A slow smile curved her lips. “The source of his undoing.”
Apollo nodded slowly. With Phoebe under his control, he didn’t need to find Acheron’s father. He had something even better at his disposal.
Acheron’s comeuppance.
Because that was the beauty of being a god of prophecy. He knew the future.
The final fate of the world … of all humanity wasn’t really in the hands of Acheron or even Apollymi.
It was in the bloodline of Urian’s family.
And now it was in his.
October 28, 2017
Medea had dreaded this moment for days. But it was something that had to be done and something that she didn’t want Urian to discover on his own. Better the news come from someone he loved than to be dumped on him by accident.
How she’d allowed Falcyn to talk her into doing this in Acheron’s palace on Katateros, she had no idea. She definitely loved the beast. Only that could account for this level of insanity.
But in the end, he was right. It was better that Urian be comfortable and surrounded by family when he learned the truth than to be blindsided and surrounded by strangers. That wouldn’t bode well for anyone.
Still …
This was nerve-racking. The huge marble palace was awe-inspiring, as one would expect the home of ancient gods to be. It had been built to impress, and she was definitely not immune to its austerity.
Acheron’s throne was set off to her right on a massive dais where several small little dragonlike creatures were currently curled around and napping with Acheron’s two sons. The way the creatures were entwined, she wasn’t even sure how many of them there were.
Simi and her Charonte sister were on the floor to her left, watching some shopping network channel on a massively huge monitor that was mounted to the wall on her left. Completely content, they were eating barbecue-drenched popcorn out of a bowl they shared that was perched between them while Acheron’s steward, Alexion, and his wife, Danger, kept it filled to capacity.
Urian’s father, Styxx, met her and Falcyn in the doorway. At almost seven feet in height, he was an impressively handsome beast. Dressed in a casual blue button-down shirt and jeans, he was a far cry from Ash’s preferred Goth style. “Yeah, we know. But it keeps them out of trouble and stops them from putting horns on the babies’ heads.”
Medea laughed as she saw that Urian’s birth mother, Bethany, was holding their youngest son in her arms and cooing to the toddler. “So this is the little Aricles I keep hearing about from big brother Urian.”
With her black spiral curls pulled away from her face in a ponytail, Bethany rubbed her son’s back. Her caramel skin was flawless over sharply chiseled features. “Would you like to hold him?”
“I might keep him if I do.”
Ari smiled as he looked up at her. “Mimi?”
Completely sunk, Medea took him and was lost the moment he wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her with a giddy squeal and bounce. It’d been so long since she last held a baby that she’d forgotten just how wonderful it felt to have such unbounded affection.
That was the hardest part about being around Daimons; they couldn’t have children. Only Apollites could.
Falcyn brushed his hand through her hair. “You okay?”
She nodded. “You’re screwed, though. Word of warning. I want a bunch of these again.”
He wrinkled his nose as Aricles squeezed Falcyn’s finger and bit it. “I don’t know. He’s kind of smelly and leaking out both ends.”
Bethany laughed. “It doesn’t bother you when it’s yours who smells that way.”
“If you say so.” He met Styxx’s gaze doubtfully.
Styxx cleared his throat. “I’m agreeing with Beth. All the way.”
“That’s because my brother is not a fool.” Acheron came in and clapped his hands on Styxx’s shoulders.
Medea froze at the sight of them together. While she knew they were identical, except for their eye color and hair color—and that only because Acheron artificially colored his black and red—it was still shocking to see them side-by-side like this.
If the two of them put their minds to it, there would really be no way to tell them apart.
Spooky.
“Dear gods, who’s dead?”
They all froze as Urian came into the room to catch them gathered there.
“Please tell me it’s Stryker.” There was no missing the hopeful tone in Urian’s voice.
“Not funny.” Medea handed Aricles back to Bethany as she braced herself for the last thing she wanted to do. How in the world was she going to tell Urian about Phoebe …
Now she wished she’d taken Davyn up on his offer to be here for this confrontation. But then she wasn’t a coward and Urian was her brother.
I can do this.
Falcyn put his hand on her shoulder to let her know that he was with her. She took comfort in his presence. And with a deep breath, she braced herself for what was going to be a horrible reaction.
Real bad.
“There’s something I need to tell you, Urian. Something you’re not going to believe.”
“I’ve won the lottery?”
She rolled her eyes at his misplaced and extremely irritating humor. “No. It’s about Phoebe.”
The color faded from his cheeks. When he spoke, his tone was brittle. “What about her?”
There was no easy way to do this. So she settled on just ripping the Band-Aid off as quickly and mercifully as possible. “Stryker didn’t kill her that night. She’s still alive.”
Gah, that sounded harsh even to her own ears. She could kick her own ass.
Delicate, thy name is not Medea.
He staggered back into his father’s arms and would have fallen had Styxx not been there. “What?”
“Breathe,” Styxx whispered in his ear. “I’ve got you.”
Urian shook his head. “It’s not possible.”
I feel that, brother.
But she had to be strong for him. And she had no choice now except to see this through. “Both Davyn and I saw her. She’s alive, Urian. Just not the same.”
Urian’s head spun from the emotions that took turns assaulting him. Disbelief. Anger. Pain. Betrayal. He couldn’t even settle on one. As soon as he thought he had one emotion, it melted into another.
He glared at Acheron. “Did you know?”
“I swear on my mother’s life, I had no idea. She’s not human, so I can’t see her fate. It’s beyond my powers. If I’d known, I’d have told you.”
Urian blinked and blinked again as he slowly digested her news. “Stryker knew?”
She nodded weakly.
Of course the bastard knew. Why would he think otherwise? “Why didn’t he tell me?”
“He didn’t want you to feel guilty for what she’s become. For what she did.”
What? He scowled at her. “What she did?”
Medea looked away as if she couldn’t bear to tell him that part. “She went trelos, Uri. She attacked the commune where you had her housed.”
No. They’d have told him.
She was lying.
He glanced over at the one person who would know. “Ash … if this is true, is there any way to get her back?”
Acheron shook his head. “Not that I know. But I’m a god of fate. Not one of souls.” He looked to Styxx’s wife.
She shook her head. “Wrath, warfare, misery, and the hunt. You need someone hunted down and killed with extreme prejudice, I’m your girl. But I was never in charge of souls, either. Sorry.”
Falcyn sighed. “And I’m a war god, too. What a worthless lot, we are.”
“Although…”
They turned to stare at Acheron.
Ash bit his lip as he considered something. “This is a long shot. I mean Hail Mary pass of all time.”
“What?” Urian stepped away from his father.
“I might know somebody who can help with this.… Xander.”
Urian considered that. Xander was a Dark-Hunter currently stationed in New Orleans. Part sorcerer, he was one of the darkest powers. So much so that Artemis had only gotten a part of his soul.
“Who is he?” Medea asked.
Acheron sighed. “He deals with transmutations and is the only nondemon I know who can bargain with Jaden and Thorn. If anyone can help you, he’ll be your best bet.”
Medea looked hopeful. “You think he’ll do it?”
Ash let out a nervous laugh. “I don’t know. He’s a tricky sonofabitch. But he does have a weakness.”