Page 74 of The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon
“What?”Auroradidn’t move.Hiswarm blood turned to ice as it slowed.
“See?”NieveliftedAurora’shand.Thebleeding had stopped.
“What are you?”Hersteps faltered.
“Sit before you fall down.”Nieveslid a chair out forAurora. “Iam stuck.That’swhatIam.Iam her curse.”Nievepoured a goblet of wine and pushed it closer toAurora.
Aurora took the golden goblet and drained it.Herhands shook as she poured more.Shewanted so badly to leave this place and all its oddness with it.
Nieve opened his shirt, examining the wound. “Thereason there is a curse on this place is not because of her.Itis because of me.Iwas the selfish prince, and she the maiden.Shesold her soul for my love.ButDeathdidn’t tell her that he cannot make someone love another.AndIdid not love her.Ihad a duty to marry another, soIdid.That’swhere it should have ended.Deathshould have reaped her soul.Ishould have lived and died.Butlike in all fairy tales, there is a consequence for breaking a heart.Sovewas the daughter of a witch.Andwhen her mother found out whatDeathhad done to her only daughter, she was furious.Thewitch pled withDeath.ButDeath?—”
“Must be paid.”Aurorapoured herself another glass of watery wine.
“To protect her daughter, she froze her soul and put a curse on my kingdom that not evenDeathcould break.Thiscurse can only be broken by a kiss.Andthat is where you come in.”
“But there must be love.Thereason for the curse was because you didn’t love the maiden.”Aurorafelt her chances slipping away.
“The witch never said whoImust love.Justthat it must be love.”Nievesat forward and touchedAurora’shand. “AndIhave loved the dawn sinceIwas a child.Iwas always the first to rise and watch the night sky fade away.Andnow that you sit before me, my love is even stronger for you.Ilove you my sweet, truly and without conditions.Willyou let me love you?”
Aurora inhaled his words, letting them become the truth of the fairy tale.Lettinghis love shape how this would end.Shehad never been loved by a mortal.Itwas an odd sensation, a pleasant dizziness.Nowonder her mother and father chased this feeling. “Yes.”
Nieve stood, pulling her up with him. “Youwill not have much time to reap her soul, for she is old, and the castle is made from her tears.Iwill get you safely past the guards and away from the castle.”Nievecaressed her cheek. “Ilove you,Aurora, with my last breath.Youare my one true love.AndIprove my love for you with this kiss.”
Aurora leaned into the king.Atfirst it felt like a normal kiss, but then time stopped; the air around them froze.
Somewhere, the stars cried, andFatesmiled.
There are consequences for breaking a heart.
CHAPTER36
AURORA
Nieve lifted his mouth from hers.Hisbreath was a white cloud around his head.Hissoft green eyes faded, and his skin turned cold.Thenshe felt it, the pull of the queen’s soul.Itscreamed to be released from its icy prison.
“What have you done?” a shrill voice rang through the room.
Aurora turned to see the queen stagger into the room.Hersoul shone, beckoningAurora.Thecurse had been broken.Aurorastepped closer to the young queen, whose youth had been lost in the years of creases that formed. “Youhave given your soul for my lord to keep.Nowlie down to sleep, for your soul,Ishall reap.”
“No.”QueenSoveturned to ash as the glow of her soul left her body.Itfloated towardsAurora.
“Aurora, we have to leave.”Nievetook her hand.
Aurora closed her eyes, inhaling the glow.Thebitterness and hatred of the queen’s soul tore through her.Shegagged at the bile that bubbled into her throat.Thewindows shattered, and the icy wind raced in, scattering the ashes of what used to beQueenSove.Auroraswallowed back the urge to vomit up the bitter soul.Allshe needed to do was make it back toManere.
“Aurora, now.”Nievegrabbed her arm and tugged her toward the door. “Idon’t have much time.Hurry.”
Aurora blindly followed.Herhead throbbed, and her body screamed to get rid of the ugliness that was consuming her.Thehallway burst into a white haze.Shecried out as a bitter wind tried to pull her andNieveapart.
“Hold on!”Nievepulled her closer to him.
A white nothingness surrounded them.Herbreath seemed to freeze in her lungs.Nievewas the only warmth she felt as he pulled her through the white wall of nothingness.Aroundthem, icy cries filled the air.
“We are almost there.”Nieve’swords were ripped from his mouth. “Holdon.Please.”
She did.Herfeet and hands were numb as they burst out of the castle and into the courtyard.Frozencorpses of servants littered the yard.Auroratripped, falling.Thepain of another’s soul in her body made it hard to breathe. “Ican’t do this.”Sheclawed at the ice that burned her flesh.
“Yes, you can.Please.”Nievetugged her up. “Wedon’t have much time.”
