Styxx (Dark-Hunter 22)

It didn't make sense. No one else seemed to have noticed anything being off or odd. And because of his past, he couldn't stand not knowing what had happened during those missing hours of his life.

There's nothing you can do.

Still, it bothered him. Finishing off his wine, he went to bed, hoping that he slept through the night for once.

But he knew better.

The only time he had any kind of peaceful sleep was with Bethany.

He crawled into bed and sighed. Four more days until her return. Closing his eyes, he focused on her and did his best to shut out everything else.

* * *

Styxx woke up to a fierce, stinging pain. Gasping, he opened his eyes to see a shadow staggering away from his bed as something warm gushed from his chest.

Blood. Someone had stabbed him while he slept.... Rage consumed him. Fucking coward! No one kills me and lives!

Determined to mark his killer, Styxx jerked the dagger from his chest and shot across the bed after him. But the pain was so severe, he could barely breathe for it. Blood poured over him as he staggered from the bed. He went to throw the dagger, but his legs buckled.

He hit the floor hard. Over and over, he relived that moment when the Stygian Omada had returned from Atlantis, and had been ambushed by Thracians....

I'm dying. He knew it. Which meant Acheron must be dying, too.

The wound had gone straight through his heart and ruptured an artery. It was the only explanation for this amount of rapid blood loss. Tears filled his eyes as he thought of his Bethany.

How cruel to lose her now.

He fought Thanatos as hard as he could. But in the end, against all effort, he expelled one final breath and everything went dark.

* * *

Styxx came awake with a sharp, painful groan. Completely disoriented, he scowled at the amount of blood on the floor and on his body. Grimacing, he touched the wound that was directly over his heart. Blood still seeped out, but it was light compared to earlier.

His assassin was going to be shocked when he learned he'd failed. The coward must have checked his pulse, since he was now on his back and he'd fallen on his stomach.

At least he knew Acheron wasn't dead.

Unsure of how much time had passed since his attack, Styxx feared for the rest of his family. The attacker could have gone after his father, sister, or Apollodorus. He had to make sure they were protected.

Ignoring the pain in his chest, he pushed himself up and grabbed the red cloak Gaius and his men had given him. He took his sword then headed for his father's bedroom.

He bypassed the snoozing guards in the hallway and threw open the doors. "Father?"

Groggy, the king pushed himself away from the naked young slave woman in his bed and glared at him. "What is the meaning of this?"

Styxx pulled the cloak aside to show him the blood. "Someone tried to kill me while I was sleeping. I wanted to make sure they hadn't come for you."

His father paled at the sight. "You live?"

Obviously.

Somehow he managed to bite back that sarcasm before he responded. "Yes."

Styxx stepped away from the bed and turned on the guards who'd finally awakened and joined him in the king's bedchambers. "You," he said to the one on the right, "stand fast and protect your king. You, rouse the others for a search. Lock down the palace until we've looked everywhere for my attacker."

As they went to follow his commands, Styxx headed straight for Ryssa's rooms.

He checked Apollodorus first. The babe was asleep with his nurse. Styxx left two guards with them as an alarm was sounded for the others then he entered Ryssa's bedroom. She lay so still and pale that panic gripped him. Was she dead?

Gently, he touched her arm.

She came awake with a fierce screech.

Styxx breathed in relief, until she slapped him twice for waking her so rudely.

"What are you doing here at this hour? How dare you barge into my room uninvited! Who do you think you are? Are you trying to scare me to death?"

He ground his teeth as his cheek stung. "No, sweet sister. I wasn't trying to kill you. I was stabbed in my sleep and wanted to verify that you weren't attacked, too."

Her eyes widened as she saw the blood on him.

"Acheron!" She bolted from the bed and grabbed a red wrap. She was so worried about Acheron that she didn't even bother to close the door.

"Follow the princess," Styxx ordered the guard nearest him. "Don't let her out of your sight."

She didn't even ask if I was all right.

Even though he was covered in blood. Nor did she apologize for slapping him when all he'd done was come to ensure her safety....

The pain of that stung deep as he quickly searched her room to make sure it was clear. He left a guard posted in it then moved to check his brother. He was rather certain Acheron was unharmed, since Styxx felt no pain and lived.

"What do you mean?"

Styxx paused as he heard Acheron's question. He glanced at his two siblings, and the concern on Ryssa's face for his brother while his own cheeks stung from her slaps cut him deeply. There was no telling how red they were. Not that she cared. She'd never given him a single kind thought.

Acheron met his gaze over the top of Ryssa's head. The panic in those silver eyes felt like a kick to his groin. He probably fears that I'll blame him for this. But Styxx wasn't Ryssa. Having been on the receiving end of many false allegations, he tried not to jump to conclusions without hard evidence.

But as the defender of Didymos, it was his responsibility to keep his family safe.

"Find my attacker," he ordered the new group of guards, rushing toward them. "I want him now. Do you hear me? Search every corner until we have him."

"Have you seen anyone?" Ryssa asked Acheron.

He shook his head. "I was in my room."

Styxx started away then paused as a new threat went through him. He tended to forget that Acheron wasn't battle trained. Anyone could kill his brother.

"Guards!" he called out to another group that entered the hallway. He gestured to his brother who stepped back in fear as if he thought Styxx might arrest him without cause ... like their father had.

That fear made his heart clench. I would never willingly hurt you, Acheron. Damn you, Ryssa, for the lies you tell against me.

Heartsick, he pointed to Acheron. "Guard him. I want someone at his back at all times."

Knowing his siblings didn't want him disturbing them, Styxx went to help search the rest of the palace.

As soon as he reached the stairs, he saw Galen bursting through the main doors as if Cerberus was on his heels. Relief spread across his grizzled features the minute he saw Styxx on the landing. Galen took the steps two at a time until he was in front of him.

Placing his hands on Styxx's shoulders, he scanned his body with a stern frown. "Good gods, son! You shouldn't be up. Where were you struck? Where is the physician for you?"

Tears choked him at Galen's concern. Out of a palace full of people, only Galen had bothered to ask after his welfare. He lowered the neck of his cloak to show the wound. "I've had worse."

Galen snorted. "Yes and no. That needs stitching." He grabbed a young guard who was coming up the stairs. "Fetch the physician and send him to Prince Styxx's room. Fast, damn you, fast!" Then he took Styxx's arm and pulled him back down the hallway.

"I was searching for my assailant."

"Did you see him?" Galen asked.

"No. Not really."

"Then you're no good in a search, are you?"

"Yes, but-"

"No buts." Galen forced him into his room. "Your Bethany would have both our arses if she saw you searching with a wound like that. And you're covered in blood. Let's get you cleaned up."

Styxx had no choice as Galen hauled him to the bathing pool and helped him to wash the wound.