Page 80 of The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon
“That’s the old womanItold you about.”Williamput his arm aroundAurora.
Death smiled atAuroraand pointed to his wrist and held up one finger. “Stayaway from her.Ihear she’s a leper.”
“Ella,”Ailithscolded. “Youshould not spread rumors like that.”
“It’s not a rumor, it’s true.Oneof the other performers told me.”Auroraturned away fromDeath.Shewondered whichRivertoncitizens would follow next.Therewere so many glowing chests amongst the people.
Aurora sat quietly in the carriage as the rest shared their fair stories and trinkets they bought.Williamlightly touched her leg or shoulder whenAilithwasn’t looking.Herhead wasn’t in this life.Itwas withThane.
By the time they dropped offWilliamand made it back to the inn,Auroracouldn’t bear to live inElla’slife anymore.ThenameEllagrated on every nerve.Shesaid her good nights and was heading up the stairs whenLilliancalled her.
“Did something happen between you andMr.Tenebris?”Lillianstood at the bottom of the stairs.
She could endElla’slife right now.TellLillianshe remembered who she was, and thatThanewas from her past.Butthat would only lead to more questions.Questionsshe didn’t have the answers to yet.Sheforced a smile and turned toLillian. “No.Hewarned me to stay away from the old woman.Shehas been in other cities he’s been in, and she swindled the citizens.”
Lillian cocked her head. “Okay.Isthere anything you want to tell me?Youlook different.Happy.”
Aurora would need to cut these strings, but not tonight. “Itwas an enjoyable night.Goodnight,Lillian.”Auroramade her way up the stairs and into her half-room.Themoonlight filled the room with a cold glow.Memoriesof her forgotten life flittered in.Hermother had been right.Shesat down on her bed and waited.Hewouldn’t leave her, would he?
“No,”Thanesaid, stepping out of the shadows.
Aurora stood and met him in the middle of the room.Sheknew him, what his kisses tasted like, what his body felt like next to hers.Andyet it felt as if it were the first time again.
“Tell me what you want, andIwill give it to you.”Thanebrushed his lips against hers.
“You.Iwant you.Takeme somewhere away from this life,”Aurorawhispered.
Thane lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply.Auroraleaned into him, feeling the coolness of theBetweensurrounding them.Shedidn’t care where he took her as long as he was with her.
CHAPTER39
AURORA
Everything rushed back asManereappeared around her.Theheartbreak, the sadness, the truth.Butall those things could wait.Rightnow, she wanted to breathe in the night air.Rightnow, she wanted to beAurora.
“Gods below,Ihave missed you.”Thanecupped her face between his hands.
There was so much they needed to fix between them.Allthe hateful words would need to be unsaid and replaced with others.Andthey would.Justnot now. “Areyou going to show me how much?”Aurorastepped closer, nuzzling his neck.Mortalmen couldn’t hold a candle to a god.Andshe had missed this god.Theyhad been apart for too long.
“Yes, but first…”Thanestepped away, looking down at her. “Weshould talk.”
“No.Ihave lived too long amongst mortal men to wait for anything.”
“I know, and for thatIshould?—”
Aurora pressed a finger to his mouth. “Don’tsay another word.Ifwe talk, we’ll fight.Canwe please just fuck away our problems like the gods we are?”Themortals did.Ellahad done it.AndWilliam, if he was honest with himself, had done the same thing.Sexmight complicate things, but it also hid the truth. “Iwant to forget about the curse, all the shit we’ve been through.Please.”
“You sound like a mortal.”Thanekissed her fingertips, then the palm of her hand, stopping at her wrist. “ShallIstop time?”
“Yes,”Aurorawhispered.Timewas an odd thing for gods.Aheartbeat in her life here could be a year in the mortal realm.SoifThanestopped time, maybe too much wouldn’t pass in the mortal world.
“As you wish,”Thanewhispered, bringing his mouth closer to hers.Everythingaround them stopped.Hisfirst kiss was soft.Histouches were featherlight on her skin.Helooked at her as if he was trying to memorize all the planes of her face.Hetook an unsteady breath, running his thumb over her bottom lip. “Godsabove, you are perfect.Everythingabout you.”
“I won’t break.”
Thane pressed his forehead to hers. “Ihave been without the dawn for too long.Letme enjoy you.”Thanekissed her neck.
“You?I’vebeen without the love of a god for an entire mortal year.”Auroraworked the buttons ofThane’sshirt and pushed it off his shoulders.Shehad forgotten how perfect he was.Ellahad tried to fill the abyssThaneleft withWilliam.William’sgentle touches couldn’t compare to the fireThaneignited.
