The Dark-Hunters (518 page)

“Well,” I said, trying to lighten the sudden malaise, “Zeus is the king of the Olympian gods and his queen is Hera.”

“I like Artemis,” Maia spoke up. “She’s the goddess of the hunt and of childbirth. She’s the one who saved my mother’s life when I was born and we were so ill. The midwife swore that we’d both die, but my father sacrificed and made offerings to Artemis and she saved us both.”

Acheron smiled. “She must be a great goddess indeed and I owe her much that she allowed you to be born.”

Maia beamed in happy satisfaction.

Over the course of the afternoon, I ran through a quick lesson of the Greek gods, but unlike the writing, Acheron had a hard time grasping all the names and their titles. It was as if they were so alien to him that he couldn’t tell one from another. He constantly confused them.

We spent many hours there until Maia fell to sleep sitting beside Acheron.

His features softened as he looked down at her and cradled her in his arms. “She does this a lot. She’ll be chatting away one moment and then fall sound asleep the next. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

I smiled as warmth seeped through me. He looked so sweet holding her like a protective father. Given the brutality of his past, his ability to still feel compassion and to show tenderness never ceased to amaze me. “You love her, don’t you?”

His expression was one of pure horror and then blatant rage. “I would
never
touch her that way.”

His rancor baffled me until it dawned on me why he was so angry. In his world, love was a physical act and not an emotion. The very thought made my heart ache. “Love doesn’t have to be sexual, Acheron. In its purest form it has nothing to do with a physical act.”

Confusion lined his brow. “How do you mean?”

I gestured toward the girl he held so protectively in the shelter of his muscular arms. “When you look at Maia, your heart softens, doesn’t it?”

He nodded.

“You look at her and all you want to do is keep her safe from harm and take care of her.”

“Yes.”

I smiled at him. “You want nothing from her except to make her happy.”

He cocked his head curiously as he studied my face. “How do you know that?”

“Because that’s how I feel about you, little brother. The love you have for her is the same as what I feel whenever I think of you. If you ever needed me, there’s no hardship I wouldn’t endure to be by your side as quickly as I could.”

He swallowed as a haunted look came into his swirling silver eyes. “You love me?”

“With every part of my heart. I would do anything to keep you safe.”

For the first time since he’d come here I felt as if I’d finally reached him. And then the most miraculous thing of all happened.

Acheron took my hand. “Then I love you, Ryssa.”

Tears clouded my eyes as emotions choked me. “I love you too, akribos. And I don’t want you ever to doubt that.”

“I won’t.” He squeezed my hand. “Thank you for coming to get me.”

No words had ever meant more to me nor touched me so deeply. My throat was so tight that I couldn’t even speak as he let go of my hand to rise with Maia in his arms so that he could take her to her mother. I watched him walk away and hoped with every part of my soul that he would always feel that way toward me. I could stand anything except my brother’s hatred.

MARCH
19, 9531
BC

Today I decided to teach Acheron how to read from some of the scrolls I kept in my room. We’d barely begun when I noticed something very different about him.

The balls in his tongue were gone.

“You took them out,” I breathed, unable to believe what I was seeing.

His expression was a cross between sheepishness and pride. “I made myself trust you. You say that I’m safe here and that no one is going to take me away again. I want to believe that. So I took them out and am going to trust in the gods that they’ll keep me with you.”

I cupped his face in my hands, delighted even more that he didn’t stiffen, and pulled him into my arms so that I could hug him close. “You’re safe here, little brother. I swear it.”

For the first time, he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back.

Never had anything touched me more.

I heard someone clearing their throat. Pulling back, I found Petra in the doorway with wine and cheese. “I thought the two of you would like a snack.”

I nodded before I pulled away. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

She inclined her head to me before she placed the tray on a small side table.

Acheron watched until after she’d left us alone before he spoke. “Do you ever think about getting married, Ryssa?”

I hesitated before I poured our cups. “I do sometimes and I wonder why Father hasn’t procured me a husband. Most princesses are married long before they reach my age. But Father says he can’t find anyone he deems worthy.” I smiled. “Truthfully, I’m not in any great hurry. I’ve seen too many of my friends married to ogres, so if Father wishes to take more time to find me a gentle husband, I can certainly wait. Why do you ask?”

“I was thinking of Petra and her husband. Have you ever noticed the way they laugh whenever they’re together? And when they’re apart, there’s a sadness to them. It’s as if they can’t bear to be parted even for a few minutes.”

I nodded. “They share a great love of one another. It’s a pity not all married couples are like that.”

“Are our parents like that?”

I glanced away as my memories brought images of the way my parents had been before Styxx and Acheron’s births. In those days, they’d loved each other passionately. Seldom had they parted and my father had doted on my mother with a love that appeared unending.

Then their sons had been born. Since that fateful day, my father couldn’t stand to be near my mother. He blamed her for Acheron.

“You whored yourself to a god. Don’t deny it. There’s no other way he could have come from your womb.”

The more my mother protested her innocence, the more my father seemed to hate her. Finally she claimed that Zeus had tricked her and that she’d had no idea of his presence in her bed.

Instead of drawing my father closer, her confession had alienated him even more and now he avoided all contact with her.

“No, Acheron,” I said quietly before taking a cup to him. “They seldom even see one another unless it’s for a state function. Father keeps company with Styxx and his senators while Mother spends a great deal of time lost in her cups.” And I hated that. At one time my mother had been wonderful. Now she was a bitter drunkard.

He looked stricken as if he understood why. “Do you think that a woman could ever love me?”

“Of course. Why would you doubt it?”

He swallowed before he answered in a tone so low I barely heard it. “How could anyone ever love me? Idikos says that I only bring shame to all decent people. I’m a fatherless bastard and a worthless whore. Surely no decent woman would ever have something like me.”

“That is absolutely not true,” I said vehemently. “You are worth this entire world and I assure you that you will find a woman out there, besides me, who sees just how wonderful you really are.”

He swallowed hard. “If I’m ever so fortunate, I swear she’ll never doubt my affection for her.”

“You
will
be that fortunate.”

He smiled at me, but it was hollow and the doubt in his eyes was enough to bring tears to mine.

Clearing my throat, I sought to distract him. “Now let’s learn your letters, shall we?”

He returned to the scrolls and for hours I watched as he applied himself with a fervor I’d never seen. And every time he spoke without those balls on his tongue, my heart soared. This was a great victory, and one day soon I would win this war and his past would be put to rest.

MAY
9, 9531
BC

I was alone in my room when Maia pushed open the door.

“Is Acheron ill?”

I put down my quill to frown at her. “I haven’t seen him today. Why do you ask?”

She scratched her nose and looked completely perplexed. “I went to get him so that we could bake today, but he didn’t appear well. He said his head was hurting and he was rather sharp with me. Acheron is never sharp with me. Then when I took him some wine for his head, his room was empty. Should I be worried?”

“No, akribos,” I said, feigning a smile I didn’t feel. “You run to the kitchen and I’ll check on him.”

“Thank you, Princess.” She returned my smile before she skipped out of the room.

Worried about him myself, I opened the doors that led into the courtyard. Acheron had been spending a lot of time out there with the grass and flowers. But he wasn’t there now.

My next stop was the orchards. Again, he wasn’t to be found.

After a quick search of the house, I was truly becoming concerned. He never strayed very far on his own. And it was truly rare for him to avoid Maia.

Unreasoning panic set in as I headed out of the house to search the grounds again.

Where could he be?

If he were Styxx, I’d most likely find him cavorting with a maid in the privacy of his room. But I knew Acheron would never do such a thing.

Then it dawned on me.

The sea …

He hadn’t gone there since the wintertime, but I could think of no other place that hadn’t been searched. It was the only place he could be. Whispering a quick prayer to the gods that I was right, I made my way down to the beach, toward the rocks where he used to sit.

He wasn’t there either.

But as I climbed up, I caught sight of him lying on his back on the sand with the waves rushing over him. My breath caught. He didn’t appear to be moving at all.

Soaking wet, he lay in the surf with his eyes closed.

Terrified of the sight, I scrambled down and rushed to his side. Even before I reached him, I could see the pallor of his beautiful face.

“Acheron!” I shouted with fearful tears in my eyes. I was terrified he was dead.

To my instant relief, he opened his eyes to meet my gaze. Still he didn’t move.

“What are you doing?” I asked as I sank to my knees beside him. My gown was completely wet and ruined now, but I didn’t care. My vanity didn’t matter at all. Only my brother did.

He clenched his eyes shut before he spoke in a tone so quiet I could barely hear it over the surf. “The pain isn’t so bad if I lie here.”

“What pain?”

He reached out to take my hand. His own trembled to such an extent that it returned my fear to me tenfold. “The voices in my head. They’re always excruciating on this day, every year.”

“I don’t understand.”

“They keep saying that it’s the anniversary of my birth and that I should come to them. But Apollymi is screaming at me to hide and not listen. The louder she shouts, the louder they shout. It’s. Unbearable. I just want them to go away. I’m going mad, aren’t I?”

Clutching his hand, I wiped his wet hair from his brow and realized that he hadn’t shaved. A full day’s growth of beard stubbled his chin and cheeks—something he never allowed. Acheron was always impeccably groomed and dressed. “Today isn’t the anniversary of your birth. You were born in June.”

“I know, but they scream just the same. I fell trying to reach the rocks and discovered that in the sea the voices are muffled.”

That made no sense to me. “Why would that help?”

“I don’t know. But it does.”

A wave rushed to shore, completely covering him. He didn’t move at all even though it knocked me sideways. I straightened myself and watched as he coughed up water. Still he made no move to leave the sea.

“You’ll catch a chill lying here.”

“I don’t care. I would rather be sick than hear them yelling at me so loudly.”

Desperate to help soothe him, I moved to his head and sat cross-legged on the ground before I pulled his head into my lap. “Is this any better?”

He nodded as he again laced his fingers with mine and led my hand to his heart where he held it. By the tight grip, I knew his head was still aching unmercifully.

We didn’t speak for hours as he lay there with my hand on his chest. My legs lost all feeling, but I didn’t care. We were gone so long from the house that Petra came out to check on me. She was as confused by Acheron’s explanation as I was, but she dutifully left us alone and brought food and wine.

Acheron was in too much pain to eat even though I forced him to nibble at some of the bread.

By nightfall, the voices quieted enough that he was able to push himself up. He was unsteady on his feet.

“Are you all right?” I asked in concern.

“Just a little dizzy from the voices. But they’re not so loud now.” He draped one arm over my shoulders and together we made our way back to his room.

I had Petra draw him a hot bath while I wrapped a towel around him. He was still pale, his features pinched.

Maia came running in with two glasses of warmed milk. “I was worried about you, Acheron,” she admonished.

“I’m sorry, bit. I didn’t mean to concern you.”

“Are you feeling better?”

He nodded.

“Maia,” Petra said from the doorway. “Come away so that Acheron may bathe in peace.”

“I put some sugar in the milk,” Maia confided before she obeyed her mother. “Hope you feel better soon.”

Charmed by her actions, I followed her.

“Ryssa?”

I paused at the door to look back at Acheron who was still wrapped in the towel. “Yes?”

“Thank you for being worried about me and for staying with me today. Now get yourself dried off before you catch a chill.”

“Yes, sir,” I said with a smile.

I left and closed the door before I made my way to my own room. The doors were still open so I shut them. As I did so, the strangest thing happened.

I heard a vague whisper on the wind.

“Apostolos.”

Frowning, I looked about, but couldn’t see anyone. Where on earth had the voice come from? More than that, I didn’t know anyone named Apostolos.

I shook my head to clear it. “Now I’m hearing Acheron’s voices.”

It was strange to be sure.

But even as I dismissed it, there was a part of me that wondered about it. Most of all, I wondered if it might be yet another threat to my brother.