Authors: Gena Showalter
"As Torin said, I didn't command Mnemosyne to kill Scarlet," the god said, his displeasure clear. "But I'm not here to kill her myself, either."
A moment passed, then Gideon looked at Scarlet, confused. "He's lying."
So. Truth. "Then how did my aunt hide those stars from the Lords?" Scarlet demanded. "She was wearing a slave collar. A collar that's supposed to glow when its owner is in possession of a weapon. It wasn't glowing."
"Her sister, my darling wife, visited her, exchanged her collar for a fake, and they planned your murder together," Cronus replied evenly. "And no, Torin, you wouldn't have seen her on your cameras. Like me, she can tamper with such things. She meant to kill you, escape, and for Gideon to hunt her, either keeping him busy or allowing Mnemosyne to convince him to join the Hunters. Against me."
Proof that Scarlet's reservations about marrying Gideon, about being with him, hadn't been in vain. Had her aunt succeeded in killing her, Gideon would have gone after the goddess. Her aunt would have manipulated him, and he would have willingly become that which he despised most.
She should have felt betrayed by her family, but she didn't. Maybe she'd come to expect this. Maybe she'd gotten used to it. Either way, they had to die. It was the only way she could stay with Gideon and not destroy him. And she desperately wanted to stay with him.
"I know of your bargain with Rhea," Cronus said to her. "You are to stop Gideon from giving me what I asked of him. Finding Amun so that I might deduce Mnemosyne's intentions."
She pressed her lips together, refusing to respond. She didn't want to get Gideon in trouble for not yet keeping his end of the bargain.
"However," Cronus continued, "I no longer have need of such a service. I know Mnemosyne has betrayed me." His gaze swung to Gideon, flickers of relish lighting his irises. "Therefore, I'm changing the terms of our bargain. I ask now that you live in misery. Which means you," he said, gaze returning to Scarlet, "are to stop him from doing so."
Shock overwhelmed her, and her jaw dropped. He...what? Surely she had misheard him.
Gideon chuckled, warm and rich, her only anchor in the sudden tempest of her uncertainty.
Cronus frowned, clearly irritated with their reactions. "Do not think me soft. My motives are hardly selfless. I know the fury my wife will face when she realizes that her daughter is happy because of her bargain. But you will leave the queen alone. Do you understand? Or I will finally strike at you."
"No," Gideon said with an easy nod.
That, too, she should have expected. Her aunt had told her that Rhea and Cronus were somehow connected, and that when one died, the other would follow. But she hadn't let that stop her from planning her mother's murder.
"Do you. Understand?" Cronus gritted out.
"Yes," Scarlet barely worked past her now raw throat. She did a good job of keeping her horror from her voice. Did a good job of hiding the tears now burning her eyes. She'd already realized that there were two things she needed to do to be able to stay with Gideon, to keep him safe. Only two damn things. Kill her aunt. And kill her mother.
That's why she'd allowed herself to marry him. Because she'd believed there was hope. A chance. Now...with Cronus trying to stop her...she would fail. Should she even approach her mother with death on her mind, Cronus could very well hurt Gideon in punishment.
"And no, thank you," Gideon added, so happy he looked ready to burst. "But why are you not helping us?"
"You mean, why am I helping you when Scarlet is supposed to kill me?"
Every bit of warmth drained from her. Why pursue that line of thought further unless he meant to act?
"Touch her and live." Rage had clearly replaced Gideon's happiness as his mind clearly went in the same directions as Scarlet's. He shoved her behind him, causing her to flop to her back. She quickly righted herself, inserting herself beside him again.
Cronus rolled his eyes. "As you'll recall, Lies, she isn't the only one foreseen to end me. That monumental task has also been bestowed upon Galen. So which vision is correct? One? Both? Impossible. And that means visions can be changed, the future altered. I will alter mine, even as I alter yours. And Mnemosyne's." Gideon relaxed.
"And now," Cronus continued, "I have a wedding present for you." He clapped his hands and Scarlet suddenly found herself caught up in the clouds. Again. Only this time, she wasn't in the Titans' heavenly palace, but in a vast expanse of...nothingness. Of white. Scentless, endless.
Gideon stood beside her, and both of them were dressed in the clothes of a warrior. Flexible shirts, leather pants. Mnemosyne stood in front of them, out of striking distance but without her slave collar. Fake or otherwise. She was completely healed, as Scarlet had feared.
Cronus bridged the gap between them, arms extended to prevent anyone from attacking.
"What's going on?" the goddess demanded. When she spotted the king, she softened her expression. "Cronus, darling, I'm so glad you found me. I--"
"Enough." He peered at her, devoid of emotion. "Mnemosyne, your sister was only too happy to betray you and admit what the two of you planned. She does like to boast, doesn't she?"
Mnemosyne's cheeks leached of color. "No, I-- Rhea lied. I swear to you, she lied. I would never act against you. I love you. We're meant to be together. Don't you remember? We're--"
"Finished. I enjoyed our time together, but you betrayed me and that I will never forgive." Cronus smiled with genuine humor. "However, I will not destroy you myself. Rather, I will give you a chance to redeem yourself. All you must do is defeat...one of them."
Her wide-eyed gaze flew to Scarlet before darting to Gideon. "Wh-what? I don't understand."
"I have removed all of your weapons, as well as theirs, so this will be hand-to-hand. You may choose whom you desire to battle, Mnemosyne. Gideon or Scarlet. But doubt me not. There will be a fight this day. This petty feud will end, for I need my soldiers' undivided attention."
The goddess studied Gideon, who looked stronger than ever, rested as he was from his truth-curse. She then studied Scarlet, who was still pale and whose neck was still scabbed.
"As you wish, my king." Slowly Mnemosyne grinned. "I choose Scarlet."
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
MISTAKE, Gideon thought. He might have killed her quickly. Even weak as Scarlet was, she was going to make her aunt suffer. He'd never been more confident about anything. Except, perhaps, how much he loved his woman.
He gripped her wrist with one hand and her jaw with the other, pulling her close while forcing her to face him. Her gaze remained on his mouth. "I hate you," he said. "And I know you're going to fail." Even injured, she wouldn't lose. Too much was at stake. Too much rage was directed at that bitch of a goddess.
Silent, she nodded, still refusing to look up at him.
He frowned. What was this? "Hey. Don't look at me."
"Gideon," Cronus said, impatient, and Gideon scowled at him.
"Don't need a moment," he snapped, returning his attention to Scarlet. The fight could wait. "Devil. Don't look at me. Now."
Slowly her gaze rose. Tears swam in those beloved eyes and dripped down her cheeks.
"Devil," he said, chest constricting. "What's right?" Wrong.
"I will kill my aunt. You're right about that. But afterward, I can't stay with you. When I thought I could find and kill my mother, too, there was a chance that I could make you happy. But now...with her alive...she'll use me to get to you, and I can't allow that. Which means I must leave you."
"Yes, yes, yes." No, no, no. "You didn't hear Cronus. You are to keep me miserable, and I can't be miserable without you in my life."
"For now, yes. But what happens after she sends her soldiers to attack you for the tenth time? The twentieth? The hundredth? What happens when she tries to abduct and seduce you again? She'll never stop. You make me happy, so she'll never stop. You'll get tired of it, and in turn, become tired of me. And you really will be miserable then."
He shook her violently. "Always. I'll always be tired of you." Never. For eternity.
The tears streamed down, one after the other, and she sniffled. "I can't be with you and lose you again. I just can't."
"You're going to lose me." He was desperate to make her understand. "I can be happy without you. Your mother matters, she really does. What do I have to do to dissuade you of that? Keep her alive?" Kill her. He would do it. He would betray Cronus in a heartbeat. Anything to keep Scarlet with him.
"No, I've hurt you enough. I--"
Okay. Time for tough love. He hadn't reached her any other way. "I thought I had married a weak woman, but look at you. Strong. Look how confident you are. Look how confident you are in me." He forced the words to emerge on a sneer. "This isn't disappointing at all. Here I am, unwilling to give you everything that I am. My heart, my life, my support, and here you are, willing to stand beside me, unflinching. You are absolutely the warrior I thought you were."
Gods, had that hurt to say. A far different pain than when he lied, mental rather than physical, and yet, so much worse.
Shocked, she blinked up at him. "You thought I was strong but now you think I'm weak? You think I'm not confident? You're disappointed in me?"
He forced himself to nod.
Eyes narrowing, she popped her jaw. "I'll show you. Just for that, you're stuck with me. I don't care how many times my mother approaches you. You'll have to deal with it, you cruel bastard."
He knees almost buckled, so great was his relief. "And it won't be my pleasure. Now. Don't go. Don't fight your aunt. And when you're done, we won't go on a real honeymoon. One with lots of violence."
"Bastard," she said again, but there was no heat in her tone. For the sweetest moment, she rested her forehead against his sternum. "You used reverse psychology on me, without the reverse. Right?"
Rather than admit it, he simply said, "I hate you, Scar. So much."
"Gods, but I hate you, too." And with that, she severed contact and stepped forward, ready to begin.
She hated him, he thought, a grin bursting forth. She really hated him! She'd never said the words before, and now that she had, he just kind of collapsed on the ground, laughing and crying and happier than he'd ever been. Yeah, that other happiness, when he'd married her, paled in comparison.
Soon as the fight was over, he was going to hold his woman and smother her with his love. And he didn't care how chicky that made him.
"Finally," Cronus said on an exasperated sigh. "I give a gift, and I'm ignored. And for the oddest conversation I have ever heard."
Everyone just looked at him.
"What? You recall my presence now? You desire what I offered?"
What a baby.
After a little more huffing, Cronus said, "Ladies. You may begin." In the next instant, he appeared at Gideon's side with a bowl of popcorn. "This is what humans enjoy during spectator sports, is it not?"
"Certainly isn't." Gideon grabbed a fistful of the kernels and popped them in his mouth. Without weapons, this wouldn't be too bloody of a fight, but it would be violent. That, Gideon would stake his life on.
Scarlet was finally going to get her pound of flesh.
He couldn't wait.
There was no trash talk, no circling each other. Scarlet simply lunged at NeeMah, ready. Contact. The two women were propelled to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs. Amid screeches, punches were thrown, nails were bared and used (by NeeMah), and elbows and knees were slammed (by Scarlet).
When they pulled apart, a wheezing NeeMah got lucky, grabbing Scarlet by the shirt, swinging her around and tossing her. Cronus must have erected some sort of air shield because Scarlet crashed into nothing before sliding to the floor. She didn't stay down long. A split second later, she was on her feet, blowing the hair out of her face and stomping forward.
Bitch goddess was gonna be sorry now.
"Got hot sauce for this disgusting snack?" he asked Cronus as he reached into the bowl for another helping.
"No." The king shuddered. "Why would you want hot sauce? Who puts hot sauce on popcorn?"
Just before Scarlet reached her aunt, she whipped out her arm as if she were throwing a blade. Only, her demon flew from her fingers, black and writhing, arcing a swift path to NeeMah. That black cloud hit, and she screamed, dropping to her knees and slapping at her skin.
Spiders? he mused hopefully.
Scarlet closed the rest of the distance, balled her hands and struck, flinging the goddess to the ground, on her side and still slapping at herself.
"My turn." When Scarlet held out her hand, the darkness raced back to her as if she'd switched on a vacuum. "No. It's mine." With an unholy screech, NeeMah kicked out her leg, connecting with Scarlet's ankles. Scarlet toppled beside her, air abandoning her in a whoosh.
"You deserve everything I'm going to do to you," Scarlet growled as she stood.
NeeMah jumped up, attention never wavering. "Bitch!"
"Whore."
"Nuisance."
"Whore."
Good girl, Gideon thought when his Scar repeated herself. Why deviate from the truth?
"While I'm killing you," NeeMah said, circling her as she hadn't gotten to in the beginning, "I'll make you thank me. I can make you do anything I desire. Remember how you cried for Gideon? Remember how you ached for Steel?"
Without a sound, Scarlet kicked out her legs and sent the whore to her ass. A second later, Scarlet had again closed the distance between them. She fisted the goddess's robe, momentum giving her strength as she flung the goddess around and around before releasing her and sending her soaring.
Like Scarlet had done, NeeMah slammed into nothing. She wasn't as quick to get up, though, and Scarlet used that to her advantage, rushing forward and elbow-diving for all she was worth. Smack. Bone cracked.
Gideon couldn't help himself. He whooped, slinging popcorn in every direction.
Cronus leveled him with a glare.
What? he silently mouthed, then turned back to the massacre.
Blood dripped from NeeMah's nose and mouth, her bottom lip was split and her jaw sporting a swollen knot, all courtesy of Scarlet's elbow. An elbow that wasn't done. Boom, boom, boom. As the goddess flailed to sit up, pushing at her, Scarlet nailed her three times in a row, knocking teeth right out of NeeMah's mouth.
Sweet heaven. Sexiest sight ever.
NeeMah's pain must have given her strength, an adrenaline rush, something, because she finally managed to land a punch in Scarlet's throat. Scarlet fell backward, gasping for air, probably seeing stars.
"Ouch," Cronus said.
"Heaven's about to reign," Gideon replied confidently. The fires of hell were going to rage.
NeeMah lumbered to her feet, and Scarlet did the same. The goddess obviously expected to circle her prey again, stealing a few minutes to recuperate, because she stepped to the side. Scarlet simply lunged and popped the goddess in the chin, causing her head to whip to the side, her feet to stumble.
Scarlet jumped on top of her, straddling her and sending her skull cracking into the ground. Her aunt clawed blindly, and actually managed to rake a hand down Scarlet's stitches, ripping every single one open.
"My former mistress is such a...girl," Cronus said, disappointed. "Where are the pounding fists?"
"Well, my man ain't got no skills," Gideon replied proudly. He wanted to stand up and point to himself and shout that Scarlet was his. That she belonged to him. "Don't you just wait and see."
A moment passed in silence, then Cronus shook his head and said, "How do the others stand you?"
Gideon ignored him. "You can't do it, devil," he called.
Maybe his "praise" gave her strength, because she shook her head as if clearing her mind. Blood trickled down her neck, and savage brutality pulsed from her. "You're gonna pay for that."
"You don't have the strength to--"
Panting, expression dark, she tackled the rising NeeMah even as she bit into the woman's throat and ripped. The goddess screamed so vehemently, even Gideon cringed. But as she lay there, gasping for breath, Scarlet straddled her waist a second time and grabbed her head, slamming it over and over against the ground.
NeeMah dug her fingers into Scarlet's neck wounds and tore them further. "Give up," she gritted out. "You want to give up. You deserve to die by my hand. You want to die by my hand. Remember how I--"
"No." Scarlet punched again, seemingly unaware of her own injuries. Blood sprayed, and the ground actually trembled. "I...don't. I don't think I want to give up."
While the goddess tried to shield her face with one hand, she again reached out blindly with the other...until flattening her palm over Scarlet's heart. "You don't want to hurt me." Gritted, barely audible. "You want to save my life, don't you? Remember? Just as I once saved yours."
Scarlet stilled, panting.
"You deserve to die. You've always thought so. You want to die. Remember?"
Fuck. "Not a foul. Not a damn foul!" Gideon tried to stand, but Cronus latched onto him and held him in place. Popcorn scattered. If Scarlet's memories were tampered with, she'd--
"Scarlet used her demon," Cronus said. "The goddess is allowed to use her powers."
"But--"
Gideon watched in horror as Scarlet's head canted to the side and her eyes glazed over. As she nodded. "Yes. I deserve. I want."
"I hate you, devil," he shouted. "Please, forget how much I hate you. Please."
"You want to save me, because I saved you," NeeMah said, voice stronger now as she continued to weave her tale. "I saved you from Gideon. He's the reason you're cut and bleeding. He's the reason--"
"No." Scarlet suddenly hissed. "No. These are my memories, and I love them. I do not want to save your life. I want to end it. I do not want to die. Gideon loves me. Me."
"How can you be sure? You are--"
Scowling, Scarlet grabbed her aunt by the neck and twisted with one brutal slash. The woman's spine was instantly broken, her body flopping lifeless to the ground. But she could recover from that, and Scarlet had to know.
Gideon opened his mouth to tell her she would have to find a way to remove the head from the body, but she beat him to it. She found a way. With her bare hands.
That's my girl.
"That won't kill her for good, will it?" he asked Cronus, just wanting assurance. Worked for immortals, but he'd never delivered the deathblow to a straight-up god or goddess.
"Time will tell," Cronus replied cryptically.
Gideon would just go ahead and take that as "bitch was wasted forever."
Panting all the harder by the time she finished, Scarlet straightened. He jumped to his feet and ran to her, the air shield gone, but just before he reached her, Cronus swept the two of them back to Gideon's bedroom. So when he collided with her, they tumbled backward into his bed. A bed he never wanted to leave again.
"I did it," she said, peering up at him through swollen eyes, split lips curled into a grin. "I really killed her."
Gideon planted little kisses all over her face, careful of her injuries. "Not proud of you."
"Thank you." Shaky arms wound around him. "When she tried to get inside my head, I felt her this time. I knew it was her, and knew that what she was trying to convince me of was false. Because my real memories were so strong. And cherished."
"Not glad, not glad." He hugged her tight. "Gods, I hate you so much."