Styxx (DH #33) (7 page)

Unsure of her mood, Styxx hesitated. Why did his powers always fail him when he needed them most?

“Is she sober?” Acheron whispered in his ear.

“I don’t know.”

Their mother let out an exasperated sigh. “Will you two stop whispering. Either come in or leave. Preferably the latter.”

Styxx started to go.

Acheron pushed him forward.

Thanks, brother.…

Crossing the room, Styxx held the box out toward her.

She frowned at it. “What’s this?”

“Happy birthday, Mother,” they said in unison.

A rare smile lit her face as she took the box and opened it to find the shell bead necklace Styxx had bought in the marketplace. Hoping to please her, he’d traded one of his carved horses for it.

“Thank you.” She pulled him into a cold, mechanical hug.

Bug-eyed, Styxx met Acheron’s gaping stare. Before he realized what Acheron was doing, his brother stepped forward.

“Happy birthday, Mother.” Acheron moved to hug her.

Shrieking in outrage, she slapped him hard across his face. “Get away from me, you repulsive monster!”

Styxx’s nose exploded with blood as pain permeated his cheek, skull, and eye. Damn, for a sot, his mother could pack a wallop.

She continued to rail against them as they ran for the door and then down the hallway. They didn’t stop until they’d reached the bottom of the stairs.

His breathing labored, Acheron turned to face him. “Why do they do that to me?”

“I don’t know. They’re crazy.”

“What in the name of Zeus happened to you?”

Styxx flinched at the sound of his father’s angry voice as he wiped at the blood on his face. He cringed over the sight of blood droplets on his white chiton. Few things upset his father more than for him to be disheveled in public.

“Did you hit him?” he accused Acheron.

Acheron shook his head.

“Liar!” He moved to take his arm.

“Father, no!” Styxx blocked him from attacking his brother.

Acheron ducked then ran like mad up the stairs and out of sight.

His father started after Acheron, but Styxx grabbed his arm and held him in place. “He didn’t do it, Father. It’s just another nosebleed. I get them all the time.”

“Xerxes?”

Styxx glanced past his father to see his uncle closing the distance between them. “Uncle, please tell him that Acheron didn’t harm me. It’s nothing.”

Estes passed a skeptical look from Styxx to his father. “It doesn’t look like nothing to me, child. Rather, that’s a severe injury on your face. It’s obvious
someone
hit you.”

“It wasn’t Acheron.” Styxx let go of his father so that he could hold his nostrils together to contain the bleeding. “I shall be fine, Father. I’m sorry for the mess.” Hoping he’d given Acheron enough time to hide, he left them and went to his room to clean his nose and change his clothes.

He’d barely finished dressing a few minutes later when he heard Acheron and Ryssa yelling. What in the name of Olympus?

Normally, he was the one screaming with Ryssa. It wasn’t like Acheron to get crossed up with her for anything. But as he left his room, he realized it was something far worse than a fight between siblings.…

Soldiers were dragging his brother down the stairs, toward the front door. Terrified, Styxx ran after them. He didn’t catch up until they were in the drive outside. He tried to reach his brother, but his father held him back while Estes carried Acheron away in his arms.

Styxx glared at his father. “What’s going on?”

“Estes is taking him to live in Atlantis.”

That was an even harder blow than the one that still stung his face. “What? No! No!”

Styxx tried to break out of his father’s hold to get to his brother, who was fighting Estes every bit as hard.

“It’s for the best. He’s a danger to all of us, especially you.”

How could they be so stupid? His brother was the only one who would
never
intentionally hurt him. “Acheron! Please, Father! Don’t take my brother from me! Please!”

“Styxx!” Acheron held his hands out toward him while Styxx did everything he could to get to him.

No one listened to them. Nor did they take pity or mercy on the boys.

Heartbroken, Styxx fought his father’s hold and watched as his uncle and brother rode out of sight. And as they went, he knew that Estes hadn’t just taken his brother from him.

He’d taken everything.…

*   *   *

C
ompletely devastated by
the loss of Acheron’s company, Styxx pushed the door open to Ryssa’s room. Her sobs had been relentless. For hours now, he’d listened to her give free vocal rein to the same emotions that flogged him. But if he cried as she did for Acheron, his father would have him beaten for it.

The desolate loneliness was terrible. It was as if someone had cut off his arm and thrashed him with it. He felt bereft and betrayed. Without Acheron, he had no one to turn to. No one to talk to. No one who would hug him or make sure he was all right when he hurt.

He was all alone and completely desperate for something to hold on to, even if it meant embracing the big sister who hated him.

“Ryssa?”

She pulled away from her nurse who’d been holding her, trying to comfort her pain. Drawing a ragged breath, she glared at him as if it was his fault Acheron was gone. “What do you want, you selfish little beast?”

Styxx bit his lip in indecision. Her mood was extremely volatile. But what did he have to lose now? “I could be your little brother, too … like Acheron.”

She curled her lip as more tears fell down her face. “You? You’re the reason they took my brother from me. Just because you look like him, it doesn’t make you what he is. You could
never
be my Acheron. You’re just a poor copy of him. Get out of my sight. You sicken me.” Wailing, she buried her head against her nurse’s shoulder. The old woman patted her lovingly while they ignored him entirely.

“But I could love you, too, sister. If you’d let me.”

Shrieking, she shot from her nurse and grabbed his arm. “I don’t want your love, you brat. You know nothing of loving others. Only yourself.” She shoved him out the door and slammed it shut in his face.

Styxx’s lips quivered as he stared at the closed door with tears in his eyes. “I could learn to love if only one of you would teach me how,” he whispered.

But none of them wanted to love him and he knew it. The only person who’d loved him was gone now. Stolen away from him.

I have no one
. And he hated being alone. Twins weren’t born to be apart. He was only one half of a whole.

Brothers, forever and always.

That had been their pact. Styxx wiped at the tears in his eyes as he went to Acheron’s room. But there was nothing here. Like his heart and soul, it was empty. The only possession left behind was Acheron’s flat, worn pillow.

With tears streaming down his face, he went to the bed and pulled the pillow into his arms then went to his own room. He held his fist to his mouth to stifle his sobs as he placed Acheron’s pillow on the floor next to the wall. Lying down on it, he pressed his spine to the wall and then his feet, trying to pretend it was his brother at his back. But the wall was so cold, and while the pillow smelled of Acheron, it just wasn’t the same.

It couldn’t hold his hand or speak to him with comforting words. It was just a pillow.

His brother was gone from his world. The grief and agony were so fierce he couldn’t bear it. It felt as if someone had reached into his chest and yanked his heart out.

“What am I to do?”

Styxx glanced at his wooden horses and saw the one Acheron had brought to him earlier that day. Rage clouded his sight. How dare Estes give him that and then take Acheron. Did he think a stupid horse could replace his brother’s love?

Did he?

Unable to stand it, he ran to the chest and smashed all of the finely carved horses to pieces. He stomped them on the floor until they were splintered. He didn’t want to see them again. Ever!

When he came to the last whole one, he stopped. It was the horse Ryssa had given Acheron for their birthday two years back.

Will you keep it for me, Styxx? I would weep if it were lost.

Pulling it toward him, he cradled it to his chest. “I won’t let it be harmed, Acheron. It will be here for your return. I promise.”

No matter where they lived or how far apart, they were still brothers.

Forever and always.

June 18, 9537 BC

Four years later

Sighing heavily, Styxx picked through the merchant’s wares, trying to find something his sister might like for her birthday gift. Unfortunately, Ryssa had everything imaginable.

He hesitated at a necklace.

“You don’t have enough money for that, Highness.”

Styxx cringed at the resonance of his valet’s snide tone that gloated at being able to say that to him. Loudly. There were several snickers from nearby patrons over the comment.

Growling low, he moved away from the necklace. He hated being embarrassed. He suffered enough of that from his sister, mother, father, tutors, and trainers. The last thing he wanted was for another servant to publicly mock him, too.

Even though Styxx had asked his father for a loan, his father had adamantly refused.
If you want more money, work harder for it.
Something difficult to do given the magnitude of the study load he carried, the court sessions he had to attend, his war training, strategy sessions, and temple obligations.

And the small fact that he already worked an average of twenty-two hours a week …

They just rarely paid him for it.

“They have cheaper items over here that I’m sure you can afford, Your Highness.” Styxx cringed even more at his valet’s snottiness.

Unwilling to be embarrassed further, Styxx left without a word.

His valet followed with the same smug stare. “Highness? You’re—”

“You’re dismissed,” Styxx snapped at his valet as soon as they were outside the shop. “Return to the palace immediately,
servant
. I’ve had quite enough of you for one day.”

“Styxx!” Ryssa barked as she happened by at just that precise moment.

Why, gods … why?

Styxx ignored her as he refused to give in on this. It was bad enough others berated and embarrassed him all the time. He wasn’t about to tolerate it in public for others to laugh at him, too. “I have my guard. You are to leave. Now!”

The valet glared at him, but he had no choice except to obey.

Ryssa grabbed Styxx’s arm, sinking her nails into his flesh until he was certain he’d have half-moon cuts from it. “That was rude!”

And grabbing his arm in front of everyone wasn’t? “Let me go,” he growled.

She tightened her hold. “Father will have a fit if he sees you here without your valet.”

“I have my guards.”

She shoved him back. “Fine. I hope he catches you, you little beast. You deserve it.” Without a word, she spun toward her guard and escort and left him.

Styxx rubbed at the small cuts she’d left behind on his flesh. He definitely didn’t feel like getting her a present now. But if he didn’t, his father would be furious.

It was expected, after all.

I better be quick
. Ryssa would run to tell on him. He had no doubt. She always did. His heart pounding in fear of being caught in public without his manservant, he went into the next store, where he often bought gifts for his father.

He was rather surprised to find Master Praxis inside. But since this was usually Styxx’s allotted study time with him, it made sense that Master Praxis would also be running errands.

His tutor inclined his head to him. “Prince Styxx … How has your pursuit of a gift gone?”

“Futile so far, sir. But I’m hoping to find something here.”

“Perhaps I could be of service?”

Styxx smiled at him. “I hope so, Master Praxis. Otherwise I won’t have time before her banquet.”

His tutor returned his smile. “Then let us count this as a lesson in economics.”

Styxx was more than grateful for the help.

The owner came out from the back with a ring for Master Praxis. “Greetings, young prince.”

“Greetings, Master Claudius.” Styxx wandered about to look at the necklaces while his tutor finished his purchase.

“I take it you’re not shopping for His Majesty,” the owner asked as soon as he came over to assist Styxx.

“No, sir. My sister.”

“Ah … Her Highness was in here earlier.” He pulled out a pair of pearl hair combs. Intricately engraved, they were very pretty. “One of a kind. She was quite taken with them, but said she’d have to ask your father for the price.”

Styxx bit his lip. “How much?”

“For you, Highness, a tetradrachm.”

“That’s a bit steep, is it not?” Master Praxis asked the owner.

“These are the finest quality pearls available, as is the silver and gold. And the workmanship is in a class of its own.”

Styxx sighed as his face warmed from even more embarrassment. “I’m afraid I don’t have that much.”

“How much do you have to spend?” the owner asked.

“Half of that.” He’d brought all his savings, including the money he’d set aside for a set of dice he’d wanted to buy himself for his birthday next week.

“Would you be interested in a trade?”

Styxx hesitated then nodded.

“What you have, plus … your fibula.”

His heart clenched at the price. The king had given the brooch to him last year and it was one of his most prized possessions. He bit his lip in indecision.

Master Praxis frowned. “That’s a dear cost, Highness. Perhaps she’d like a bracelet?”

She had drawers full of those.…

“Did she really like it?” he asked the owner.

“She did, indeed.”

Styxx glanced around, but didn’t see anything else as pretty … and if he didn’t make her happy, his father would be furious.
A king must sacrifice for the good of his people.
It would always be expected of him.

He looked up at Master Praxis. “The good of the many is always better than the good of the few.” Still, he really loved his fibula.