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.
