Page 134 of By the Orchid and the Owl
Because I knew, right then, that he’d gone back on his word at the first sign of trouble. That he’d erased what happened with Fergus and Jenia from Emelle’s and Lander’s minds. Probably from Quinn’s and the Summoner’s as well.
“Yes,” he said softly. “I did. And…” His face blanched. “I’ve erased our relationship from everyone else on campus, too. Even from Willa. Kitterfol Lexington won’t find a single trace of us in anyone’s mind. You will be deemed uninvolved and innocent, and you will not be hurt.”
The realization sunk claws of jagged glass into my chest. He wasn’t just going to take away my knowledge of Bascite Mountain and the pills and my power and my faerie blood… but every memory I’d ever had with him as well.
Half of my mind, mysoul, would be wiped clean.
“Please.” I had pitched into a shrill wail against my will. Tears raked sharp prickles down my cheeks. “Please, Coen. Take whatever you want, but don’t take awayus.”
Drops of rain—no, ofmist, of milky, unnatural mist—began to pepper his forehead. Sliding down to his parted lips as he looked at me.
“Hurry, Coen,” Terrin warned, panting with the effort of keeping that boat still.
“Don’t you dare!” I shrieked, trying to step away.
“Garvis,” Coen said, the pain in his eyes anchored onto mine. “I can’t do it. You’re going to have to. I…” His voice cracked. “Every memory I was involved in. Every memory that would get her into trouble. Don’t take them from her, just… hide them. Lock them away so deep that no one else will be able to find them. I… I can’t.”
Garvis moved as if to touch me, but I shot backward, back toward the cliff. Maybe if I could get far enough away, his magic wouldn’t be able to reach me.
But I knew that would be futile even as I forced my strides to lengthen, forced my arms to pump. If Coen had already picked out the memories of everyone on campus, Garvis would sure as hell be able to pick mine out, and—
Sasha and Sylvie’s ropes of magic pulled me back.
I flailed against them, kicking and screaming and twisting, but they eased me to the smoothest patch of shore and pinned me against the ground.
“I’m so sorry, Rayna.”
I knew by the clogged pinch of Sylvie’s voice that she was crying, too, but I didn’t care.
“Let me go! Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare!”
Coen’s face was in front of mine, suddenly, bowing over me, blocking my view of the top of the curling, spitting dome.
“Breathe,” he commanded.
“No.”
I wished I hadn’t taken my pill last Sunday, wished my power could rise up and strike him away from me. Away from my mind and the precious things it held.
And as soon as I thought that, a bit of it seemed to lift its head up inside me. To sniff the air andreach, sensing my panic, sensing my need for that power to spear through the bars that contained it andattack.
Except I didn’t want to attack Coen. I wanted to keep him. I wanted to love him. And even when I knew I couldn’t have all that, I just wanted one more goddamned night with him.
“I will come back for you,” Coen said, and now the smoky quartz of his eyes shimmered with tears. “I’ll make sure you get your pills every week, and I’ll form a plan, and I’ll come back for you and take you away from here as soon as I can.”
I didn’t stop thrashing. The tears didn’t stop swelling and biting into the corners of my eyes and burning my cheeks as they spilled down.
“How can I possibly believe you after everything you’ve—”
“Because I fucking love you, Rayna.”
Coen’s voice was suddenly louder than the roar of sea and dome and the ringing in my ears. His lips grabbed mine in an urgent kiss.
“I love you.” He kissed me again. “I love you.” Again. “I love you.” I was kissing him back, desperate to cling to any part of him that I could, to inhale his bamboo scent forever. “You are the hurricane that has ravaged my heart, Rayna, and you are the only one who can put it back together.” Coen ground his forehead into mine, until our lips were resting in the curves and spaces of each other, and our breaths became one. “Iwillcome back for you. I will make you pick up my pieces. And I will pick up yours.”
Then we were kissing again, a perfect blend of flesh and breath, ebbing in and out of each other until the mist gathered around us in an endless swirl.
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