Page 2 of A Clash of Embers

The Present

Rage. All the bitterness within me was a simmering ember burning me from the inside out. The once naive Princess Clara I used to be, is no longer. The simmer kept me on edge, ready for anything and everything to happen all at once becauseI remember.

Leo asked me what I remembered from the curse, and I remembered everything. Every blade of grass, every conversation, everymoment.

I would be theonlyone to remember besides the first generation. I knew that, but how could I stand here and allowthe man I had grown to know within the curse stand in front of me and introduce himself as someone else?

He said he was Leo, Prince of Monowi, and everyone in his group had fae wings of different shapes, sizes, and colors, and he hadnone.

I found that curious. I wanted to know more and mostly I wanted to know why.

Everything that Leo told me in the rubble infuriated me more than I expected. It deepened the fury inside that wanted to be released on anyone who stood in my way.

It was all a lie. Athiana’s curse was broken, and so was Theo’s. I was exactly what he thought I was.A pawn. Just a pawn in this game between the two. A god and goddess.

I was angry—no, I was livid. The choices that I made weren’t truly my own. It was because someone else wanted me to do it. I was always controlled by someone else. There would be no more lies because I needed to know the full truth; I deserved to know it.

I stood here in this world of Darthium, unsure of why I still was who I was and Leo was not. Why would everyone else return to the body they once dwelled in and not me?

Looking at Leo, I knew deep in my bones that he was Madok. There was no doubt. He was the Madok I grew up with, the one who shaped me into who I was and the one whom I fell in love with as a young girl.

Here he was, standing in front of me, and he had no idea who I was. He couldn’t remember anything about me.

His dirty brown curls were tousled over his forehead, and his eyes still held the most golden irises with deep brown speckles. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his stature was large and intimidating.

My eyes were drawn to the crown that rested on the top of his head. I remembered one of the drawings Evander showed mefrom his nightmares was of a man like Leo with the same crown. A crown adorned with rubies and obsidian.

I wondered if what Evander dreamed of was remnants from his past. I also wondered if Evander was alive, and if he was, who was he?

Where was he?

“Would you like to talk about it?” Leo’s deep voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked at him and contemplated what I would share with him. I thought I would implode if I didn’t express some ounce of emotion, but I didn’t want to share everything with him yet because I didn’t know this manin this world,and I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

“I was...in love. I had an inamorato, and I was married.” I paused and looked at him, almost in disbelief that these words were coming out of my mouth. I felt my chest tightening as I started to drown in my emotions that I kept hidden, deep within me.

I noticed him looking at my hand, where my marriage marking would’ve been. The marking that was taken from me.

“There were two men who I loved, Madok and Evander. Madok was my best friend since I was a little girl, and Evander was my inamorato, my mate.” I looked away from Leo before I continued to talk because there was no way I could look into his sunshine-like eyes as I told him the truth about what had happened.

“In the end, Theo captured them and tied his life to theirs. When I killed Theo, Madok disappeared, and my marriage marking went away. I couldn’t speak with Evander through my bond anymore, and then I assumed they were both dead.” I finally looked back to Leo as I finished the last thought. “In a sense, I guess they are dead.”

I could feel his confusion and yearning to understand more of what I knew. I needed this man to trust me because I needed to know more and to find Colette. I glanced at my hands before I continued to speak.

“Athiana never told me that everyone I knew wouldn’t remember me once the curse was lifted. Everyone helped to ensure that I killed Theo and endedthiscurse, but I have this feeling that it isn’t over. Deep in my bones I know it isn’t.”

Leo’s gaze fell to his feet as he spoke. “I feel like I am missing so much information too. Before we were frozen, we were anticipating another war. One that none of us would make it out of. Centuries ago, the war that happened was catastrophic. But somehow the leaders were able to calm the fighting enough to allow others to live peacefully. I know that whatever happened to you must have been awful, and I wish I could gain more understanding.” He sighed squeezing his hand open and shut, flexing it nervously. Something that Madok used to do when we were children. “I also find it interesting that Theo tied his life to them. Almost as if he knew you would do it.”

Did Theo know that I would?

He stood and extended a hand to me, “Let’s get you cleaned up and somewhere safe, shall we?”

I hesitated and looked at him, studying his soft expression. Kindness beamed off of him and I felt it. The kind that you couldn’t fake or manipulate. I made the choice to trust in this moment as I linked my hand in his. When I did, Leo’s hand pulled back quickly with his eyes widening.

He chuckled with a small smile forming across his face. “I assume you are a goddess if you radiate energy like that.”

I tilted my head towards him. “You’re very observant.”

---