Page 78 of The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon
Thane hadn’t moved from his spot.
The sight of him still took her breath away.Themortal realm gave him a dangerous edge.Anedge her body craved to cut herself against.Andthat was what made her so angry, that she would cut herself again and bleed out for a god who didn’t trust her. “Whydidn’t you trust me?”
“I was stupid.”
“Youarestupid,” she corrected.Timewas an odd thing.Awhole year had passed here.Andyet time hadn’t healed anything.Herheart still felt broken.
“I was confused.Youknow how my father is.ThenPain?—”
“Pain what?Foronce you should have listened to her,”Aurorashouted. “Youhurt me, and this was more than the curse.Withthe curse the pain doesn’t cut me.Thiswas…”Itall came back in vivid colors. “Youmeant this.”
“No.”Thanerushed to her. “No.Godsbelow, grant me a wish now.Grantme the wish to take those words back.”
She closed her eyes, but the stars shuttered in remorse.Theycouldn’t take back the past. “Ican’t.”
“ThenIhave failed you again.”Themuscle inThane’sjaw tightened as he watched the people around them.Helooked back at her. “Icame here hopingIcould fix us.ProvethatIlearned from my mistakes.Thatnight in the mill,Iwas ready to give it all up.Iwas ready to beThaneTenebrisuntil the end of time.Butthen you wished for us to be us, and the curse found us.Andnow you are you andIam me.Stillcursed.Ishould’ve let you be.Ishould’ve let you beElla.”
“And yet you are still here, even afterEllaasked you to leave.Why?”Shestill lovedThane.Everypart of her craved his touch, the sound of his voice, the taste of his kiss.
Thane touched her cheek. “BecauseIheard your heart break again.Themoment you wished us to be us,Icould feel it all again.Yourfears.Yourloneliness.Before, they were dull and felt distant.Afterthe wish, they were all back.AndImissed them.Imissed your pain and happiness.Imissed you.”
And she him.Aurorawouldn’t have survivedElla’slife.Atsome point she would’ve broken.Thehint ofThanewould’ve always followed her like a shadow. “Whycan’tIhate you?Whycan’tIwish away my love for you?”Itwould have been easier to beEllathen.Shecould have marriedWilliamand lived a mortal version of happiness.
“Try again.”Thanestepped closer.
She couldn’t wish away their love because she couldn’t lie.Shehad tried to forget it, and even that hadn’t worked.
Aurora ran her finger along the silver buttons ofThane’sshirt. “I’vemissed you.AndIhate myself for that.Ishould be stronger.ButI’mnot.Iam no better than the mortals that sell their souls to your father.”Auroralooked down at her wrist.Therewas still one left.Theone who’d break the curse.
“No.”Thanetipped her chin up. “Youare not weak.Noneof this is your fault.Ishould’ve broken this curse a lifetime ago.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“BecauseIwas afraid of losing you.IthoughtI’dhave to give up the one thing that binds me to you.”
“And what is that?Whatis it that you think binds me to you?”
Thane looked away, struggling with the words he needed to say. “Thatday in the meadow.”Helooked toAurora. “WhenIasked you to kiss me.IhadLove’skiss.Thewitch in the woods told me thatIwould have to give that up to break the curse inCasse.AndifIdid that…”Thaneleft the rest of his words unspoken.
“Thane, you did not needLove’skiss for me.Iloved you the momentIsaw you.”Love’skiss could bind anyone to the holder of it.Theywould not be bound by love but by a false string thatFatehad not tied.Itwas rare, and onlyFatecould cut that thread.
“I know that now.Butbefore…”Heinhaled sharply.Hisfear tasted like ash on her tongue. “I’venever loved anyone.AndI’veonly loved you whenIwas cursed.Ididn’t know what would happen if you were not bound to me.Ifeared once your heart broke, it would stay broken.I’msorry.”
His confession took her breath away.Themorning she had found him asleep in the meadow, she knew they would be bound together.Shehad assumed he was also aware of that. “Thane, our love is written in the stars.Iknow becauseIput it there.”Shestepped closer to him. “Itshall burn bright until the last star winks out of the sky, and thenIshall write it in the dew.Andwhen the dew dries,Ishall write it on your lips.Acrossyour brow.Anywhereyou ask me to write it.Iwill.”
“Are you sure?”Thane’seyes were bright with something she had never seen before.Doubt.Thefeeling was slow.Itstarted low in her belly and worked its way up to her chest until she couldn’t take a breath.
This was a side ofThaneshe had never seen. “Yes,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry,Aurora.Pleaseforgive me.”Hisbreath was unsteady as he reached for her. “Ican’t do this without you.”
“Me neither.”Aurorathrew herself into his arms.Shehad missed him so much.Ellahad missed him.Shehad loved him even though she couldn’t understand why.Hewas as much a part of her as the heavens.
Thane held her tight, burying his face in her neck. “Godsbelow,I’vemissed you.Therewere so many nights at the innIwanted to stop time soIcould crawl into bed with you.”
Aurora clung to his warmth and the familiar scent of dusk that hauntedElla’sdreams. “Maybeif you had,Iwould’ve asked you to kiss me sooner.”Ellawould have liked that.Itwould have confused her more but at least she wouldn’t have felt so alone.
“He’s coming.William.”Thanepressed a kiss to the top ofAurora’shead. “Thiscan all end right now.Youcan go back to beingElla.Iwill wish it right now.”
