"That's three words."

"It needed expanding… and speaking of expanding things, you have a visitor inside who wants to be your new best friend."

Ash cursed as he realized who was waiting for him. "Who the fuck let him out?"

"The girl ghost who wants the two of you to kiss and make up."

Ash ground his teeth together. "I'd rather be hit in the head with the tack hammer Tory threw at me."

"Tory?"

"Long story." Ash let out a tired sigh. "Thanks for the warning. I'll go deal with him."

Ash headed for the doors that led to his throne room. As he passed over the seal in the floor, his clothes changed to his Atlantean formesta and black leather pants. He threw open the doors to find Styxx waiting on the other side.

He paused at the sight of his twin who always caught him off-guard. Every time he looked at Styxx he was reminded of his past. Of the brutality. Of the injustice of their lives.

And against his will, he heard Estes growling drunk in his ear as he held him down by his hair and violated him. "How dare you make me want you like you do. I hate you for what you do to me, you disgusting whore. I. Hate. You." The only thing his uncle had ever freely given him had been blows and insults.

Now Styxx stood before him, a perfect replica with short blond hair and normal blue eyes that Ash would have killed to possess.

Ash looked away as he reminded himself that he was a god and not a worthless whore at the mercy of his brother's cruelty. "I'm really not in the mood to deal with you today, Styxx. What little patience I have was eaten alive about two minutes ago."

"I know. I can sense your moods."

Ash narrowed his gaze threateningly.

"It was a gift," Styxx said sarcastically, "from Artemis when she threw me into Tartarus and gave me your memories. I'm only here to ask you one favor."

Ash felt his skin flash to blue as anger pierced him fervently. "You would dare ask a favor of me?"

Styxx stepped back and nodded before he went down on one knee. "I ask as your brother and as a supplicant to a god."

Ash would have laughed had he not been so angry. What game was Styxx playing with him now? "As a supplicant, what sacrifice do you offer for this favor?"

"My heart."

Ash scowled. "I don't understand."

Styxx looked up with a sincere gaze that scalded him. "I offered you my loyalty and it wasn't enough. So in this, I offer my heart to you. If I lie or betray you, you can rip it out over and over again. Chain me next to Prometheus on his rock."

If he ever betrayed him again, he would. "And what favor do you ask?"

Styxx's eyes were haunted before he whispered. "Let me go. I can't live here anymore, isolated from people. Alone. Banished. I just want the chance to live a life that neither of us ever had a chance to live."

Any other time, Ash would have laughed in his face. But today he was weak with understanding and sympathy for the very thing he wanted himself. What had been done to them hadn't been fair. Styxx's life shouldn't have been tied to his and because of Acheron, Styxx had lost his family, his life and his home.

Maybe a fresh start would do them both good. "Fine, brother. You'll have everything you need to start over."

Throwing his hand out, he flashed Styxx to New York where the prince would blend in best with the population. It was also an area where he would hopefully never lay eyes on his brother again.

Besides, Styxx was right. He could kill him at any time. Let the man have a life if he could find it. Honestly, he wished him luck.

Most of all he wished Styxx a peace that seemed to forever elude them both.

"Simi?" He'd been holding her on his body, against her will.

She pulled off his arm and manifested beside him. Yawning, she glared at him in aggravation. "Akri done left his Simi on his arm for far too long. She done got tired and cranky. Why you treat the Simi like that, akri?"

He cupped her cheek in his hand before he kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, baby. It's why I brought you here. You should stay for a bit with your sister and Alexion."

She frowned up at him. "But what about you, akri? You've been so sad, but you wouldn't let the Simi come off you…"

"I know. I have things I have to deal with and I don't want you hurt. You stay here, Simykee."

She beamed at the endearment he hadn't used since she was a baby demon. "Only if akri promises he will call for his Simi if he needs her."

"I promise."

She held her finger up to him. "Good, cause the Simi knows akri can't break his word."

He smiled and pulled out his black American Express card for her. "Go shop."

She squeed before she ran to the TV and turned it on.

Wanting to be alone, Ash walked through the palace even though he could teleport. There were some times when walking and just being normal meant more to him than all of his god powers combined.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. There were some things that didn't need to be done. It was why none of the beings he'd consulted with would tell him shit about his future. Why he didn't heal Tory. There were some lessons, even hard ones, that everyone had to learn. Even the gods.

But right now, he didn't want to learn anything else. He wanted solace and comfort and there was no one for him to turn to to get it. So he entered his bedroom and picked up his guitar from its floor stand. He had a couple of dozen guitars spread throughout the palace here and the various apartments that he kept all over the world, but this one…

This was his baby. A Fender James Burton Telecaster with a maple neck and black body covered with red paisley flames, it had the fullest sound he'd ever heard. Sure he had more expensive guitars, but to him nothing played sweeter or smoother than this one.

Simi had even carved a message for him into the back of it. Allagapi akri, Simi. Charonte for "Simi loves her akri."

Ash smiled every time he saw that and his heart swelled with love for her. She could make him smile no matter how upset or sad he was, but she couldn't comfort him today.

He sat down on the bed and just started strumming. Before he knew it, he was playing Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." It was a song that had haunted him since the first time he'd heard it. It was like the writer had known exactly what was in his heart. It was all about the decisions that changed a life and how perceptions could change any and all situations and feelings.

The problem was right now his feelings were so twisted and conflicting that he didn't even know how to begin to sort through them. Torn between what he should do and what he wanted to do.

Torn between three women who were at odds with each other and with him. His mother who wanted to destroy the world, Artemis who wanted to kill Tory, and Tory who wanted to expose him to save her father's reputation.

Unable to stand it, he got up and tossed the guitar on his bed.

"I am a god."

But what good did it really do him? He was still ensnared by Artemis, controlled by her. He was no less afraid now than he'd been as a human. In fact he was more so because now his powers were absolute. With one whispered word, he could end the world. His decisions didn't affect just his life, they could affect everyone's.

Look what he'd done to Nick. Had Ash still been human, he'd have only beat Nick up for sleeping with Simi. As a god, he'd not only caused Nick to kill himself, but in order to bring that commanded fate into being, Nick's mother had been murdered as well as the sister of his friends Tabitha and Amanda.

He hated these powers. Most of all, he hated the responsibility. "I just want to be alone…"

A knock on his door intruded on his thoughts.

Ash let out a tired breath as he dreaded what was happening now. "Yeah?"