Devil May Cry (29 page)

Cradling her head in his hands while she fed, he saw her as a young woman in a girl's white and light blue bedroom, sitting at a white table, reading a small leather-bound scroll.

“Katra!”

She jumped at the sound of Artemis's frantic call. “What now?” she muttered under her breath.

“Katra, please. I need your help.”

Kat flashed herself from her room to Artemis's bedroom. She drew up short as she saw …

Sin lying on the bed, half-dressed.

He flinched at the image that hit him through his own memories and through hers, but curiosity kept him from banishing it. He wanted to know what had happened that night.

Artemis was panicked as she pulled Kat into the room, her eyes damp from tears. “You must help me, Katra. He … he broke into my chambers and tried to rape me.”

Artemis was covered in blood, her gown torn. And for the first time in centuries, Sin remembered the past that his mind had buried.

He remembered Artemis smiling at him and handing him a goblet. “Yes, it is a shame about Ningal. I saw her earlier tonight sleeping with my brother in his temple. She is a faithless whore, isn't she?”

Sin had refused to answer. His and Ningal's relationship wasn't any of Artemis's business, and it was something that never failed to cut him to the bone. “I don't want to discuss it, Artemis.”

Part of him had suspected she'd mentioned it hoping he'd kill his wife in anger and unleash the Chthonians on himself.

But Artemis surprised him with her reason. “I have a proposition for you, Sin. You solve my problem and I solve yours.”

“And what problem do I have?”

She'd wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Don't be stupid, Sin. Everyone knows your wife cheats with anyone she can drag to her bed … that the children you claim as yours aren't. That your own pantheon looks down on you even though you control the moon, the calendar, and their fertility. I can't imagine how terrible it must feel to be laughed at by everyone, especially given how much power you have.”

It was much more complicated than that. As much power as he held, he knew it could be negated in an instant by the Tablet of Destiny. Without power, he'd be an easy kill. Not to mention, he was kept at bay by loyalty to Zakar. If Sin died, they'd soon learn Zakar was still alive, and in no time they'd kill him, too.

Artemis had leaned against Sin and breathed in his ear, “Haven't you ever wanted to get back at them?”

More than she could imagine.

However, his hands were tied and he knew it—better he be unhappy than his brother be dead. And as that thought went through Sin, he realized he didn't want to be here tonight … with her.

This all felt wrong and he needed to leave.

Sin had set the goblet aside. “I made a mistake coming here.”

Artemis had pulled him to a stop and smiled prettily at him in a way no goddess had done in centuries. “No, love, you didn't. You belong here with me.” She'd pulled him toward her room. “Like you, I'm tired of being alone all the time.” She'd raised his hand and placed a tender kiss on his knuckles as her eyes seduced him. “Stay with me, Sin, and I will make you the next reigning king of the gods.”

“I don't need to be king.”

She'd left him to get more wine. “Of course you don't. But think of the others bowing down before you. Imagine them all doing any- and everything they can to please you … wouldn't it be fantastic?” Returning to his side, she'd held the goblet to his lips. “Drink, my sweet. It's good for you.”

Sin had downed it all. But no sooner had he finished it than the room began to swim. Too late, he'd realized that she'd had drugged him.

He'd tried to walk but stumbled to his knees. “What have you done to me?”

Her face had hardened. “I want your powers, Sin. I need them.”

“You lying bitch,” Sin had growled, and lunged at her.

She'd slapped him hard. Sin had grabbed her and thrown her to the bed, intending to kill her. But no sooner had he wrapped his hands around her throat than he'd passed out.

Now he saw himself on the bed through Kat's eyes. Artemis's throat was bruised from his attack. Her dress was torn, but he hadn't done it.

Artemis gestured toward him. “You have to strip his powers from him, Katra. If you don't…” She started crying. “He'll return and may Zeus have mercy on me then. He'll kill me when he wakes. I know it.”

“Matisera, I…”

“You what?” she asked angrily. “Don't tell me you won't protect your own mother from an attacker? Look at him, spread out on my bed, sleeping peacefully as if this was nothing to him. Look at me! If I hadn't blasted him, he'd have violated me and taken my powers and left me as weak as a babe. Who do you think would protect you from the other gods then?” She'd begun sobbing hysterically.

He could feel the pain inside Kat at seeing her mother hurt, at hearing her tears. Artemis never cried, and it broke Kat's heart. She wanted to soothe her mother.

“Please, Matisera, don't cry.”

“How can I not? My own child doesn't love me.”

“I do love you.”

“Then prove it! Give me his powers!”

He could see the indecision in Kat's eyes and feel it inside her as she walked to the bed and touched his arm. The minute she touched him, his wrath and anger had seared her. She'd dropped his arm instantly. “He wants you dead.”

“I told you that! If he's still a god when he wakes, I won't be here to protect you anymore.”

Kat was terrified. Her mother meant everything to her. The thought of losing her … she couldn't deal with it. “I won't let anyone hurt you, Matisera. I promise.” Cringing, Kat had reached for him again and then held her hand out for her mother.

Artemis joined her by the bed and took her hand into hers. Kat covered the center of his chest with her palm, then closed her eyes.

Sin had gasped as he felt his powers traveling from his body, through Kat to Artemis. And with every beat of his heart, he grew weaker while Artemis grew stronger.…

Anger and betrayal tore through him as he realized the truth. Artemis hadn't taken his powers from him.

Kat had.

She had been the one to cover him in the
diktyon
so that her mother could dump his body.…

He couldn't even go there. Even after all these centuries that pain was too raw. The humiliation too severe. Damn them both for it.

Unable to breathe, he opened his eyes and saw Kat still drinking from him. He cursed before he shoved her away.

Kat was dazed as she looked up at Sin and saw the fury on his face. It didn't matter. The bloodlust was turning into something more.

Her entire body was on fire and she needed him. It was more than she could deny. She had to have him.

Now!

Rising from the chaise, she stalked toward him.

“Don't touch me,” he growled, holding her back.

She was baffled by his anger as she wrapped her arms around him, trying to pull him back toward her lips. “I need you, Sin.”

He extracted himself from her hold and put two feet between them. “You betrayed me.”

She moved even closer to him so that she could bury her face against his neck and inhale the scent of him … and his blood. “Sin,” she breathed against his skin as she tongued the area she wanted to bite.

He pushed her away. “You betrayed me. Why didn't you tell me it was you who took my powers?”

She was trying to follow his words, but it was useless. She could smell the blood … taste it, and that desire was all-consuming.

Sin tried to leave, then cursed as he realized he didn't have the powers to leave Olympus. “Release me, Katra. Now.”

Still she pursued him.

He held her by the shoulders to keep her away from him. He'd trusted her in ways he hadn't trusted anyone in centuries. Around her he'd dropped his guard, and for what? To learn that she'd kept this from him? That she'd duped him and allowed him to blame her mother for something Artemis hadn't done?

God, how many times had Kat told him she couldn't give him his powers back when she could?

Damn her to hell!

He felt like such a fool. “I don't want you touching me right now. Do you understand? You ruined my entire life and then you didn't even have the decency to tell me it was you when you knew I was blaming Artemis for it.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Sorry?” He couldn't believe that was her comeback. “Is that all you have to say? ‘Sorry' doesn't even begin to fix what you've broken. Because of you, my entire family is dead except for my twin brother, who has spent centuries at the mercy of demons who've tortured him. And now he's one of them. I put my faith in you … came to the home of my enemy to save your life, and for what? To find out that you're the same lying sack of shit that everyone else is? That the one person I put at my back is the one person who has hurt me most in my life? I hate you for what you've done. You made me believe in someone again, and then, the moment I did, you screwed me over.”

Kat let go as those words cut through the haze in her mind. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“What? Did you think I was going to wake up powerless and thank you for it? And what about when you came after me in New York to kill me? What about that? It seems to me all you've ever tried to do is hurt me.” He raked her with a cold, hard look. “Congratulations, Kat. You hit the mark with this one.”

She reached for him, but he moved away.

“Acheron!” he shouted.

Ash appeared instantly in front of him. Sin was thankful that he looked like a man again and was no longer blue.

“Send me back to my penthouse.”

Scowling, Ash looked back and forth between them. “She hasn't finished feeding.”

Sin glared at him. “And I really don't care.”

Ash stiffened. “That's not what you told me.”

“Yeah, well, I've learned a few new things about her.”

“Such as?”

Sin shot a heated glare toward Kat, who was standing there with tears in her eyes. A few hours ago, that would have mattered to him, too. But right now, he never wanted to see her again as long as he lived, and if she was hurting … good. “She stole my godhood from me and gave it to her mother.”

Ash snapped his head toward Kat, who was looking down at the floor in front of her. “She what?”

“You heard me, and you have no idea what that kind of betrayal feels like.”

Ash laughed bitterly. “Man up, Sin. Trust me, when it comes to betrayal, you're a neophyte, and what she did to you doesn't even register on my scale of pain.” He walked slowly toward Kat, who practically cringed at his approach. “You're a conduit?”

She nodded. “I thought he was out to hurt her. I was only trying to protect my mother.”

Sin could respect the reasoning, but it didn't change the facts of what she'd taken from him. “I was innocent.”

She looked up, her green eyes swimming from her unshed tears. “I know that now. How do you think I feel when I look at you, knowing what I cost you? Do you think any of this has been easy for me?”

“Then give me my powers back.”

A single tear sped down her cheek, and in spite of himself, it hurt to see her cry. But how many tears had she caused him? No, he would not let his sympathy for her negate his anger in this.

“Don't you think I would return those powers if I could? My mother knows how to block me. The only powers I could possibly give you are mine.”

He arched an expectant brow at that.

“No,” she said adamantly. “Acheron, tell him I can't do it.”

“I'm pretty sure he heard you.”

Sin shook his head as his anger continued to build. “I want to go home, Ash. It's the least you can do.”

Ash was torn between loyalty to a friend and to the daughter he didn't really know. But in the end, he knew the best thing to do would be to get Sin away from Katra for a while. They both needed to calm down.

But first, Ash wanted to remind Sin what he was about to walk away from. “You told me you were willing to do anything to save her. That her life was the only thing in the world that mattered to you.”

“That was before I knew she was the one who'd betrayed me. That is the one thing I'm incapable of forgiving.”

Pride goeth before the fall.…

“Send him home,” Kat whispered.

Confused by her request, Ash looked at her. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I don't want him here.”

Well, that settled it. If she wanted him gone …

Before Ash approached Katra, he flashed Sin back to his penthouse. “You're not fully fed.”

“I'll live.”

“Yeah, but the longer you go without feeding, the more amoral you'll become. In time, you'll be like a gallu … only worse.”

She looked up at him with those eyes that were both innocent and all-knowing. “Is that why you tolerate Artemis?”

He nodded. There was no need to hide that fact from Katra when it was so obvious.

But his relationship with her mother wasn't the one that was important right now. “Sin loves you, Katra. You should have seen the look on his face when he brought you here. He was terrified of losing you.”

She wiped at the tear on her face. “That really doesn't make me feel any better, since I'm the one who ruined it.”

Ash pulled her against him so that he could hold her and soothe some of the pain she felt over this. “You know the incredible thing about hearts is their unbelievable capacity for forgiveness. You'd be amazed what people will overlook when they love someone.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her head under his chin. “Do you forgive Nick for sleeping with Simi?”

Ash ignored the razor-sharp pain that one question evoked. He still didn't like it, but he'd put the matter behind him. “I have.”