She laughed. “I don’t know. Am I?”
“No!” Leto screamed as she ran for them.
Without hesitating, Ash intercepted her. But as soon as he neared her, she stabbed him through his stomach with an Atlantean dagger laced with ypnsi sap. While the poison was fatal to mortal beings, it was a potent toxin for the gods, and it was what Apollymi had used on her family to lock them in limbo when she’d confronted them over her son’s death.
Ash staggered back and fell to his knees.
Styxx ran to him. “Acheron?”
“Simi!” he called, ignoring his brother.
“Simi on it, akri!” She vanished.
Acheron’s body was quickly turning gray as the poison spread from the wound to the rest of him. His eyes flared red as he cupped Styxx’s cheek and pulled him closer.
Before anyone realized what Acheron intended, Ash sank his fangs into Styxx’s neck and handed over his powers for Styxx’s use. He pulled back and locked gazes with Styxx. “Kick their fucking asses, brother.”
Urian applauded him, then moved to finish off Phanen.
“With pleasure.”
He was just finishing off Phanen and reaching for another god when he heard Styxx’s sharp cry. “Urian, on deck.”
Urian flashed over, then cursed as he saw Acheron’s condition. He hadn’t realized how bad it was.
“Watch and protect him.”
He inclined his head to Styxx. “Will do.”
“Styxx?” Bethany called.
“I’m fine,” Styxx assured her.
Urian wasn’t so sure about that. All around them, the gods were battling.
Leto came at them with the dagger raised. Styxx stepped in front of Bethany as Leto stabbed at him. The force of her attack unbalanced her. He jerked her forward and disarmed her with a single twist to her wrist.
Leto laughed as she realized he wouldn’t strike her.
Until Bethany came around him with a grim, determined glint in her eyes. “I’ve got this bitch.”
Styxx stepped back and let her take fourteen thousand years of vengeance out on the goddess they both hated.
“Zakar?” Styxx shouted.
The god looked past Archon, then fell back as Styxx moved in to engage the Atlantean god in Zakar’s place.
Archon laughed. “Really? You think borrowed powers scare me? I’ve wiped my ass on higher beings and better warriors than you.”
Urian arched his brow at those arrogant words.
And so did Styxx. “I’ll concede the higher beings, but you should remember, Archon, there were no better warriors than me … in either of my lifetimes. It’s why you helped Apollo and Leto cheat in order to kill Aricles. You knew that I’d be coming for you.”
Urian paused to watch his hero battle.
Scoffing, Archon brought his axe down across Styxx’s shield, which he manifested along with his sword. Styxx lunged at his feet with his sword. The older god danced away as Styxx twirled with an uppercut that nicked his arm.
Urian cringed. Damn, that hurt.
