Styxx (Dark-Hunter 22)

Chapter Forty

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 Morrigan 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 Morrigan 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?"