Page 98 of The Rebel's Prize

"That?" Chloe asked blankly.

[Mate,] Octarus offered. [Bond feels wrong.]

Oh. "My bond stops you from knowing?"

Elarus glanced back at Sophie, and Sophie's face went still for a moment.

"She just asked if your bond has always been like this." Sophie stared at Chloe, eyes narrowing. "Yours looks different to ours."

"Ours is unusual, love," Cameron said gently.

"So is that," Sophie countered, waving at Chloe. "It's...foggy, yet somehow too bright. And uneven." She tilted her head, squinting more. "Where is your husband?"

"In the infirmary," Chloe said. "Deandra used a memory charm on him. He's lost quite a bit of time."

Sophie's mouth made a smalloof sympathy. "How long?"

"He doesn't remember anything since just before I returned home," Chloe admitted. "Including our marriage."

Cameron winced and reached for Sophie's hand.

"And did your bond look like that before?" Sophie asked.

"No," Imogene said, also turning to study Chloe. "It was stronger when they reformed it than the first time—"

"Reformed?" Sophie asked, then shook her head. "Sorry, that is a tale for another time. Go on, Imogene."

"It was stronger," Imogene said, squinting sideways at Chloe, "but like a normal bond. You're right, it looks strange now."

Elarus said something in sanctii.

"Were you there when this happened?" Sophie asked Chloe.

"Yes. I felt the bond...dissolving. I tried to hold on. Octarus helped me."

"How?" Elarus asked, the question directed at Octarus.

He replied in sanctii, making a complicated twisting gesture with his hands.

"Mate does not remember?" Elarus asked.

"No," Chloe said. "Nothing."

"Fix first," Elarus said, then paused and held out a hand palm up. "Maybe."

* * *

"It will be all right," Imogene whispered to Chloe as they stood outside Lucien's room at the infirmary, waiting for Valentin. They'd sent a message to him as soon as Elarus had announced that she would try to heal Lucien, but despite that, the six of them and the two sanctii had reached the infirmary first. The guard at the door likely would have let her in, given she was Lucien's wife, but it was probably wiser to wait for Valentin.

"You don't know that," Chloe whispered back.

Imogene said, "Elarus wouldn't offer if she didn't think there was a chance that she could do this. That would be cruel." She tucked her arm through Chloe's. "Just don't faint again. Concentrate on Lucien."

As if she needed to be reminded of that. Every nerve strained toward the door, wanting to be inside. With him. Even though she dreaded seeing him look at her and knowing he didn't remember anything about the time they'd shared. None of their smiles. Or kisses. No memory of making stars dance in the air for her or setting her alight with his touch.

Unbearable. Her throat burned with the loss.

Please, let this work.She didn't know quite who she was pleading with. Elarus. The goddess. Fate. Whoever was willing to grant her wish and give Lucien back his memories.

---