Page 66 of The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon
“How do you know this?”
“I’ve been there.”
“Then tell me whatImust do.”Aurora’svoice pitched higher.
“I can’t because…”Painlooked away. “Ididn’t have whatever he needed to break the curse.”
“He?”
“The handsome prince.Iguess he’s a king now.”
“So it is love.”Aurorastepped away fromPain, cursingDeath.Ofcourse it would be.Deathloved games.Mostof the old gods did.Theyloved irony and the lesson these games forced upon everyone.
“You don’t know that.Itcould be something else.Itcould be those three bears or helping that girl wandering around in the woods in the red.”
“All things you could’ve done.”Auroraset her glass down.Defeattasted bitter, especially this close to the end. “Thisis whereDeathwins.”
“I guess if you were lazy, yes,”Painsaid.
“Lazy,”Auroragritted out. “Ihave until the sun rises in the mortal world to not only solve a fairy tale but to somehow find a way into a kingdom where gods cannot go.Butyes, you are right.Iam lazy.”
“Okay, then you are dramatic.”Paincrossed her arms over her chest. “Rulesdon’t apply in fairy tales.Whenyou collect it doesn’t matter.Takethe next ten lifetimes for allIcare.AndIcan get you in and out of the fairy tale.”Painset the glass down. “Iknow a way.I’llget you there and back.”
“At what cost to me?”Hercommand over the stars made her vulnerable to the whims of the gods. “Iwill not grant you any wish that will hurtThane.”
“As tempting as that is,I’mnot interested in wishes.Oneday you will have the ear of both the underworld and the heavens.Andone dayImay need that ear.”Painstuck out her hand.
“Do you really think so?”Auroralooked atPain’shand.
Gods didn’t have friends; they barely had spouses.Theymight have allies but not afriend.Mortalswere lucky in the sense they were able to form bonds with others over nothing more than a shared interest.
Aurora tookPain’shand. “Ifyou betray me, my father will know your name and so willSorrow.Youwill have no peace in either the heavens or the underworld.”
“I have none now.”Theyshook on it. “We’llleave for the frozen kingdom before the sun rises.Dresswarmly; you’ll need it.Isuggest you make sureThaneis well protected.Iam the only one who can bring you back fromCasse, andIwon’t be able to ifDeathhurtsThaneandSorrowbanishes me to theValleyofShadows.”
“Thane will be safe.”Aurorawaved offPain’sconcern.Thatwould be the easy part. “Youbetter not be lying to me.”
“I want this over as much as you do,”Painsaid before disappearing in a plume of smoke.
Aurora climbed the stairs again.Thanelay on his side, still sleeping.Thebruises had started to fade, but the ache they caused was still there.Shelay down next to him, memorizing the angles of his face.Thefullness of his mouth. “Ihope you’ll forgive me.”Shelooked up at the star, searching for the right one.
The stars above her hushed their chattering, waiting to see which one she’d choose to grant her wish.Shefound one not too big and not too small.Itfluttered down and landed on the palm of her hand.Itssharp feathers cut into her soft flesh.Itsgolden eye searched the room and those around it.
“I wish forThaneand all ofManereto sleep.Thatno god can enter.NeitherLifenorDeathshall visit untilIhave reaped the soul of the frozen queen.”Aurorablew on the star, sending it into flight.Itflew around the room, then out the window.Stardustcascaded from the sky and rained down onThaneand his kingdom.Aquiet hush settled over everything.Thenightingale tucked its beak into its wing.Thenight jasmine closed, taking its scent with it.Eventhe stars seemed to yawn.Allwas in a peaceful slumber.Ifshe failed,Deathwould lose too.Hisson would sleep for all eternity.
Aurora rolled over and watchedThanesleep.Hewas so beautiful.
Darkness covered in starlight.
CHAPTER32
AURORA
She dressed in the warmest clothing she could find.Amismatch ofThane’sclothing.Shehad on three of his wool shirts and one pair of her own riding pants under a pair of his.Shemade a belt out of the curtain tie.Lastly, one ofThane’sheaviest jackets.Aurorahad never had to travel anywhere cold.Therewas no reason to.Shetook one last look atThane, who still lay on his side.
It felt strange, being inManerewhile everyone slept; even the shadows slumbered in the corners.Nothinghad been spared from her golden touch.Shetook one last look around, knowing this could be her last look.
She metPainoutside of the kingdom ofManere, on the edge of the underworld, where the heather ofThane’skingdom turned gray in the low light of his father’s.Painwas dressed in her dark leather and blood-red wool.Herdark hair fell loose about her shoulders.
