Apollymi wanted to curse the woman’s stupidity. But then, she was a Greek. Intelligence from her was too much to hope for. “They don’t want your milk,human,” she spat at her.
She lifted her index finger to her lips and bit the tip until she broke the skin. Then she placed it into Urian’s mouth.
He opened his dark eyes and quickly began to suckle her fingertip as he quieted down. Color returned to his skin.
Apollymi let out a relieved breath. She was right.
Apollo was a bastard.
Grateful that she’d saved this child, Apollymi withdrew her finger before her blood mutated the babe further. As it was, it turned his dark eyes to blue.
Relieved that his life was spared, she handed him to Strykerius. “He needs Apollite blood to drink. They both do. Because of the curse, they can’t suckle the breast milk of a human mother.”
Strykerius sighed in gratitude. “I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you, akra.”
She inclined her head to him. “Tell the others with newborns. Most likely they will all need blood with their mother’s milk, even if their mothers are Apollites. No doubt your father intended for the infants to die off.”
Apollo was a heartless prick like that.
Tears swam in Apollymi’s eyes as she remembered the way she’d found her own son …
Gutted by Apollo’s callous hand. Dumped into the sea for the beasts to feast upon.
She clamped her teeth together to keep from screaming as the need for vengeance rose up and demanded she rip out Apollo’s heart and devour it. Something that would damn the very world into oblivion. And she would gladly see it burn. Gladly rip down every god in existence. That would be the only thing that would placate this pain in her heart.
Utter destruction.
Patience, dear Braith. Patience.Akou aimassorai, ni adayakopa’ia—Though I am the one bleeding, I will not be broken.
Anekico ler aracnia—Victory to the spider.
The one good thing to come from Apollo’s curse was that the Apollites aged much faster than humans now. It wouldn’t take Urian eighteen to twenty years to reach maturity.
He’d be there in only ten.
Then he would be ready to train for war and she could send him after her enemy.
One day, Urian would bring her the head of Apollo.
And return her sons to her, as well.
August 9, 9524 BC
“Can you see it? Is it there? Can you see the sunlight, Urian?”
His heart thumping with nervous anticipation, Urian grimaced at the brightness. Holding his breath, he peeked around the corner of the crevice where he and his twin brother were hidden by the deep, dark shadows that had protected them all their young lives. Against all rules and dictates, and dire consequences and threats, they’d snuck out from the portal hours ago and had waited for the dawn to come.
Now it was upon them and they couldn’t wait to finally see what no Apollite their age or younger had ever seen before.
The sun!
“I think so, Paris.” Urian’s heart rate picked up its pace as he smiled in eager anticipation. All his life, he’d dreamed of this moment.
Seeing daylight!
Just once. He could only dream of its warmth. The brightness. The glowing magick of it. They all tried to imagine what it was like. Their parents had tried to explain it, but it wasn’t the same as actually experiencing it for himself.
A simple thing, really, when one thought about it. Humans saw it all the time. Even cockroaches and rodents. But for those like him and Paris, those born to the Apollite race, it was forbidden.
