shook his head.
“Liar!” He moved to take his arm.
“Father, no!” Styxx blocked him from attacking his brother.
Acheron ducked then ran like mad up the stairs and out of sight.
His father started after Acheron, but Styxx grabbed his arm and held him in place. “He didn’t do it, Father. It’s just another nosebleed. I get them all the time.”
“Xerxes?”
Styxx glanced past his father to see his uncle closing the distance between them. “Uncle, please tell him that Acheron didn’t harm me. It’s nothing.”
Estes passed a skeptical look from Styxx to his father. “It doesn’t look like nothing to me, child. Rather, that’s a severe injury on your face. It’s obvious someone hit you.”
“It wasn’t Acheron.” Styxx let go of his father so that he could hold his nostrils together to contain the bleeding. “I shall be fine, Father. I’m sorry for the mess.” Hoping he’d given Acheron enough time to hide, he left them and went to his room to clean his nose and change his clothes.
He’d barely finished dressing a few minutes later when he heard Acheron and Ryssa yelling. What in the name of Olympus?
Normally, he was the one screaming with Ryssa. It wasn’t like Acheron to get crossed up with her for anything. But as he left his room, he realized it was something far worse than a fight between siblings.…
Soldiers were dragging his brother down the stairs, toward the front door. Terrified, Styxx ran after them. He didn’t catch up until they were in the drive outside. He tried to reach his brother, but his father held him back while Estes carried Acheron away in his arms.
Styxx glared at his father. “What’s going on?”
“Estes is taking him to live in Atlantis.”
That was an even harder blow than the one that still stung his face. “What? No! No!”
Styxx tried to break out of his father’s hold to get to his brother, who was fighting Estes every bit as hard.
“It’s for the best. He’s a danger to all of us, especially you.”
How could they be so stupid? His brother was the only one who would never intentionally hurt him. “Acheron! Please, Father! Don’t take my brother from me! Please!”
“Styxx!” Acheron held his hands out toward him while Styxx did everything he could to get to him.
No one listened to them. Nor did they take pity or mercy on the boys.
Heartbroken, Styxx fought his father’s hold and watched as his uncle and brother rode out of sight. And as they went, he knew that Estes hadn’t just taken his brother from him.
He’d taken everything.…
* * *
C ompletely devastated by the loss of Acheron’s company, Styxx pushed the door open to Ryssa’s room. Her sobs had been relentless. For hours now, he’d listened to her give free vocal rein to the same emotions that flogged him. But if he cried as she did for Acheron, his father would have him beaten for it.
The desolate loneliness was terrible. It was as if someone had cut off his arm and thrashed him with it. He felt bereft and betrayed. Without Acheron, he had no one to turn to. No one to talk to. No one who would hug him or make sure he was all right when he hurt.
He was all alone and completely desperate for something to hold on to, even if it meant embracing the big sister who hated him.
“Ryssa?”
She pulled away from her nurse who’d been holding her, trying to comfort her pain. Drawing a ragged breath, she glared at him as if it was his fault Acheron was gone. “What do you want, you selfish little beast?”
Styxx bit his lip in indecision. Her mood was extremely volatile. But what did he have to lose now? “I could be your little brother, too … like Acheron.”
She curled her lip as more tears fell down her face. “You? You’re the reason they took my brother from me. Just because you look like him, it doesn’t make you what he is. You could never be my Acheron. You’re just a poor copy of him. Get out of my sight. You sicken me.” Wailing, she buried her
“Liar!” He moved to take his arm.
“Father, no!” Styxx blocked him from attacking his brother.
Acheron ducked then ran like mad up the stairs and out of sight.
His father started after Acheron, but Styxx grabbed his arm and held him in place. “He didn’t do it, Father. It’s just another nosebleed. I get them all the time.”
“Xerxes?”
Styxx glanced past his father to see his uncle closing the distance between them. “Uncle, please tell him that Acheron didn’t harm me. It’s nothing.”
Estes passed a skeptical look from Styxx to his father. “It doesn’t look like nothing to me, child. Rather, that’s a severe injury on your face. It’s obvious someone hit you.”
“It wasn’t Acheron.” Styxx let go of his father so that he could hold his nostrils together to contain the bleeding. “I shall be fine, Father. I’m sorry for the mess.” Hoping he’d given Acheron enough time to hide, he left them and went to his room to clean his nose and change his clothes.
He’d barely finished dressing a few minutes later when he heard Acheron and Ryssa yelling. What in the name of Olympus?
Normally, he was the one screaming with Ryssa. It wasn’t like Acheron to get crossed up with her for anything. But as he left his room, he realized it was something far worse than a fight between siblings.…
Soldiers were dragging his brother down the stairs, toward the front door. Terrified, Styxx ran after them. He didn’t catch up until they were in the drive outside. He tried to reach his brother, but his father held him back while Estes carried Acheron away in his arms.
Styxx glared at his father. “What’s going on?”
“Estes is taking him to live in Atlantis.”
That was an even harder blow than the one that still stung his face. “What? No! No!”
Styxx tried to break out of his father’s hold to get to his brother, who was fighting Estes every bit as hard.
“It’s for the best. He’s a danger to all of us, especially you.”
How could they be so stupid? His brother was the only one who would never intentionally hurt him. “Acheron! Please, Father! Don’t take my brother from me! Please!”
“Styxx!” Acheron held his hands out toward him while Styxx did everything he could to get to him.
No one listened to them. Nor did they take pity or mercy on the boys.
Heartbroken, Styxx fought his father’s hold and watched as his uncle and brother rode out of sight. And as they went, he knew that Estes hadn’t just taken his brother from him.
He’d taken everything.…
* * *
C ompletely devastated by the loss of Acheron’s company, Styxx pushed the door open to Ryssa’s room. Her sobs had been relentless. For hours now, he’d listened to her give free vocal rein to the same emotions that flogged him. But if he cried as she did for Acheron, his father would have him beaten for it.
The desolate loneliness was terrible. It was as if someone had cut off his arm and thrashed him with it. He felt bereft and betrayed. Without Acheron, he had no one to turn to. No one to talk to. No one who would hug him or make sure he was all right when he hurt.
He was all alone and completely desperate for something to hold on to, even if it meant embracing the big sister who hated him.
“Ryssa?”
She pulled away from her nurse who’d been holding her, trying to comfort her pain. Drawing a ragged breath, she glared at him as if it was his fault Acheron was gone. “What do you want, you selfish little beast?”
Styxx bit his lip in indecision. Her mood was extremely volatile. But what did he have to lose now? “I could be your little brother, too … like Acheron.”
She curled her lip as more tears fell down her face. “You? You’re the reason they took my brother from me. Just because you look like him, it doesn’t make you what he is. You could never be my Acheron. You’re just a poor copy of him. Get out of my sight. You sicken me.” Wailing, she buried her
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