. "The Eye of Verlyn. That will deplete the powers of any god it comes into direct contact with."
Styxx looked at it with a new respect. "For how long?"
"As soon as it touches them, they're wiped. Then it depends on how long it's on their body and how strong they are. Too long, it'll kill them."
Styxx smiled and inclined his head to them. That was a nice toy. "Does it work on just full-bloods or any other species?"
Set shrugged. "I don't know."
Before anyone could react, Simi grabbed her sister and put her hand on it.
"Hey!" Xirena snapped at her sister.
"You still got power?"
Xirena shot a blast of fire at her.
Grinning and ducking, Simi looked at Styxx and let go of Xirena. "It don't work on us."
Urian laughed. "I'm only a quarter demigod, and it doesn't seem to affect me."
"I think I'm the only true demi then." Seth bravely took it into his hand and waited. After a couple of minutes, he shook his head. "No affect on me, either."
"Since my powers are borrowed from Apollymi, I'm not chancing it. We'll assume I need to stay clear of it. Urian, let's leave it in your custody." Styxx hesitated as another thought occurred to him. "Can the stone be broken apart or duplicated?"
Set shook his head. "Not without destroying it."
Styxx frowned at Acheron who was an unknown in all of this. "Would the stone just suck out your god powers and leave the rest intact?"
"That's what usually happens. Why? You thinking of giving me an early Christmas present?"
"Don't distract or tempt me." Styxx ran over the rest of their arsenal and the layout of Acheron's temple. They'd definitely use Seth to get a peek of what they were going into.
But first ...
"My most important question of all ... Where's my Bethany?"
As Styxx reached for the doorknob, Katra placed her hand on his arm. "I know this is the first time we've met, Styxx, but I'd rather you not go in there alone. Someone should be with you."
The compassionate concern in her green eyes shocked him. "How are you Artemis's daughter?"
Kat smiled. "She's not as bad as you think.... Apollo, however, is probably worse."
Simi stood on his other side and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "We'll be super quiet. Akri-Styxx won't even know we're there."
Urian put his hand on Styxx's shoulder. "Don't worry. What happens happens and we won't think anything about it. We'll just be here for you if you need us."
Their kindness overwhelmed him. He wasn't used to anyone being concerned about him. Not since Bethany and Galen. "Thank you."
Taking a deep breath to steady his dizzying emotions, Styxx opened the bedroom door. The floor-to-ceiling windows were open, letting in the soft ocean breeze. But it was the huge canopied bed in the center of the room that held his attention. White linen drapes were pulled back with gold cords, obscuring most of the bed's contents.
All he could see was a bump beneath the stark white covers.
Right before the Atlanteans had attacked on Katateros, Simi had carried Bethany's body out and brought her here for safekeeping until they found some way to wake her.
He wasn't sure what he expected, but every step that took him closer to her made his heart pound harder.
And as soon as he saw Bethany's peaceful face, he froze as his entire body locked up with so many emotions, he couldn't even begin to define them. She looked just as she had the last time he'd seen her....
Flawless.
Except her stomach was flat. His hand trembling, he pulled the covers back and saw the blood that was still on her gown from where Apollymi had assaulted her. Throwing his head back, he roared in anger and pain at the sight of what the bitch had done to his heart. Unable to stand the guilt of not being there to protect her, he gathered her body into his arms so that he could finally hold her again.
She was ice-cold.
"Beth?" he breathed against her cheek as he cradled her head to his shoulder like he'd done all those centuries ago when it'd only been the two of them. "Please come back to me. Please. I need you so...."
But she didn't move or breathe. She merely lay in his arms in silence.
Tears fell down his cheeks as his heart shattered all over again. It was just like losing her the first time. He felt so lost and alone. Useless.
Broken.
Why were those other assholes up and around and not her? Why? It didn't make sense.
And it wasn't right.
He felt a large hand on his shoulder. Expecting Urian, he was stunned to find Acheron with him as the others quietly gave them the room. And the sight of his brother there hit him like a hot poker on his skin. He wanted the bastard's blood for this.
Gently, he laid Bethany back on the bed.
With a furious bellow, he turned on Acheron with a wide punch. Acheron blocked it and yanked him into his arms. Styxx tried to fight, but Acheron held him close against him in an iron grip.
"It's all right, Styxx. I know it hurts."
But Acheron didn't know. His children were all alive and well. Tory was healthy....
No one was going to kill her baby and leave her frozen and alone like this for centuries.
Yet something inside him splintered as he felt Acheron finally embracing him. Styxx didn't see them as men. He saw them as desperate, hated children who only had each other.
And it burned him to the core of his soul that Acheron would dare to embrace him now after all this time.
"I fucking hate you," he growled in Acheron's ear.
"I know, brother ... I know." And still Acheron held him the way he used to when it was just the two of them against the world that begrudged them their very lives. When the only affection they could count on was a brother's love and respect. "I wish more than anything that I could take it all back. Everything," Acheron breathed. "That I'd listened to and followed the advice I gave to others. I hurt you and I abandoned you and it was wrong. I was wrong and I am so incredibly sorry."
Styxx wanted to rip him apart. He did. Deep inside, he needed to feel Acheron's blood on his hands.
And yet ...
That piece of his heart that had only wanted his brother back savored this moment. Long before Bethany, this was what he'd craved. This was what he'd sought when he'd gone to Atlantis, sick, scared, and alone to free Acheron.
In spite of everything and everyone, even them and their own stupidity, he still loved his brother.
"Why can't I just hate you?"
Acheron's arms tightened around him. "Because you're a better man than I am. You always were."
But that wasn't true and Styxx knew it. He would never have been able to do for the Dark-Hunters what Acheron had done. While his brother had been a complete douche to him, Acheron had been the saving grace and sole champion for countless others. And he'd done it with a dignity and kindness that Styxx knew were hard-won given their brutal pasts.
They were both branded whores who'd been used, betrayed, and thrown away like garbage....
His brother had risen above it and built a life in spite of all the people who'd tried to destroy him. And Acheron still stood strong.
Acheron pulled back and placed his forehead to Styxx's just as he used to do when they were children. He gently fisted his hand in the hair at the nape of Styxx's neck and stared into his eyes. "I will never turn my back on you again, brother. I-"
Styxx covered his mouth with his hand, cutting off his words. "Don't make a promise you might not keep." It would kill him if he did. He wiped at the tears on Acheron's face. "Gah, we look like two old women." Styxx balled his fists in Acheron's hair, that no longer fell down his back. Rather, it hung now to just past his jaw. "But at least you finally got a decent haircut."
Acheron laughed.
Both he and Tory had cut their long hair and donated it to charity in honor of Sebastos's first birthday. While Tory's was now past her shoulders, Acheron had kept his to the same length Styxx had worn his before he'd first gone to war.
With a ragged breath, Acheron released him. "You've no idea how much I missed you when Estes took me away, Styxx. I couldn't stand it. Literally, I cried myself sick. It's why I had to bury it. The pain of being told you hated me and not having you was more than I could bear. And all Estes did was say over and over that you didn't want me with you. That you wanted our father's love for yourself and that you were the sole reason I'd been taken from home and given to him. That you never thought of me or asked about me at any time. I should have known better. But I burned with a furious shame and blind hatred you can't imagine. In my mind, you were given all the love, comfort and respect that was denied me."
Styxx snorted. "I do know your pain. I have not only my memories, but yours, too."
Acheron gave him a fierce, stern look. "And now I have yours." Tears welled in his eyes again. "And boy, don't I feel stupid. In my wildest nightmare, I never imagined Estes would dare whore you. Never mind what Apollo and the Atlanteans did ... what I did." Styxx had been brutally used and sold three years longer than he had. "Honestly, I don't know how you could ever talk to me again."
But then Acheron did know. Styxx's guilt. He felt responsible for what had happened to him. For not being able to do something to spare him from his uncle and father.
For putting Bethany's safety and well-being before his.
"If it makes you feel better, Styxx, I would have chosen her over me, too." Especially given their pasts and what Acheron had said and done to him. Love was such a rare gift that both of them knew better than to squander it or take for granted the one person strong enough to give them what so few had. "You weren't wrong to protect her. And we will get her back for you. I swear it."
Styxx wiped at his eyes as he roped his emotions into submission. He wasn't sure he could believe in Acheron's words, but this was the closest they'd been to trust in centuries. "Just promise me one thing. If this doesn't work, you'll finally kill me."
"Is that really what you want?"
Styxx took Bethany's hand into his and nodded as he spun her wedding ring around on her finger. "She was so happy when I put this on her hand. I can still see her smiling...." He flinched in agony. "Gods, Beth, why didn't I go with you when you left?"
Acheron put his hand on Styxx's shoulder. "It wouldn't have mattered. Had she taken her serum, my mother still would have killed her. At least this way, we have a chance to bring her back."
Before Styxx could respond, something bright flashed.
They both turned, ready to fight, only to be stunned at the sudden appearance of Artemis in the room. Frowning, she made the strangest noise at the sight of them together.
Styxx leaned his head back to speak to Acheron. "I think we startled her more than she startled us."
Acheron sighed. "What are you doing here?"
She started to speak then closed the distance between them so that she could poke them each on the shoulder. "That's just ... not right. Say something else so I know which of you is Acheron."
"What, Artemis?"
"There's that irritated tone I loathe." She turned her back to Acheron so that she could speak to Styxx. "I have brought you presents."
That scared him more than anything else.
Always beware a Greek bearing gifts, especially when it was a god.
"Why?"
"You're going up against my brother and the rest of those animals.... I want you to win, and make him bleed. A lot. Buckets and buckets full until it gushes and fills the entire hall."
Styxx met Acheron's gaze over her shoulder. "Should I be afraid of the bloodlust?"
"I'm terrified." Acheron's frown deepened. "What did Apollo do?"
"He attacked Nicholas while he was weakened. I will not have it. Since I'm not powerful enough to harm him on my own, I want you two to kick his leg."
Acheron rolled his eyes. "You mean ass, Artie?"
"Whatever body part pleases you. You can't kill him, but you can make him suffer. Long. Hard. Pitifully. I gave Savitar an assortment of weapons I dipped in the River Styx. It will weaken Apollo to the point he'll be as a mortal." She glared her hatred for Apollo at Styxx. "If I were you, I'd castrate him slowly and with a great deal of-"
"Grammy! Grammy!" Out of nowhere, a dark-haired toddler around the age of four popped into the room and leapt into Artemis's arms.
Her rant instantly forgotten, Artemis gave the child a giant hug as she swung the child away from them. "Mia Bella! How is my precious today?"
The girl squealed. "Gamma, Gamma, Gamma, guess what? Guess what! The Simi gonna put hornays on my head like hers and Pappas's. And she said that I could pick any color I want and that they'd be on all the time and they can glow in the dark, too."
Bug-eyed, Artemis looked as horrified by the idea as Styxx felt.
Acheron laughed and rubbed Mia's back. "How about if Simi makes you a pair that can come off?"
Mia wrinkled her nose at him. "Pappas! No! I want real ones. Like you and Simi and Xireni."
Artemis blew out a burst of air. "You know Pappas only has those when he's mad, right?"
Mia's eyes widened. "Really?"
They both nodded.
Mia's attention finally went to Styxx. Her eyes widened. "Who cloned Pappas?" she whispered.
Acheron smiled. "He's my brother ... your uncle Styxx."
Before Styxx knew what the toddler was doing, she launched herself into his arms and kissed him.
"You look just like my Pappas." Then she put her hands on his cheeks and rubbed noses with him. "That's how Charonte say hello. But only if they like you. Otherwise they eat you with ketchup or barbecue sauce, or if they're like my uncle Xed, jalapenos which are really hot, too."
"Don't scare your uncle the first time you meet him, silly belle." Artemis pulled her back into her arms and tickled her.
The door opened. Kat and Sin came into the room making irritated, yet relieved parental sounds.
"Sorry." Kat took her daughter from Artemis. "She got off the chain when we took our eyes away from her for three seconds. She must have sensed you were here." Hugging her mother, she gave her a kiss on the cheek as Sin took his daughter from Kat.
Styxx bit back a smile at the way they passed the poor child around like a football. Yet she didn't seem to mind in the least.
Mia made an adorable face at her father. "Am I in trouble, Daddy?"
Sin had the same reaction Styxx would. He melted and grinned. "No, baby girl. But you shouldn't vanish like that without telling us where you're going." It was so incongruous to see a man as rugged and stern as Sin holding what basically amounted to a bright delicate fairy princess. The top of her dress was even bulging with pink and white cloth flowers, some of which decorated the long poofy yellow tulle skirt. Her legs were covered with matching pink leggings and pink patent leather shoes. The child was even wearing a pair of munchkin-sized pink tulle fairy wings. "You do have to go back to Aunt Tory and Aunt Danger and Uncle Kish and stay with them for a bit, okay?"
She pouted adorably and nodded.
Artemis stopped Sin before he could leave with Mia. "Grammy will be by in a little bit to read her baby belle a story, okay?"
Mia grinned and bounced. "Can we ride in your deer chariot, too?"
"Only if Mommy and Daddy say it's okay ... and you'll have to put on a sweater." Artemis gave her a big hug and kiss. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
She nodded then went rigid in Sin's arms. "Wait! Wait! Pappas!"
Smiling, Acheron gave her a tight squeeze. "I, too, will be back as soon as I can."
"Then we'll watch Megamind?"
"Sure, baby."
She planted a loud, wet kiss on Acheron's cheek. Then Kat took her back from Sin. "I'll return her to her closet and lock her in."
Sin kissed the top of Mia's head before he turned back to them. "Really sorry for the intrusion." He followed after his wife and daughter.
Alone now with Artemis, Acheron met Styxx's gaze. "Are you all right?"
Not really.
Styxx swallowed hard against the pain inside him. "You have a beautiful granddaughter and I truly don't begrudge you your family, Acheron." He glanced to Bethany and felt tears prick the back of his eyes. "I just want mine."
"That's not going to be easy."
They both frowned at Artemis. The way she said that told them she knew something they didn't.
"What do you mean?" Styxx asked.
"You do know my brother was in love with her, right?"
Styxx gaped at something no one had ever mentioned. "Bethany?"
"Bathymaas," Artemis amended. "He and my mother are the ones who moused you out."
He had the hardest time understanding her. "Moused you out?"
"Ratted ... you out," Acheron corrected in a pain-filled tone.
She sighed. "Whatever. I just don't understand modern idiots."
Styxx bit back a laugh as he silently agreed.
Acheron cleared his throat. "I think she means idioms."
She turned a peeved glare at Acheron. "No, this time, I got it right. Modern idiots. Anyway, my mother hated her because she coveted Bathymaas's powers and because Bathymaas didn't stop Hera from being such a bitch to us and leaving us with the blood-sucking curse I really want to claw Hera's eyes out over ... and when Apollo fell in love with Bathymaas and she refused to have anything to do with him, he was furious. He couldn't stand it. So when he found out she was not only in love with the Atlantean Aricles, but sleeping with him, he went crackers."
"Nuts."
"Whatever." She growled at Acheron and his continued corrections. "Apollo's the one who tricked her into killing you, just like he did me with Orion. Bastard bitch that he is. It destroyed her. But you swore to her if it took you ten thousand lifetimes, you'd find your way back. And I'm glad you did, but Apollo won't be so happy once he realizes you're you."
Styxx was starting to get one of his "better" migraines. "I'm completely lost again. Bethany isn't Bathymaas. Bathymaas was born of the primal source."
"Yes. Set."
"Set?" Styxx repeated.
Artemis nodded. "She went..." she passed an evil grimace toward Acheron, "insane. Rather similar to what Apollymi did when Apollo killed Acheron. But her off knob-"
"Button or switch?" Acheron really didn't seem capable of stopping himself from correcting her. Styxx was beginning to think his brother did it just to get under her skin.
She wrinkled her nose and kept talking. "Off-switch was a lot harder than Apollymi's. The only way to stop Bathymaas was to have her reborn without the memory of Aricles. It's why her mother is Symfora-sorrow-and why Bethany wouldn't marry or really dabble much with men. But weirdly, she'd always go fishing where the two of you used to meet all those centuries before. Like she was waiting for you to come back to her, even though she had no memory of you or him."
Styxx had always wondered why Beth had chosen that fishing spot and why she'd been so loyal to it. Now it made sense. "In Didymos?"
"It wasn't called Didymos then, but yes. Aricles was born in a small stone cottage almost identical to the one you bought for Bet'anya, and it was where they first met when she went to recruit him for her Ēperon. Anyway, she set up their headquarters on the matching island where you, as Styxx, were raised. Bathymaas always wanted to stay close to Aricles, and she would often spy on him whenever he had free time. Even though he was the best warrior who ever held a sword in his hand, Aricles remained more farmer than soldier. Anytime he could, he'd seclude himself from his brethren and fish quietly by the same stream where you met her. Because she was a goddess, she'd never seen anyone do that before and was curious about it. As he taught her how to fish and they spent more time together, they fell in love."
"And that's why I didn't throw a fit the day we met."
Styxx turned toward Set who'd joined them in the room.
"As soon as I laid eyes on you, I knew you were Aricles. That somehow, you'd managed to keep your word and find her again, and I'm pretty sure it's what drew Apollo to you, too. Why he was so hellbent on making you suffer."
"No. That was my idiot other brother who pointed Styxx out to him. You give Apollo too much credit. He's like a spoiled toddler ... pretty ... shiny ... gimme. Kind of like Acheron's demon." Artemis met Styxx's gaze. "Bathymaas was my brother's first love and her rejection crushed him-at least that's what he claims. Because of that, my mother cursed the two of you to never be together."
"Is that why Bethany can't wake up?"
"In part," Set said. "But mostly it's because she only has half her heart. To bring her back and allow her to be sane and not the soul of vengeance she'd became after Aricles died, I had to remove the part of her heart that had you in it and wipe all knowledge of you from her memory."
Acheron frowned. "That's biologically impossible."
"No. Bath wasn't human in any way, nor was she born of a womb. She was a gift to me to teach me compassion for others. Since the Mavromino had birthed the first Malachai, the Kalosum created her to keep me from turning my back on what I'd been born to do. It's why she was never supposed to know the love of any man. Her duty was to stay pure and remain the order to my chaos. She was justice. Cold and unyielding, without any personal interests or the ability to play favorites. Aricles changed all of that. When her heart broke in half over his death, her tears are what transformed her into ruthless, uncaring vengeance. She lost all balance and nothing mattered except to make the world pay for the wrong it'd done her and Aricles. Ironically, it was that more than anything that showed me why I needed to keep a handle on my own powers. As bad as she was, I would be much worse should I ever let the Mavromino control me."
Styxx glanced back to Bethany. "So how do I wake her?"
"You have to return her heart to her."
"And that is where?"
Set sighed. "Last I heard it was given to Epithymia. The ugly side of desire is covetous jealousy. Epithymia wanted Apollo and thought that if she stole that part of Bet, it would help her seduce him."
Artemis scoffed. "Didn't work. She was too big a slut for my brother. He does have some standards."
"Then she's the one we use the necklace on." After kissing Bethany's hand, Styxx pulled the covers over her. He brushed the back of his fingers across her soft cheek. I will not fail you, Beth.
Whatever it took, he would reawaken her. Even if he had to die to do it.
He stepped back and swept them with a determined grimace. "Let's finish this."
December 23, 2012
"You know this isn't going to work, right?" Styxx asked Acheron.
"I've had worse odds."
"So have I, but most didn't work out well for me." Dreading the fact he was about to be an ant under a magnifying glass, Styxx allowed Acheron to teleport them to his brother's bedroom in Katateros.
Before Acheron's marriage, the room had been sparsely decorated in black and brown. Now it was powder-puff blue with dancing circus animals on the walls and a canopied crib within easy reach of the large bed ... a holdover from Acheron's paranoia and guilt about Apollodorus.
Acheron's son, Sebastos, was never left to sleep alone. The baby had been almost a year old before Acheron had allowed him to sleep anywhere other than his father's chest.
But Styxx couldn't fault him for that. He'd be as bad, if not worse with his own.
Styxx froze at that thought.
It was the first time in centuries that he'd thought about the prospect of having a child again. That it was suddenly a real possibility ...
Yet he refused to be happy. Not until Beth was back in his arms and it was a done deal. Between now and then, anything could happen and he wasn't about to jinx himself.
Can you hear me?
He frowned as Acheron's thoughts intruded on his then nodded.
Good. I think it best if we communicate like this for a while.
Styxx nodded again. He went to the door and listened for the others. Seth's "bird" spirit had shown them that the gods were all gathered in the throne room, where they bragged about what they intended to do once they had Apostolos in their custody.
None of it was pretty and it made him rather glad that Acheron had reconsidered sending him in as his double.
Acheron joined him at the door. "They've sensed our powers." Something they wanted the Atlanteans to do since it would throw them off.
Ready? Styxx asked.
Absolutely not.
