Styxx (Dark-Hunter 22)

After all the sins he'd committed, Acheron had found his place in the world and managed to have a decent life....

Other than having to continue to deal with Artemis and her tantrums. Styxx didn't envy his brother that. But at least it wasn't as demeaning and brutal as Styxx's relationship with Apollo. While Artemis was difficult, she did love Acheron. She'd birthed him a daughter she treasured above all others. Yes, she was harsh on Acheron, but she could also be kind. She had never treated his brother with the same acrimony, disdain, and cruelty that Apollo had shown Styxx.

Never once had she passed Acheron around or shared him with others. She didn't hold him down and choke him until he was almost dead and then revive him so that he'd know how fragile he was compared to a god.

Worse, Apollo took out his hatred for Acheron and Artemis's relationship on Styxx, too. Every time Acheron had offended Apollo, he'd come straight to Styxx to beat him for it as if it was somehow his fault.

And since he'd been given Acheron's memories, he knew all that for a fact. Ironically, he didn't see Artemis the same way his brother did. She attacked Acheron out of fear.

Apollo attacked him out of rage and utmost hatred.

While they both sucked, Styxx could have handled Artemis's wrath a lot easier since it only came out whenever Acheron said or did something to scare her. There was no way to gauge Apollo's trigger. He was angry when Styxx fought him and he was twice as angry when he didn't. Unlike Artemis, there was no love in Apollo to mitigate his attacks. No guilt that came later that made him want to make amends.

Apollo was simply a bully. He loved his power over others and he savored every ounce of pain he could wring out of someone.

Indeed, Artemis had never joyfully laughed in Acheron's ear when she hurt him or punched him with her fists.

"That's it, prince. Scream out for me. Let me hear your agony! Beg me for my mercy!"

The first lesson he'd learned when dealing with Apollo-don't do what he said. The more he begged for mercy, the less the god gave it to him.

Just like Acheron. His brother had never intended for him to be free any more than Artemis had.

Out of sight, out of mind.

That was all Styxx was left with.

October 1, 2008

"Who are you?"

Styxx paused at the angry male voice that was thick with an ancient Delphian accent. He turned around in the pool to see an extremely tall, well-built man with white blond hair he wore pulled back into a queue.

Urian.

He remembered him from Acheron's memories. This was Stryker's son who would have died by Stryker's hand had Acheron not saved his life. At one time, Urian had been the most vicious of killers and an enemy to Acheron and his Dark-Hunters. A Daimon, he had stood to the right-hand of his father and helped slaughter countless humans. But now, thanks to Acheron, Urian no longer needed human souls to survive.

These days, Urian was Acheron's second-in-command, and one of his best friends.

And as Styxx watched the man, there was something strangely familiar about him. Something he knew intimately.

That's because he's the direct grandson of Apollo.

Yeah, that would probably be it.

"I asked you a question," Urian snarled. "Do you not understand me?"

"I heard you."

"And?"

Styxx climbed out of the pool and reached for a towel. He quickly dried himself off then wrapped it around his hips before he closed the distance between them. "Ask me when you find a new tone. One with respect in it."

The way Urian arched his brow and cocked his head froze him to the spot. It was similar to a movement Bethany used to make whenever she was really cross with him. How weird to see that expression on a stranger, and a male one at that.

"You must be Styxx."

"So you're not as stupid as you look."

Urian started to comment until his gaze focused on Styxx's body. "Damn, you're scarred up."

"Aren't we all?"

Urian didn't comment on that. "I was told you'd been put on one of the other islands."

"I was."

"Then why are you here?"

Styxx picked up another towel to dry his hair. "I liked this one better."

"Are you always this big an asshole?"

"Are you?"

"Basically, yes. However, I thought I'd tempered it for you. Guess I'm an even bigger ass than I knew."

Styxx laughed at Urian's unexpected honesty. "Then I'd hate to see you on a bad day if this is a good one."

"Yeah, well, according to Ash I pretty much get on his nerves every ten minutes."

"It takes you an entire ten minutes? I'm impressed. All I have to do is enter his line of sight to wreck his whole year."

Urian smiled then indicated Styxx's scars with a tilt of his head. "You must have been a soldier who saw a lot of combat for those."

"I was ... and I did."

"Cavalry?"

"Protostratelates."

Urian's eyes bugged. "At your...? Oh wait, wait a minute. Styxx ... Styxx of Didymos, Styxx?"

He nodded.

Urian sputtered incredulously. "How stupid do I feel? I never put the two names together before. Mostly because I assumed the protostratelates who damn near defeated Atlantis was an old man. Oh wow..." he breathed. "You were a legend. When I was a kid, I extensively studied your surviving war notes, and reports, and everything written about you. Your tactics fascinated me, but there was so much left out."

"I didn't want someone to use my strategies against me."

"As I said, brilliant, and if you knew me, you'd know I gush over no one." Urian held his arm out. "This is really an honor."

Styxx hesitated then shook it. "So how old are you ... really?"

"I was born a few weeks before you and Acheron died. And before you condemn me, I mostly lived on people who deserved to die."

"Mostly?"

Urian shrugged. "Sometimes you can't be picky. But I never fed from a human woman or child. Or anyone who couldn't fight back."

Styxx held his hands up. "I'm in no position to judge anyone for how they survive."

A deep scowl furrowed Urian's brow. "It's strange though."

"What is?"

"How much you and Acheron favor not to be related at all."

Sighing, Styxx dropped his second towel then finger-combed his short blond hair. "Trick of his mother's to throw off the gods looking for him."

"She did well. I had a fraternal twin brother myself."

"Had?"

"He was killed a long time ago by a Dark-Hunter."

"Oh, I'm very sorry."

Urian inclined his head to him. "Thanks. Me, too. It's hard to lose a brother, and twice as hard when you're born together. Kind of like losing a limb."

Styxx would definitely agree with that. "In my case, more like losing a sphincter."

Urian laughed. "What happened between you? I mean, damn, Acheron forgave me, and I definitely didn't deserve a second chance. You don't seem like an outright bastard, and you definitely didn't battle like one. Things you did ... you protected your enemy against your own troops. And you were barbecued for it by Greek historians and commanders."

"I was barbecued for it by many people."

Urian followed him from the pool into the bedroom. "So how old were you when you first went into battle? Five?"