Page 416 of Evil Hearts

Elara lingered inthe forest clearing, the cool night air prickling her skin as an eerie stillness settled around her. Shadows twisted between the trees, whispering secrets she couldn’t quite hear, the wind carrying faint, fragmented voices that sent a shiver down her spine. She closed her eyes, hoping to steady herself, but the world around her only grew more vivid, pulsing with a strange, unspoken energy.

Then it happened again—visions, hazy and fleeting, yet strikingly real. She saw a grand hall adorned with tapestries, its vaulted ceilings echoing with laughter and music. People in elegant clothing filled the room, their faces blurred yet strangely familiar. She saw herself wearing a gown that shimmered in the candlelight, moving through the crowd as though she belonged. But more than the splendor, it was a feeling that lingered—a warmth, a sense of belonging she hadn’t felt in her waking life. And then there was the face of a young man, his features etched in kindness, his smile stirring something deep within her.

Who was he?

Why did he feel like a part of her?

Just as quickly as the images had come, they vanished, leaving her with a hollow ache that tightened around her heart. Theweight of loss pressed down on her, so sharp and profound that she staggered, clutching at her chest.

“What… what was that?” she whispered, the words barely escaping her lips.

“A drakker for your thoughts.”

Elara jolted, turning sharply to find Brian standing nearby, his gaze steady, though his eyes held an edge she couldn’t quite read. He watched her in that familiar, guarded way, yet tonight, something felt different. He seemed more distant, as though a shadow hung over him, too.

“Brian…” She felt her voice tremble as she spoke, surprised by the intensity of her emotions. “I keep seeing these… these flashes. They make little sense. Places I’ve never been. People I don’t know. But it’s as if… as if I somehow know them.”

For a brief moment, something flickered in Brian’s eyes—a hint of recognition, swiftly buried beneath a mask of indifference. He took a measured step closer, the light from the moon casting his face in sharp relief, shadowing the tension etched into his features.

“Dreams, perhaps,” he said, his tone carefully casual. But even as he spoke, his jaw tightened, his voice betraying the faintest hint of strain. “The mind can play strange tricks when it’s unsettled, Elara.”

She studied him, searching his face for some unspoken understanding. “But these… they don’t feel like dreams,” she insisted, shaking her head. “They feel… real. As if they’re memories.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “As if they’re a part of me.”

Brian held her gaze, the conflict in his eyes deepening. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then paused, his expression unreadable. Finally, he said, “Memories can be deceiving. The forest can show us what we long for, what we fear. It’s best not to trust them.”

“But I…” she faltered, frustration tightening in her chest. “I don’t know who I am, Brian. I feel like there’s something I’m missing—something important. Don’t you understand?”

For a moment, Brian’s face softened, a flicker of sympathy breaking through his resolve. He hesitated, clearly torn, but Clary’s warning rang in his mind. He could feel the weight of his duty pressing down on him, urging him to keep his distance. Yet the ache in her eyes, the vulnerability etched in her voice, stirred something within him he couldn’t easily ignore.

“I do understand,” he said at last, his voice barely above a whisper. “But sometimes, the things we think we want to remember are better left forgotten.”

Her shoulders slumped, the light in her eyes dimming as his words settled over her. She looked away, biting her lip as if to contain her disappointment. “Maybe you’re right,” she murmured, though a note of doubt lingered in her tone. “But it feels like there’s… something inside me, trying to break free. And I don’t know how to explain it.”

Brian’s heart twisted at the pain in her voice. He longed to comfort her, to tell her the truth, to let her know that she wasn’t alone in this. But he knew he couldn’t—Clary had warned him that the prophecy could unravel everything if Elara remembered her past. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to fully turn away.

“Elara,” he began, his voice gentler now, “we all have roles to play. You have a place here, a purpose. In time, you’ll find it.”

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a quiet desperation. “But how am I supposed to find my place if I don’t even know who I am?”

The question hung between them, a fragile thread binding them together, even as the truth threatened to tear them apart. Brian struggled to find the right words, to balance the weight of his duty against the pull of his feelings for her.

“Trust me,” he said, his voice barely audible. “That’s all I ask. Trust me to guide you.”

Elara met his gaze, searching his eyes as if hoping to find answers within them. For a moment, she seemed on the verge of challenging him, of demanding more, but finally, she gave a reluctant nod, though he could sense the doubt still lingering within her.

“I do trust you, Brian,” she whispered, her tone steady despite the uncertainty in her eyes. “I just… I hope you’re not keeping things from me.”

Brian’s heart clenched at her words, the guilt gnawing at him like a persistent shadow. He forced a faint smile, though it felt hollow, a mere mask to hide the truth he couldn’t bring himself to reveal.

“Some things are best left in the past,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of sadness. “Not all answers bring peace.”

Elara’s face fell, but she masked it quickly, offering him a small, resigned smile. “Perhaps you’re right,” she said softly. “I’ll try to let it go.”

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them, the unspoken tension thickening in the cool night air. Elara looked away, visibly trying to shake off the troubled thoughts that clung to her, but he could see the flickers of doubt in her eyes.

After a moment, Brian took a step back, gesturing toward the path that led to the village. “Come,” he said, his voice gentle. “There’s more to learn tonight.”

Elara glanced at him, a faint crease of worry between her brows, but she nodded, falling into step beside him as they began to walk. The silence between them was heavy, laden with words left unsaid, with questions that lingered just beyond reach.

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