Page 125 of The Cursed Fae

It was impossible to stay mad at Archer as I listened to his tragic story. It still annoyed me he hadn’t told me the truth, but he’d been through more than I could fathom.

“At least I slept in the void,” he continued. “At first, I didn’t remember my dreams. I just had this sensation of waking up in the darkness, and then the voices would start. I’m not sure how long it was before the memories stuck with me. Once I realized they had substance, I spent all my time wishing to be asleep.”

His gaze locked on me, imploring.

“That’s where I first saw you. You were so beautiful, so ethereal. And you were mine.”

Heat crept up my neck. The way he looked at me, as if he couldn’t believe I was real, made me wonder who he thought I was.

It was intense, and hefted a ton of pressure onto me. What if I didn’t live up to his expectations?

“I thought I was losing it.” He took a few steps closer and sank down to sit across from us in the grass. “That I’d invented you, because nobody could understand me the way you did—the way Nicasia did.”

Though the breeze was warm and Archer’s touch on my leg even warmer, I shivered.

“One day, with no warning, the world reappeared around me, and there you were.” He squeezed above my knee. “You looked just like the woman from my dreams. You acted like her, you spoke like her.”

I swallowed hard. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

He averted his gaze. “In the beginning, I honestly wasn’t sure any of it was real. I didn’t know what happened to me or what I’d become. Gradually, things started coming back about the day of the accident. By then, you were already falling for Laz.” He swallowed around a lump in his throat as his eyes expressed the depth of his regret.

“I didn’t want to lose the bit of life I regained when you arrived in Arcane Landing.”

“You should have warned me about your brother,” I said, my voice edged with irritation.

Sorrow filled his gaze when he looked at me. “I’m sorry, Winter. All I can say is that I really thought it was an accident when he drained me. I had no clue he’d escalated to actively preying on people. Not until I noticed your magic getting low. That’s when I told you to stay away from him.”

My silence seemed to weigh on him like an accusation. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

I continued to pet the wolf, drawing strength from her silent companionship. Zosia stared at Archer as if he would make a good meal.

Do spirit wolves eat? I wondered. She didn’t growl or bare her teeth, though her tightly coiled muscles were poised for attack. Whether or not I forgave him, I doubted Zosia ever would. She’d vowed to protect me for eternity. Apparently, that extended to heartbreak as well.

“What happens now?” I asked aloud.

He shrugged. “It’s up to you.” He held out his hands to me, and I let him intertwine our fingers. “I have spent years reliving our lives together, falling in love with you over and over again.” His voice trembled, and he chuckled dryly. “Sorry, I’m sort of nervous. I’ve never said anything like that before. Am I scaring you?”

Pausing, he leaned back and sucked in a breath without breaking contact. “That would all scare the shit out of me in your position.”

“A little,” I admitted. “I mean, I’m flattered... that’s probably not the reaction you hoped for.”

“It’s not the one I dreaded either, so I’ll take it,” he said.

I smiled. “Everything is just... a lot right now. Can I think about it? About everything that’s happened?”

I didn't know what I wanted to consider, but I couldn’t process anything just then. I believed that he’d dreamt about our previous lives together and felt certain those dreams were actual memories. But I didn’t share his recollections. He was...

Fuck. None of it mattered. Archer wasn’t exactly in a place to date.

He squeezed my hands. “Of course you can. I just want to be clear about something.”

My stomach dropped. There was only so much a girl could take as she lay on a beach, half-dead.

“I am not asking you to be in love with me,” he said. “I’m only asking if you’ll give me a chance.”

The wolf rolled her eyes. Regardless of what happened, it would be a very long time before Archer won over Zosia. Probably never.

He kissed my cheek. “Don’t answer now. Just find me when you wake up.”

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