Page 100 of Fallen Stars

“Lorenzo,” she snapped, eyes narrowing. “Tell me, right now, what’s going on?”

Enzo pulled her to a bench, careful to pick one as far out of the way of the packed streets as possible.

“I’m the reason you can’t feel your shadows,” he said, making sure to hold her gaze as much as it pained him.

“You?” She shook her head. “I’m not following.”

“When you were in Ariete’s dreams, I was in yours. I began wandering, and I met your shadow.”

Elara paled, but Enzo barrelled on. He knew that there was a high likelihood that she would despise him after this, but he tried not to dwell on it, knowing that she deserved the truth.

“I felt so close to you, El. I saw every part of you,every part.Every flaw that you’d wanted to hide away and bury down. And El, I hadn’t thought it possible to love you more. But after seeing your shadow, I did. I love you so, so deeply. I love every shadow, every part of yourself that you’re too scared to show me. I don’t fear one jot of it. And I adore every cell of your being. Please, please remember that after what I’m about to tell you.”

“Enzo, you’re scaring me.”

Enzo closed his eyes for the next part. It was selfish, he knew, but he couldn’t bear to see the look that would strike across Elara’s face.

“She told me that something has been hunting you. A darkness so much worse than Ariete, one more ancient and cunning.”

He felt Elara still completely.

“And your shadow told me that the way the Dark has been tracking you, the way she has gotten so close, was through your shadow. Because your shadow was a darkness—a part of her, whoever she is.”

He dared open his eyes, and Elara was looking at him with something akin to horror on her face.

“She told me I had to kill her so you would be safe.”

“No,” Elara whimpered, her face crumpling.

“You were in Ariete’s dreams, and this darkness was so close, close enough to get to you if I hadn’t acted. I begged your shadow to find another way, but she couldn’t. She told me I had to, that I was protecting you.”

He didn’t realise that he had slid from the bench onto the floor, kneeling before her. He knew he must have looked wild, tortured even, as Elara tried to pull away.

“El,” he said, voice cracking. “Please forgive me. I had no other choice. I had to do it. I had to. It was the only way to keep you safe.”

Elara closed her eyes, tears streaming silently down her cheeks.

“So they’re gone?” she asked hoarsely as Enzo gripped her hands, praying and begging that she would forgive him. “My shadows are gone?”

Enzo nodded. “I know, El, I know. It killed me, nearly tore me in two to do it. I know how much you’d lost, how your shadow self was the only thing that had walked beside you.”

Elara passed a shaking hand over her face, trying to wipe her tears.

“And your shadow told me that the power was never yours to begin with, that it was stopping your true essence—yourmoonlight—from breaking forth.”

“The silver light?”

Enzo nodded.

“Well, I don’t want it,” Elara sobbed. “I want my shadows. I won’t touch it. I’ve survived twenty-three years without it. It’s not mine.”

Enzo rose back onto the bench and pulled her to him, both arms wrapped around her tightly as she sat limp. “It’s okay,” he murmured, making gentle hushing sounds as she sobbed. “We’ll work this out the way we always do. Please forgive me, angel. I had no other choice, and I am so, so sorry. Please,” he whispered, “please, please.”

He rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair, muttering soothing words to her until her sobs quietened a little.

“There is nothing to forgive,” she finally replied, pulling away to look at him. “I love you, Enzo. Nothing you could do would change that. And I understand why you had to do it. But right now, the wound is too raw, too painful to try and substitute my shadows with light. All I’ve known is darkness. How can I accept moonlight, accept that it’s my birthright, my governing power? I don’t care what it does right now. I don’t care that it awoke the minute you held me. Right now, I just need to grieve.”

Enzo kissed the tears trailing down her face. “I love you,” he said after each one that he kissed away. He wished he could kiss her pain away too, wanted to hurt himself for hurting her. But Elara was forgiving him, and that was enough.

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