Page 44 of The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon
The witch exhaled, and her eyes dulled.Thevision had passed. “Iam just the messenger.Ido not make the rules.Theremust be balance.Aneye for an eye.Orin this case, a broken heart for a broken heart.”
Aurora closed her eyes, willing the tears not to fall.Allof this had been for nothing.Shewas no closer to knowing how to break the curse than she was to turning water into moonbeam wine. “Youhave been no help, old woman.Ihope your last days are peaceful.”
“How fickle is your love?Igive you the answer, and you do nothing with it.Itis me who hopes your days are peaceful without the god you love.”
“You have given me nothing but more riddles and problems.Deathwill not give whatIseek freely.”Therewas a price in dealing withDeath.Fora mortal, it meant their soul.Godshad no soul.Deathwould want something in return, andAurorafeared what that would be.
“How much are you willing to sacrifice for the dark god you wished for?Thereis always a price for love, even for a god,” the old woman whispered before she slumped in the chair next to the smoldering fire.Hershoulders rose, then fell once more before the room went silent.Auroracocked her head, trying to feel the woman’s lifelines.Theglittering strings thatFatehad woven to the souls of each mortal.
“Witch,”Aurorahissed in the dimming light.Theair had suddenly grown cooler.Afamiliar scent filled the air around her.Onethat smelled like the forest just after a rain.
Thane.Thecollector of souls.Theold woman had made a deal withDeath, and nowThanehad come to collect payment.
His shadows scudded across the floor and crawled through the open window.Theirshapes twisted from animal to human form.Theysniffed the old woman, who still had not moved.
“Aurora?”
Dammit.Shehad hoped to be gone beforeThaneappeared to collect the witch’s soul.Sheturned to seeThanestanding in the doorway, looking all the god he was.Itwas easy to understand why some mortals went willingly to their deaths.Deathmight be beautiful to look upon.Buthis son was exquisite.Shardsof theBetweenglittered in his dark hair.Hissilver eyes reminded her of a star just about to burn out. “Thane.”
Thane stepped into the room. “Whyare you here?”
I wish to lie this once,Aurorawished. “Theold woman made a wish.”
“For what?”
“It matters not.”Auroradanced around the question. “Whyare you here?”
“She made a deal with my father.”Thanestepped closer, twisting a piece of her hair around his finger. “Youhate the mortal realm.Youhate the noise and the smells.”
Aurora leaned closer to him. “ButIlove the moments between day and night.”
Thane smiled. “Yourlie tastes bitter on my tongue.”Thanegripped her chin, lowering his mouth closer to hers. “Nowtell me, dove, what have you done?”
His closeness made her bones ache and her breath too heavy to breathe. “Promisenot to hate me.”Washis heart the one that would be filled with hate?Orwas it hers?
“I promise.”
“I know how to break the curse.”Herwords came out in a whisper.
“How?”
“Your father.”
CHAPTER22
AURORA
“You won’t even listen to whatIhave to say?”Aurorabrushed the shards of theBetweenfrom her gown.Theywere inThane’sroom.Ameal sat untouched by the large fireplace.ThiswasAurora’sfavorite room and not just because it belonged toThane.Butbecause her favorite constellation was painted on the half-finished ceiling.
“No, because it’s foolish to think my father would help you.”Thanewalked over to the bar cart.
“It’s foolish?OrIam?”Shewatched him move around the space that was so him.Thane’srealm was always cast in the gray glow of dusk.Thesky a faded purple.Theair smelled of that just before a storm.Itcalmed her.Unlikeher father’s realm.
“It is.”Thaneshook his head, filling a glass with whiskey.
“You don’t even know whatIneed from him.”Shelooked around the room.Nothinghad changed since she had last been here.Oneof her pale gowns hung over the chair, and stardust clung to some of the surfaces.
“The cost will be too high.”Thaneswirled the whiskey in the glass.
