Acheron frowned. “That’s biologically impossible.”
“No. You forget, boy, we’re gods. Bath isn’t human in any way, nor was she born of a mother’s womb. She was a gift to me from the Source to teach me compassion for others. As the Mavromino allowed the birth of the first Malachai to calm your mother, the Kalosum created her to keep me from turning my back on what I’d been born to do. It’s why she was never supposed to know the love of any man. Her duty was to stay pure and remain the order to my chaos. She was justice. Cold and unyielding, without any personal interests or the ability to play favorites. Aricles changed all that. When her heart broke in half over his death, her tears are what transformed her into ruthless, uncaring vengeance. She lost all balance and nothing mattered except to make the world pay for the wrong it’d done her and Aricles. Ironically, it was that more than anything that showed me why I needed to keep a handle on my own powers. As bad as she was, I would be much worse should I ever let the Mavromino control me.”
Styxx glanced back to Bethany. “So how do I wake her?”
“You have to return her heart to her.”
“And that is where?”
Set sighed. “Last I heard it was given to Epithymia. The ugly side of desire is covetous jealousy. Epithymia wanted Apollo and thought that if she stole that part of the Bet he once loved, it would help her to seduce him.”
Artemis scoffed. “Didn’t work. She was too big a slut for my brother. He does havesomestandards.”
Not that Urian had ever heard of. Apollo was about as fickle as they came. He cared for no one and nothing.
“Then she’s the one we use the necklace on first.” After kissing Bethany’s hand, Styxx pulled the covers up over her. He stepped back and swept them with a determined grimace. “Let’s do this.”
Urian nodded. They’d all suffered enough. It was time to take back their lives and make the gods pay.
You know thisisn’t going to work, right?” Styxx asked Acheron as they teleported to Ash’s bedroom in Katateros.
“I’ve had worse odds.”
“So have I, but most didn’t work out well for me.”
Urian didn’t comment on that. He’d been there too many times himself. Most of which, lately, had come from Ash throwing his ass to the wolves, gallu, dragons, and just about every other demonic entity the gods had ever created.
So it was a good thing he was suicidal.
Bitterly amused, Urian glanced around the room that had changed about as much over the years as he had. Before Acheron’s marriage, the room had been sparsely decorated in black and brown. Now it was powder-puff blue with dancing circus animals on the walls and a canopied crib within easy reach of the large bed … a holdover from Acheron’s paranoia and guilt about his nephew Apollodorus, who’d been killed by the soldiers Urian’s grandmother had unleashed on him, thus causing the original curse against all Apollites.
Acheron’s son, Sebastos, was never left to sleep alone. The baby had been almost a year old before Acheron had allowed him to sleep anywhere other than his father’s chest.
But Urian couldn’t fault him for that. He’d been almost as bad with his own children.
Can you hear me?
He frowned as Acheron’s thoughts intruded on his, then nodded.
Good. I think it best if we communicate like this for a while.
Styxx nodded again.
Ash turned toward Urian.You hang back.
He saluted him to let him know he’d heard him.
Styxx went to the door and listened for the others. Seth’s “bird” spirit had shown them that the gods were all gathered in the throne room, where they bragged about what they intended to do once they had Apostolos or Ash, rather, in their custody.
None of it was pretty and it made Urian glad he wasn’t his boss and even gladder that they’d reconsidered sending Styxx in as his double.
Acheron joined Styxx at the door while Urian stayed by the windows.They’ve sensed our powers.
Something they wanted the Atlanteans to do since it would throw them off.
Ready?Styxx asked.
Absolutely not.
