The Darkest Lie (18 page)

          Leto bent in front of Mnemosyne and strapped the shoes to her feet. "But how can you be sure?"

          "Insurance."

          "But--"

          A frowning Mnemosyne stood. "You're bothering me now. Leave."

          Color bloomed in Leto's cheeks, but she straightened and strolled from the room.

          Mnemosyne strode to the full-length mirror just in front of Scarlet and Gideon, heels clinking, and twirled, watching herself as long as possible.

          "Perfect," she breathed, her satisfaction clear.

          Scarlet reached out and traced the glass, just along the woman's jaw. "Her tone with Leto...that isn't like her. She's gentle. She's unerringly kind. I...think. I mean, even though everything inside me tells me she used to hug me and whisper sweet words into my ear, in the back of my mind, I can see her pushing me down. Yes. She did. She pushed me down. I can see it now."

          "Are your memories fuzzing more?" Clearing up, he meant.

          She understood. "Yes. The more I watch her, the more solid they become. She didn't just push me, she...yes, she actually kicked me while I was down."

          First, the bitch was going to pay for that. Second, Scarlet was regaining her memory with surprising speed. Gods, he wished it were that easy for him. Just think about something and boom, it was all there. Every last detail. So badly he wanted to relive his every moment with Scarlet and Steel. "Worry, Scar." Don't worry. "You won't get to talk to her."

          "Thank you." Such intense longing radiated from her, his chest started hurting. "There's a lot I want to ask her about. The pushing and the kicking. You. What if...what if she's the one who hurt you?"

          What if. Yeah, he had questions of his own. And damn it. While he could wait for answers, he didn't want Scarlet to have to. There had to be another way inside that room.

          He looked down the passage, where they had yet to go. Several more doorways loomed. "Stay here," he said, an idea hitting him. Come on. He pulled her with him. The next room was occupied by several servants, but the chamber after that was empty. Perfect. They could exit the secret passage with no one the wiser, backtrack to her aunt's room and enter through the front door. That way, if a quick escape became necessary, running back into the passage would still be an option.

          Gideon twisted the knob, relieved when the door opened soundlessly.

          Inside the new quarters, he closed the door and watched as the paneling blended into the mirrored wall. Then he faced Scarlet and placed a finger at his lips. Quiet. This room might be empty, but he hadn't forgotten that the one next to it was not.

          She nodded in understanding.

          Avoiding the immaculate feathered bed was tough--he could just imagine Scarlet on top of him, grinding on his always-hard cock--but he managed to place one foot in front of other. Eye on the prize and all that shit. As planned, they backtracked. In the hall, several sprites bustled past with their cleaning supplies. Gideon acted as if he belonged there and they ignored him. With all the immortals that passed through this palace, they were probably used to strangers.

          Mnemosyne's door was closed. And damn, he was growing tired of trying to pronounce that name, even in his mind. He'd never be able to say it out loud, anyway, thanks to his truth-curse. NeeMah would have to do instead. Besides, Scarlet thought she remembered this woman pushing her down, so that made the bitch an enemy, as far as Gideon was concerned.

          "Let me do all the talking," he said.

          "Thank gods. I wasn't going to say anything to you, but since you mentioned it...she wouldn't understand you, so you'd be doing everyone a favor, letting me take over."

          He pressed a hard kiss on her lips, a silent thank-you. Then, with his free hand, he palmed a dagger and burst inside.

          The goddess gasped as she spun to face him, a hand fluttering over her heart. "What--"

          "Hello, Auntie," Scarlet said at his side. "Did you miss me?" He was proud of her. There was iron-hard determination in her tone.

          Blue eyes widened. "S-Scarlet?"

          "The one and only."

          "How did you get up here?" She couldn't mask her outrage. Or her fear. "Your mother--"

          "Doesn't matter," Scarlet said. "We have questions, and you have answers. Answers you will give us."

          Good girl.

          NeeMah gulped. Laughed shakily. "Yes, of course. And of course I missed you. I love you so much. You know that. I would do anything for you, just as I did when you were a child. Do you remember?"

          A moment passed. Scarlet's head tilted to the side, and she rubbed her lips together as if she were pondering something important. Her warrior-stance relaxed. "I-- Yes. Yes, I do. You were so kind to me."

          Gideon squeezed her hand. Don't lose focus now, sweetness. She was looking at the goddess; her mind shouldn't be fuzzing. Should be clearing. Right? That's how it had worked in the hallway.

          "I'm so glad you remember." NeeMah's arms opened, the very picture of love. "Now come over here and give your favorite aunt a hug."

          Scarlet tugged from his hold and rushed forward. "I'm so sorry we scared you. We're not going to hurt you, I swear."

          Gideon tried to grab her, but she danced out of reach, threw herself at her aunt, and he was forced to watch as smug satisfaction filled the goddess's eyes. Definitely a bitch, he thought. Besides that, his demon was suddenly going batshit crazy. In a good way. The demon liked her.

          Pathological liars always had that effect.

          "I'm just so happy to see you," Scarlet continued, oblivious. Looking at NeeMah must not matter when you were in the same room with her. Or when she purposely wove a deception.

          "And I'm so...happy you're alive."

          Lie. Both he and his demon recognized it.

          The bitch would pay for playing with his woman. He'd thought it before, but now, now it was a need.

          "Now. Tell me about the man you brought me." The goddess's gaze landed on Gideon, intent, studying this time. Recognition--followed by shock--claimed her features. "You. Wh-what are you doing here? With Scarlet? What questions do you have for me?"

          He ran his tongue over his teeth. Such a telling reaction. She knew him, and she had expected him to stay away from Scarlet. "Scar, devil," he said, waving her back to his side. "Don't ask her if she screwed with my memory."

          Suddenly panic overrode every other emotion on the goddess's face. She straightened, stiffened. "Scarlet, my sweet. Your friend is being very rude. And sadly, he's acted this way before, hasn't he?" She caressed Scarlet's temples, rubbing her thumbs in circles. "Even though you try so very hard to instruct him with his manners."

          "Gideon," Scarlet admonished, releasing her aunt and turning to him. Her eyes were glazed but narrowed. "How dare you treat my favorite aunt that way? You know better. I've told you and I've told you to treat my family with respect." Uh. Excuse me?

          NeeMah remained behind her, taller than Scarlet and towering over her shoulder, but using her as a shield nonetheless.

          "Don't ask her!" he shouted.

          Scarlet blinked, the glaze fading from her eyes. "Ask her..."

          A now-trembling NeeMah laid a hand on Scarlet's shoulder. "Scarlet. You know I love you. You know I would never hurt you. And now you know, much to my regret, that Gideon used you to get to me. He and I were lovers, and he's always wanted me back. Isn't that right? We've talked about this." Liar!

          And yet, power hummed from each of her words, and Gideon almost believed he'd used Scarlet to reach this point. That he'd wanted to kill Scarlet and her aunt all along. Because if he couldn't have NeeMah, no one could.

          Lies laughed, a giddy sound, and an image popped into Gideon's head. Small, fuzzy, but there. An image of Gideon pacing back and forth, planning. And the more he studied the image, the more the details filled in. He'd been in his bedroom in Budapest, and he'd--

          Again, Lies laughed. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

          This time, he was jarred from his thoughts. If Lies "hated" the images so much, that meant they were fabricated. And if they were fabricated, that meant NeeMah had planted them. And if NeeMah had planted them...

          "You used me," Scarlet gasped out. Absolute betrayal filled her eyes as she stared at him.

          Had the same false images floated through her mind? Of course they had, he thought. NeeMah was more powerful than he ever could have realized. "Devil, you don't have to believe me. I wouldn't kill your aunt if you were in front of her." Come on, darling. Move away from her and I'll end her.

          "How could you do that to me?" Scarlet croaked. "How could you use me to win back my aunt after everything you already did to me?"

          "I never--" Shit. He couldn't say it. Couldn't speak the truth. "Your aunt is beautiful to me." Understand what I'm saying, please understand. "You're not the only one I want."

          Grinning now, fear gone, NeeMah backed away from Scarlet. "I'll go get help, my sweet." Despite her expression, her tone was still sad. "You keep him here. Whatever it takes."

          "Yes." Scarlet widened her legs, balled her fists. An attack position. And this time, her warrior-stance was directed at him.

          What the hell? "Scar, this isn't--" he began, but before he could utter another word, Scarlet had launched herself at him, her intent to kill more than obvious as she slashed at his throat.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

          BETRAYED AGAIN, Scarlet thought darkly. By the same man. And she couldn't fully blame him. She kept letting it happen because she was attracted to him. Well, no more. She wouldn't kill him, she decided just before contact, though part of her knew that was the only way to truly end the madness inside her. But she would beat him senseless and hold him here until her beloved aunt returned.

          Whatever happened to him after that, she wouldn't care.

          She didn't care.

          As they hit the ground, Gideon arched back to avoid her nails in his jugular. He also took the brunt of the fall. The back of his skull slammed into the floor, and he winced. Must have cracked him good, because blood splattered. To her surprise, he didn't try to fight her off as she straddled his chest and glared down at him.

          "I should never have trusted you," she snarled. "Trusting you always destroys another piece of my life."

          His hands--hot and hard and callused--flattened on her thighs, as though he was holding her to him rather than pushing her away. "That woman was telling the truth. I did this to you. She didn't. She wasn't lying. She wasn't manipulating your memories and weaving fake stories inside your head." The words escaped him in a rush.

          Mnemosyne lie to her? Ha! "You're the only liar here." She drove her fist into his nose, and more of his blood spurted. "That's for forgetting me," she spat. She'd wanted to do this for a long time. Nothing would stop her now. She punched his face again. More blood. "That's for abandoning your son."

          Stop, Nightmares cried inside her head. Don't hurt him.

          Decided to wake up, did you? Well, you can just shut the hell up!

          Don't hurt him. Please. He's telling you the truth.

          Defending the bastard? You're my demon. Not his. Now do what you were created to do and frighten him. Cover him with spiders. No.

          Fine. She would destroy him on her own. Except, when she raised her fist for a third punch, Gideon didn't turn away. He waited, his expression resigned, even expectant, and she paused. He was letting her hurt him, damn him. Scarlet tried to catch her breath. There was no satisfaction in his acceptance. Only shame.

          "Don't think about this, devil."

          Devil. His version of angel or sweetheart. This wasn't the first time he'd used the endearment, and just as before, her heart squeezed in her chest. " You don't get to call me that. You don't have the right." Not anymore. "Besides that, there's nothing to think about. You were using me to punish my aunt."

          "Godsdamn it, you aren't the most exasperating creature I've ever met."

          "You think so?" Scarlet popped to a stand and kicked him in the stomach. No mercy. She couldn't show him any mercy. "That's for sleeping with her. Actually, that's for sleeping with all your bimbos while you were married to me."

          Stop. Nightmares again. Despondent. You must stop.

          No mercy. Not until he's dead. But her own mind rebelled at that. I thought you'd decided not to kill him.

          Demon red flickered in the depths of Gideon's eyes. "Don't you dare listen to me, to what I'm really saying. I slept with her. I did. Okay? All right?"

          There was something about his claim, something she should be considering, but at the moment, she couldn't make rational thought matter. All she could see was Gideon's naked body wrapped around her aunt's, the two lost to their passion. All she could hear were Gideon's moans of pleasure.

          He'd wanted Mnemosyne all along.

          Scarlet's hands balled, her nails cutting skin. "You're going to regret ever meeting me. That's a truth you can take to the bank. Or better yet, the grave."

          "You are so not stubborn," he gritted out, remaining exactly as he was. Splayed, hers to abuse. "I will always betray you. Don't you understand? Always. Betray. You."

          "I know!" Another kick.

          Breath exploded from his mouth. He closed his eyes for a moment, lines of frustration branching in every direction. "Don't think about this," he repeated. "I'd met your aunt a thousand times before. There are many reasons--"

          "Shut up! There's nothing for me to think about." Scowling, she paced around his prone body. Another kick. But again, satisfaction proved elusive.

          Growls suddenly filled her head. Nightmares had stopped pleading and was now worked into writhing fury. Stop, or I'll make you relive Steel's death. Over and over again.

          "You don't know me better than anyone," Gideon burst out on a wheeze. "Why would I need you to win her back, when I'd met her so many times? How could I touch her if I wanted you?"

          Those questions made absolutely no sense. Why was he-- Wait. He was Lies, she reminded herself. He couldn't speak truth. Translation: why had he needed Scarlet to win a woman he'd never met, and how could he have touched Scarlet if he'd wanted Mnemosyne? That's what he was really asking.

          She raised her fist.

          Last warning.

          "Because you--" She stopped, frowned. Good questions. She considered her options, her demon panting, waiting for her to strike, to finally unleash a tidal wave of grief over her. A tidal wave that would not stop her. "Because you...needed me to make her jealous." Yes, that was it. The knowledge solidified as she pulled the memories of her recent time with Gideon to the forefront of her mind.

          Every time he'd kissed and touched her, he'd been distanced. He hadn't made love to her, hadn't tried to penetrate her. Because that would have been taking things too far when he loved another. Yes, yes. The more she considered this, the more everything made sense. The more right her aunt seemed.

          "Yeah, that's totally my style," he said dryly.

          Style or not, it just made sense. "You...bastard! I wasn't good enough to fuck, is that it? You were saving your precious cock for her." Scarlet swung her fist down, intending to knock him in one ear and cause his brain to fly out the other.

          An image of Steel, cut and bleeding, dying, took residence inside her head, and she whimpered.

          In the blink of an eye, Gideon was sitting up and gripping her wrist. His eyes narrowed, his lips pulled tight. "You don't want penetration? I won't give you penetration." With a sharp tug, he had her on the ground. Before she could protest, he rolled on top of her, pinning her down with his muscled weight.

          Nightmares removed the gory, hated image and moaned. Yes!

          No way Gideon would--oh, yes. He would. He worked at the waist of her pants, trying to jerk them open and down.

          "Stop," she said on a trembling breath. What was happening? "Stop."

          More, her demon demanded.

          The warrior stilled, but he was panting as he glared down at her, reminding her of herself a few moments ago. When she'd been furious and jealous and...irrational? Surely not. She was thinking clearly for the first time in centuries. Wasn't she?

          "You can't accuse me of being a lot of things, Scar, and wanting you more than air to breathe isn't one of them."

          Another translation was needed: she could accuse him of a lot of things, and wanting her more than air was one of them. So...he did want her. Proof: he wasn't writhing in pain.

          Scarlet gulped back the sudden lump in her throat. He. Wanted. Her. So why had her aunt-- Wait. That was the something she'd been trying to remember a short while ago. He had to speak in lies or he would hurt. Savagely. And he'd said, I slept with her. I did. Her, meaning Mnemosyne. Yet he hadn't screamed, passed out or grown weak. So he had been lying. He hadn't ever slept with her aunt.

          This was...this made no sense.

          "I need to think," she said softly.

          Gideon eased off her, but didn't move away. She lay there, struggling to put the rest of the pieces together.

          First, Mnemosyne had accused him of trying to make her jealous. But what had he done to make her aunt jealous? Nothing, that's what. He'd come up here to find Zeus and avenge Steel. Scarlet had followed him, and he'd been genuinely surprised to see her. Which meant he hadn't planned for her to follow him.

          She'd told him about her aunt, and he hadn't acted as if he knew the woman. Granted, that could have been a lie. But then, why would he have arranged for Scarlet to see her if he'd wanted to keep their association secret? The jealous thing, sure, but he hadn't put his arm around Scarlet while Mnemosyne watched. He hadn't tried to kiss Scarlet or seduce her in front of her aunt, either. He'd just yelled at her, commanding her to find out if her aunt had messed with his memory.

          That's when Mnemosyne had placed a warm hand on Scarlet's shoulder and told her about Gideon's plan. Told her. Yes. The moment Mnemosyne had spoken, the first image of Gideon and her aunt rolling around in bed, naked, had appeared in Scarlet's mind. That image had been fuzzy at first, but the more Scarlet had believed it possible, the clearer the image had become.

          "T-tell me you desire my aunt," Scarlet said, focusing on the man above her.

          There was a hard glint in his eyes. "I desire your aunt."

          Not a flicker of pain.

          Not daring to hope, she said, "Tell me you used me to win her."

          "I used you to win her."

          Again, no pain.

          Her aunt had lied to her.

          Scarlet closed her eyes. Anything to hide the burning relief most likely banked there. Gideon hadn't betrayed her. Gideon hadn't betrayed her! The knowledge was part soothing balm for her battered heart and part kindling for her sudden, raging guilt.

          "I'm sorry for kicking you," she said on a groan. "And punching you. And screaming at you."

          At last, Nightmares calmed.

          Slowly Gideon eased the rest of the way off her. "You're not forgiven." The words offered absolution, but there was no emotion in his tone.

          Scarlet cracked open her eyelids, only to see that Gideon had already turned, presenting her his back. Still angry? Hiding his expression? "She's powerful. To have made me believe in your cruelty, and so strongly, so quickly..." Scarlet shuddered. "I can't believe the sweet woman I remember did that to me."

          "Yeah, she's a real sweetheart." Gideon flicked her a glance over his shoulder as he stood. Nope, he hadn't been hiding his expression; it was as empty as his tone. "And I'm sure all of your memories of her are correct."

          Correct equaled wrong. Every muscle in Scarlet's body tensed. He was right. The image she had of her aunt didn't fit with the woman she'd just encountered. Of course Mnemosyne had manipulated her perception at some point.

          Mnemosyne had certainly had plenty of opportunities. For centuries, they had shared a cell. A simple touch, a spoken word, and boom. Scarlet's life was completely altered.

          Dear gods. How many times had Mnemosyne screwed with her head? How many of her memories were fake?

          Which memories were fake?

          Air burned her nose, her lungs. Suddenly Scarlet didn't trust anything she believed. Even...her wild gaze landed on Gideon.

          "We don't need to get out of here," he said, extending a hand.

          Don't think about this now. You can't afford the panic. Gulping, she twined their fingers and allowed him to tug her upright. As before, when he'd gripped her thigh, his skin was hot, hard and callused. Shiver-inducing. "Enough time has passed that I doubt Mnemosyne went for help. She ran. Is probably hiding. Otherwise, guards would be in here, weapons pointed at us."

          Strong shoulders lifted in a shrug. "Better sorry than safe."

          "We can't leave, though. We have to find her. I need to...talk with her, find out what other lies she's convinced me of."

          Gideon shook his head, resolute. "What Zeus did is--"

          "A lie, maybe." The realization hit her and she gasped, her free hand flying to cover her mouth. Maybe Zeus hadn't truly murdered Steel. Maybe someone else had. Or maybe Steel had never been killed. Maybe Steel was alive. Maybe he was out there, waiting for her to find him.

          Hope bloomed inside her chest, filling her with a joy she hadn't known since the last time she'd held Steel in her arms. "We have to summon Cronus." She fisted Gideon's shirt. "We have to find out if he knows anything about Steel."

          His expression gentled, and he cupped her cheeks. "Scar, devil..."

          Devil. There was that endearment again. She rose on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. Lips still swollen from meeting her fist. Lips that were bleeding and missing a ring. Had she tugged it loose? "I'm sorry" wasn't enough.

          "Please, Gideon. I think...I hope... What if he's still alive? What if our baby is out there?"

          He opened his mouth. To protest? Then he shook his head violently, scales flashing underneath his skin. "Oh, sweet sunshine and roses, I can absolutely believe I'm doing this," he muttered, releasing her to jerk his necklace from around his neck and stuff the chain into his pocket.

          Wow. That was the vilest curse she'd ever heard him utter.

          "Cron!" he shouted, fist raised and pumping in the air. "I don't want to talk to you."

          A moment passed in silence. Scarlet could barely contain herself; she felt ready to jump out of her skin. Knew she wouldn't last much longer. Soon she would start shouting threats. Dismemberment, the removal of the king's cock. "Cron!"

          "Manners, Lies. Manners. You're in my home. You do not bellow for me. You ask nicely."

          The voice came from behind them, and they swung around in unison. Cronus was perched at the edge of the bed, his lips pinched in displeasure.