How could she just keep changing her identities and relationships like people discarded their socks? It completely boggled those last three brain cells that rattled around his head.

“No. You’re a stranger to me. Someone who used my mother for her own gain, and seriously hurt her, all the while telling her she could trust you.” Nick dodged her hand as she reached to touch him. He wasn’t in the mood for it. Too much was happening, too fast.

Honestly, he didn’t know whom to trust, at this point.

Except himself. While he knew Ambrose wasn’t exactly sane, he knew he’d never lie to himself. Especially not about his mother and her well-being. That was the only thing he could bank on for certain. Ambrose only wanted to save his mother.

Everyone else, even Kody, could be lying to him, for all he really knew. He didn’t want to be that jaded, but he had to face the fact that it could be true. Livia had been one hundred percent right.

No one could be trusted.

He didn’t know what was what anymore. Everything and everyone around him seemed like a lie. His head spun from it all. Truthfully? He just wanted to feel grounded again. To have some kind of anchor he could count on that wouldn’t leave him feeling lost and adrift.

“Am I even Cajun?”

Menyara laughed. “Yes, Nicholas. That you are. Your real grandmother was a true blue zydeco-playing backwoods Cajun that would have made you proud.”

Well, at least he still had that. Thank goodness. He wasn’t sure he could have handled learning he was something weird like the grandson of millionaire mining tycoon.

Thunder clapped and the lights blinked as they tried to come on.

Sadly, the darkness returned and reminded him what he needed to do. “I have to find the Eye of Ananke to straighten this mess out. Has anyone heard of it?”

Four pairs of eyes glanced around aimlessly and refused to meet his gaze, letting him know that as usual he, alone, was the idiot in the room. “What?”

“Where did you hear that term?” Mennie asked.

Nick started not to answer her. He really didn’t owe her any answers given how many lies she’d told him over the years. But at this point …

Why bother? He was worn out by the lies and tired of playing games. “Ambrose told me to find it.”

Mennie scowled. “Ambrose?”