His lips already swelling, Styxx wiped the blood on the back of his hand. "How so, Father?"
"You turned down a king's offer, you disseminated royal treasure to commoners without permission, and then you deprived the city of welcoming you home and insulted the noblemen and their wives by not attending the celebratory banquet held in your dubious honor."
That was quite a list of offenses his father had made.
"What have you to say for yourself, boy?"
Styxx licked at his still bleeding lips. "I thought King Kreon had been more than generous with his gifts to you, Father. So much so that you wouldn't miss what little he gave to me personally for my services to his army. I thought those were better served going to the men who'd left their families and risked their lives for us than into the treasury to pay for Mother's drink and Ryssa's gowns. Forgive me for my selfishness. As for the noblemen and their wives, I doubt they missed me once you opened the reserves. And honestly, I didn't want the humiliation of returning home and having my mother and sister snub me on the palace steps or see the anger in your eyes over the fact that I squandered my portion of the tribute I earned. So again, please forgive me for insulting you while I sought to save myself from more public embarrassment."
"I should have you whipped for your insolence."
"Fine. Would you like to wake the scold or should I?" Styxx started past him, but his father caught his arm and pulled him to a stop.
A tic beating furiously in his jaw, he met his father's baffled expression.
"I don't understand you, boy. I have given you everything a prince could have or want, and it's not enough for you. You're petulant. Thoughtless ... Perhaps I should have kept Acheron and let Estes whore you in his stead."
Those words slammed into him like one of Apollo's fists. "You knew?"
"Not ... in so many details. But I had suspicions."
Styxx couldn't breathe as the cold, harsh brutality racked him hard. "How could you suspect and do nothing?"
"I did it to protect you and control him."
Styxx snorted. "Protect me?"
"Your life hinges on his."
So...? "And what about now? You don't know where..." Styxx's voice trailed off as a brutal realization slapped him in the face. "You do know Acheron's whereabouts."
"Of course I do. You don't really think for one moment I'd let him loose when his life is tied to yours, do you?"
Styxx glanced away from him before he gave in to the urge to beat the old bastard. "I don't know what to think anymore, Father."
The king reached for him.
Styxx stepped back, out of his reach. "Don't touch me. How could you allow my twin to be bought and sold?"
The lack of remorse on his father's face appalled him completely. "It was a perfect revenge. The gods whored my queen. It's only right that I whore their by-blow."
How was Styxx supposed to take that? It was okay for Acheron, his identical twin, to live in utter misery and to be used every single day?
Was that why he was now being tortured by Apollo? The gods were exacting their own retribution over what the king had done to one of them? And Styxx was their tool?
"And what of me?"
His father scowled. "What about you?"
By his father's thoughts, Styxx knew the king had no idea Estes had used him, and he definitely didn't know about Apollo's attacks. "Did Estes tell you he molested Acheron?"
His father grabbed him by the throat and shoved him back. "My brother never did such a thing. It's a lie that bastard told. I know better."
No, he didn't. Styxx knocked his hand away. "Where's my brother?"
"In a place where he can't hurt us."
Right then, Styxx could have killed his father easier than he'd killed his uncle. "Where?" he asked through clenched teeth.