Page 57 of The Prince from a Cruel Summer
Death Bed
AIDAN
Potent waves roll over the sandy shore of the Saffron Cove in a rhythm that mirrors the chaos in my mind. A powerful salty breeze washes over me as I step onto the beach, and I inhale deeply. Despite the storm clouds gathering over the horizon, each gulp of ocean air calms my nerves.
I’ve tried to work out my emotions in the forge, beating a fresh sword to submission, to no use. Sweat sticks to my forehead, the anguish I saw on Elizabeth’s face burned into my memory.
I should be wary of a gorgeous, inexplicably familiar darkling crashing my wedding, but I need answers. And there’s one other name on the list I found last night that could give them.
Elio is standing a few paces away, looking out at the horizon. He’s lost in thought, contemplating something deeper than the crashing waves.
“Elio,” I shout over the wind, trying to gauge his mood. The King of Death controls one of the most powerful and volatile wells of magic in existence, and I’d rather not taunt his dark side. “Can we talk?”
“I guess we have to,” he replies, his voice steady but guarded.
The serious bend of his brows and the tick of his jaw serve as a warning that what he has to say will not be easy to hear. He hesitates, glancing over at the shoreline where Lori collects seashells along the water’s edge.
“I need to know about Elizabeth.”
“You never used to call her that,” Elio finally says, the stretch of his tired voice giving the impression that our conversation would be better suited for a different moment—perhaps a different life.
“You were in her class at the academy, right? Did I— Did we ever—” I scratch the back of my skull, searching for the right way to phrase it, but each half-formed sentence drains my mind further and further down the rabbit hole. Finding no way to explain this tornado swirling inside me, I settle for a dry chuckle. “Blessed Flame, I’m losing my mind.”
Elio runs a hand through his platinum-blonde hair. “You truly don’t remember her at all?”
My eyes snap up to meet his, and the mirroring doubts and confusion I read on his features lift a weight off my shoulders. Elizabeth was not lying, earlier, and I’m not going crazy.
Elio’s gaze finds Lori, who is now examining a shell, her delicate fingers tracing its contours. “I want the best for you both, but you should really talk to Beth.”
“I tried. She had this ring, and I just knew I’d seen it before, and then she said I gave it to her?—”
“It’s true.”
I shake my head from side to side. “No. You must be confusing me with Ezra. There’s no way I forgot a woman I had sex with. And definitely not someone who went on to become even more famous than me.”
“Aidan… It was much more than that. You and Beth were in love.”
He thinks he’s speaking the truth, but I know this to be untrue because I have never been in love. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea, but alas…
I love my mother.
I loved my sister.
I love Heather.
But I’ve never beenin love, and not for a lack of trying. It’s just a fact of life.
“Someone has altered your memories,” he says with a deep frown. “If I were you, I’d start asking questions.”
A heavy silence falls between us.
“But why?” I ask quietly. “Why would anyone want to erase that?”
“Love can be dangerous. Your connection with Beth was powerful, and your parents didn’t want that bond to be a threat to their own plans. It might have been easier for them to erase your memories than to face the chaos that love can bring.” The King of Death sounds more alive than he has in decades. “I’ve tried and failed to live a life of duty. I don’t know what your relationship with Heather is like, and I was happy for you when I thought you’d moved on, but this isn’t right. You deserve to know the truth.”
His words hit me like a sharp wind, cutting through the fog in my mind. A sense of urgency rises in my blood, all the implications of his revelation hitting me all at once. “I’m getting married in an hour.” The words are angry, even though it’s not his fault. “There’s no time?—”
I’d finally found peace about my decision, and now this…
