Styxx

Styxx rolled his eyes at Acheron's warped humor.

Locking gazes, Acheron held his hand up in offering to Styxx. Styxx glanced to the crib and felt his stomach lurch. Acheron was as likely to hand him over to his enemies as he was to fight for him. While his brother had stood strong and steadfast for his Dark-Hunter brethren, he'd never hesitated to throw Styxx under a bus.

But this was his only chance to get Bethany back. Like it or not, he had to trust Acheron to fight for and with him.

With a deep breath for strength, he took Acheron's hand and let his brother teleport them into the throne room.

Styxx let go of Acheron and took his position at his back. He faced Archon, Apollo, and Epithymia while Acheron faced the rest.

Archon rose to his feet. "Well, isn't this unexpected?" He smirked at Apollo. "We don't have to play chase for your pet, after all. How kind of them to save us time." He glared at Styxx. "Which of you is Apostolos?"

"I am," they said simultaneously.

Archon growled low in his throat.

"Their eyes," Apollo said quickly. "Styxx's are blue."

Acheron turned to stand beside his brother. When they spoke, it was as one. "Not anymore."

Archon narrowed his gaze on them. "Then we'll kill you both."

"No," Apollo snarled. "That wasn't the agreement."

Epithymia made a sound of supreme disgust. "Stand down, both of you. There's an easy way to get to the truth."

Styxx didn't like the sound of that. Where was Urian and their backup?

Epithymia tugged at the black cord around her neck to show them a small crystal vial. She pulled it over her head and placed it on the arm of Archon's chair then manifested a hammer. "This is the heart of Bathymaas. If the real Styxx doesn't step forward, I'll destroy her. Forever."

Cold panic erupted inside Styxx and when it did, it brought out his battle calm, which belied his volatile state. He knew better than to react.

Never let your enemies see your underbelly.

Styxx wouldn't even glance at Apollo who must have told them that he was Aricles. How else would they have known that Bathymaas's heart held any importance to him?

"So you don't love her?" She hovered the hammer over the vial. "Really?"

Styxx used Apollymi's powers to mask his voice. "You do that and you lose all leverage over both of us. Her life is the only thing keeping you alive right now."

A light flashed.

Expecting Urian, Styxx and Acheron had to force themselves not to react to Artemis's sudden appearance next to her brother.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed as she looked at them. "Am I interrupting?"

Apollo seized her arm. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Acheron. This is his house where he lives. I'm allowed to visit."

Archon bellowed in outrage. "This is not his home!"

Acheron and Styxx exchanged a puzzled frown. Neither of them had a clue what Artemis was doing here. She was not part of their plan. At all.

But she'd inadvertently found Archon's weakness. Don't refer to his home as Acheron's. Too bad the ancient god hadn't been tutored by Galen or he'd know better.

Blinking her eyes, Artemis gave the older Atlantean an innocent look. "No? Then why are you sitting on his throne? That's not yours, you know. I was with Acheron when he picked it out and brought it here."

No, she wasn't.

Styxx bit back a smile at Acheron's indignant thought. Go, Artemis. She was here to whip their emotions and frazzle them. And judging by the mottled color on Archon's face, she was doing an excellent job.

"Why is she here, Apollo?" Archon asked through clenched teeth.

"I have no idea."

Epithymia went rigid. "Something's not right...."

"That's because she's not my daughter."

Styxx and Acheron turned to see Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis, entering from a side door. Dread cut through Styxx. If that wasn't Artemis ...

It had to be Katra.

Crap.

"Mom," Apollo said irritably. "What are you doing?"

Ignoring Apollo's question, Leto smirked as she approached them. "Really, Katra? I'm so disappointed in you. But that's all right." She looked at Archon. "We don't need the twins now. Katra is the daughter of Artemis and Acheron. She has the Destroyer's bloodline and is actually stronger than her parents." She grabbed Kat and held a dagger to her throat. "So, Acheron, who do we kill? You or your daughter?"

Before they could blink, a sonic blast went through the room. One so fierce, it knocked everyone off their feet and slammed Leto against the wall.

Artemis appeared instantly and pulled Kat to safety. "How dare you," she enunciated each word slowly as she faced her mother. "No one threatens my baby ever! You cow!" She attacked her mother so ferociously, Kat had to pull Artemis away to keep her from killing Leto.

Acheron took advantage of the distraction to use his powers to jerk the vial from Epithymia's hand. He sent it to Styxx.

With a mutual nod, they attacked the Atlanteans closest to them. And Acheron quickly learned why pantheons didn't like to war within themselves. Since all of them pulled their powers from a mutual source, they were fighting in a weakened position and their powers weren't working properly. It was why gods who belonged to more than one pantheon were stronger. They could call on these additional powers and not be weakened.

Worse, it was playing havoc with his eyesight and his eyes kept tearing up.

"Katra!" Styxx called as he saw Epithymia going for her back.

She turned the instant Epithymia went to touch her. Instead of retreating, Kat pulled her close and sucked her powers out of her. "You won't be needing those, bitch."

And as she pulled Epithymia's powers, her teeth elongated and her eyes turned demonic red. Her skin began to swirl like Acheron's.

"Acheron!" Artemis screamed. "The demon's taking over Katra. Help!"

His face turning white, Acheron met Styxx's gaze.

"She's more important than I am. Get her out of here." Covertly, he handed Acheron the vial with Bethany's heart. Free Beth even if I don't make it back.

For the first time in his extremely long life, he saw the hesitation in Acheron's eyes as his brother debated on whether or not to leave him to fight without Acheron's help. That alone meant everything to Styxx.

But in the end, Acheron made the right decision.

He ran to his daughter to get her to safety.

Styxx manifested his hoplon and used it to deflect their god-bolts as he covered Acheron's and Katra's retreat.

They teleported out with Artemis, leaving him alone to face the others.

A slow, lecherous smile curled Archon's lips. "It's like old times, isn't it, prince? And I have to say you're looking mighty tasty."

"What are you planning to do?" Apollo growled.

An evil smiled curled Archon's lips. "Tonight, we are going to have our fun of him again."

Refusing to react to those words, Styxx manifested his armor and sword. He would use Apollymi's powers as long as he had them, but at the end of the day, this was how he knew best to fight. Not as a god, but as a man. He narrowed his eyes on them, assessing each one's abilities ... and weaknesses, which were too few to really matter.

Yeah, this was going to leave a mark.

And be bloodier than any battle he'd ever known.

So be it. Pain he was used to. And he wasn't going down without a vicious fight. Tonight he was taking his life back and agony to anyone who tried to stop him.

Lowering his chin, he smiled at them. "Come get some, bitches."

* * *

Acheron handed his unconscious daughter off to Sin. "Something from the old demon bite interacted with Epithymia's powers," he explained. "I drained her, but she needs to feed."

Sin nodded grimly as he took her and vanished.

Acheron was aghast at the others in the room, who were supposed to have been there to help them fight. "What happened?"

Set growled. "We're locked out. If you're not Greek or Atlantean, forget it. Only Katra had the ability to get to you. And even then it wasn't easy for her to teleport in."

Urian nodded. "I couldn't get in either. You're all he's got, boss."

"Simi, return to me."

She immediately laid herself over Acheron's heart as a dragon-shaped tattoo.

Xirena bit her lip. "Me, too, akri?"

"Absolutely."

That would get the demons in.

Acheron glanced around at his allies. "I'm weakened-every time I strike them, it drains a portion of my god powers-and the weapons Artemis brought might work on Apollo, but they're shite on the Atlanteans. We are in over our heads and I won't lie, it's ugly. So, who wants to try to go in with me and save my brother's life?"

They all stepped forward.

"All right. Here goes nothing." Closing his eyes, Acheron summoned everything he could and teleported them back to Katateros.

For several minutes, he, too, was locked out. When they finally broke through whatever Archon had done to shield the temple, Acheron was completely unprepared for the sight that awaited them. Blood was everywhere. It looked like the stage production of Evil Dead. But what scared him was the sight of Styxx's phoenix shield. Twisted and bent out of shape, it was in the middle of the largest pool of blood. Blood was smeared to the doors as if a struggling body had been dragged out through them.

Demonbrean and Ilios lay moaning on the ground near Apollo who wasn't in any better shape. Styxx must have beat the crap out of the Greek god before they'd overpowered him. Epithymia was still sobbing uncontrollably and hadn't moved from her spot where she'd fallen after Kat had drained her powers.

As Styxx had predicted, Dikastis stood calmly in the shadows and appeared to have not fought at all.

Not sure of the god's loyalties or intentions, Acheron went to him first. "Where's my brother?"

Raw anger flared in the god's eyes. "They took him to the temple arena."

"Why aren't you with them?"

"I'm a god of justice. I will not participate in something that's wrong and undeserved."

"Will you fight with us then?"

Dikastis nodded without hesitation.

* * *

His breathing ragged, Styxx was so battered and bruised at this point, he wasn't sure why he was still conscious. He'd managed to knock out three of them and weaken the rest, but in the end, he'd been outnumbered and was no match for a dozen gods who'd been asleep and resting for centuries.

Against Styxx's best efforts, Archon and Asteros had dragged him to the temple Acheron had confined him in years ago.... To the arena where they'd once made his life utter hell. Laughing all the while, they'd secured him to the rack they'd used for his beatings and other things that had left him bleeding internally for eternity.

Damn them.

Archon fisted his hand in Styxx's blood-soaked hair and jerked his head back. "You're not defeated so soon, are you, prince?"

As if. Ryssa had slapped harder than Archon hit. "Fuck you."

"How I wish, but unfortunately, we're making you a sacrifice." Archon gagged him then looked over to Leto. "Summon our lady vengeance."

Leto laughed as she neared Styxx. "You didn't really think Epithymia had Bathymaas's heart, did you? Trust me, I kept that for myself. Now I'm going to finish what I started fourteen thousand years ago."

And when I'm done destroying what's left of the Greeks, I'm going to tear apart the Atlanteans as I did the Sumerians and Egyptians. No one is going to stop me. No one.

Styxx's eyes widened as he heard her thoughts loud and clear.

Leto pulled out a knife and sliced open Styxx's cheek so that she could fill a vial with his blood. She mumbled words he didn't understand as she blended his blood with another compound. And as she did so, his head began to spin.

All of a sudden, he remembered being Aricles.

He saw Bethany at his side as she held on to his biceps. "Do not fight Apollo for my honor. It's not worth one single drop of your blood. Run with me, Ari. Let's leave all this behind and never look back."

"I can't, and neither can you, Bathia. We have too many responsibilities. Too many to protect. We cannot abandon this world to their cruel hands."

"I no longer care about any of that. You are all I cherish now."

His blood racing with fury and pain, Aricles had pressed his cheek to hers and held her close. "And you're all that matters to me. I won't have your reputation tarnished by that pig. You've done nothing wrong." The two of them had secretly married and he wanted Apollo's throat for the lies the Greek god and his whore mother had told against Bathymaas. "I will beat that bastard down for you, my goddess. Have no fear."

She buried her hand in his hair as tears streamed down her beautiful face. "You are the heart they claim I was born without. It's why I can't be the soul of justice anymore. You've changed me forever.... And you can't leave me in this awful world without you."

He kissed her forehead. "Let me win your honor and then we will go wherever you wish."

"Swear it to me."

"On my eternal soul. I will always be with you, Bathia. Nothing will take me from you, ever. Not even the gods." He lifted the Egyptian ieb amulet from her chest and kissed it then tucked it back between her breasts.

Styxx gasped as he fully understood what Set had told him. Bathymaas had been created by the Source, not born of a mother....

With no heartbeat whatsoever, she'd been a complete stranger to any kind of emotion until Aricles had taught her how to love.

The Egyptian jug-shaped amulet was the heart Set had given her as a girl when she'd asked her father why she didn't have a heartbeat like others. It was part of the same amulet Bethany had given him to protect him in battle.

"This holds my love for you, child, and while you can't understand it, know that so long as you wear it, you carry a vital piece of me with you. My heart has great power and it will keep you safe and warm in my absence."

That was how Leto had destroyed the Egyptian pantheon and trapped Set in the desert. Once she'd stolen the half of Bathymaas's heart that Set had hidden in his domain, she'd used Set's DNA and Seth's blood to trap the primal god.

Lifting his head, Styxx saw the broken ieb shard on Leto's wrist that matched the one Bethany had given him. While his half had held Bethany's bow and arrow emblem, the one Leto wore had the phoenix symbol of Aricles. Two halves of one whole. It was so obvious now, but unless you knew what an Egyptian heart looked like, you'd never guess its origins.

Or its significance.

Leto poured the blood from the vial onto her fingers and waved the ieb over it. Then she wiped it down his other cheek. "History always repeats itself. Poor you to die twice by the hand of the woman you love. And once you're dead, she'll destroy the gods for me." Stepping back, she let out a sharp, piercing ololuge ... a sound used in his time to summon a god's presence when a sacrifice was being offered to them.

All of a sudden, a fierce wind came tearing through the arena. It blew open doors and ripped at his body. Leto stumbled against it.

A baleful howl sounded an instant before a swirling specter joined them. Inhumanly large, it floated on the wind wearing a bloodred cloak. And when it neared Styxx, he realized this was the vengeful spirit of Bethany that had been born after Apollo had tricked her into killing her beloved.

With his gag in place, he couldn't say a word of warning to her. Just as they'd done fourteen thousand years ago, Apollo and Leto had set Bethany up to fall. And to suffer.

Leto pointed to him as she spoke to Bethany. "Behold the bastard son of your enemy who cost your prince his life and existence. Take your vengeance on them both! Rip out the heart of Apostolos!"

Bethany screamed in furious agony.

Styxx's eyes widened as he realized she was going to kill him and there was nothing he could do to stop her.

* * *

Acheron paused at the temple's entrance. It was the same one he'd confined Styxx to when he'd brought him here. "What is this place?"

"It's our arena," Dikastis answered. "It's where we held games and competitions, and where we brought those who needed to be punished and taught humility."

Ash winced as images from Styxx's memories mingled with his.

And I left him here to rot....

For that alone, I deserve to have my name engraved in the lowest pit of hell.

How could he have allowed his own pain to blind him to Styxx's so completely? The knowledge that Styxx had tried to help him when Acheron had been held, and that he had never once reached out to his brother when Styxx had been in captivity, made him ill. How could he have been so cold? So callous?

What spoke highest of Styxx's character was that he'd never sought credit for his actions whenever he'd done something for Acheron or even Ryssa. He'd given simply because it'd been the right thing to do, and personal glory had never mattered to him. Not once.

Meanwhile both Acheron and Ryssa had slapped him for it. Repeatedly. No wonder Styxx had been so eager to kill him in New Orleans. He'd more than earned Styxx's hatred.

But he wouldn't fail Styxx this time.

Ash swept his gaze over Urian, Davyn, Dikastis, Seth, Set, Maahes, Ma'at, Zakar, and the demons. "I don't know what we're about to walk into, but let's move forward with Styxx's original plan. And whatever we do, save my brother."

They nodded in agreement, except Dikastis.

"What do you want from me?" the Atlantean asked.

"Help us any way you can."

But what concerned Ash the most was the fact that none of the Atlanteans had come out to challenge them on their arrival. They had to know they were here. So why were they so quiet while they had this many foreign gods in their domain?

His heart pounding in fear of what awaited them, he entered the building. Inside the dark hall, a feral wind howled and plastered their clothes against their bodies.

It took them several minutes to make it to the arena, and to fight the wind so that they could see what was happening. The Atlanteans were all pinned down.

The moment Ash located Styxx, his stomach hit the floor. A ghostly image dressed in red was wrapped around him and held a dagger over his heart.

"Bathymaas! No!" Set shouted.

Without the slightest hesitation, she sank the dagger deep into Styxx's chest, all the way to the hilt then threw her head back and roared in satisfaction. When she spoke, she used Atlantean only. "Take your bastard back, Apollymi. Now come and face me, you wretched bitch, so that I can bathe in your putrid blood! Taste my vengeance, whore, and choke on it!"

Horrified, Ash looked to Set whose expression was every bit as pain-filled as his own.

They were too late.

Again. Styxx was dead and it was final. The coating on that dagger would kill anything with a heartbeat. Even Styxx. It didn't matter that their life forces were joined. It didn't matter that Styxx held Apollymi's powers. The sap of the ypnsi didn't discriminate. It was absolute.

Tears filled Acheron's eyes as he failed his brother for the last time. Now he would never be able to make amends and show Styxx just how sorry he truly was for the things he'd done to him. And it wasn't until this moment that he realized just how much he had loved his brother, after all. Styxx had been right. They were two halves of a single whole, and the pain of Styxx's loss slammed into him harder than he would have ever imagined possible.

Wishing with all the powers he had that he could bring his brother back, Ash felt a single tear slide down his cheek. I'm so sorry, adelphos. I should have been the brother to you that you were to me.

An image of his mother appeared. It was the same ethereal shade form she used whenever she visited Acheron. "What have you done?"

Bathymaas ran at her and then through her. "Are you afraid to face me?"

Her expression one of deep sadness, Apollymi shook her head. "You did not kill Apostolos." Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Styxx's body. "I am still trapped in Kalosis. The man you killed is Styxx of Didymos."

"No," Bathymaas breathed. Disbelief widened her eyes as she turned back toward Styxx and paled. "You lie!"

Blood dripped from the wound she'd given him and as it did so, it drained Apollymi's powers from Styxx. His hair returned to blond, his skin darkened, and the scars that had been hidden reappeared on his body.

Leto's laughter filled the room. "Poor Bathymaas ... you are damned again by your own hand." She materialized behind Bathymaas and ripped the necklace from where Styxx had placed it before he sent her to Egypt to wait for him.

Set ran for them, but before he could close the distance, Leto put the two pieces together.

"Now I will be the soul of justice and you'll..." Leto frowned as the amulet refused to reunite. "What? Why isn't this working?"

Ash met Urian's gaze and jerked his chin toward the pinned gods.

Urian nodded in understanding and made his way toward them with Davyn in tow.

Ash had just started for Styxx when all of a sudden, Styxx gasped and arched his back as if something possessed him. The knife Bathymaas had buried in his chest shot through the air and landed harmlessly on the ground. Light streamed out of the wound, sealing it closed. In the next heartbeat, a shock wave went through the room, knocking everyone off their feet, except Ash, who'd seen this twice before.

The last time in New Orleans.

A slow smile spread across his face as he realized that Styxx had finally received his Chthonian powers that prevented any god from killing him. This was a Chthonian rebirth and it was painful as hell. But the drawback was that his brother would have no idea what those powers were or how to use them. Whenever they manifested, they took control over their master and were hard to use or to fight.

Especially the first time.

The chains that held Styxx in place shattered, sending shrapnel in all directions. Styxx rose to hover over the floor.

"What's happening?" Archon roared.

No one answered as lightning bolts shot from Styxx's body, blowing out the windows and ripping the doors from their hinges. Bolts of light pierced Styxx's eyes and mouth. They exploded through his body, strengthening him and bringing him back from his undeserved death.

Simi started to go to Styxx, but Ash held her back. Since she wasn't Styxx's Charonte, Styxx might unwillingly hurt her.

There was only one person in the room who could stop this and she was about to make the horrendous mistake of attacking Styxx.

Ash summoned as much of his powers as he could and teleported himself to where Styxx hovered. He knew it was an idiotic move, but he had no alternative.

The moment Bathymaas saw Ash, her nostrils flared with anger. "You!"

When she moved for him, Ash caught her with his powers. "Kill me and Styxx dies, too. Is that what you want?"

"Kill them both!" Leto shouted, still trying to put the two halves of the Egyptian heart together.

Bethany rose up as if she'd obey Leto, but then her gaze went to Styxx and she calmed instantly. "What do I do to save him?" she asked Ash in an anguished tone.

"You have to ground him. Make him aware of who and what he really is outside of his powers."

"How?"

Ash shook his head. "Damned if I know. I'll try and hold him, but you have got to reach him or those powers will rip him apart and destroy us all."

Nodding, she stepped back and cleared the way for Ash to launch himself at Styxx. When his brother went to hit him, Ash embraced him with everything he had.

Styxx bellowed furiously as he tried to break free.

In her Bethany form, she appeared in front of his brother and cupped his face in her hands. "Styxx? Can you hear me?"

Another blast went through the room as something like a hurricane swept through with enough force that it knocked Bethany back. Ash held on to Styxx and grabbed Bethany before it carried her away.

Bethany trembled as all her memories merged with Bathymaas's and she was fully restored. She saw herself with Styxx and with Aricles, and remembered everything the gods had done to them both to tear them apart and keep them from each other.

Anger rose up, but she forced it down. There would be a full accounting later. Right now, she had to save him. No matter what, she couldn't allow him to suffer another day or die for these bastards.

Or for her.

He shoved Acheron away and turned on her with a murderous glint in his blue eyes. Scared and unsure, she did the only thing she could think of.

She kissed him.

Styxx froze as the scent of eucalyptus and lilies invaded his head. As softness again filled his arms and he remembered what it was like to be part of a whole. That sweet, precious touch calmed him instantly.

Afraid he was dreaming, he pulled back ever so slowly to look down at the woman in his arms. Was it real? Was she real?

"Beth?"

She gave him a smile that harded him instantly. "Are you with me, akribos?"

"I'm not sure. Am I dead?"

She laughed. "I don't know. Am I?"

"No!" Leto screamed as she ran for them.

Without hesitating, Ash intercepted her. But as soon as he neared her, she stabbed him through his stomach with the same Atlantean dagger laced with ypnsi sap that Bethany had used to kill Styxx. While the poison was fatal to mortal beings, it was a potent miasma for the gods, and it was the same serum Apollymi had used on her family to lock them in deathlike limbo when she'd confronted them over Acheron's death.

Ash staggered back and fell to his knees.

Styxx ran to him. "Acheron?"

"Simi!" he called, ignoring his brother.

"Simi on it, akri!" She vanished.

Acheron's body was quickly turning gray as the poison spread from the wound to the rest of him. His eyes flared red as he cupped Styxx's cheek and pulled him into his arms.

Before Styxx realized what Acheron intended, his brother sank his fangs into his neck and handed over his powers for Styxx's use. As soon as it was done, Ash fell back and locked gazes with Styxx. "Kick their asses, brother."

"With pleasure." Laying Acheron on the floor, Styxx saw Urian fighting Phanen. "Urian, on deck."

Urian flashed over then cursed as he saw Acheron's condition.

"Watch and protect him." Styxx rose slowly to his feet as he let the weight of Acheron's power and his own newly acquired ones mingle. Damn ... Acheron's abilities made a mockery of Apollymi's. If Katra really was stronger than her father ...

That was a terrifying prospect.

"Styxx?"

He hesitated at the fear in Bethany's voice. She was the only person in this room he'd never willingly hurt. Taking her hand into his, he pulled her closer so that he could protect her, and she could keep him grounded in case his powers surged beyond his control again. "I'm fine," he assured her. "As long as you're with me."

All around him, the gods battled.

Leto came at them with the dagger raised. Styxx stepped in front of Bethany to confront the kuna who had twice tried to destroy his wife. It was time he ended this and her, once and for all. Leto leapt at him. The force of her attack unbalanced her. He jerked her forward and disarmed her with a single twist to her wrist.

But in spite of everything the bitch had done to them, he couldn't bring himself to strike her. It'd been hardwired into him by Galen that there was never, ever any reason for a man to hit a woman, no matter what she did to deserve it. Men were much too strong.

Leto laughed as she realized he wouldn't strike her.

Until Bethany came around him with a grim, determined glint in her eye. "I've got this bitch."

Styxx stepped back and let her take fourteen thousand years of vengeance out on the goddess they both hated. The goddess who had done her best to destroy them both.

And speaking of hatred and retribution ...

He turned toward Archon who was battling Zakar. Manifesting his sword and shield, Styxx headed for them.

"Zakar?"

The Sumerian looked past Archon then fell back as Styxx moved in to engage the Atlantean god.

Archon laughed. "Really? You think borrowed powers scare me, boy? I've wiped my ass on higher beings and better warriors than you."

"I'll concede the higher beings, but you should remember, Archon, there has never been born a better warrior than me. It's why you helped Apollo and Leto cheat in order to kill Aricles. You knew the debt I owed Apollymi for her favor and that I'd be coming for you eventually."

Scoffing, Archon brought his axe down across Styxx's shield. Styxx lunged at his feet with his sword. The older god danced away as Styxx twirled with an uppercut that nicked his arm.

Archon screamed out in pain.

Styxx drove him back as Archon struggled to keep up with his blows. And he saw the fear in Archon's eyes as the god realized he wouldn't win this round.

"Go ahead," Archon taunted, "put me back to sleep. I will get free again. And when I do, I'm coming for all three of you. There's nothing you can do to stop me. I will return."

"No," Styxx said firmly. "You won't." He feinted right and when Archon moved to defend, he shot back with a well-practiced swing that severed the god's head in one final stroke.

Everyone in the room froze as they realized what Styxx had done. And more to the point, they became aware of what he really was.

A Chthonian god-killer. They alone had the power to destroy a god and send his or her power back to the Source without destroying the fabric of the universe. And while killing a god weakened them, they were still the baddest asses in the Nether Realm.

The only things that could kill one of them was the Source, one of its servants, or serums or another Chthonian.

In that moment, the Atlanteans did what they'd done in Halicarnassus when they realized Styxx would not be defeated ... they dropped their weapons immediately, and stood down.

Except Bethany and Leto who continued to battle. The bloodlust in his wife's eyes was a scary thing.

"Should we break them up?" Urian asked as he joined Styxx.

Before he could answer, Set intervened by grabbing Leto in a fierce sleeper-hold. As soon as she passed out, he tossed her over his shoulder. "While I respect your need to beat on her, daughter, I'm the one with a much larger grudge against her. Not just for what she did to you, but for what she did to your brother." He leaned forward to kiss Bethany's cheek. "I will be back very soon and never fear ... while I wouldn't deign strike a lady, this bitch is open season." He paused to glance at Zakar, who smiled in wicked anticipation.

Then the three of them were gone.

"Brother?" Bethany whispered in confusion as she turned to Styxx. "What brother?"

He pointed to Seth across the room. "Seth was born long after Apollymi had frozen you in Katateros."

Bethany went to meet him for the first time while Styxx knelt beside Acheron. He was stone gray from head to toe. Frowning, Styxx glanced to Urian. "What causes this?"

"Aima," Dikastis answered, kneeling next to Styxx.

Styxx started for Dikastis to finish him off, but Urian stopped him.

"He's on our side."

"You sure?"

"He stabbed that one." Urian pointed to Teros. "And saved my ass."

Maahes joined Seth and Bethany while Ma'at moved to stand by Styxx. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Acheron will be fine. As soon as Simi brings the antidote, he'll wake up."

Styxx wanted to believe that. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Otherwise, Apollymi wouldn't be so quiet."

And she was quiet ... eerily so. Even when Simi returned with three leaves from the Tree of Life that only grew in the Destroyer's temple in Kalosis, Apollymi remained extremely reserved and dubiously silent.

"What do I do with these?" Styxx asked Simi.

"Twist them until they're moist," Apollymi said. "Then drip nine drops into Apostolos's mouth."

Styxx hesitated. "What happens if I do ten by mistake?"

"Let's not find out."

Duly noted.