“Cavalry?”
“Protostratelates.”
Urian’s eyes bugged at such a prestigious role. Especially for someone so young, that was almost unheard of. In fact he only knew of one who’d done that. “At your …? Oh wait, wait a minute. Styxx … Styxx of Didymos, Styxx?”
He nodded.
No! No! What were the odds? Seriously? Urian sputtered at something that was too surreal to be reality. “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 you 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.” Stunned and thrilled to meet his hero, 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 a 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 each other 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.”
Urian snorted. “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 as that old wound opened and bled. “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 snorted. “In my case, more like losing a sphincter.”
Laughing, Urian shook his head. “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.”
Now that he knew who he really was, Urian followed him from the pool into the bedroom. He had so many questions to ask. Things he’d always wondered about that no one had documented. Really, how often did someone get to interview their hero? “So how old were you when you first went into battle? Five?”
“Sixteen.” Styxx picked his clothes up and went behind a screen to dress.
“Damn, that was harsh. My father refused to let us near battle until we were past our majority.” For Apollites anyway. “He waited so long, it was actually embarrassing.” Urian didn’t want to think about the times his father literally picked them up and threw them down to keep them from battle.
He took a step back and gestured toward the door. “Would you like to come up to the main hall with me? Dinner should be about ready.”
Styxx shook his head as he came around the screen. “I’m not welcome there. Acheron would have a fit to find me in his temple.”
Urian had forgotten about that small fact. It would be the same as inviting his father to dinner. Yeah … real bad idea. Acheron hated his twin with a special kind of vim. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell the bossman you’re here. Stay as long as you want.”
