Suddenly, something bright red and furious flashed in the room. Urian’s temper flared as he saw his aunt Artemis in all her vibrant redheaded glory. When he took a step toward her in anger, Davyn caught him.
“Don’t,” he whispered.
Urian’s heart pounded as it demanded he beat her until his need for vengeance against her and Apollo was sated. But Davyn was right. It wouldn’t change anything.
However, it might make him feel better.
Artemis drew up short with a severe scowl and a strange noise as she saw Ash and Styxx standing together. If he didn’t know better, Urian would think she was scared of them.
Styxx leaned his head back to speak to Acheron. “I think we startled her more than she startled us.”
Acheron sighed. “What are you doing here, Artie?”
She started to speak, then closed the distance between them so that she could poke each of them on the shoulder. “That’s just … not right. Say something else so I know which of you is Acheron.”
“What, Artemis?”
She made a face of distaste. “There’s that irritated tone I loathe.” She turned her back to Acheron so that she could speak to Styxx. “I have brought you presents.”
That sent a shiver down Urian’s spine. His aunt never sent presents.
To anyone.
Beware a Greek bearing gifts, especially when it was a bitch-goddess renowned for her selfishness.
“Why?” Styxx asked.
“You’re going up against my brother and the rest of those animals.… I want you to win, and make him bleed. A lot. Buckets and buckets full until it gushes and fills the entire hall.”
Urian smirked at Davyn. Wow, Apollo was making friends everywhere he went. Nice to know his twin sister hated him as much as everyone else.
Styxx met Acheron’s gaze over her shoulder. “Should I be afraid of the bloodlust?”
“I’m terrified.” Acheron’s frown deepened. “What did Apollo do now?”
“He attacked my Nicholas while he was weakened. I will not have it. Since I’m not powerful enough to harm Apollo on my own, I want you two to kick his leg.”
Acheron rolled his eyes. “You mean ass, Artie?”
“Ass. Leg. Whatever body part pleases you. You can’t kill him, but you can make him suffer. Long. Hard. Pitifully. I gave Savitar an assortment of weapons I dipped in the River Styx. It will weaken Apollo to the point he’ll be as a mortal.” She glared her hatred for Apollo at Styxx. “If I were you, I’d castrate him slowly and with a great deal of—”
“Grammy! Grammy!”
Urian snorted at the sight of Mia popping into the room while dressed as some kind of woodland fairy creature. That little dark-haired toddler was part bloodhound when it came to her grandparents. Unaware of the fact that her grandmother was a nightmare bitch, she immediately leapt into Artemis’s arms so that she could wrap her pudgy arms around her with a squeal and give her a big hug and kiss.
Her rant instantly forgotten, Artemis returned the affection. “Mia Bella! How is my precious today?”
The girl squealed even louder as she bounced in her arms. “Gamma, Gamma, Gamma, guess what? Guess what! The Simi gonna put hornays on my head like hers and Pappas’s. And she said that I could pick any color I want and that they’d be on all the time and they can glow in the dark, too.”
Bug-eyed, Artemis appeared as horrified by the idea as Urian had the first time Simi tried to do it to him.
Acheron laughed and rubbed Mia’s back. “How about if Simi makes you a pair that can come off?”
Mia wrinkled her nose at him. “Pappas! No! I want real ones. Like you and Simi and Xireni.”
Artemis blew out a burst of air. “You know Pappas only has those when he’s mad, right?”
Mia’s eyes widened. “Really?”
