Styxx (DH #33) (49 page)

“What I should have done to begin with.” He turned to leave.

Styxx stopped him. “Father? What are you planning?”

“To have that bastard arrested and put in a place where he can’t shame me.”

Prison.

Styxx shook his head at the thought of Acheron suffering like that. But his father would reject any plea based on compassion. So he used something he knew his father would care about.

The king’s ego.

“You can’t. Instead of having senators bragging about tupping your heir, you’ll have commoners doing it. Is that what you want?”

His father glowered at him.

“Bring Acheron home, Father. It’s time.”

“You sound like a
methusai
.”

I’d rather be an old woman than a heartless bastard.

Styxx wanted to argue, but he knew that expression. His father had made his mind up about the matter and no amount of logic would be heard at this point.

As always, he’d have to find some way to deal with the aftermath of his father’s lunatic hatred and try his best to modify whatever actions the king took, while trying to keep his own ass out of the line of fire.

January 20, 9529 BC

Styxx reined his horse to a stop as he held Bethany in his lap. Leaning down to bury his face against the nape of her neck, he inhaled the sweet eucalyptus scent of her lotion and smiled. Her scent made him rock hard and caused his head to spin even more than the drugs Estes had once used on him.

She placed her hand to his cheek. “Are we here?”

He squeezed her gently. “We are, love. I’d tell you to close your eyes, but…”

She leaned back against his shoulder and kissed his clean-shaven cheek. Since she didn’t care for his beard as it interfered with her ability to feel his expressions, he’d bid it adieu. “You’re not funny.”

“And yet you tell me you love my humor. What is wrong with you, woman?”

“The very fact I’m in love with
you
. It rather says it all.”

He laughed at her gentle teasing then dismounted. Placing his hands at her waist, he pulled her down to stand beside him. A large dog started barking ferociously.

She frowned at the sound. “Where are we?”

“Were you not paying attention to my directions from the stream?”

“I was, and I know where we are, but not
where
we are. Or why we’re here.”

He left his horse to graze and took her hand to lead her. “We are someplace very special.”

“And that would be?”

He placed her hand against the wooden door of the small stone cottage.

Her scowl deepened as the dog barked even louder. “What is this?”

“Shush,
skylos
!” he said to the dog then he gentled his tone to speak to Bethany. “I bought this for you. It’s a place for you to escape to whenever the weather is bad.”

She went rigid. “Hector—”

“Beth, there are no strings attached to it at all.” He put both her hands on his face so that she could feel how sincere he was. “It’s yours, plain and simple. You can keep your things here and not have to tote them anymore. It has a large lake that’s just down the hill, fully stocked with fish. I made sure before I bought it.”

“I don’t understand…”

He kissed her palms as terror rode him with spurs. Since he’d come home, he’d been tortured with images of someone hurting her. Of another man stumbling upon her spot and not being wounded as he’d been when he first found her there. Or worse, Apollo harming her to get back at him. “I know you have your knife, but I worry about you when I’m not with you. Constantly. I’d feel better if you had a safer place to be alone.”

Bethany smiled as tears welled in her eyes at his thoughtful kindness. Even so, she couldn’t help teasing him. “I believe you were thinking of yourself more than me. You won’t have to worry about grass burns on your knees or random, randy limbs in your backside.”

He laughed. “You know me so well. But I must admit that I’ll be missing those intimate moments with the tree. I think after my last encounter with its branches we might be married … at the very least betrothed.”

She groaned at his twisted sense of humor as he opened the door. The moment he did, a huge dog mauled her.

“Down!” Hector snapped, pulling him away. “Beth, meet …
skylos
. He hasn’t been named yet. But he’s the size of a horse and is here to also keep you safe. I have a woman who’ll come to feed him every morning for you. Or you can take him with you when you go home … which I’d prefer. I’d rather you have a protector at all times.”

She heard the fear underlying his tone. He really was afraid for her. Leaning down, she stroked the dog’s ears as he licked her face. “What color is he?”

“Black.”

“Hey there, boy.” She kissed his furry head. “I think I shall call you … Dynatos.”

“Dynatos it is,” Hector agreed then he took her inside and gently led her around so that she could find where everything was placed and not get hurt.

The front door opened into a room with a table, two chairs, and a place to cook and prepare food. There was a room off to the right with a bed, chest, and two more chairs set before a fire.

Though tiny, it was very cozy.

Still … “I can’t take this from you, Hector. It’s too much.”

“Yes, you can. I want you to have it.”

“Hector—”

“Beth…” He pulled her back against his front and nuzzled her neck. “Please take it and give me some peace of mind about your safety.”

He so often broke her heart. Whatever had happened to him at war had really damaged a part of him. While her safety had always concerned him before, he was now obsessed with it. He was forever teaching her new ways to disarm an attacker—not that she needed his tricks, but she couldn’t tell him that. Whenever he fell asleep, he had ferocious nightmares that caused him to wake up frantic and angry.

Even now, he trembled in her arms.

Offering him a grateful smile, she kissed his cheek. “All right, Hector. Thank you.”

Styxx closed his eyes as he held her and just let the scent of her skin soothe him. There was nothing in this world he valued above her. Nothing he wouldn’t do to make her happy or keep her safe.

“So,” he whispered in her ear. “What should we test first? The lake or the bed?”

She snorted playfully. “I knew you had an ulterior motive.”

“Hey, I gave you the choice of the lake first.”

“Umm-hmmm … but I know you didn’t mean it.”

“I’ve been a perfect gentleman.”

“That’s not what the part of you poking me says.” She turned his arms and kissed him. “I suppose I should take mercy on you.” She nipped his chin, making him all the harder, before she dropped her hand to stroke his erection. “But no. I’d rather fish.” Laughing, she ran past him.

Styxx groaned out loud as Dynatos chased after her. “You’re so cold, my lady! Cruel. Heartless!” He caught up to her at the front door.

Expecting her to open it, he was surprised when she spun about and fell back against the wood. She buried her hands into his chiton and pulled him into her arms for a kiss so hot, it made his head reel.

Then she sank down on her knees in front of him and lifted the hem of his chiton.

Styxx couldn’t breathe as she ran her hand over him, and when she took him into her mouth, it was all he could do to remain upright. “I love you, Bethany,” he breathed as he sank his hand into her soft hair.

She licked the underside of him. “I love you, too.”

His legs trembling, Styxx was completely distracted by her when Dynatos came up behind him unexpectedly and slammed into his back. He barely caught himself against the door before he knocked Bethany over. “Damn it, dog!”

Laughing, she pulled away. “Are you having trouble with your gift, sweetie?”

Styxx tried to push the mountainous beast back. “Not at all.”

Bethany laughed harder as she heard Hector grunting in his attempts to move the dog out of his way. “Are you sure it’s a dog and not a bear?”

“I’m thinking horse, given its weight.”

She could hear the dog jumping and licking. “He doesn’t seem ferocious.”

“He can be when he’s not yours.” The door opened and then closed.

Suddenly, Hector scooped her up in his arms and ran with her to the bedroom, where he laid her on the bed. “Now, where were we?”

Dynatos barked at the door then rammed it.

“Distracted, I believe.”

Hector placed his head down on the center of her chest and sighed. “I swear I’m cursed.”

Laughing again, she led his lips to hers. “I can ignore him if you can.”

He lifted the hem of her gown until she was exposed to his questing hand. “I can definitely ignore him … And a house fire…” He teased her breast with his lips. “End of the world…”

She spread her legs farther apart and whispered in his ear as she guided his hand to the juncture of her thighs. “Then come inside, my lord, and play to your heart’s content.”

January 22, 9529 BC

“Where was Acheron taken?” Styxx demanded as he entered his father’s study.

The king looked up with a scowl. “You dare use that tone with me, boy?”

Penalty for striking the king is death.

Moments like this, he really didn’t care. Especially since his back, wrists, face, and side burned in such a way as to let him know his brother had been viciously beaten. But angering the old bastard wouldn’t get him what he wanted.

Even though it galled him, he modulated his tone. “Where is he, Father?”

“Downstairs. You said you wanted him home. So he is.”

In the dungeon? It was the only “downstairs” they had from here.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” Styxx spun about, intending to free Acheron immediately.

“Boy?”

A fierce tic started in his jaw as he turned back toward his father. Aside from setting his brother free, the only other thing he really wanted to do at present was tutor his father well on the fact that there was no boy left inside the man who’d taken hundreds of lives in battle for this kingdom. “Majesty?”

“Before you consider putting your will over mine. Or think for one instant that because my army believes you’re some great war hero they want to follow, you have leverage … think again. I know all about your little blind Egyptian whore and where the two of you meet. I even know you bought her a place to live. I suggest, for her continued health and well-being, that you learn to curb your temper.”

Styxx went cold at his threat against Bethany. “You wouldn’t dare.”

His father arched his brow. “I am king. You would do well to remember that. And I will do as I please, and
you
will do what pleases me or I will show you the exact extent of my power. While I would hate to be without an heir, I am still of an age that I could father another. Now … where were you going?”

Don’t. Kill. Him.

“Riding.”

“Good choice. Give your beautiful mistress my best.”

It took everything Styxx possessed to not murder his own father. But what good would it do him to spend eternity in prison? Or to be beheaded …

Sooner or later, the bastard would die on his own. Just not soon enough.

Styxx paused outside the room to eye his father’s guards. They were with the king everywhere he went. Even to piss. They stood over his bed at night, even when he screwed. The only place they weren’t was in the king’s study, but there was no way in or out of that room except the doors where they stood. Should he kill his father, they would know it.

Damn them all.

While he couldn’t care less what happened to him, he would never risk Bethany’s life or happiness. Not for anything.

“They’re being put to death.”

His thoughts were so focused on Bethany, it took him several heartbeats to realize Ryssa had spoken to him. “Pardon?”

“The senators who insulted you? Father’s putting his friends to death over it to make a point that no one is to defame his precious heir. In case you didn’t know, I thought you should.”

No one had mentioned it to him. “I should think it would thrill you.”

“To have you so regaled? Hardly.”

His mood darkened in the wake of her ridicule. “But they screwed your beloved Acheron. I’m surprised you’re not the one calling for their deaths.”

She glared at him. “They abused him because of
you
. Had they not hated you so, they would never have touched him.”

What have I ever done to you, Ryssa? Really?

“And what do you think I did to warrant such hatred from them?”

“You’re a selfish bully. You look at everyone like they’re beneath you and you speak to them as if they’re nothing.”

Was she as insane as their mother? “I rarely speak at all. To anyone. Dear sister.”

She shook her head in denial. “I don’t understand you, Styxx. You’re the only one Father listens to. You could help us and yet you refuse.”

“And you know this how?”

“By your own admission. You say nothing. You haven’t spoken up about Acheron, ever. Just as you refused to talk to Father about offering me to Apollo.”

Offering
her
to Apollo … she’d die to learn the truth of that.

Or worse.

She’d gloat and laugh.

Still, he knew she wasn’t as selfless as she claimed. “Tell me. What bothers you most, sweet sister? Acheron’s status or your own—”

She slapped him.

Styxx narrowed his gaze on her. “I’m getting tired of your blows, Ryssa.”

“Then stop being such an ass.”

Stop being a bitch and I might.

He wiped the blood from his lips. “Just so you know, your father doesn’t listen to me any more than he listens to you.”

“You’re such a liar. I know better. Anything you want, he gives.”

Right …

“You have the two of us confused, sweet sister. You’re the one he dotes on.”

“No. I don’t. I saw the way you sat complacent when he and the others told me I was to be sacrificed. You could have spoken up and I know for a fact you didn’t. Not once!”

“You’re right. I didn’t.”

“Why not?”

Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered. Apollo was the one leading this and if Styxx tried to stop it, Bethany would pay for his interference. Styxx had already killed one man to protect Ryssa. He wasn’t about to cause harm to the one and only person who held his heart in her hands for a bitch who begrudged him every breath he took.