Styxx (Dark-Hunter 22)

Even when it meant coming back from the dead. He wouldn't be stopped and he would never again live without his most vital part. Bethany.

December 28, 2012

Azura entered Noir's study without knocking to find him in the middle of entering one of their servants. "Put it away, love. I have business to discuss."

Noir growled at her intrusion. "What is so important that-"

"Rezar has returned."

He shoved the woman off his lap and quickly tucked himself back into his pants. "What?"

She nodded and watched as the servant made a quick exit. Crossing her arms over her chest, she faced her brother. "And Bathymaas is reunited with Aricles."

"Then the prophecy is true...."

"So it seems." Azura wrinkled her nose at him. "Right at this moment, Darkness is covering the Light."

"How do you know all this?"

"Our slave made a report."

Noir considered that. "Has he found Braith yet?"

"No. He's still looking. But with Bathymaas free..."

The Malachai wouldn't be far behind. The balance must always be maintained.

And they were about to rain hell itself down on the unsuspecting humans....

Noir couldn't wait.

February 9, 2013

Acheron was expecting his brother to meet him so when the door to his bedroom opened, he was surprised to find the former dream god, Arik, there. Since Arik was the husband of Tory's cousin Geary, it wasn't unusual for him to visit.

"Tory's not home. She went shopping for baby clothes with Bethany."

"I'm not here to see Tory. I wanted to ask you something."

Ash pulled the blanket up on Bas who was in the middle of his afternoon nap. "Sure. What do you need?"

"How old was Tory when her father died?"

Now that was an odd question. "Ten."

Arik shook his head in denial. "When I first met Tory in 1996, Geary told me that she was six when her father died."

He scowled at that. "I have photos of her with her father on her birthdays all the way up to ten. You must be mistaken."

"No. I'm not. Even Geary now has memories of him being with Tory longer than that ... and we have pictures that never existed until recently."

Ash cursed at the significance of what Arik was telling him. "Who's messing with the time sequence?"

"I don't know. But since it's affecting the one person nearest and dearest your heart..."

It most likely involved Acheron somehow. He winced in apprehension. "So whatever was altered had to have occurred between 1996 when you met her and 2008 when I met her."

Arik nodded. "I'm thinking this time breach more than the cosmic alignment in December is what has unleashed Tiva and Zev." Tiva was the original goddess of untime and her brother Zev of time itself.

Chaos and Order....

Ash wanted to curse. "I saw Tiva in December. She was after the Time Stone."

"Where's it now?"

"Safe. Back in the hands of its keeper." Neither Kateri nor Ren would allow anything happen to it. And Ren knew better than to let Tiva anywhere near the Stone.

"Glad to hear it. But with Order and Chaos unleashed..."

And not just Zev and Tiva. Set and Bethany were also Order and Chaos. And they were now released, too.

Yeah ... this was looking bad.

"Something's coming, Acheron. And I don't know what it is."

"Neither do I. But at least we're forewarned about it. Let's see if we can find other breaches and fluctuations. Maybe we can undo whatever has been done."

Arik nodded. "I'll let you know what I find out."

"And I'll do the same."

As soon as Arik left, Ash turned back to watch his slumbering son as fear permeated every part of his being. Nothing good ever came when someone or something tampered with time. While Artemis had moments of profound lunacy, she wouldn't dare mess with that one.

Maybe one of the Were-Hunters ...

Or something a lot deadlier.

Whatever or whoever it was, Acheron would find them and he would make them pay for it. Most of all, he would stop them before they unleashed the one evil that nothing could ever defeat.

September 21, 2013

"Look at them, Apollymi. Have you ever seen anything more pathetic than two grown, immortal warriors so terrified of something so small? I don't know who's more nervous about the birth ... dad or uncle."

In her shade form on Katateros, Apollymi couldn't agree more with Ma'at as they watched Styxx and Apostolos gather ice chips. "Should we have them boil water?"

Athena laughed. "Perhaps it's my presence they find most unsettling. After all, the last time I attended a birth was theirs and ... Well, thankfully this will turn out much better. I think."

Styxx pinned the three goddesses with a stern frown. "You do know we can hear you, right?"