Stygian (Dark-Hunter #27)

Acheron put his hand on Styxx’s shoulder. “It wouldn’t have mattered. Had she taken her serum, my mother still would have killed her. At least this way, we have a chance to bring her back.”

Urian wished he shared Ash’s optimism. His had been slaughtered on the altar of reality a long time ago. That bitch took mercy on no one.

Suddenly, something bright red and furious flashed in the room. Urian’s temper flared as he saw his aunt Artemis in all her vibrant redheaded glory. When he took a step toward her in anger, Davyn caught him.

“Don’t,” he whispered.

Urian’s heart pounded as it demanded he beat her until his need for vengeance against her and Apollo was sated. But Davyn was right. It wouldn’t change anything.

However, it might make him feel better.

Artemis drew up short with a severe scowl and a strange noise as she saw Ash and Styxx standing together. If he didn’t know better, Urian would think she was scared of them.

Styxx leaned his head back to speak to Acheron. “I think we startled her more than she startled us.”

Acheron sighed. “What are you doing here, Artie?”

She started to speak, then closed the distance between them so that she could poke each of them on the shoulder. “That’s just … not right. Say something else so I know which of you is Acheron.”

“What, Artemis?”

She made a face of distaste. “There’s that irritated tone I loathe.” She turned her back to Acheron so that she could speak to Styxx. “I have brought you presents.”

That sent a shiver down Urian’s spine. His aunt never sent presents.

To anyone.

Beware a Greek bearing gifts, especially when it was a bitch-goddess renowned for her selfishness.

“Why?” Styxx asked.

“You’re going up against my brother and the rest of those animals.… I want you to win, and make him bleed. A lot. Buckets and buckets full until it gushes and fills the entire hall.”

Urian smirked at Davyn. Wow, Apollo was making friends everywhere he went. Nice to know his twin sister hated him as much as everyone else.

Styxx met Acheron’s gaze over her shoulder. “Should I be afraid of the bloodlust?”

“I’m terrified.” Acheron’s frown deepened. “What did Apollo do now?”

“He attacked my Nicholas while he was weakened. I will not have it. Since I’m not powerful enough to harm Apollo on my own, I want you two to kick his leg.”

Acheron rolled his eyes. “You mean ass, Artie?”

“Ass. Leg. Whatever body part pleases you. You can’t kill him, but you can make him suffer. Long. Hard. Pitifully. I gave Savitar an assortment of weapons I dipped in the River Styx. It will weaken Apollo to the point he’ll be as a mortal.” She glared her hatred for Apollo at Styxx. “If I were you, I’d castrate him slowly and with a great deal of—”

“Grammy! Grammy!”

Urian snorted at the sight of Mia popping into the room while dressed as some kind of woodland fairy creature. That little dark-haired toddler was part bloodhound when it came to her grandparents. Unaware of the fact that her grandmother was a nightmare bitch, she immediately leapt into Artemis’s arms so that she could wrap her pudgy arms around her with a squeal and give her a big hug and kiss.

Her rant instantly forgotten, Artemis returned the affection. “Mia Bella! How is my precious today?”

The girl squealed even louder as she bounced in her arms. “Gamma, Gamma, Gamma, guess what? Guess what! The Simi gonna put hornays on my head like hers and Pappas’s. And she said that I could pick any color I want and that they’d be on all the time and they can glow in the dark, too.”

Bug-eyed, Artemis appeared as horrified by the idea as Urian had the first time Simi tried to do it to him.

Acheron laughed and rubbed Mia’s back. “How about if Simi makes you a pair that can come off?”

Mia wrinkled her nose at him. “Pappas! No! I want real ones. Like you and Simi and Xireni.”

Artemis blew out a burst of air. “You know Pappas only has those when he’s mad, right?”

Mia’s eyes widened. “Really?”

They both nodded.

Urian waved at Mia as she giggled and waved at him. He had to admit his cousin was adorable. And he still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that he and Katra were related. Or that Apollymi had kept it from him. But then she was the only person he’d ever met who was better at keeping secrets than Acheron.

Mia’s attention finally went to Styxx. Her eyes widened. “Who cloned Pappas?” she whispered.

Acheron smiled. “He’s my brother … your uncle Styxx.”

Excited, she launched herself into his arms and kissed him.

“You look just like my pappas.” Then she put her hands on his cheeks and rubbed noses with him. “That’s how Charonte say hello. But only if they like you. Otherwise they eat you with ketchup or barbecue sauce, or if they’re like my uncle Xed, jalape?os, which are really hot, too.”

“Don’t scare your uncle the first time you meet him, silly belle.” Artemis pulled her back into her arms and tickled her.

The door opened. Kat and Sin came into the room making irritated yet relieved parental sounds.

“Sorry.” Kat took her daughter from Artemis. “She escaped the chain when we took our eyes off her for three seconds. She must have sensed you were here.” Hugging her mother, she gave her a kiss on the cheek as Sin took his daughter from Kat.

Urian was always amazed how they passed that kid around like a hot potato and yet she never cared. His nieces and nephews wouldn’t have stood for that. But his cousin was a whole other crazy egg. Which, given her parents …

Well, he understood.

Mia made an adorable face at her father. “Am I in trouble, Daddy?”

Sin had the same reaction Urian did whenever little Phoebe turned her charms toward him. He melted and grinned. “No, baby girl. But you shouldn’t vanish like that without telling us where you’re going.”

Urian laughed. It was hysterical to see a man as rugged and stern as Sin holding such a bright delicate fairy princess. The top of her dress bulged with pink and white cloth flowers, some of which were sewn on the long poofy yellow tulle skirt. Her legs were covered with matching pink leggings and pink patent leather shoes. She was even wearing a pair of miniature pink tulle wings. “You do have to go back to Aunt Tory and Aunt Danger and Uncle Kish and stay with them for a bit, okay?”

She pouted adorably and nodded.

Artemis stopped Sin before he could leave with Mia. “Grammy will be by in a little bit to read her baby belle a story, okay?”

Mia grinned and bounced. “Can we ride in your deer chariot, too?”

“Only if Mommy and Daddy say it’s okay … and you’ll have to put on a sweater.” Artemis gave her a big hug and kiss. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She nodded, then went rigid in Sin’s arms. “Wait! Wait! Pappas!”

Smiling, Acheron gave her a tight squeeze. “I, too, will be back as soon as I can.”

“Then we’ll watch Megamind?”

“Sure, baby.”

“Bye-byes, Uri and Davys!” she shouted at them with a cherub grin.

Then she planted a loud, wet kiss on Acheron’s cheek.

Sighting, Kat took her back from Sin. “I’ll return her to her closet and lock her in with some kind of baby Kryptonite.”

Sin kissed the top of Mia’s head before he turned back to them. “Really sorry for the intrusion.” He followed after his wife and daughter.

Acheron met Styxx’s gaze. “Are you all right?”

“You have a beautiful granddaughter and I truly don’t begrudge you your family, Acheron.” He glanced to Bethany. “I just want mine.”

“That’s not going to be easy.”

They frowned at Artemis for her comment. The way she said that told them she knew something they didn’t.

“What do you mean?” Styxx asked.

“You do know my brother was in love with her, right?”

Urian wasn’t sure who in the room was most shocked by that declaration.

“Bethany?” Urian asked.

“Bathymaas,” Artemis amended. “He and my mother are the ones who moused you out.”

“Ratted … you out,” Acheron corrected in a pain-filled tone.

She sighed. “Whatever. I just don’t understand modern idiots.”