Then Urian saw Stryker, and the expression on his face was one of controlled fury. He was locked on his target, and in his hand was the one weapon that could kill Acheron.
An Atlantean dagger imbued with the blood of Apollymi and with poisonous ypnsi sap from the darkest trees grown in the forests of Kalosis.
For a moment Styxx didn’t react. If Stryker killed Acheron, it was over. All of it.
He would finally have peace.
But then he made the fatal mistake of looking at Soteria, who saw what he did.
Acheron’s imminent death.
The horrified agony on her face and the tears in her eyes undid him. Love like that didn’t deserve to be separated. There was no worse hell than being one half of an eternally separated whole.
No one knew that better than Urian did.
Twice in his life, he’d been dealt that blow. First with Xyn and then with Phoebe. He wouldn’t let that kind of hatred crush Tory.
He went to stop it, but before he could get there, Styxx ran at Stryker. He caught the Daimon lord right before he reached Acheron, who had stupidly closed his eyes while he fought.
Because Styxx still wore sunglasses, Stryker lost focus on Acheron and mistook him for his brother.
Stryker laughed in satisfaction as he buried the knife deep into Styxx’s stomach.
Urian felt that blow as if he’d taken it himself.
Styxx stumbled back and fell into someone. His sunglasses went flying.
Time hung still as they all watched him fall against Acheron and his brother stepped aside to let him go down hard on the floor.
Growling at the fact he’d missed Acheron, Stryker reached for the dagger in Styxx’s stomach. Styxx held it inside him with one hand while he tried to beat Stryker back with his other. But his blood made the hilt too slippery and the pain and scar weakened his grasp. Against his best effort, Stryker yanked the dagger out.
Styxx gasped. “Acheron!” he shouted, warning his brother.
Turning in time, Acheron caught the Daimon overlord with the blunt end of his staff and shoved him back. “Flee or die,” he snarled.
Stryker curled his lip. “Fuck you.”
Narrowing his gaze on Stryker, Acheron shoved him back, then slammed the staff to the ground. A wave of raw, unfettered power shot out from it to the demons and Daimons around them. Every one of them turned to dust.
And it knocked Urian to his knees.
Except for Stryker. He hovered above the ground in a dragon’s form, snarling and flapping. Bellowing in rage, Stryker spewed fire at Acheron.
Acheron lifted his arm, barely in time to keep it from burning him. He shot another god-bolt at Stryker, who dodged it.
“This isn’t over, Acheron. Next time you won’t be able to use your powers.”
With another blast of fire, Stryker vanished.
Urian rushed to Styxx’s side at the same time Ash did.
Opening his eyes, Styxx panted in sheer agony. “You know, brother, you’re never supposed to close your eyes in battle.”
Ash laughed. “I wasn’t the one training to be a general.”
Styxx sighed. “Perhaps. But you do a much better job of leading than I ever did. I definitely think Father trained the wrong one of us.”
Without a word, Acheron placed his hand over Styxx’s wound. Styxx hissed. “Fine, then, you’re a stupid fucking asshole. Get your hands off me,” he snarled through gritted teeth.
