The Dark-Hunters (539 page)

“This is her feast day. There will be games and offerings in her temple all day long. Father’s already sent his offering and is overseeing the others, but I thought you might be going too.”

Not with his father. Was she insane? He’d been making it a point to avoid any contact whatsoever with him or Styxx.

Acheron shook his head. “I don’t think I should.”

She gaped at him. “Are you mad? Don’t you think Artemis would be offended if someone close to her didn’t show her
his
respect?”

Acheron frowned. Would she? Artemis could be temperamental that way.

I’ll be in the temple all day, but I shall see you afterward. I wish I didn’t have to wait so long to see you.

Could that have been a veiled invitation?

No, Artie was anything but subtle.

“I don’t have an offering.”

Ryssa shoved at his shoulder. “Make one of the heart. It won’t matter to her what it is. But you have to show your appreciation of the gods, Acheron. It’s unwise not to honor them, especially when one has been shown a degree of favoritism.” She smiled at him. “Now get yourself dressed. I have to go and can’t wait for you. But I’ll watch for you at the temple—don’t be long.”

Acheron didn’t move from bed until Ryssa had left him. He still wasn’t sure this was the best idea. But so long as he kept his presence veiled, there shouldn’t be any harm. He could just go, make an offering and leave.

No one, other than Artemis, would even know he’d been there. And if that would please her …

How could he not honor her on her feast day after all she’d given him? He wanted her to know how much he loved her. Wanted her to see that he was willing to risk his life for her.

The very thought of making her happy brought a smile to his face. Getting out of bed, he tried to think of what Artemis might enjoy. She liked to hear him play and she loved his body and blood. But those would make her angry should he make a public offering of them …

White rose petals—for her purity and grace. And pearls. The goddess loved pearls. She’d even taken him pearl diving.

That was it, it would make a perfect gift to show her how pure his love and admiration for her were.

He dressed quickly, then headed to the market to buy what he needed.

By noon, he was at her temple, which was crowded with people. Nobles and officials had a separate entrance where their offerings were blessed by the priests. Even though he technically qualified, Acheron stayed in the common line. He didn’t want to do anything to draw attention to himself or risk angering his father who sat on a throne just right of Artemis’s statue, watching the people. Apollo, Styxx and Ryssa were with him.

Warily, Acheron kept glancing up, hoping to the gods that his father wouldn’t see him. He would make his offering quickly and be gone.

No one would know.

Keeping his face covered, he handed his gifts to the priest so that he could place them on the altar.

“What is it you ask of the goddess, paidi?”

Acheron shook his head. “Nothing, papas. I only offer her my respect and love.”

The priest nodded in approval before he took the small bowl of rose petals and pearls. As Acheron stepped away, someone in the crowd shoved him and he staggered into a woman holding a baby. She cried out as she lost her balance and her grip.

Acheron froze as he realized the baby would hit the floor unless he let go of his cloak to catch it. If he did that, he’d be exposed and as close as he was to his father, there was no way he’d escape notice.

But there was no choice.

He caught the infant to his chest as the mother fell. Reaching out to save herself, she grabbed his cloak and jerked it free.

Acheron winced as all attention turned to him. He’d always hated this attention and if he could, he’d make himself invisible. But there was no escaping this.

Roaring in anger, his father shot to his feet.

Sick to his stomach, Acheron helped the woman up and returned the baby to her.

She was sobbing in relief. “Thank you so much for your kindness. Bless you for saving my son.”

“Take him!” his father ordered the guards.

Acheron met Ryssa’s gaze and saw his own horror mirrored in his sister’s face as the guards grabbed his arms and hauled him to their king. The thought of fighting crossed his mind, but what was the use? They were only doing what they were told. Besides the crowd around them was tight and innocent people would be hurt if he did.

He met his father’s fury without flinching.

“How dare you defile this temple!” He turned to the guards. “Lock him in his quarters until I’m finished here.”

Acheron smirked. Such a sweet promise from the lips of his father. He couldn’t wait until nightfall.

For the first time, Acheron looked at Apollo whose derision for him was tangible. If the god only knew the truth …

Drawing a ragged breath, he watched the priests remove his offering from the altar as he was hauled from the temple.

*   *   *

Artemis looked up from her kithara as Apollo manifested in her greeting room. She’d been trying to play it the way Acheron did, but she had no talent for music. Her frustration was already taut and her brother’s presence did little to alleviate that. “What are you doing here?”

He smirked. “Why weren’t you at Didymos today?”

“You said you were going in my stead. I didn’t see the point in both of us being there.” But the truth was she didn’t want to be around Acheron’s family. They all disgusted her. Had she gone, Styxx would have had a lot more than just a stomach illness visited on him. Of course that might alert her brother about her feelings for Acheron so she thought it best that she just stay away from them. “Why? Did I miss something?”

He threw a beautiful strand of pearls at her. They were covered in white rose petals. Artemis frowned as she reached for them. “What is this?”

“The Prince Whore brought those to you.”

Her heart ceased beating. “Excuse me?”

“It was entertaining really. He came in with the rest of the filth and after he handed those over by saying he asked nothing of you in return for his gift, he was exposed. Last I heard, they were going to make him pay for defiling you.”

It took every piece of control she had not to betray their relationship. But in truth, her throat burned with tears for her Acheron … and bitter anger that they would hurt him again. She wanted to kiss the pearls that he’d given her because she knew that unlike the other tributes, his had truly come from his heart. More than that, she wanted to go to Acheron and help him.

If only she could.

Steadying herself, she threw the pearls down. “Why would you bring these to me?”

“I thought you should know that a whore breached your temple. Zeus knows, I wouldn’t tolerate such a person in mine. Shall we go exact our own revenge on the whore?”

She returned to strumming her kithara. “He’s not worth my time.”

“Since when do you not have time for vengeance?”

“Since I’d rather stay here and play. Now go and visit one of your pets. I can’t be bothered with you.”

“Suit yourself.”

Artemis didn’t move until after he’d left her. The moment he did, she held her hand out for the pearls. They flew into her hand. Rubbing them against her heart, she went to see if she could help Acheron.

*   *   *

Acheron stood in the courtyard with his hands tied above his head. His lips and nose were already bleeding from the hits Styxx had gleefully rained down on him.

He spat blood on the ground before he narrowed a murderous glare at his brother. “Shouldn’t you be at the temple still?”

Styxx backhanded him so hard his ears rang.

Acheron laughed at the pathetic slap. “You hit like an old woman.”

Styxx stepped forward but was stopped by their father who entered through the doors. The look on his face was one of supreme disgust.

Acheron sighed. “I know I shouldn’t have gone. Could we just start the beating, finish it and let me go back to my room?”

His father narrowed his eyes. “Why are you so eager to be beaten?”

“It’s the only attention I get from you, Father. As with Estes. So let the blows commence.”

His father dug his fingers into his face as hatred blazed in his blue eyes. “I’ve told you not to mention my brother’s name from your foul mouth.” His gaze dipped down to the necklace Acheron wore.

Acheron held his breath as he realized he’d forgotten to remove Artemis’s gift before he went to her temple. His heart stilled and for the first time he tasted fear as his father released his face and plucked it up to examine it.

“What’s this?”

Acheron forced himself to remain calm and nonchalant. “A trinket I bought.”

Styxx peered at it over his father’s shoulder. “It’s the same ring Artemis’s priests wear to summon her.” His features hardened. “You stole it!”

His father snatched it from his neck, causing the chain to cut into his skin before it broke. “Do you think the gods give a damn about you?”

Not as a rule, but Artemis did.

Styxx took the ring and grabbed a ladle of water. “We should teach the thief a lesson.” Before Acheron could move, Styxx shoved the ring into Acheron’s mouth and poured water into it, forcing him to swallow it.

Tears gathered in Acheron’s eyes as the ring scraped his throat and burned. He choked on it and the water, but Styxx didn’t let up until he was satisfied the ring was completely swallowed.

Acheron coughed and sputtered, trying to catch his breath.

Styxx wrenched his hair. “A whore has dishonored our beloved virgin goddess on her feast day. I think he should be publicly gelded.”

Acheron’s eyes widened at the punishment.

His father laughed approvingly before he cut him down. “It would please Artemis I think.”

Acheron tried to run, but his father caught him and knocked him to the ground.

“Tell me why you came to the temple,” his father demanded.

Acheron pushed himself up to find Ryssa joining them. His father struck him again and spun him around so that he could pin Acheron to the wall with his forearm held across Acheron’s throat.

“Explain yourself, whore. What made you venture to the temple?”

Ryssa ran to Acheron. “Tell them. You must.”

Fear gripped him as he shook his head at her.

“Tell us what?” the king demanded.

“Don’t, Ryssa,” Acheron whispered from his pinched throat as he tried to push his father’s arm away. “I beg you. If you love me even a little, don’t betray me.”

“They’re going to geld you. If they know the truth, they’ll leave you alone.”

“I don’t care.”

Ryssa pulled their father away from him. “Father stop! He’s innocent. He’s with Artemis. Tell him, Acheron! For the sake of the gods, tell him the truth so he’ll stop this beating.”

His father knocked him to the ground. He then kicked him onto his back and pressed his foot to Acheron’s throat to the point bile rose to choke him. “What lies have you told her, maggot?”

Acheron tried to push the foot away, but his father pressed it even harder against his windpipe. Speaking was all but impossible. “Nothing, p-p-please…”

“Blasphemer.” His father stepped back then and left Acheron to strangle as he tried desperately to breathe through his bruised esophagus. “Strip him and drag him to Artemis’s temple. Let the goddess witness his punishment and if he really was with her, then I’m sure she’ll come to his defense.” He’d turned a smug look at Ryssa.

The guards moved forward, but Ryssa put herself in front of him. The only way to get to him would be to harm her and possibly the baby she carried. “Father, you can’t.”

“This doesn’t concern you.”

“If you hurt Acheron, Artemis will unleash untold horrors on you.”

Their father laughed. “Are you insane?”

“No, Ryssa, please stop!” Acheron begged. “Don’t!”

“Acheron is her consort.”

Acheron couldn’t breathe as those words rang in his ears … Ryssa had betrayed him. But in her world the gods protected their pets. She had no reason to think that Artemis wouldn’t come to save him the way Apollo would save her. Too bad Artemis was not her brother. Closing his eyes, he wished himself dead.

When he opened them, he saw an outline of Artemis in the shadows. She was holding his pearls.

His father’s laughter mixed with Styxx’s. “You are Artemis’s consort?”

Acheron couldn’t respond as he saw the look of horror etched on Artemis’s face. It faded beneath a look of anger so palpable it singed him.

His father sneered. “Do you really expect me to believe a goddess would have anything to do with you?”

Acheron couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even deny it. Artemis had frozen his vocal chords.

She thinks I told him
 …

Acheron shook his head at her, trying to make her understand that he hadn’t told anyone.

His father seized him by the throat again. “Fine. Let’s see what the goddess thinks of you.” He turned to the guards. “Take him to Artemis’s temple.” He sneered at Acheron. “If you mean so much to the goddess, surely she’ll come save you. If not, we’ll show the world what we do to blasphemous whores. Beat him at the altar until Artemis shows herself.”

“No!” Ryssa shrieked.

It was too late. Completely naked, Acheron was dragged unceremoniously out of the palace and through the crowded streets.

His body was bloody before he ever reached the temple. Everyone parted as the guards hauled him to the altar and strung him up between two columns.

“What is this?” the head priest demanded.

“By the king’s orders, the blasphemer is to be punished until the goddess is appeased. He’s to be beaten on her behalf until she shows herself to stop it.”

Acheron met Artemis’s gaze and the satisfaction in those green eyes scorched him.

“I told you what would happen if you betrayed me.”
Her voice whispered through his head.

He choked on his tears as the first lash sliced through his back. “I didn’t betray you,” he whispered. “I swear it.”

Artemis moved forward and struck him across the face with the pearls he’d given her. “Beat him harder,” she whispered to his punisher. “Make him feel every lash.”