Page 135 of Wings of Death

Amaros’s jaw tenses as he turns to look at me.

“You won’t comfort her?” he asks, his tone surprised.

Harlum and Hethenos ignore him and walk to the door.

Amaros shakes his head and slowly crosses the room to stand in front of me, and I stop crying. He crouches down to my level and strokes my face.

“I’m sorry, Zarla. But this is not a memory you will want to live with,” he whispers before leaning in closer and lowering his voice. “One day you will be a powerful Queen at my side, and we will rule the Kingdoms together.”

He reaches out and puts his hand on my head. Heat seeps into me. He removes the memory from my mind, using some kind of unseen power before stepping back.

“Let’s go. Now,” Harlum instructs.

Hethenos hesitates. “Won’t she remember everythingfromnow though?”

Amaros grits his teeth. “No. I have removed her memories for a further ten minutes.”

Satisfied with that, she heads to the door and yanks it open, and the three of them leave me alone with my dead mother lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood.

“Mama?” I say as tears streak down my cheeks, but she doesn’t move.

The door slowly opens, and Mikel pokes his head inside, spots my mother, and runs over to her. Once he realises it’s too late, he removes her locket, tucks it into his pocket, and then looks to me.

“I’m so sorry, Zarla. I will keep this safe for you. It’s what she would’ve wanted. I will send help.” And then he, too, leaves the room.

A few minutes pass as I sit alone within my cot. Then my entire room illuminates, and an enormous male figure appears. Large gold wings fill the entire room as the glow slowly subsides. He’s dressed in black leathers that cling to his muscular and toned frame, wearing gold armour over the top. His expression is a mix of anger and deep sadness as he effortlessly picks my mother up and cradles her in his arms.

“Mama!” I cry out once more, and he turns to look at me.

His pale blond hair is cut short and styled neatly. His features are strong and captivating. And so familiar. He locks his gaze on mine, and I immediately notice his eyes are a bright green, exactly like my own. His forehead creases ever so slightly as he stares at me, and then the entire room illuminates once more. He disappears, taking my mother with him and leaving me alone.

“Mama!” I scream, but she’s gone.

My lips tremble, and a sob escapes as the memory slowly fades. I stare at the water in absolute shock while I try to comprehend what I just saw. It’s my memory from when I was little, when my mother was murdered. A memory Amaros stole from me.

A memory of my real father.

But it’s not just any memory. It’s the only memory I have of him. I know without an ounce of doubt that it is my father. I am as sure of it as anything, and for the briefest of moments, it was almost as though he recognised me.

Tears roll down my cheeks as my mind reels from connecting the broken pieces of my past together. The water vibrates out in circles around my hands while memories continue to appear likea movie before my eyes, flashing by as they come back to me one by one. Memories from when I was young. Memories of Kyle.

I stare in amazement as I watch the two of us playing in the Dark Forest together, laughing and building huts. Kyle was always so kind to me, helping me whenever I needed it, and he was brave too, stepping in front of me when a Zelon approached us. Even then, the Zelons were never a threat to us.

A memory plays out of the two of us playing hide-and-seek in the clearing before Kyle would say his goodbyes and step through the Gateway of the Gods. I can feel the sadness like it was yesterday every time he left, like a hole in my heart only he could fulfil.

Kyle had been everything to me. A friend and a protector. His presence caused a sense of ease within me that left me feeling calm and safe, no matter the situation. I always knew he was there for me until one day he wasn’t. He stopped visiting me, and the heartbreak I felt in his absence was too much.

Amaros found out, and he and Hethenos dealt with him. And then Amaros dealt with me, removing my memories of Kyle. In my mind, it was as if Kyle never existed. Despite the memories being taken, I was left with a gaping hole in my heart that grew over time. Nobody could replace him.

My focus darts across the surface of the water as I take it all in. I remember him. I remember Kyle. The final pieces of the puzzle have come together, and everything makes sense now. Amaros was the male Kyle witnessed speaking with Hethenos about my mother’s murder. He was there when she removed his wings and threw him down to Earth.

I let out a whimper as the realisation hits me with the force of a tidal wave, cutting into my heart. Amaros had been taking memories from me my entire life whenever it suited him. How could he do such a thing?

I pull my hand from the water and sink down onto the shingle as tears spill down my cheeks. I feel as though I’m suffocating, and no one is here to save me.

“Everything all right?”

My focus snaps to Amaros, and I jump to my feet as I quickly wipe my cheeks. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. My mind scrambles at merely being in his presence after what I just learnt.

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