He kissed her forehead. “Let me win your honor and then we can leave and never look back.”
“Swear it to me.”
“On my eternal soul. I will always be with you, Bathymaas. Nothing will take me from you, ever. Not even the gods.” He lifted the Egyptian ieb amulet from her chest and kissed it, then tucked it back between her breasts.
Styxx gasped as he fully understood what Set had told him. Bathymaas had been created by the Source, not born of a mother …
The Egyptian jug-shaped amulet was the heart Set had given her as a girl when she’d asked her father why she didn’t have a heartbeat like others.
“This holds my love for you, child, and while you can’t understand it, know that so long as you wear it, you carry a piece of me with you. My heart has great power and it will keep you safe and warm in my absence.”
That was how Leto had destroyed the Egyptian pantheon and trapped Set in the desert. She had weakened him with that half of Bathymaas’s heart that held her father’s DNA and Seth’s blood to trap the primal god.
Lifting his head, he saw the broken ieb shard on Leto’s wrist that matched the one Bethany had worn as a bracelet. It was so obvious now, but unless you knew what an Egyptian heart looked like, you’d never guess its origins.
Or its significance.
Leto poured the blood from the vial onto her fingers and waved the ieb over it. Then she wiped it down his other cheek. “History always repeats itself. Poor you to die twice by the hands of the woman you love. And once you’re dead, she’ll destroy the gods for me.” Stepping back, she let out a sharp, piercing ololuge … a sound used in his time to summon a god’s presence when a sacrifice was being offered to them.
All of a sudden, a fierce wind came tearing through the arena. It blew open doors and ripped at his body. Leto stumbled against it.
A baleful howl sounded an instant before a swirling specter joined them. Inhumanly large, it floated on the wind wearing a white cloak. And when it neared Styxx, he realized this was the vengeful spirit of Bethany.
With his gag in place, he couldn’t say a word to her.
Leto pointed to him as she spoke to Bethany. “Behold the bastard son of your enemy who cost your prince his life and existence. Take your vengeance on them both! Rip out the heart of Apostolos!”
Bethany screamed in furious agony.
Styxx’s eyes widened as he realized she was going to kill him and there was nothing he could do to stop her.
Urian paused as he recognized this temple. It was the same one Acheron had confined Styxx to when he’d first brought him here to Katateros to live. The one Styxx had left behind so that he could sneak into the temple next door to Acheron’s where he’d been living the night Urian had first met him.
It was beautiful in a cold, sterile way.
“What is this place?” Acheron asked. Since none of the gods had been around to identify the buildings, he hadn’t known the names of them.
Now that Dikastis, the Atlantean god of justice, was fighting on their team, they were able to get a few answers.
“This is the arena where we held games and competitions. It’s where we brought those who needed to be punished and taught humility.”
Urian cut a vicious glare to Ash. And this was where you put Styxx to rot. Good job, boss. In that moment, Urian could have slapped him for his callousness.
With a guilty glimmer in his silver eyes, Ash swept his gaze over Urian, Davyn, Dikastis, Seth, Set, Maahes, Ma’at, Zakar, and the demons who were with them to fight. “I don’t know what we’re about to walk into, but let’s move forward with Styxx’s original plan. And whatever we do, save my brother.”
Yeah, no shit. Urian had lost enough people in his life he cared about. He had no intention of losing anyone else. Not today. And not in the name of Apollo.
Over and over, he couldn’t get the sight of Styxx going up against them out of his mind. That couldn’t be the last image he had of his friend. It couldn’t.
Not after all the other nightmares that haunted him.
So help him, he intended to nail Apollo’s head to the temple walls. And yes, that was plural, because he wanted to cleave it into pieces first.
The others nodded in agreement, except Dikastis.
“What do you want from me?” the god of justice asked.
“Help us any way you can.”
That was all well and good, but what Urian found odd was that none of the Atlanteans had come out to challenge them for being in Katateros. They had to know they were here. It wasn’t like they were, you know … gods, or anything.
So why were they so quiet while they had this many foreign gods in their domain?
The silence was eerie and wrong.
His heart pounding in fear of what they’d find, Urian entered the building behind Ash. Inside the dark hall, a feral wind howled and plastered their clothes against their bodies. He kept his sword at the ready, watchful of where and when an attack might come.
It took them several minutes to make it to the arena, and to fight the wind so that they could see what was happening. The Atlanteans were all pinned down.
What the . .?
Then Urian saw what was going on and his stomach drew tight. A ghostly image was wrapped around Styxx, holding a dagger over his heart.
“Bathymaas! No!” Set shouted.
It was too late. She sank the dagger deep into Styxx’s chest, all the way to the hilt, then threw her head back and roared in satisfaction. When she spoke, she used Atlantean only. “Take your bastard back, Apollymi. Now come and face me, you wretched bitch, so that I can bathe in your putrid blood!”
Horrified, Urian looked to Set, whose expression was every bit as pain-filled as his own.
They were too late.
In that moment, Urian felt as useless and helpless as he had the day Phoebe died. When Sheba had gone down beside him.
When Xyn hadn’t shown up.
What good am I?
Suddenly, Apollymi appeared. It was the same ethereal shade form she used whenever she was angry. “What have you done?”
Bathymaas ran at her and then through her. “Are you afraid to face me?”
Apollymi shook her head. “You did not kill my Apostolos.” Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Styxx’s body. “I am still trapped in Kalosis. The man you killed is Styxx of Didymos.”
“No,” Bathymaas breathed. Disbelief widened her eyes as she turned back toward Styxx and paled. “You lie!”
Blood dripped from the wound Bathymaas had given him and as it did so, it drained Apollymi’s powers out of Styxx. His hair returned to blond, his skin darkened, and the scars that had been hidden reappeared on his body.
Urian felt his eyes water as pain racked him. Another friend gone. For no good reason.
Leto’s laughter filled the room. “Poor Bathymaas … you are damned again by your own hand.” She materialized behind Bathymaas and ripped the necklace from her throat.
Set ran for them, but before he could close the distance, Leto put the two pieces together.
“Now I will be the soul of justice and you’ll …” Leto frowned as the amulet refused to reunite. “What? Why isn’t this working?”
Ash met Urian’s gaze and jerked his chin toward the pinned gods.
Because of the pain, it took Urian a second to catch on. Then he nodded in understanding and made his way toward them with Davyn in tow.
Ash had just started for Styxx when all of a sudden, Styxx gasped and arched his back as if something possessed him.
Urian froze with a frown.
The knife Bathymaas had buried in his chest shot through the air and landed harmlessly on the ground. Light streamed out of the wound, sealing it closed. In the next heartbeat, a shock wave went through the room, knocking everyone off their feet, except Ash.
A slow smile spread across his face.
The chains that held Styxx in place shattered, sending shrapnel out in all directions. Urian drove for Davyn t
o protect him. Styxx rose to hover over the floor as all the gods were pinned down.
“What’s happening?” Archon roared.
No one answered as lightning bolts shot through Styxx’s body, blowing out the windows and ripping the doors from their hinges. Bolts of light pierced Styxx’s eyes and mouth. They shot through his body.
Simi started to go to Styxx, but Ash held her back.
“No, Sim. He might kill you.” Ash teleported himself to where Styxx hovered.
The moment Bathymaas saw him, her nostrils flared with anger. “You!”
When she moved to attack him, Ash caught her with his powers. “Kill me and Styxx dies, too. Is that what you want?”
“Kill them both!” Leto shouted, still trying to put the two halves of the heart together.
Urian would laugh if it weren’t so pathetic. He let go of Davyn.
Bethany rose up as if she’d obey Leto, but then her gaze went to Styxx and she calmed instantly. “What do I do to save him?”
“You have to ground him. Make him aware of who and what he really is outside of his powers.”
“How?”
Ash shook his head. “Damned if I know. I’ll try to hold him, but you have got to reach him or those powers will rip him apart and destroy all of us.”
Nodding, she stepped back and cleared the way for Ash to launch himself at Styxx. When his brother went to hit him, Ash embraced him with everything he had.
Styxx bellowed furiously as he tried to break free.
In her Bethany form, his wife appeared in front of Styxx and cupped his face in her hands. “Styxx? Can you hear me?”
Another blast went through the room as something like a hurricane swept through it. Ash held on to Styxx and Bethany.
Urian tried to anchor himself and protect Davyn.
Styxx shoved Acheron away and turned on her with a murderous glint in his blue eyes.
Urian saw the fear and uncertainty in Bethany’s eyes. Then she did the most unexpected thing of all.
She kissed him.
Styxx froze for a full minute. Urian held his breath, terrified it wouldn’t work.
Then Styxx pulled back. “Beth?”
She smiled at him. “Are you with me, akribos?”
“I’m not sure. Am I dead?”
She laughed. “I don’t know. Am I?”
“No!” Leto screamed as she ran for them.
Without hesitating, Ash intercepted her. But as soon as he neared her, she stabbed him through his stomach with an Atlantean dagger laced with ypnsi sap. While the poison was fatal to mortal beings, it was a potent toxin for the gods, and it was what Apollymi had used on her family to lock them in limbo when she’d confronted them over her son’s death.
Ash staggered back and fell to his knees.
Styxx ran to him. “Acheron?”
“Simi!” he called, ignoring his brother.
“Simi on it, akri!” She vanished.
Acheron’s body was quickly turning gray as the poison spread from the wound to the rest of him. His eyes flared red as he cupped Styxx’s cheek and pulled him closer.
Before anyone realized what Acheron intended, Ash sank his fangs into Styxx’s neck and handed over his powers for Styxx’s use. He pulled back and locked gazes with Styxx. “Kick their fucking asses, brother.”
Urian applauded him, then moved to finish off Phanen.
“With pleasure.”
He was just finishing off Phanen and reaching for another god when he heard Styxx’s sharp cry. “Urian, on deck.”
Urian flashed over, then cursed as he saw Acheron’s condition. He hadn’t realized how bad it was.
“Watch and protect him.”
He inclined his head to Styxx. “Will do.”
“Styxx?” Bethany called.
“I’m fine,” Styxx assured her.
Urian wasn’t so sure about that. All around them, the gods were battling.
Leto came at them with the dagger raised. Styxx stepped in front of Bethany as Leto stabbed at him. The force of her attack unbalanced her. He jerked her forward and disarmed her with a single twist to her wrist.
Leto laughed as she realized he wouldn’t strike her.
Until Bethany came around him with a grim, determined glint in her eyes. “I’ve got this bitch.”
Styxx stepped back and let her take fourteen thousand years of vengeance out on the goddess they both hated.
“Zakar?” Styxx shouted.
The god looked past Archon, then fell back as Styxx moved in to engage the Atlantean god in Zakar’s place.
Archon laughed. “Really? You think borrowed powers scare me? I’ve wiped my ass on higher beings and better warriors than you.”
Urian arched his brow at those arrogant words.
And so did Styxx. “I’ll concede the higher beings, but you should remember, Archon, there were no better warriors than me … in either of my lifetimes. It’s why you helped Apollo and Leto cheat in order to kill Aricles. You knew that I’d be coming for you.”
Urian paused to watch his hero battle.
Scoffing, Archon brought his axe down across Styxx’s shield, which he manifested along with his sword. Styxx lunged at his feet with his sword. The older god danced away as Styxx twirled with an uppercut that nicked his arm.
Urian cringed. Damn, that hurt.
Archon screamed out in pain.
Styxx drove him back as Archon struggled to keep up with his blows.
“Go ahead,” Archon taunted, “put me back to sleep. I will get free again. And when I do, I’m coming for both of you. There’s nothing you can do to stop me. I will return.”
“No,” Styxx said firmly. “You won’t.” He feinted right and when Archon moved to defend, he shot back with a well-practiced swing that severed the god’s head in one final stroke.
Urian’s eyes widened at that bold move.
Everyone in the room froze as they realized what Styxx had done. And more to the point, they became aware of what he really was.
A Chthonian god-killer. They alone had the power to destroy a god and send his or her power back to the Source. And while killing a god weakened them, they were still the baddest asses in the Nether Realm.
The only things that could kill one of them was the Source, one of its servants, or another Chthonian.
And judging by the heat in Urian’s arm, his powers didn’t like it at all. But that was okay, he was impressed.
Apparently, so were the Atlanteans, as they dropped their weapons immediately and stood down.
Except Bethany and Leto, who continued to battle like champions.
Nonchalant about it, Urian walked over to Styxx. “Should we break them up?”
Before he could answer, Set intervened by grabbing Leto in a fierce sleeper hold. As soon as she passed out, he tossed her over his shoulder. “While I respect your need to beat her, daughter, I’m the one with a much larger grudge against this bitch. Not just for what she did to you, but for what she did to your brother.” He leaned forward to kiss Bethany’s cheek. “I will be back very soon and never fear … while I would never strike a lady, this bitch is open season.” He paused to glance at Zakar, who smiled wickedly.
Then the three of them were gone.
Urian cringed, grateful to the gods that he wasn’t his great-grandmother. That batch was burnt.
“Brother?” Bethany whispered as she turned to Styxx. “I have a brother?”
He pointed to Seth, who stood back from them. “Seth was born long after Apollymi had frozen you in Katateros.”
Bethany went to meet him for the first time while Styxx knelt beside Acheron, who was stone gray from head to toe. He frowned at Urian. “What is this?”
“Aima,” Dikastis answered, kneeling by their side.
Styxx started for Dikastis to finish him off, but Urian held him back so that he couldn’t hurt him.
“Easy, god-killer,” Urian said with a laugh. “He’s on our side.”
Styxx narrowed h
is gaze. “You sure?”
“He stabbed that one.” Urian pointed to Teros. “And saved my ass.”
Maahes joined Seth and Bethany to help with their introductions, while Ma’at came over to Styxx’s side.
She rubbed Styxx’s back reassuringly. “Acheron will be fine. As soon as Simi brings the antidote, he’ll wake up.”
Styxx appeared doubtful. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Otherwise, Apollymi wouldn’t be so quiet.”
Urian realized she was quiet …
Even when Simi returned with three leaves from the Tree of Life that only grew in the Destroyer’s temple in Kalosis, Apollymi remained extremely reserved and dubiously silent.
That cannot be good. Urian had never seen her like that before. What fresh menace was this? Every hair on the back of his neck was standing on end.
“What do I do with these?” Styxx asked Simi.
“Twist them until they’re moist,” Apollymi said. “Then drip nine drops into Apostolos’s mouth.”
Styxx hesitated. “What happens if I do ten by mistake?”
Urian snorted sarcastically. “Let’s not find out.”
Bethany returned to his side as he carefully counted.
As soon as the ninth one hit Acheron’s lips, the color slowly returned to the whole of his body.
Groaning, Acheron opened his eyes, then grimaced. “Next time, add peppermint flavoring, somebody. That is the nastiest-tasting crap on the planet.”
Styxx snorted. “You’re not seriously complaining that I brought you back. Are you?”
“Yes, and no. Taste it yourself and you’ll understand.”
Having had a dose a few times, Urian agreed. That was some nasty crap.
Shaking his head, Styxx held his hand out to his brother. Acheron took it and allowed him to pull him to his feet, then hugged him close. After a few seconds, he stepped back to leave him to Bethany.
Styxx turned and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned his head against hers. “I told you I’d come back for you, my goddess. That nothing would stop me.”
“Yes, but did you have to drag your feet?”
He laughed. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to get used to living with me right here. I will never again let you go. Just consider me a large exterior growth on your body.”