Adjacent to the goddess’s, it’d been the one their father had chosen as his residence on his arrival here. Ironically, it’d belonged to the wife of Misos, the god of this underworld hell realm, when the Atlantean gods had called Kalosis home—which was why it had a back hallway that connected it to Apollymi’s temple.
Because Thnita had been the queen of Kalosis, her palace was almost equal in size to the one Apollymi currently resided in. But from the stories others whispered, he knew that Apollymi hadn’t always lived there in that palace. At one time, she’d been a prisoner here in Kalosis, though he had no idea where the other gods had kept her sequestered during those days.
Or how they’d managed to keep her contained. It must have surely been fun for them to try to restrain a goddess so powerful.
Once as a boy, Urian had made the mistake of asking Apollymi where her cell had been in those days.
That was the night he’d learned that her eyes didn’t always stay their swirling silver. Nor did her hair remain white-blond.
He’d seen the true form of the Destroyer. And according to her pet Charonte, Xedrix, Urian was the only one not demon-born who’d ever survived an encounter with her in that state and lived to tell it.
Lesson learned. Apollymi didn’t like to be questioned. And never, ever mention her imprisonment. At least not if one wanted to continue breathing.
In fact, between her and his father, he’d learned not to question people at all if he wanted to remain healthy. Let them volunteer what they wanted you to know.
It was much safer that way and resulted in a lot less bruises. Physically and mentally.
Therefore Urian remained quiet as he led his sister through their ornate marble hall, toward the back where their rooms waited. No one had touched hers since her marriage.
Just as they’d left their mother’s room exactly as it’d been on the night she’d gone to the human realm. In their mother’s case, all save their father would drift in here, seeking the comfort of her presence. The memories of her warmth. It was their way of preserving her memory and paying honor to her whenever they missed her more than they could bear.
When it came to Tannis, their father had made it clear that in the event she needed a haven from Erol, she was to have her room here to withdraw to, at any time, and that none of them should ever encroach on it. Since she was the weakest member of the family, it was their job to protect her from any and all threats.
“Tanny!” Ophion came running up to hug her the moment she came through the door.
Atreus and Patroclus were right behind him.
Laughing, she hugged them each in turn, calling them by name.
Urian snorted. “I still don’t know how you can tell Atreus and Patroclus apart. I gave up and simply refer to them as ‘twin’ most days.”
“Uri!” she chided. “That’s mean, especially coming from someone who is a twin.”
“Aye, but I look nothing like Paris.” That was the beauty of being a fraternal set.
“It’s all right, Tanny. Atreus and I don’t mind. Solren gets it wrong about half the time himself. We just don’t bother to correct him.”
Cupping Patroclus’s chin, she tsked. “Perhaps we should write your names on your clothes.”
Ophion scowled at Urian as he noted the bruises on his face. “Another fight?”
Urian didn’t comment. “If you’ll excuse me…” He stepped past them so that he could head for his room at the end of the hallway.
Once there, he closed his door, but still he could hear them gossiping about him.
“Leave him alone, Tanny.”
“I need to return his chalmys.”
“I wouldn’t. I’m sure Urian’s going to feed and you’ll just make him mad if you intrude.”
Urian heard her pause in the hallway just outside his door with Ophie.
“Oh!” Tannis gasped. “I didn’t know Urian had found someone.”
“He hasn’t,” one of the twins whispered loudly.
Clenching his teeth, Urian bit back a curse as he glanced toward the chilled bladder his father had left for him by his bed. He’d had no idea that his younger siblings had figured out what he was forced to do in order to live.
Damn you, Apollo.
And damn me.
Pain and humiliation shredded him that he was relegated to this. Not even a xōrōn would accept money to feed him. How sad was that when even a whore couldn’t be bought? He was a complete outcast even among other outcasts.
Urian shoved the bladder into a drawer. He’d rather starve than resort to it.
Honestly? He’d rather die.
Disgusted and ashamed, he pulled his dagger out and drew it across his forearm until he’d opened a deep slice to alleviate some of the pain he felt. Yet it no longer soothed him the way it once did. The agony now ran too deep.
And that was the problem. His lows kept getting lower and his highs kept getting lower, too.
At this rate of rapid descent, it wouldn’t be long before he’d have to fall down in order to get up.
More than that, his father would have conniptions if he saw him cutting himself again. He’d already threatened to tie him to a rock like Prometheus if he saw so much as a single scar on his skin.
“So help me, Urian! I’d beat you, except you seem to like the pain of it too much for it to be a deterrent!”
It was true. No one could break him because he was already shattered. In so many, many ways.
Suddenly a shadow fell over him.
Expecting his father or one of his irritating brothers, Urian looked up, ready to battle.
Until he realized it was Tannis materializing in his room, and he saw the sympathy in her dark eyes.
With an expression of deep sympathy, she covered his hand with hers and pulled the dagger back from his arm. “Little baby, what are you doing?”
Even more ashamed by her loving care that didn’t scold or judge, he dropped his gaze to the floor, unable to look her in the face. The ache inside him was so great that at times it felt as if it would swallow him whole. It was like some great beast that gnawed at him, threatening to devour what little was left of his soul. “I’m too young to be this tired, Tannis,” he whispered. He was sick of the way the others treated him. Of the lies they told behind his back and of how they watched him—with malice, jealousy, and hatred when he’d done nothing to warrant it.
It was what made him lash out in violence. He wanted to beat the world down as much as it tried to do to him. Most of all, he just wanted to be left alone.
Sliding onto his bed, she drew him into her arms and held him. “I know. Everyone expects you to be strong and to act like a grown man and you’re just a boy, Urian. Yet you were never allowed to be a child.”
It was true. They always had to be on guard. And because they appeared to be grown, everyone treated them that way, but inside, they were still kids. At least that was how he felt.
“Do you feel old enough to be married?”
She shook her head. “There are parts about it I like. Parts of it that scare me.” She sighed. “I imagine it’s like you in the ring. Do you feel ready for real battle?”
“Sometimes. You know, I’ve been battling Theo’s and Archie’s hairy asses for years.”
She snorted. “Not the same and you know it.”
“So you say. It’s gotten pretty bloody at times.” And at the mention of blood, he became acutely aware of how hungry he was. How near her veins were to his lips. It caused his stomach to rumble.
Tannis’s eyes widened. “How long has it been since you last fed?”
Unlike humans, they didn’t call their nourishment eating. It wasn’t the same. At all.
What they did was primal and raw in a way humans would never understand. It was more a ritual. Not that he would know, since the only thing he was intimate with was a cold, nasty sheepskin bladder.
Urian shrugged.
“You don’t feed every day?”
“Why bother? It’s not like it’s ever filling, anyway.”
“Urian!”
He let out a tired breath. “Don’t, Tannis. You’ve no idea what it tastes like. It’s disgusting.” He pulled the bladder from the drawer where he’d thrown it and held it out to her.
She gingerly took it and, after a dainty sip, gagged on the foul taste.
“Told you so.”
Pressing her hand to her lips, she handed the bladder back to him and shuddered. Still unable to speak, she nodded and then coughed. “You win. That’s revolting.”