Gideon. Olivia racked her brain. Keeper of Lies?
Im resting, he croaked out. Were alone.
Oh, yes. He was indeed the keeper of Lies, unable to tell a single truth without suffering severe pain. He was also very, very cute, with blue hair, electric eyes and a pierced eyebrow. But he was clearly injured. White bandages were wrapped around his wrists where his hands should have been.
Confident. Aggressive. Sorry to interrupt. I was justin the neighborhood. Truth. Im Olivia, she said, waving. Though this demon raised her hackles as Torin had done, she didnt scream at him to leave or run away herself. Before, shed been injured and lost to those terrible memories. Now, her body was strongeror as strong as a human body could be. She could handle this. Im with Aeron.
Which wasnt a lie. He was one of the reasons shed come here. Shed just kissed him while lying in a bed and oh, her heart had yet to settle over that. Shed never seen him do that with another female.
Just like that, her mind immersed itself in what had happened. Wow. Justwow. While his body was hard as a rock, his mouth was soft as a rose petal. His hands had moved all over her, shed rubbed herself on his massive erection, and those big fingers had pushed inside her. The pleasurethe heatthe surprising abandonshed never experienced anything like it.
Now she knew. You really could die from pleasure.
Hed tasted of mint, sweet and spicy; together, theyd been the perfect aphrodisiac, overwhelming her senses. Completion had become her sole source of survival.
Youre the angel, the woman said with a welcoming grin, tugging her from her thoughts.
Yes. Fallen, but yes.
Gideon relaxed against his pillows. Wonderful.
Pay no attention to him. Hes grumpy from boredom. Im Ashlyn, by the way. Ashlyn had golden hair, golden eyes, and looked as delicate as an iris. Maddoxs wife.
Maddox, keeper of Violence, Olivia said. A giant of a man with black hair, violet eyes identical to Aerons and a seemingly untamable temper. Youve married?
In our own private ceremony, Ashlyn replied with a blush. She stood. Hes not so bad, though, I promise. Her hands smoothed over her rounded belly. Hes a sweetie once you get to know him.
Olivia couldnt help herself. She strode forward and placed her own hands on that belly. Pregnant females had always drawn her, for shed always known she would never bear children herselfanother secret wish of hers. Angels were created, not born, so even if shed experienced physical desire with another of her kind, she wouldnt have conceived.
Now that she was humanperhaps there was a possibility.
With Aeron? A girl could hope. For a moment, she pictured what children of theirs would look like. They wouldnt be born with all those tattoos, of course, and that was a shame, but they might have his beautiful violet eyes, and even his wings. Everyone should experience the joys of flight, if only once. Perhaps their children would even have Aerons grit and determination, driving her mad while at the same time enchanting her.
She sighed, returning her attention to the task at hand.
They are strong, your twins, she said, knowing mothers welcomed such news. Fire and ice. Youll have your hands full, keeping them out of trouble, but youll be happier for it.
Ashlyns jaw dropped and for a long while, she simply blinked up at the taller Olivia. T-twins? How do you know Im having twins?
Oh, no. Shed ruined the surprise, hadnt she? Sensing who grows in a womans womb is a gift all angels possess.
Thatthat just cant be. Her skin was paling by the second, even becoming tinted with green. Theres only one being inside me. I mean, Im progressing normally. Right?
How much to tell her? Only enough to calm her, perhaps. No. Youre progressing slowly. Your children are immortal and require a much longer gestation. But dont worry. As you promised me, I now promise you. Both your son and your daughter are healthy.
A son? A daughter?
Great. Shed ruined another surprise.
With a shaky hand, Ashlyn brushed a lock of honey-colored hair from her face and hooked it behind her ear. I need to lie down. I need to call Maddox. II Her wild gaze swung to Gideon. Would you mind terribly if
Yes, he said, grinning. I would mind.
She exhaled heavily. Thank you. As if she were lost in a trance, the pretty Ashlyn padded from the room, not sparing Olivia another glance.
Im sorry, Olivia called. For more than one reason. Now she was alone with Lies. A situation in which she had never thought to find herself. Injured as he was, however, she couldnt leave him. Would you, uh, like me to continue the story? she asked. Not waiting for a reply, she lifted the book Ashlyn had left behindohhh, a romance novel, how decadent!and claimed the womans seat.
Id love for you to read to me, he said. Your voice is notcreepy.
Meaning he wouldnt and it was. Rejected.
She fanned the books pages, doing her best to hide her disappointment. What youre hearing is a layer of truth. Theres nothing I can do about it. Well, except lie, but thats not something I want to do. They taste horrible. Plus, theyre too complicated. Feelings get hurt, fights erupt.
Yeah, Id know nothing about that. Lies are awesome, he said, but she knew he was agreeing with her. There was envy in his tone. I wishnothing. I wish nothing.
Poor guy. He must wish for a lot of things. So. Do you still want me to leave?
Yes.
Excellent. Progress. Can I read now?
Yes, he said again. Id rather not talk.
Oh. Still no romance novel for her, then. About what?
About you. I have no desire to know why youre here.
So you can help me? she asked hopefully. From fear to need? And so quickly. Perhaps that proved the depths of her desperation to succeed.
Sure. Why not?
Choosing to ignore the lieperhaps he merely thought he couldnt help her, but would surprise himselfOlivia told him about her decision to fall, what she hoped to gain and the progress shed made with Aeron. It was nice, having an unbiased bystander to share with. Someone who wouldnt judge her.
So you hate him, then? the warrior asked, and she knew that he meant love.
Love. Did she love Aeron? No. Yes. Maybe. She still didnt know. I think about him all the time. I want to be with him, give myself to him fully. You know, sexually, she added with a blush, in case he didnt understand. Confident. He said he wouldnt have sex with me, though.
Smart little shit, our Aeron. Gideons grin was slow to form, but wicked and sultry because of it. Listen, heres a little unhelpful advice. Dont consider sneaking into his bedroom tonightand dont make lots of noise so he doesnt kill you, thinking youre the enemy. Oh, and dont be naked.
Excellent suggestions, thank you, she said, brightening. She kicked her feet onto the bed. She still wore her boots, and the black leather glinted in the light. Men do like their nakedness, Ive noticed. Aeron didnt want anyone else to see mybreasts.
The new and improved her could still be embarrassed, she realized.
How wrong you are. Oh, and, Olive? In that position, I cant see your panties, he said, clearly amused.
Confident, you are confident. Do you like them?
He blinked in surprise, clearly having expected her to change positions. I hate them.
Really? That wasnt embarrassing, she decided; that was empowering. Would you like them as a souvenir? Since I plan to take your advice and crawl into Aerons bed naked, Im not going to need them anymore.
Gideon laughed outright. Nope. I wouldnt. I would hate to have them as a souvenir. And not just because Im sure Aeron will be thrilled to know I have his girlfriends panties.
Aerons girlfriend. A lie, from Gideons point of view, but she could have melted into a puddle. Then theyre yours. Ill give them to you before I take off.
That earned her another laugh. I dont like you at all, boy. Not at all.
She beamed. Ditto. So now that Ive told you about me, tell me about him. Aeron. I mean, I know who he is, but I know nothing about his past. I want to understand him. Reach him. Help him stop worrying about my eventual death. And accept his own.
No way. Meaning sure thing.
Gideon shifted on the bed. A lock of blue hair had lodged into the headboard, and it pulled with his movement. He grimaced, reached up, but was unable to clasp a single strand with his bandaged wrists. His frustrated growl propelled her into action.
She dropped her legs, leaned forward and gently smoothed the hair free. Better?
No, he muttered gruffly.
Good. I like the blue, by the way. Maybe Ill dye mine. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind, to be considered later. Along with that navel piercing. Right now, she wanted to learn about Aeron. Who hed been, what had shaped him.
Forgetting Aeronwhere do you not want me to start?
I know you warriors were kicked from the heavens into ancient Greece. Ive heard the stories about the torment you caused, slaying innocent humans, torturing, raiding, pillaging, destroying everything you encountered, and so on and so forth.
He shrugged. You heard wrong. We had total control of our demons and werent lost to bloodlust. And when we did finally lose control, the guilt of what wed done, well, it was minimal.
Guilt. A terrible burden to carry. And from what shed seen of these Lords, they carried far more than any one person should ever have to bear. They deserved peace, she decided. Once and for all.
Aeron wasnt a warrior, Gideon continued, and yet his actions, even when unwarranted, didnt torment himthough I was always sure he hated what he did a little too much and loved himself for it. Even still, he did the least amount of work, making the rest of us do all the killing to protect the god king.
Olivia quickly translated Gideons meaning. Aeron had sometimes loved his job a little too much and had hated himself for it, but hed also loved his friends, so hed done their work, too, sparing them some of the burden, which had probably been torturous for him.
Guilt, she thought again. Even then, he had carried massive amounts of it. He had enjoyed hurting those whod hurt others, and had most likely considered himself just as evil as they were.
Before he died, before she died, she would teach him otherwise. He wasnt evil. He was a protector. No wonder the thought of her death troubled him. In his eyes, he would have failed to protect her. The sweet, darling man.
Please, go on, she beseeched.
Gideon nodded. All those deaths never affected him, making him see fatality around every corner. And then, when our hated enemy, Baden, was not decapitated, Aeron saw that immortals could live forever. That didnt freak him out.
Okay, so. The deaths hed brought about in the line of duty had given him a healthy appreciation for mortality, especially when his dear friend was decapitated. Now, he expected everyone around him to die, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop itnothing he could do to protect them, as shed just figured out.
To a man who valued strength and power, that helplessness had to bother him greatly. That must be why he kept himself so distanced from everyone but Legion. The fewer people he cared about, the fewer people he had to worry about saving.
So how had Legion snuck her way past his defenses?
More than that, how had Legion escaped his demons need to reprimand? The little fiend had hardly lived a blameless life. Look what the creature had done to innocent Olivia.
As for Legion, Gideon said, seeming to read her thoughts. I think Aeron has never secretly craved a family of his own, and Legion doesnt give him that.
So. Aeron had secretly wanted a familyjust as she hadand Legion provided that for him. Somewhat. I could become his family, as well, Olivia thought. Not that she wanted to be Legions stepmother, but for the pleasure of staying with Aeron, she could endure even so heinous a title.
I dont see the eagerness in your eyes, angel, and Im very glad for it. You should know that, even in the heavens, he preferred wild women, and I can sense that, at heart, youre as wild as can beno matter that you clearly havent convinced yourself otherwise. Though Aeron thinks thats what he wants, I assure you, its not what he needs.
Ohno, she thought, suddenly dejected. Aeron preferred tame women, but Gideon thought he needed someone wild. Gideon also thought that, no matter what Olivia did or said, she wasnt wild at heart and would never be.
Why are you warning me away? Only a few minutes ago, you told me how to seduce him.
My girl Aeron doesnt deserve a little torment now and then.
Oh. A little entertainment. Thats what Gideon considered her.
He was wrong. Maybe shed been gentle beforeor had pretended to bebut the more time she spent in this fortress, the more she was learning about herself.
Gentleness was what shed had her entire life. Lysander had been gentle with her. The other angels had been gentle with her. Shed been gentle with them.
In Aerons arms, shed come alive with sensation. Shed wanted more, wanted harder and chaotic, control unattainable. Shed wanted wild. A few times, hed tried to slow things down. Hed tried to soften his touch, proving Gideons claim that he preferred gentle. Or thought he did.
He did beg you to fondle his wings, she reminded herself, and that fondling had been anything but tender.
Still. He hadnt wanted her to pierce her navel. What would he think when she actually did it? When she got a tattoo, as she also planned to do? Maybe of a butterfly. Would he no longer even want to kiss her?
This conversation has officially depressed me, she said. Not that I didnt enjoy talking with you. You gave me the details I begged for, and Im grateful, but I think Ill read to you now, if thats okay. I need a distraction before I head to the kitchen and try out every bottle in the liquor cabinet. Thats what many humans did when they were given news they didnt like.
Not like we can do both, he said, and motioned to an array of bottles atop his dresser.