Zarek flinched at the mention of his brother. As much as he hated to admit it, Ash was right. He might very well have used his knowledge to kill Valerius. "You have no right to play with people's minds."
Acheron's agreement stunned him. "No, I don't. And believe it or not, I seldom do. But that's not why you're really mad, now is it?"
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Zarek tensed. "I don't know what you mean."
"Yes you do, Z." He closed his eyes and cocked his head as if listening to something. "I know every thought inside you. Just as I did that night you slaughtered the Apollites and Daimons after Taberleigh. I tried to give you peace of mind by eliminating your memories, but you wouldn't take it. I couldn't stop your dreams and M'Adoc wouldn't help. For that I apologize. But right now you have a much bigger problem than what I did to you when I tried to help."
"Yeah? What's that?"
Acheron held his hand up and projected an image from his palm.
Zarek's breath caught as he saw Astrid weeping. She sat in a small atrium with three other women who were holding her as she cried.
He walked toward the image, only to remember he couldn't really touch it.
"It hurts so much," she sobbed.
"Atty, do something!" a blond woman said, looking at the redheaded woman who appeared to be the eldest. "Go kill him for hurting her."
"No," Astrid wailed. "Don't you dare. I'll never forgive you if you hurt him."
"Who are those women with her?" Zarek asked.
"The three Fates. Atty, or Atropos, is the one with red hair. Clotho is the one with blond hair holding Astrid, and the dark-headed one is Lachesis, or Lacy."
Zarek stared at them, his heart breaking at the pain he'd caused Astrid. The last thing he had ever wanted was to hurt her. "Why are you showing me this?"
Acheron answered his question with one of his own. "Do you remember what I said to you in New Orleans?
"
Zarek looked at him wryly. "You said a lot of shit to me then.
"
So Acheron repeated it." ' The past is dead, Z. Tomorrow will become whatever decision you make.'
"
Acheron's gaze burned into him. "With Dionysus's help you blew it that night in New Orleans when you attacked the cops, but you bought yourself another chance when you saved Sunshine." Ash indicated Astrid. "You have another crucial choice here, Z. What will you decide?
"
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Acheron closed his hand and the image of Astrid and her sisters vanished. "Everyone deserves to be loved, Zarek. Even you.
"
"Shut up!" he snarled. "You don't know what you're talking about,Your Highness ." Zarek spat the title out. He was so sick of people lecturing him when they were ignorant of what he'd been through.
It was easy for someone like Acheron to tell him about love. What did a prince know about people hating him? Despising him?
When had anyone ever spat on the Atlantean?
But Acheron didn't speak.
At least not with words.
Instead, an image came into Zarek's mind. One of a blond teenager in chains in the middle of an ancient Greek home. The boy was bloody while being beaten.
He was begging those around him for mercy.
Zarek's breath caught as he recognized the youth…
"I understand you in a way no one else can," Acheron said quietly. "You have a rare chance, Z. Don't fuck it up.
"
For the first time ever, he listened to Acheron. And he looked on him with a newfound respect.
They were far more alike than he could have guessed and he wondered how Acheron had found the humanity that had abandoned Zarek so long ago.
"What if I hurt her?" Zarek asked.
"Do you plan on hurting her?
"
"No, but I can't live here and she—
"
"Why don't you ask her, Z?
"
"What about her mother?
"
"What about her? You were willing to fight Artemis for Thanatos. Isn't Astrid worth just as much?
"
"More." He met Ash's gaze with fired determination. "Where is she?
"
Before Zarek could blink, he found himself in the atrium Acheron had shown him.
Atty looked up with a hiss. "No man is allowed here!
"
The one Acheron had called Clotho started to attack him. But she pulled up sharply as Acheron
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) appeared beside him.
Zarek ignored them as he concentrated on Astrid who sat there with tears in her eyes, staring at him as if he were an apparition.
His heart pounding, he walked over to her and knelt down before her chair.
"Stars aren't supposed to cry," he whispered so that only she could hear him. "They're supposed to laugh.
"
"How can I laugh when I have no heart?
"
He took her hand into his and kissed the tip of every finger. "You have a heart." He placed her hand over his. "One that only beats for you, princess.