The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld #2)(106)

"I know." But this way, if she lost her memory of Lucien when the key left her body, she wouldn't be able to run from him, hurting them both because of the bond between them. He would have time to win her heart again. "I love him."

Cronus stroked his beard in puzzlement. "Astounding. And unexpected from one such as you."

She let the "one such as you" slide. Loving Lucien was the best thing she'd ever done, and she'd do anything for him. "Let's get this over with." She gulped, pushed out a breath, then uttered the necessary words. "I, Anya, known across the ages as Anarchy, freely give Cronus, king of gods, the All-Key. I do this willingly and with no reservations."

Humming with anticipation, Cronus reached inside her with a ghostly hand, just as she had seen Lucien do to the dead all those many times. Her chest burned...burned.... A sharp ache erupted as he pulled his hand back, and then a bright amber light was pulsing in his palm. Anya's knees gave out and she collapsed. Closing his eyes, Cronus placed that light over his heart.

His smile of satisfaction was the last thing Anya saw before her entire world went black.

"LET ME OUT!"

Lucien had never felt so helpless. He simply didn't know what to do. Anya had been locked in the Cage of Compulsion for four days. Despite their bond, she had no idea who he was. She possessed only the memories of her time before accepting the key inside her body. Constantly she demanded he release her. But he didn't. He couldn't. She would leave; she might even try to kill him.

She'd threatened it often enough. And he could still sense her emotions, so he knew that she meant it. She, too, could still sense his emotions and asked him daily why he loved her. Always she asked with confusion, as if they were strangers and he should view her with revulsion. Certainly she seemed to view him with revulsion.

Like a chained, hungry animal, he paced the length of his bedroom. She'd given up the All-Key for him. He hated that she'd done so and wanted to spank her and hug her at the same time. She'd lost her memories, but at least she hadn't lost her strength. He liked to think it was because of their bond. She'd once given him strength and now he was returning the favor.

If only he could make her remember him.

"Let me out of here!" she shouted at him. "You have no right to keep me. How did you move me from Tartarus without my knowledge?"

He stopped and stared over at her, his chest tightening. He hated what she'd given up for him, yes, but more than that, he hated to see her suffering. "Anya. We are bonded. Why do you not remember me?"

"Bastard." She reached through the bars and scratched his chest, drawing blood. "Come near me and feel pain. You got me? The captain was bigger than you and I killed him without blinking."

He sank to the floor in front of the bars, the last few days playing through his mind. When he'd woken up in his bedroom, alive, once again merged with Death, he had been overjoyed. Then he had seen Anya sleeping in the cage. Then she'd woken up and looked at him as though he were a stranger. Cursing at him. Hating him.

Would nothing go right?

It seemed a pall had settled over all the warriors. He'd learned that Paris had returned from Greece a broken shell of a man. Paris refused to talk about it, though, so no one knew what had happened. The warrior would soon be leaving for the States to join Gideon as planned, but Lucien couldn't help feeling guilty that he was the one who'd told the others not to worry about Paris. With the delay, that haunted look, something had clearly gone wrong.

Aeron and Reyes were in the States themselves, though no one had spoken with either and didn't know what was happening with them. Which, in turn, meant no one knew what had happened to Danika and her family. Lucien sighed. The other warriors were still searching for signs of the other Hydras. So far, no luck.

Lucien should be out there, searching with them. At the very least, he should be helping Paris recover from whatever had happened to him. That's the way things had always been. Something happened, and Lucien fixed it as best he could. But he couldn't leave Anya. Wouldn't. She was his life.

Unfortunately, he could not seem to fix her, either.

She remembered neither Maddox nor Ashlyn, though the couple visited her every day to thank her for what she'd done for them. She would listen, seem to soften for a heartbeat, but still her memories did not return. He'd even given her the lollipops she loved to no avail. What more could he do?

"I love you," he told her.

"Well, I hate you. Let me go!" The bars rattled as she shook them.

He dropped his head into his waiting hands. "You are not going to remember me, no matter what I do. Are you?"

"Go f*ck yourself." She slammed her fist through the bars and into the back of his skull. "I will not be your slave. Do you hear me! I'm no one's slave."

With a heavy heart - and wanting to die all over again - he stood and unlocked the door.

At first, she simply stood there, looking at him. "Why are you so sad? Why are you freeing me?"

"I cannot bear to see you imprisoned."

"Why?" Not waiting for his answer, shaking her head and keeping as wide a berth as possible between them, she stalked from the cage and turned narrowed eyes on him. "What's wrong with me? Why do I hurt at the thought of leaving?"

Tears ran down his cheeks, and he scrubbed them away. He didn't dare hope. Not yet. "I am your mate."