Lenas, his uncle's manservant, opened the door to stare at them.
His father stiffened at the servant's insolence. "I've come to collect Acheron. Show me to him."
Lenas opened the door wider to admit them. He raked a heated stare over Styxx's body.
They do look alike ... amazing. I wonder if he's as good in bed.
Styxx cringed. Estes hadn't just shared Acheron with his friends and patrons, but also his staff. As they headed down the hallway, strange images flashed in his mind.
Were they memories?
They came and went so fast that he couldn't be sure what his mind wanted him to see or know.
Trying to push those thoughts aside, Styxx slowed as they neared a room where the sounds were all too familiar. Lenas gave him a knowing stare before he opened the door of the bedroom where Acheron was working with two patrons.
"What in the name of Hades is this?" his father roared.
Eyes wide with horror, Ryssa covered her mouth and turned away.
Styxx couldn't breathe at the sight that greeted them. Completely naked, Acheron was buried between a woman's legs while a man took full advantage of Acheron's squatting position for his own pleasure.
The man pulled back from Acheron with a feral curse. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded with an equally imperious air. "How dare you interrupt us!"
There was a tone his father wasn't going to appreciate, and Styxx was extremely glad he wasn't the fool who'd used it.
Acheron gave one last playful lick to the woman's body before he rolled over onto his back. He lay unabashedly naked on the bed, smirking.
"Prince Ydorus," Acheron said to the angry man addressing their father. "Meet King Xerxes of Didymos."
That took some of the bluster out of the prince, but not much.
"Leave us," their father demanded.
Offended, the prince gathered his clothes and companion and did as the king commanded.
Wise move, buddy.
With a sickly gray cast to his skin that Styxx was all too familiar with, Acheron wiped his mouth on the sheet. His features gaunt, he wore those damned gold bands on his neck, arms, wrists, and ankles.
Licking his lips suggestively, Acheron intentionally flashed the erotiki sfairi that lined his tongue. Styxx gave his brother credit for that stupidity. Especially when Acheron lay back on his bent elbows and spread his legs wide to their father to ram home what he was.
"So what brings you here, Majesty?" Acheron asked, his tone mocking and cold. "Do you wish to spend time with me, too?"
Styxx flinched at an angry, defiant offer he knew went through his father like a sword. Acheron had no idea what he was setting into motion, but Styxx did. He just didn't know how to stop it.
Worse, were the memories of the times he'd been where Acheron was. All too well he understood that hatred and rage that wanted to lash out and throw into his father's face what Estes had made them do. To make the king deal with the reality that had been forced onto them against their wills. Acheron's volatile emotions set his own on edge and left him raw and emotionally bleeding.
"Get up," their father snarled. "Cover yourself."
One corner of Acheron's mouth quirked into a mocking expression. He bent his knees and assumed a sexually inviting position Styxx was glad Ryssa couldn't see. "Why? People pay five hundred gold pieces an hour to see me naked. You should be honored you get to look for free."
Brother, stop!
But Styxx couldn't get the words out as forgotten details slammed into him. Suddenly, he remembered being in this room.
With Acheron and without.
"Four thousand solas for the first crack at them! Who wants to taste Greek divinity and royalty?"