Page 135 of Revenge of the Forgotten

“You have two minutes,” she warned.

Meyer’s jaw flexed, annoyance written in his face's hard lines. “Do you know Bridger has been dreaming of you, of his past, for months? Since Arlet found you on Earth?”

He’s dreaming of me too.

Vega raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed over her chest. “How would I know that?” She forced herself to keep her edge, to maintain the air of distaste she needed.

He didn’t answer Vega’s question. “You’re haunting his every dream and then every waking minute because he can’t wash you away with booze, training, war. Nothing. He’s not sleeping, petrified of seeing memories he buried away for decades come to the surface. And then this time, you’re so you. Witty, strong, brave.”

Vega wasn’t used to hearing compliments coming from Meyer.

“He sees the girl you once were. The one he fell in love with. The one he waited for, fought fifteen years for. The one he’s let go twice in a single life.”

Vega took a deep breath in, steadying the thrum of her heart. “You’re delusional.”

“Delusional?” he asked. “This curse wasn’t made to torture only you, Vega. Marlena designed it to fuck with everyone who loves you too. How do you think it made Bridger feel when you came back from a life and couldn’t remember him, but had the memories of another man, another life? Or how Arlet feels having to leave her own world behind to go chase your lost ass down all the time? And don’t even get me started on lovesick Fera. May I remind you that while you have been tortured on and off by your sister, Bridger endured two full years of it with her only intent being to break him.”

Vega didn’t need the reminder. “So what are you saying? That I owe him because my sister is a psychopath?”

Meyer sighed, his shoulders sagging. “I’m saying that if it weren’t for your sister, Bridger would have chosen you in every lifetime without any hesitation. Marlena made certain Bridger had no other choice… and I’m trying to make the decision he would have made for himself if she hadn’t fucked him up so badly—the decision he would have made had his parents not sold his soul long before he got the chance to save himself.”

Vega could see her breaths coming out in short bursts. “I will never forgive him, Meyer. If that’s what you came here to do?—”

He cut her off. “That’s absolutely not what I’m here to do. I’m here to save my best friend, and unfortunately, I think you’re the only person who can do that.”

“Why would breaking this curse set him free?” she asked.

“Because your curse is his curse, right? Since you’re bonded gods and all.” Meyer’s smirk started on one side of his face and twisted to the other.

Vega went white, her mouth opening to ask, How?

“It doesn’t matter how I know. It only matters that I do know.” He waved his hand, moving the conversation along. “And if this doesn’t work, then no harm, no foul. It wouldn’t be the first time you had to start all over. You should be good at it by now.”

Vega clenched her jaw. She wanted to reach out and slap him, but she didn’t… Meyer was offering her the help she needed.

And if it worked, well, then she’d be one step ahead of them.

“I’ll think about it, and if I decide I’m desperate enough to work with you, then I’ll come find you.” Vega pulled the reins down and hoisted herself up onto the horse. He took a few steps back, the sound of snapping twigs under his hooves insulated by the snow.

This time Meyer didn’t try to stop her. He stood stuck in his place, rooted to the ground below him. “Hey, Vega!” he called.

She twisted her body to catch sight of him as the horse continued in the opposite direction.

“Marlena knows Solum is joining the revolution, and after today’s retaliation, she and Bridger are planning on wiping it clean after the new year.”

Vega had a choice to make… and she didn’t have much time to make it.

54

The tome in her hands had paper so brittle, Vega worried it might disintegrate if she pinched too hard. Every bit of information she’d come across pointed towards one thing: she had to die.

Or at least trick the curse into thinking that was what was happening.

Thankfully, upon Vega’s return to Schoenus, Quinley had warned Arlet and Khort about the planned attack on Solum after the turn of the new year, and Vega didn’t have to come up with a lie about how she knew before they did.

Once back in Castra, Vega inserted herself into everything she could. There was a lot she’d missed out on in fifteen years. She reread every book she and Arlet borrowed from the archives a couple times through, looking for another way that might free her from her curse.

There was nothing, not a sliver of hope she could break this thing here in Tolevarre. Something on Earth kept pulling her back for a reason.

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