Page 63 of The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon
“I thought one broken heart in a lifetime was enough.”Hisvoice was rough. “Whatwould it have changed?”
“Nothing.”Aurorarested her weight on her elbow. “Arewe still cursed?”Sheheld out little hope thatDeathwould give her this one.
“Yes.”
“I thought so.”Thane’sexhaustion wrung any excitement she felt for reaping the first three souls. “Whydoes he do this to you?”
Thane traced her jaw, then bottom lip. “I’mhis punishment.”
Aurora groaned and flopped down on the bed. “Whatdoes that even mean,Thane?”Shewatched the stars above them.Theywhispered and gossiped about her and the god she lay with.Fatewould soon know how close she was to breaking his curse.
“My father andFatehave been at odds since the creation of mortals.Deathwould take one ofFate’sloves, andFatewove you into my life.”Thanelooked over atAurora. “Whatbetter way to beat my father than give him a son who loves the daughter ofLife?”
Aurora thought back to whatDeathhad said to her.Thetruth about her andThane.Sherefused to accept that her love for him was part of a scheme thatFatehad planned out. “Andif it was just some gameFatewas playing, would that mean that our love is not real?”
Thane smiled and moved closer to her. “Doesit not feel real?”
Aurora had had lots of time to think about her love forThane.Inthe moments right after they fought, she thought about askingLoveto write another name in her book.Shehad even gone to the god.ButwhenLoveasked her whoAurorawanted,Auroracouldn’t think of one name.Notonly could she not lie, but she couldn’t think of her life withoutThane.Thethought of never being with him was far worse than the heartache.
“Dove, what’s wrong?Areyou doubting our love?”
“Never.”Shebrushed a finger over his mouth, leaving a glittery trail behind.
There were those who thoughtThanegot his beauty from his mother.Theyhadn’t seen the beautyDeathhid from the world.AbeautyDeathsaw as a weakness.Thesame beautyThanereflected back.
“SometimesIwishIwasn’t a god,” she confessed.Howdifferent would their lives be if they were two mortals who had fallen in love?Iftheir parents had been farmers and not vindictive gods?Wouldtheir love still burn so bright?
“Hush, do not say that.WherewouldIbe without you?Wherewould the mortals be if not for us?”
“Maybe they’d be better.Weare gods, and yet we bicker over petty things.Webreed things likeHate.Envy.Lust.Weare supposed to be better than mortals.Themoral compass that guides them.Instead, we fight amongst ourselves.Bickerlike children.Mortalsare doomed if we are their saving grace.”
Thane took her hand and laced their fingers together. “Mortalshave been doomed since they were conceived.Theyare our flaws.Theywere never meant to be perfect.”
Aurora looked at him. “Andus?Shouldwe not be perfect?Shouldwe not be above childish wishes and curses?”
“Love, without us there wouldn’t be wishes.Therewould be no rain on a spring day.Nosunrise to paint the sky with all its brilliance.Noseas of blue or a moon to recite poetry to.Weare the balance.Asgods we carry the mortals’ burdens so they are free to live.”
“I’m tired of bearing the burden.Iwould like some peace and to live without heartache.”Auroramoved closer to him, resting her head on his chest, watching the stars and the night sky peacefully coexist.Herlife had always been tainted with some sort of strife.Firstwith her mother molding her into what her version of a god should be.Thenher father demanding that she marry.AndnowThane’scurse.
“I know, love.I’mtired too.Tiredof all of it.”Thaneinhaled sharply.
She looked up at him.Hissilver eyes were tarnished and dull. “Tiredof me?”Hispain was partly her fault.Ifshe hadn’t temptedDeath,Thanewouldn’t be lying here trying to hide his pain.
“Never of you, dove.”Heran his finger over her brow. “I’msorry.”
His remorse hit her hard. “Whathave you done now?Iswear to all the gods in the heavens and underworld, if you are cursed again,Thane,Ishall tie you to a chair.”
“No, love.”Hesmiled weakly at her. “I’msorry for loving you.Forcausing you pain.Fornot doing better.For…”Heclosed his eyes, breathing through a wave of pain.
“For loving another.”
“I never loved her, and she knew that.”
Aurora wanted to press him on why then.Buthis exhaustion was pushing down on both of them. “Thereis nothing for you to be sorry about.Wemust bear the burden of our fathers.Nowsleep.Yourpain is making my teeth hurt.”
“Stay with me here.”Hisvoice was already fading.
As much as she hated being a god, she could not live withoutThaneor the softness life as a god afforded her. “Ofcourse.Butwhy are your hands so cold?”Auroracomplained when he slid a hand up her shirt.
