Page 22 of Forget Me Not
This was a mausoleum.
Mausoleums were in cemeteries.
She was in a cemetery.
Thecemetery.
It was like being kicked in the chest—all oxygen ripped from her lungs, and new air refused to take its place. Avoiding this place had been her top priority, she could not be here. Not in this place.
Not now.
Not alone.
Not alone.
Not. Alone.
Two large hands gripped her shoulders.
“Hey, hey! Are you okay?”
“Wh—where…where…” Her voice did not sound like her own. She sounded like she was underwater.
“A mausoleum, we’re in a mausoleum. We’re still in Timberfall, in the cemetery. I didn’t know where else to take you…”
She already knew, but the confirmation wrapped around her neck, her heart hammering so hard she couldfeelit pulsing in her ears. Her skin itched. It itched, and all she wanted to do was crawl out of it—crawl out and run away.
“SYVE!” Hands on her face forced her to focus on gray eyes. “Syve, look at me. Look at me, you’re not alone, it’s okay. Breathe.” This close she could see the depth of color in his gaze; gray alone was not accurate. All the videos she had watched of melted aluminum sprang to the forefront of her mind. In all of her life she had never seen such a unique pair of eyes.
And then they blinked.
Mystery man was taking deep, exaggerated breaths—breaths she had at some point began to copy.
“I can’t be here.” A whisper. “I can’t—I haven’t—not since…since…” The whisper morphed into a whimper with each word, and she felt a sting behind her eyes. Dark brows knit together, blurring when she blinked.
“You haven’t? Haven’t been here? What do you mean?” Another blink to clear her vision, watching as he searched her eyes. Confusion was clear on his face. “You’ve been here a lot. Syve, you’ve been here every night—every night for months.”
Blink.
Snow crunching under deft hooves.
Blink.
Full moon peeking through the clouds.
Blink, blink.
Those stormy eyes haloed by silver fur.
Blink, blink, blink.
That silver fur chasing. Trees blurring. Water. The lake. A growl then she was falling.
Syve gasped, pulling away from the man and slipping her hands up to her face where his had just been. He remained there with his hands up, he’d done this before, he ducked his head slightly—a gesture to assure her he meant no harm.
“Who are you? What…how? Did I? Is this real?” She rasped, her throat even more dry than it had already been.
“I think you should sit. Sit and drink some water, I’ll give you answers—all the ones I can, at least.” He gestured behind her at the bench before sliding down to the floor himself, once again leaning against the wall opposite to her.
