The gods always screwed him.
One way or another.
I just want out. Was it not time for his torment to end? Really? How much more could they put him through?
Unable to stand it, he headed down Canal, toward the river. There were groups of people laughing all around him in carefree abandon. How he wished he could be one of them. But he’d never been free to hang out with friends and party. His whole human life had been nothing but responsibility.
Duty.
And he’d failed everyone he’d ever loved.
He pulled the sleeve of his jacket and shirt back so that he could touch the names of his wife and son. If he closed his eyes, he could sometimes catch a whiff of Bethany’s scent from the bowels of his memory. But what he hated was the fact that he couldn’t remember the sound of her voice anymore. He could remember inflections of it as she said his name or laughed. Yet not the exact sound.
She’d left him entirely.
I can’t take another day of this.…
And yet there was no way out. None. Strange how as a child forever had seemed like a long time, but it wasn’t until you lived it that you fully grasped the horror of eternity.
The magnitude.
The insanity.
Although the Dark-Hunters he’d spoken to seemed to have adapted to the concept. As had his brother. But then, they weren’t alone. They had a brotherhood where they looked out for each other.
The only one of the Dark-Hunters who seemed to even remotely understand Styxx’s pain was the one named Zarek. In his dark, tortured eyes, Styxx had recognized a kindred spirit.
Styxx paused along the walkway that ran parallel to the river and leaned against the steel rail. His gaze dropped to the two clear plastic cups someone had carelessly tossed over the railing.
Discarded garbage …
Like him.
At home in Didymos and on the island in Hades, the water had always been the most luscious shade of clear turquoise. Here it was a murky greenish-brown. Still, it reminded him of the sounds of home on hot summer nights when he’d slept with all the windows open and listened to the sea outside.
There was a child screaming behind him while an irate mother tried to soothe her, and was fast losing patience with the girl. He glanced at them over his shoulder. The woman had no idea just how lucky she was to have that child with her. But he wouldn’t pass judgment on her for her irritation. His father had been perpetually annoyed with him, and maybe if he’d been blessed enough to raise his son, he’d have been the same with Galen.
But he couldn’t imagine ever being cross with his child, for any reason.
If only I could have held him.
Just once.
Sighing, he gripped the rail and tried to calm the rage and grief inside him as seagulls cried out over his head, temporarily drowning out the sound of Zydeco and people in the background.
“Styxx?”
Silently, he cursed at the sound of Dionysus’s voice calling out to him. He didn’t say a word until the god came to stand by his side.
“You promised me an end to my hell,” Styxx whispered.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re not.” Dionysus didn’t care any more about Styxx than anyone else did. He was nothing to the god and he knew it.
Dionysus turned so that he could lean back against the railing and face Styxx. “Yes, I am. For everything. Believe it or not, even the gods can have remorse. I should have never shown you to Apollo. I was young and stupid. Trying to impress my big brother. It wasn’t until I was cast into this putrid world that I began to fully understand the consequences of what we do … what we did.”
“And yet you want to take it over. Rule it all again.”
“I don’t like being a pawn any more than you do. I’ve choked on my pride long enough. Like you, I want out.”
Styxx snorted. “We’re not friends or women. Why are you talking to me?”
“Because we need you to kill Acheron. You’re the only one who can get close enough to him to do it. There’s just a handful of days left to Mardi Gras. Help me finish this and you won’t have to worry about Apollo. I’ll make sure he stays away from you until then, and once you’re dead…”
Styxx pushed himself away from the rail. “I better be dead, Dionysus. If not, yours is the first ass I’ll be coming after.” He headed back to the hotel with Dionysus trailing him the whole way. “If you’re banned from Olympus, how were you able to free me?”
“Hades isn’t part of Olympus. I wasn’t banned from his domain.”
That made sense.
Styxx held the door open and let Dionysus lead the way to the elevator. “I want full control of the woman. If Camulus goes near her again, I will gut him.”
“I think he might have figured that out.”
“I doubt it. He’s even slower to learn than I am.” Styxx stepped out of the elevator and headed back to the suite where Apollo and Camulus waited.
Dionysus cornered his brother without a word while Styxx grabbed a bottle of wine and went to his chest on the table. He mixed the wine with a very small amount of the Eycharistisi. As he worked, he felt Apollo’s eyes on him to the point it made the hair at the back of his neck rise.
Glancing up, he caught the lecherous leer on Apollo’s face, and it ignited his temper.
I hate you.
Doing his best to ignore him, Styxx poured the mixture into the thermos Dionysus had provided then handed it to the god of wine. “We’re ready. I’ll get the woman.”
Camulus started to protest, but Dionysus stopped him.
Styxx’s fury doubled as he saw Sunshine tied down again on the bed. Gods, he couldn’t stand it. Grinding his teeth, he cut her free.
She immediately ran at him and shoved him back. Stunned, he didn’t react for several heartbeats. But then he bolted to catch her before she could open the door where Camulus waited.
“Stop!” he snarled in her ear. “It’s me or them, and believe me, you don’t want them to touch you.”
That made her fight even harder.
“Stop it!” he repeated. “I’m not going to rape you.”
She tried to speak through her gag.
No doubt he should remove it, but knowing her, she’d scream. “Just calm down and everything will be fine.” Taking her arm, he led her to the others.
Immediately, Dionysus flashed them from the hotel to an old, run-down warehouse of some kind. There were large paned windows, many of which had boards over them.
Using his powers, Dionysus conjured a small bed for the woman. Styxx pulled the gag from her lips as Dionysus unscrewed the Thermos lid. “I need you to drink this.”
“You drink it, you bastard!” She ran for the door.
Styxx caught her then picked her up. On the one hand, he admired her bravery. On the other, it was seriously starting to piss him off. If she didn’t cooperate, Camulus would insist on doing this his way. And she would be raped.
“C’mon,” he said in her ear. “Swallow this. It’s much better than what’s going to happen to you if you don’t.”
Guilt stabbed him hard as she drank it, and he remembered what it’d been like when Estes had given it to him the first time on their hunting trip. How it’d felt when the Atlantean gods had forced him to drink it for their perverse pleasure. His anger mounted until he shook with its weight.
Once she was finished, he left her to Dionysus. He didn’t want any part of tying her up or seeing her like that.
“Have you made your call?” Styxx snarled at Camulus.
“I took care of it. Did you write your note?”
He handed it to him then left. Since Acheron would be with the others who came to rescue the woman, he couldn’t risk being here when they arrived.
But the problem was, he didn’t know how to get back to the hotel from here.
“Styxx?”
He glanced over his shoulder to Dionysus. Before he could blink, the god blasted him and sent him
back to their hotel suite.
That could have been a little more pleasant.
Of course, it could have been a lot more unpleasant, too.
However, the real unpleasantness was about to begin. As soon as his brother read the note Styxx had left for him, Acheron would come after his blood full throttle.
And who could blame him? The note was terse. Just a handful of words designed to make Acheron insane enough to meet them and guarantee that soon Styxx wouldn’t have to worry about Apollo or anything else ever again.…
I know you, little brother. I know all you’ve done. I know how you live.
Most of all, I know the lies you tell yourself so that you can sleep.
Tell me, what would your Dark-Hunters think of you if they ever learned the truth of your past?
Keep them out of my way or I’ll see them all dead.
And you I’ll be seeing on Mardi Gras.
It was Styxx’s declaration of war against Acheron, and it was one his brother would not let go unanswered.
February 24, 2004
Styxx kept checking the time as they waited for Zarek to bring Sunshine back to them. In less than an hour, if everything went as planned, Styxx would be dead.
Finally.
Please let this work. He didn’t know if he could take another day of this putrid life he’d been cursed with.
The two gods moved in to flank him.
“He should be here any second,” Dionysus said.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps outside. The metal door scraped against the concrete as Zarek pulled it open and came inside, pushing Sunshine in front of him. The woman’s eyes widened at the sight of them then she turned to run.
Zarek closed the door and blocked it. All the fingers of his hand on the door were covered with lethal silver claws … this Dark-Hunter’s weapon of choice. He liked to feel the blood of his enemies on his hands when he took their lives.
Styxx could respect that.
Tall and barely one step this side of crazy, Zarek had been born a Greek slave to a Roman master. And from the tormented hell Zarek’s eyes betrayed, Styxx suspected they shared a lot more than their mutual disdain and hatred of Acheron, and the world they lived in.
Camulus grinned at Sunshine. “Come in, come in, said the spider to the fly.”
Styxx hated this game and his part in it. Terrorizing innocents had never been his tactic. He left that to assholes like Camulus.
And Apollo.
Sunshine lifted her chin as she bravely faced them then she spoke to the god of wine. “I’m going to take a wild guess that you are Dionysus.”
He smiled as if flattered she knew him. “Guilty.”
Camulus let out a long breath. “She’s so bright. It’s almost a shame to kill her. But … oh well.”
“You can’t hurt her.” Zarek stepped forward from the door. “You promised me she wouldn’t be harmed if I brought her here.”
“So I lied,” Dionysus said. “Sue me.”
Styxx ground his teeth at those words, which didn’t bode well for any of them. What else had the bastard lied about? Was he planning to throw him to Apollo after this?
He tightened his hand on the dagger.
Styxx wouldn’t go down again without a vicious fight that would cost Dionysus a lot more than just his dignity.
Zarek started for the god, but Sunshine stopped him. She turned back to Camulus. “I’m not going to let you kill me in front of Talon.”
They all laughed. All except for Zarek, and Styxx who was extremely unamused by this turn of events.
Camulus postured like an idiot. “You can’t stop us.”
Zarek glanced down at her then did a double take as his gaze fell to her necklace. “Uh, gods, I think you’ve forgotten something.”
Dionysus curled his lip. “We forget nothing.”
“Oh, okay.” Zarek’s sarcasm was the only thing in this that amused Styxx. They definitely were kindred spirits. “Then you must already know that she wears a Marking Medallion.”
They sobered instantly as recognition hit Styxx. He knew all about divine markings, courtesy of Apollo.
“What?” Camulus snarled.
Sunshine pulled a necklace out of her shirt and held it up to them. “My grandmother said that the Morrigán would always protect me.”
Her amulet was similar to the one Beth had given him so long ago. A necklace he wished he’d kept. But he’d returned it to her for her protection when he’d sent her to Egypt to wait for him.
He hoped Sunshine’s trinket held more power to protect her than Beth’s had.
Camulus cursed. “Oh, this ain’t right.” He cursed again.
“This thing really works?” she whispered to Zarek.
“More than you know,” he whispered back. “He can’t kill you without making the Morrigán angry.”
Amazed, she grinned. “Well, who knew?” She wrinkled her nose. “Cool.”
“Yup.” Zarek’s dark eyes glittered with smug satisfaction that the gods had been quelled. “Better than a cross with Dracula.”
Styxx frowned at a reference that had absolutely no meaning for him.
Sunshine beamed even more. “Does it work against Dionysus, too?”
Zarek nodded.
She stood even taller. “Okay, then let’s talk.”
“Talk about what?” Dionysus snarled.
“Not you. Him.” She indicated Camulus with a jerk of her chin. “I want to talk about Talon’s curse.”
Camulus’s eyes blazed at her. “What about it?”
“I want you to lift it.”
“Never.”
She held her medallion out to him. “Do it or…” She gave Zarek a sideways stare. “Does this have any power to hurt him?”
“Only if he hurts you first.”
Disappointment was written all over her face.
A calculating glint lightened Camulus’s eyes. He sighed as if bored. “Oh well, since I can’t kill you, I guess I’ll have to content myself with killing Talon instead.”
Terror flashed across her brow. “What?”
Camulus shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s rather pointless to let him live happily ever after with you when my intent was to make him suffer. Since you can’t die, he’ll have to.”
Her hand shook. “Won’t Artemis be mad if you kill one of her soldiers?”
Camulus looked at Dionysus who burst out laughing. “Artemis, darling that she is, would most definitely care. However, she won’t start a war with the Celtic pantheon over it. Unlike me, Cam is safe from her wrath.”
“Doesn’t it just reek?” Camulus asked. His happy smile belied his dire words.
Styxx winced as he heard her confusion and pain in his head.
This can’t be happening. How could I save myself and condemn Talon to die?
No, I can’t. I have to do something.
“Okay,” she said firmly, “there has to be another way.”
Camulus narrowed his eyes as if thinking about the matter. “Perhaps there is. Tell me, Sunshine. How much does Talon’s happiness mean to you?”
“Everything,” she said sincerely.
Styxx cringed at that particular stupidity. Poor thing had no idea on how to negotiate. Especially not with a god.
“Everything. Well, that certainly is a lot.” Camulus’s look turned steely cold … frightening. “Does it mean as much to you as your own soul?”
“Sunshine,” Zarek said. “Don’t.”
“You, heel,” Dionysus snarled at the Dark-Hunter.
Zarek cracked his knuckles. “Don’t tell me what to do. I don’t like it.”
Sunshine ignored them. “What are you saying to me, Camulus?”
He tucked his hands into his pockets and acted as cool as someone chitchatting about the weather, not sealing the fate of her immortal destiny. “A simple trade. I lift his curse. You give me your soul.”
Sunshine hesitated. “That seems easy.”
“It is.”
Styxx cringed in fear for her. Don’t do it, girl.…
Sunshine bit her lip in indecision. “So what are you going to do with my soul once you have it?”
“Nothing at all. I’ll keep it with me, just like Artemis keeps Talon’s.”
“And my body?”
“A body doesn’t need a soul to function.”
Zarek put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t do it, Sunshine. You can’t ever trust a god.”
Styxx couldn’t agree more. Listen to the Dark-Hunter, woman.
Dionysus pierced Styxx with a glare. Say something to seal this, or I’ll bring you back from the dead and turn Apollo loose on you. And believe me, I can do it. You’ll spend the rest of eternity chained to my brother’s bed and we’ll all take turns with you again.
If the words weren’t bad enough, the memories he conjured for Styxx were truly horrifying. He flinched in reflex.
Styxx didn’t want to do this, but no one would stop his torture. He knew that for a fact.
The only one who had ever saved him was the Atlantean goddess of the hunt who was long dead.
I won’t go back. I won’t. It was time he looked out for himself.
Swallowing, Styxx met Sunshine’s gaze. “Sure you can,” he said, hating himself for the lie. “Trusting them is the best thing I ever did.”
“I don’t know,” she breathed. Then he saw the determination clouding her eyes before she nodded. “All right. You lift the curse and I’ll give you my soul.”
Styxx winced as she condemned herself.
Camulus let out an evil laugh. “Done. Talon has no curse. He can find love all day long.”
She smiled.
“But you, my sweet…” He blasted her. “Have to die for me to take your soul.”
The shot knocked her back into Zarek’s arms. He gaped as her blood ran all over the two of them. “You bastard!”
Styxx started to go to her, but Dionysus held him back.
Apollo, he mouthed then dropped his gaze pointedly to Styxx’s groin and licked his lips.
Styxx really wanted to kill them both. But before he could even move, Zarek lifted the woman and ran with her.
A smile curled Styxx’s lips. Run, Dark-Hunter. Get her to safety.
If Zarek could make it to Acheron, his brother, who wouldn’t piss on him if he were on fire, would save her. He knew it.
Styxx (DH #33) Page 70