Page 82 of The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon
“Aurora.”MoongrabbedAuroraand tugged her further onto the terrace. “Whathave you done?Doyou realize the power you have givenDeath?”
“He has to win first.Ihave one soul left and the curse will be broken, andDeathloses.”
Moon pulled back. “HowdidIraise such a stupid child?Noone has ever beatenDeath.Heis the only constant.”
“For mortals, yes.Forgods, no.Wehave all beaten death.”Aurorastepped away.
Moon’s laughter was sharp. “No, pet, we have only delayed it.Yourfather will never letDeathkeep you.Hewill wage a war.Anda war between gods is a terrible thing.”
“Death will not win.”Auroraturned away.Thefear slowly crept in.Thelast name would be the hardest.Whatif it wasClaraorLillian?Worse,SissyorMrs.A?Thosemortals were loved greatly.Thehearts of an entire village would break for them.
“What did you bargain with?”Moonpressed. “No, don’t tell me.”
“Gods below,Mother, make up your mind.”Auroraran her hand over the rough stone of the wall.Thelavender swayed in the breeze.
“What was it?”Moonstepped closer toAurora, eyes narrowed, searchingAurora’sface. “No.”Moonthrew back her head. “Whichone, the sea or the stars?”
“The stars.”Shelooked at her hands, wondering which secret was written on each finger.Thestars had many.Theywere older than the gods.Shewondered how it would feel to have them ripped from her fingers and ribs.AndwouldThanefeel it?
Moon stepped away, pressing her hand to her stomach. “Theyare written on your bones for a reason.Doyou know what that means?”
“Yes,Mother,Iam well aware of that, which is whyIcannot lose.”Aurorablinked away the tears.Sheprayed to whatever god was listening the soul she needed to collect wasn’t anyoneEllahad loved.
“If he knows the secrets, he controls the stars.Whatif he wishes for a plague or to start a war?”Moonraged on.
That was her mother’s fear, not the pain her only child would suffer. “Thatis your fear?Plagueis married to one ofSorrow’sdaughters.AndWaris not a god who can be summoned by silly wishes.”Hermother was such a dramatic god.
“Silly wishes?”Moonlifted a pale brow. “Wouldyou find it silly if he wishes away the heavens?Orworse, that you cannot set foot inManereor the underworld?OrthatThanenever existed?”
“Because he cannot wish a god into nonexistence, and if he could,Iwould unwish it,”Aurorasaid.
“How will you when you no longer command the stars?”Moonbit out.Moonrubbed her brow, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly before looking atAurora. “Youare a young god, soI’llexcuse your lack of understanding of the power the stars hold.Thatyou hold.ButDeathknows the power those secrets hold, and he will use it.Howcould you be so careless?”
“Careless?”Auroracried. “Whatother choice didIhave?Thecurse was slowly killing me.”
“You.Andwhat of the rest of us?Youhave put us all in danger because ofThane,”Moonsnapped.
“Because of love,Mother.Youwere warned thatIwould have a love so great it would break me.Fatetold youIwas destined to break each day, and yet what did you do?Nothing.”
“I had no control over the stringsFatehad already tied.Youwere to break, not all of us.”Moonturned fromAurora.Hershoulders fell. “AndIdid try to protect you.Ithought if your father banishedThanefrom the heavens, it would never happen.”
“What?”Auroragrabbed her mother. “Banishhim?Thanewas never of the heavens.”
“His mother isSorrow.Heis like you, my pet.Agod of both the heavens and the underworld.Howdo you think he can move between both so easily?”
Aurora had thought she was the one bringing him to her.Onlygods born of both the heavens and the underworld could move freely between them. “Ithought… and what does that matter?”
“It doesn’t.OnlythatFatepromisedSorrowa son that would one day control the stars and the heavens.Ialready knew you would command the stars.Fortunetold me.Whichmeant thatSorrow’sson would have to take them from you.WhenItold this to your father, he banishedSorrowto the underworld.”Moonturned to faceAurora. “Butthat is whatFatewanted.WithSorrowin the underworld, she would be vulnerable toDeath.It’sFatewho is really to blame.Weare all his toys to play with.”
Aurora looked out across the garden. “Didyou not think thatThanewould command those things through me?Thathe would gain those things because he loved me.”Shelooked at her mother. “Didyou thinkIwould be so unlovable?Orweak thatIwould allow a god with a pretty face to just take them?”
“You need to ask?Deathdid exactly that.HeusedThane’sbeauty against you.Thanewas created with everything you would desire.”Moonsighed and looked out across the garden. “Andno,Ididn’t think you unlovable.Loveis not an easy thing, pet, even for a god.Itwas not youIdoubted.ItwasThane.Men, both mortal and immortal, are very bad at love.Theyare more suited for starting wars.Burningcities to the ground.Destroyingthings.Yourfather may create life, but he does nothing to foster it.Becauseneither he norDeathunderstand the burden of love.”
Aurora thought ofThaneand all that they had been through.Theway he had treatedElla.HowElla’slife had felt so empty without love and how dim her future felt with the wrong love. “Loveis not a burden,Mother.Andyour words will not change howIfeel forThane.Ilived without love for a mortal year, and it almost killed me.Iflove was given to us, it’s only because we were strong enough to bear it.”
“To bear it, yes.Butnot to break for it.Doyou thinkThanewould do the same for you?”Moondemanded.
“Yes.”Thanestood in the doorway, his pants hanging low on his hips.
