Acheron looked at him drily. "Believe me, I've paid him well for his shelter and concern. Every night when he took me to his bed. Every day when he sold me to whomever paid his price."
"You lie!"
"I'm a whore, Father, not a liar."
Father attacked him then. He beat and kicked furiously at Acheron who didn't bother to fight or protect himself. No doubt he'd been trained to take that too. I ran to Acheron, trying to shield him.
Styxx pulled Father back. "Please, Father," he said. "Calm down! The last thing you need is to tax your heart. I don't want to see you die as Estes did."
Acheron lay on the floor once more. His face covered in blood and bruises, had already started to swell.
"Don't," he said, pushing me away. He spat the blood from his mouth to the floor where it landed in a stark red splatter.
"Get out," Father snarled at him. "I don't ever want to see you again."
Acheron laughed at that and cast a look to Styxx. "Rather difficult for that, isn't it?"
Father started for him again, but Styxx put himself between them.
"Guards!" Styxx shouted.
They appeared instantly.
Styxx indicated Acheron with a jerk of his chin. "Put this trash on the street where it belongs."
Acheron pushed himself to his feet. "I don't need their help. I can walk out the door on my own."
"You need clothes and money," I told him.
"He deserves nothing," my father said. "Nothing but our scorn."
Acheron's battered face was completely stoic. "Then I am rich indeed from the abundance of that which you've shown me." At the door, he paused to smirk one last time at our father. "You know, it took me a long time to realize why you hate me so much." His gaze went to Styxx. "But then it's not me you really hate, is it? What you truly despise is how badly you want to fuck your own son."
My father bellowed in anger.
With his head held high, Acheron left the room.
"How could you?" I asked Father. "I told you years ago what Estes was doing with him and you denied it. How can you blame him for this?"
My father snarled at me. "Estes didn't do this. Acheron did it himself. Estes told me of the way he parades himself around. The way he tempts everyone. He's a destroyer just as they said at his birth. He will not rest until he ruins every person he's around."
I was appalled. How could a man renowned for his practical sense be so blind and stupid?
"He's just a confused boy, Father. He needs a family."
As always, Father ignored me.
Disgusted by him and Styxx, I rushed from the room, after Acheron.
I caught up to him as he was leaving the house and pulled him to a stop. The torment and pain in his silver eyes cut through me. There was no pleading from him this time. No asking me why. As with everything else, he merely accepted this as his due.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Does it matter?"
It did to me. But I knew he wouldn't answer.
I pulled my cloak off and wrapped it around his shoulders so that at least his nudity would be covered. I raised the cowl to shield his head and beauty, knowing it would be modest protection from the world around him.