Page 65 of Revenge of the Forgotten

Vega frowned. “That’s a lot of pressure to put on one person.” Her voice was quiet as she took in the magnitude of what he’d said. Khort didn’t say anything in return, just turned his head to look back up at the sky. Vega sat up, staring at her hands. “What if I can’t stop her? What if all of this is for nothing and Marlena wins anyway?” The what-ifs could be never-ending.

“Then we all die.” Khort’s answer was curt.

Vega swallowed the lump in her throat. “Did you have to say it like that?” she asked. The laugh that slipped through her lips was dry, nerves jumping to the surface.

“There’s no sense in hiding the truth from you, Vega. If we lose, we die. That’s it.” Khort sat up too, resting his arms on his knees. “It might be the easy way out, but you’ve never been a quitter. Er, well, in a couple lives you were, but that wasn’t your fault. That was what those lives had dealt you. This Vega…” He reached out and put his hand on her chest, over her heart. “This one isn’t a quitter.”

“Okay, so you’re not the sugar coater… Noted.” She gave a single nod but smiled faintly at the words he said. This Vega can do hard things. She has done hard things. I will not let these people down—they’ve given too much for me.

“I used to be, but a lot has happened since then.” Khort stood up and held his hand out to her. Vega took it, letting him help her off the dewy grass.

“What happened to Delori?” Vega asked as they climbed back over the rubble.

Khort paused for the briefest of seconds, reaching down to open the hatch to Castra even though it wasn’t visible to the naked eye. “She got stuck in Demuto by a curse Marlena put on the territory for siding with the rebels. Del had gone back to get people out, but it was too late. The curse on Demuto locked the shifters inside the borders, and eventually, without contact to the outside world, they started going mad, losing themselves inside their beast and animal forms. After a while, Delori was one of them, and it must have become too much for her because she took her own life.”

He let Vega climb down first—she was careful not to lose her footing on the metal ladder. Khort shut the hatch and locked it with a loud scrape against metal.

“I’m sorry I asked,” Vega whispered, horror nipping at the edges of her emotions. How many more had to die because Marlena wanted revenge on her sister?

Khort reached out and brushed Vega’s cheek. “It’s okay.” His lips dipped in a frown, and he dropped his hand to his side. “She loved you and Arlet. Always trying to weasel her way into whatever it was the three of us were doing so she could hang out with the two of you.”

The halls back to her room were quiet, most people tucking themselves into bed hours ago when the main lights went out for the night. Vega had no idea what time it was, nor did time have much meaning to her these days.

Vega put her back to the door and smiled at Khort. Her voice was low when she spoke. “Thanks again.”

“Next time, when there’s no wine involved, I’ll give you a ride. You used to love that when we were young.”

Vega’s cheeks grew pink as her mind went to a place it shouldn’t. Bad Vega!

Khort’s eyes grew wide. “Not like th?—”

Vega laughed softly, reaching out to touch his forearm. “I know. I just…” She paused, biting her lip. “You were my type in this life, so I’m trying to push that away and not ruin whatever it is you and I have.”

“Blonds? No way.” His smile was soft. “That’s not very Vega-like.”

She nodded. “Oh yeah, blonds.” She wiggled playfully. “My husband… ex-husband…” She tripped over the words, because what was he now that she was an entire realm away? “Was a blond. He didn’t look half as good as you with a man-bun though.”

What are you doing?

Vega didn’t have memories of what their relationship was like in her other lives, but she could tell that he wasn’t used to her seeing him in any other way than her friend.

“Noted” was all he said as Vega’s hand fell off his arm. “Goodnight, Vega.”

Vega’s lips were pursed together in a tight line. “Night, Khort.”

He turned on his heels to walk away from her, and Vega knew she should go inside her room and go to bed… but she didn’t.

“Khort.” Her voice was barely a whisper, but he heard her. He spun around too quickly, locking eyes with her immediately. “Tell me I’m crazy and that you don’t want to kiss me.”

The wine. It had to be the wine or maybe she was still so lonely that the craving was overriding the little voice in the back of her head telling her to stop. She’d come all this way in hopes she would instantly feel at home, and while she felt welcomed here, Vega still didn’t feel whole yet.

Getting her memories back would help. They had to.

Vega knew he was going to lie by the inferno burning behind his eyes. “I don’t want to kiss you,” he muttered, half choking out the words.

Before she could stop herself, she closed the distance between them in seconds. Khort didn’t move away, push her off, or tell her any more lies. As soon as her arms slid up to his shoulders and locked behind his neck, he hoisted her up with ease and their lips met for what Vega knew was the first time.

His hands grazed her body delicately, like if he moved too fast, she might come to her senses and stop. The kiss started slowly, allowing them both time to get to know each other’s movements. Khort backed them up into Vega’s door, one hand turning the handle to move them inside.

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