Page 54 of Forbidden Desires

Amelia moved around the room aimlessly. She could leave. That was never the question. Why hadn’t she? She didn’t have the energy to leave or even decide to do anything. What was important was her life? Why hadn’t she died when Vexar attacked her mentally and then physically? How were heremotions so finely attuned to her mind? She didn’t know the answers to any of these questions. If asked, she’d swear that if a person’s emotions went, their mind would follow.

Her feet took her back toward the bed she’d been lying on.

The lights flicked going dim, causing her to cry out before they got so bright she couldn’t see.

“Daughter, look at me.”

Amelia’s eyes were closed, and her arm was thrown over them. She lowered her arm to see if the light would sting through her eyelids. When it didn’t, she slowly opened them. A beautiful Diza female stood in front of her. Not just a Diza female, a goddess.

“Hi.” It was lame, but after all that happened to her, she didn’t know what to say.

“Hello, daughter. Walk with me.” Warmth was emanating from her, and Amelia wanted to bask in it. She got close enough that she was almost touching the goddess.

The goddess moved and Amelia moved with her like they had choreographed it. They walked toward the wall and then through the ship until they were walking on stardust.

“Am I asleep? I must be still sleeping.”

“You’re awake and alive, unlike the times we met in the past.”

“How?” She turned around, seeing space in ways that were so different from looking up at the night sky, or even through the windows on the ship.

“With me, anything is possible, but I brought you here for a reason.”

“What is it?” What could a goddess want with her? Everything happened so fast that she never got to ponder why a goddess was willing to deal with her. She felt much better about herself, but she didn’t feel like she deserved a visit from a goddess. That should have gone to Bella or Jenna. They deserved it.

“We’re going to have to work on how you feel about yourself. I’m sure your mate will agree with me.” They walked more insilence, the ship growing distant. “That last battle was hard on you.”

You think? She bit her tongue to keep from saying it aloud.

“Yes, I think.” The goddess laughed. It was a beautiful sound. She always thought that Bella had the best laugh, but the goddess beat Bella’s hands down.

“Thank you, my dear.”

Ugh, of course, she could read her mind. The goddess laughed but didn’t comment.

“I came to offer you options.” Amelia perked up; she liked the sound of that.

They stopped walking, simply standing on stardust and the will of a goddess. Amelia stayed silent, listening.

“I can make it, so you never fall into the hands of your uncle. Sorry, I can’t bring your parents back.” Amelia nodded and sniffled as she thought about her parents. They would be so proud of her for all she lived through and came out on top.

“I can take your memories away, all of your memories.” Amelia shot her a wide-eyed look. Did she mean memories of Zylar, too?”

“All,” the goddess emphasized. “Or I can make sure you’re strong enough to deal with what’s happened to you.”

Amelia closed her eyes. She wasn’t thinking about the options. Time to think wasn’t needed. She was bracing herself for what needed to be said.

“If I take your first offer, I lose the relationship I have with my cousins and I don’t get my parents back. Your second offer sees me losing Zylar. Neither of them is viable for me. I simply want to be strong enough to deal with what’s happened to me.”

“I knew you would make the right choice. Come here, daughter.” The goddess wrapped Amelia in her arms. Amelia’s eyes closed as she breathed in the peace flowing from the goddess.

When her eyes opened, she was lying on the bed with Zylar standing over her with a worried expression on his face. Amelia sprung up, clinging to him.

“I almost lost you,” she cried before kissing him.

“You’re never going to lose me,” he said when they came up for air. “Wherever you go, I’ll be there.”

“Then why are you frowning?”

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