Page 90 of The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon
It was more anger that she felt towardsThanethan doubt.Thetime he had sent all those flowers to her, she tossed them in theSeaofTranquility.Anothertime she cursed his name and swore if she saw him again, it would be too soon.Butnever had she not felt his love.EvenEllahad felt it. “No, but you’re not there.AndIhate that.”
“And so doI.”Thanepulled her into his embrace. “Iwill never stop loving you.ButIneed you to listen to me.Aurora.”Hepressed a finger to her mouth when she started to protest. “It’spart of the curse.Imust suffer a broken heart.Itmust truly break.Andfor that to happen, you must leave me.”
“Leave you.Asin never see you again?”Aurorapulled away.Hedidn’t need to say the words. “Thane.Mylove for you is more than my love for…”
“The mortal girl.Theone who told your stories.Theone who picked up the piecesIbroke and held on to them.”
She turned away from him.Shewanted to say yes, but the lie was stuck on the tip of her tongue. “Whatyou must think of me.”
Thane stepped closer, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “IthinkIlove you more in this moment thanIhave ever loved you.”
“How?”Auroracouldn’t love herself for sacrificing him.
“Without youIwould be like my father.Iwould revel in the suffering of those around me.Thatwas whatFatewove into my life.Mymother asked for a son only a father could love.”Hestepped before her. “Whichleft me lonely.NotevenPaincould cure that loneliness.Soone nightIlay under a star, wishing for things gods have no right to wish for.Lovecame to me and said she would right the wrongFatehad caused.Butit would cost me the love of my father.Itook it.Ididn’t think twice.ItwasLove, notFate, as the story goes, who brought me to you.”
“Love?”Auroralet this new story sink in.Thatwas whyAurorahad not known love until she sawThane.Shehad been destined to love no one. “Ifyou had chosen differently, none of this would have happened.”Shewould be alone.Thanewould be the monster his father loved.SissyandWilliamwould be married.Andyet she could not fathom a life withoutThane.
“Maybe.”Thanecaressed her cheek. “Itmatters not what may have happened.Allthat matters is the now.Wecannot change the strings that have been strung.LetWilliamlive.Lethim and the girl find the happiness she wished for.”
“And us?IfWilliamdies, thenIlose.”Shestepped away fromThane. “Besides,I’dbe savingWilliama lifetime of backbreaking work.Ofdisappointment.Sissywill be happy in a different way.I’llgive her another wish.”
“It’s my curse, dove.Letthis be the last time you break for me.”
“But the bargain?”
“That is on my father.”Thanepoured himself another shot and brought a glass over toAurora. “Inhis rush to make you suffer, he never said when the bargain withWilliamwould be up.Williamcan live with this bargain forever.Youneed him to forget you and move on.”
“And what if something else happens?Whatif he gets sick or has an accident?”Auroraheld the glass to her lips.Thesmell of the whiskey brought the memories back of that night inRivertonandThane’sdrunken confessions.Thatfelt like a lifetime ago.Oneshe had lived so long ago.
“Make a deal withPain.Shecan demand her father protectWilliam.”Thanetook her hand in his. “Sheowes you.”
“For what?”Auroradidn’t want to let hope plant a seed that maybe she could beatDeath.
“For robbing you of the most handsome god in all the realms.”Thanewinked before taking the shot of whiskey.
“Oh,Ican haveSky,”Aurorateased.Thethought of what she was about to do made her chest hurt.Shefought the tears that burned in the back of her throat. “Wouldyou hate me ifIdid let him live?”
Thane’s features softened. “Icould never hate you any more thanIcould ask my heart to stop beating.Wehave lived so long with this curse.What’sa few more moments in a lifetime as long as ours?Amortal life is but one mark ofTime’sclock.”
“But how will the dawn live without darkness?”Wasshe capable of living without him?Couldshe live with only seeing him each morning?Notfeel his cool caress as he slipped into the last shadow of the night?
“You will.”Thanecame up behind her. “Ifyou takeWilliam’ssoul, you will not only carry that weight but that of the girl’s heartbreak.Youwill have to see him amongst the shadows of my realm.”
Aurora turned toThane.Shetook in everything about him.Thesilver in his eyes, the fullness of his mouth.Theway his hair fell across his face. “Whatif you fall in love with another?”
“I can’t.Notonly hasPainmade sure of that, but so has her mother.Ithink they both hate me,”Thaneteased. “Butwill you find another?Onemore suited for the daughter ofLife?”
“I can’t.Iwrote our love in the stars.”Auroracupped his cheek. “Thishurts.Itfeels as if my heart may be breaking.”
“It’s not, and it’s not forever.”Thanelowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly.
“What about your father?Hewon’t be happy.”
“Death is never happy.Hewas created to be miserable and make everyone around him miserable.Thisis his consequence for interfering withFate.”ThanetracedAurora’sbrow. “Don’thateWilliam.Hewas hurting, and my father knew it.That’show he gets mortals to make such stupid deals.Heonce made a deal with a man for magic beans.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, they grew food that would fill you in one bite.Andthey never needed to be replanted.Whichwould have been great, but the villagers thought it was the work of the devil and burned the field down and ran the man out of the village.”Thanecupped her cheek. “Williamfell in love with a god.AndIcan’t blame him.Youare a sight to look upon.”
