Styxx (Dark-Hunter 22)

Chapter Nine

Galen draped his arm around his shoulders and walked him to his room. Without a word, he put Styxx to bed then withdrew as the king came forward to stand next to Styxx.

"Galen?" Styxx called.

The old man turned at the door. "Yes, Highness?"

"Thank you."

He saluted him. "Any time you need me, good prince. I am ever at your service."

His father touched Styxx's brow again. "I don't understand why it is you sweat, but your skin is so frigid."

He didn't know either. For the last couple of days, he'd broken into a sweat and shook for no apparent reason. It never lasted that long and, thankfully, he'd been able to hide it.

Until today.

He wasn't sure what made this different. All of a sudden, he sneezed and his nose poured blood. He cursed, pinching his nostrils together as he sat up in spite of the spinning room. The whole side of his face burned. In that instant, he knew what was happening.

Acheron. Someone had struck his brother's face. Hard. So much so that Styxx had several loosened teeth from it.

But he couldn't let his father know that.

"Here." His father gave him a towel. "I thought your nosebleeds had stopped."

"No, Sire." He'd just gotten better at hiding them from his father over the years.

Styxx wiped at his face. His eyes flew wide as he felt a new pain in the last place he wanted to feel one. It took every bit of strength he had not to cry out as something impaled him. What was Estes doing to his brother?

He was desperate to get to the drawer where he kept the numbing gel, but he didn't dare use it while his father hovered so close. Nor could he allow his father to see his discomfort. And it was merciless. Like he was being cleaved in half.

"Finally," his father said as the physician joined them.

The physician bowed low to his king. "Your Majesty. I was told the prince is unwell?"

"He is." His father stepped away so the physician could examine Styxx's body.

Styxx cringed every time the man touched him.

"Where did these bruises come from, Highness?"

"Training," he lied.

His father scowled. "I didn't think you'd been training since your return."

"Master Galen wasn't there. I trained on my own."

Frowning, the physician pulled back. "Then how did you bruise yourself?"

"It was with the staff and spear," Styxx quickly added.

The physician sighed before he spoke to the king. "I think to be safe, we should bleed him."

"No!" Styxx roared as raw, pure fury burned through his veins. After what the priests had done to him, he couldn't bear the thought of being bled again. Never mind the matter of his having suckled a god on his blood.

"Styxx!" his father snapped.

"Beat me. Kill me. I do not care. I will not be bled. Ever!"

The physician shrank away from the bed as if terrified. "Is he possessed again, Majesty?"

Styxx's fury gave way to panic. "No. Father, I am fine. I swear to all the gods."

The doubt in his father's eyes set his heart to pounding.

"Please, Father. I beg you." Don't send me back there. Please, I can't....

Time hung still until his father shook his head. "If you need to be bled-"

"My nose bleeds. Surely there's enough on the bed already."

"Sire-"

His father held his hand up, cutting the man off. "I will defer to the prince. But if he's not well by morning, we will proceed with your remedy, physician. Now leave us."

With a curt bow, he departed.

Scowling, his father moved to stand next to the bed. "What is wrong with you?"

"I was bled to the brink of death by the priests, Father."

"And they healed you."

You stupid bastard. "No, Father. It weakened me in ways I can't explain. Suffice it to say, I've had enough of a cure I know for a fact doesn't work. This will pass on its own, please trust me."

"And if you're possessed?"

He could almost laugh at that. How could he be possessed by the gods that had abandoned him? "Father, please. I've had nosebleeds the whole of my life. As for the other ... a stomach ailment. I've felt unwell since this morning and didn't want to bother you with the complaint. It's nothing."

His father inclined his head. "I shall defer to you then. And I'll send a servant to tend you."

"I'd rather be alone."

He scowled. "You're-"

"Father, please ... I don't want someone in here, disturbing me in any way. I shall be fine on my own."

"I will leave someone posted at your door. Call if you need anything."

"Thank you."

As soon as his father was gone, Styxx rolled out of bed to the chest where he'd hidden his small purse. His hands shaking, he seized one of the suppositories and quickly administered it, along with the numbing gel.

His breathing ragged, he returned to bed and sighed even though he could still feel the very thing that was causing both him and his brother pain. Closing his eyes, he wished he was still ignorant of what it was. Because now that he knew exactly what was being done to Acheron, he understood the true horror of what his brother lived with.

And there was nothing he could do about it. He'd tried to free his brother and Acheron had refused.

Damn him for it.

Styxx gasped as another pain stabbed him and then he laughed bitterly. His brother wasn't the only one damned. It was both of them. Two lives tied together in complete and utter misery.

November 15, 9533 BC

Styxx raked his hand through his hair as his head reeled. He was so high right now that he'd give his mother a good run. The herbs he'd bought in town had been even stronger than Estes's mixture. The merchant hadn't been kidding when he'd told him it would ease whatever ailments plagued him.

But honestly, he didn't want to feel like this. He just wanted to be normal again.

What do you know of normal?

Nothing. He'd never been normal. Not like other people. And all because of his brother. If Acheron had just been born with human eyes, no one would have ever known. Neither of them would have been tortured ...

A knock sounded on his door.

"Yes?" He lifted his head to see a small pretty maid there.

She bowed low. "His Majesty requests you join him in the outer courtyard, Highness."

Requests ... He loved whenever his father used such words. As if Styxx had a choice in the matter. If he didn't go, his father would be furious.

He shook his head to clear it then pushed himself to his feet.

The maid didn't budge as he neared her. Instead of moving out of his way, she planted herself so that he'd have to brush up against her lush body to leave.