Urian went to Styxx’s apartment to find him sitting at his bedroom desk, playing the New Atlantis campaign forAge of Mythologyon his PC. Okay … that just messed with his head on a multitude of levels.
The irony of the Stygian commander reliving his past. And for an ancient warlord to be playing a conquest game on a modern PC.
Yeah …
Suddenly, Styxx jumped out of his chair and turned on Urian as if he were about to take off his head.
Holding his hands up, Urian made sure to let him know he wasn’t a threat. Especially since he was here to ask something he knew would piss the man off.
Styxx immediately curled his lip. “What does he think I’ve done now?”
Urian scowled. “Huh?”
“Acheron. Is he not the one who sent you for me?”
Urian shook his head. “He actually didn’t send me. I came to ask a favor.”
That appeared to shock him. “What do you need?”
“Acheron’s woman, Tory, has been kidnapped and taken into Kalosis, where his mother is. Ash is ready and willing to go get her.” Which would free his mother from her prison and end the world.
Styxx took that news with complete stoicism. As if he didn’t care at all.
Not until he asked one simple question. “Is Tory immortal?”
Urian shook his head. “Completely human. She’s being held by my aunt Satara, who is unstable at best. Viciously brutal at worst.”
The daughter of Apollo, that bitch was about as crazy as anyone Urian had ever known. And given some of the stellar loons his father kept for company …
Said it all.
That familiar tic started in Styxx’s jaw. “You’re going in with him, aren’t you?”
Urian nodded. “You did it once to help an enemy. Would you do it again to help a friend?”
Styxx laughed bitterly. “How would I know? I’ve only had two friends in my life and both were brutally murdered.”
That stung the shit out of Urian. Especially given everything they’d been through together. “You don’t consider me a friend?”
“No, I consider you a hemorrhoid.”
Well, that was fair enough, he supposed. Urian grinned. “Ah now, that’s just mean.”
“Yeah, yeah … Fine. But I am doing this for you and the innocent woman, not Acheron.”
“Well, on behalf of myself and Tory, I can’t thank you enough. By the way, how are your battle skills?”
Styxx snorted. “According to my father, I never had any. I shoved my men out in front of me and hid behind their fallen bodies for cover.”
Scowling, Urian didn’t comment as he teleported Styxx to a small room where everyone had gathered to plot out what they wanted to do.
Ash was already there with Savitar. Every bit as tall as they were, Savitar had dark hair and a perfect goatee. His eyes were an iridescent lavender. He hadn’t changed much since the last time Urian had seen him.
His jaw slack, Savitar looked back and forth between Acheron and Styxx. “Holy Were-shit. This messes with my head.”
Acheron glared at Styxx, then Urian. “What ishedoing here?”
Urian shrugged unapologetically. “You can’t go in. Styxx can.”
