STERLING
“Jasmine, it’s me! I’m your cousin, Cassian!” Cassian pleaded with her, crouched at her side while holding her shoulders. Her fear remained, but now it was directed at the stranger shaking her and insisting she knew him.
“I don’t have a cousin,” Jasmine said.
“Jasmine, please!” Cassian cried.
I pried my aching body off the wooden chair to stand. I felt for Cassian, but a selfish part of me was grateful it wasn’t me who had forgotten him.
“Sterling, help me!” Jasmine said, watching me over Cassian’s shoulder. “This man is crazy!”
“You remember Sterling?!” Cassian asked.
I crouched to their level, frowning at Jasmine. I didn’t know what to say. “Heisyour cousin, Jasmine. You shot a spell at me to forget him, but he deflected it back at you.”
“W-what? No… I don’t have any cousins,” Jasmine said.
Tears streamed down Cassian’s face, but he stopped pleading with her.
“Where do you think you’ve been for the last two months, Jasmine?” I asked, wondering how her mind would fold around Cassian when she had spent all that time resenting him and living in his home.
“Taking care of my grandfather’s inn while my aunt and uncle searched for buyers,” she said.
“Why was I there?” I asked.
“To figure out who cursed it,” she said.
“Why did you curse it if not to get back at your cousin?” I asked.
She shook her head, tears falling down her face. “Sterling, you’re scaring me. I don’t know this man.”
“Then why did you do it?” I asked.
“I didn’t—how did?—?”
“Why are you in Ladiall right now? How did you get here?” I asked.
“To—to—” She stared at Cassian like she was fighting to remember him. “I don’t know.”
“You came here with me, Jasmine,” Cassian cried. He sniffled and wiped his tears on his sleeve. “Why did you curse the inn?”
“Because Grandpa didn’t leave it to me, and I was jealous,” she said.
“Because he left it to me,” Cassian said.
Jasmine shook her head rapidly. “This isn’t funny. I don’t know you.”
I took Jasmine’s hand and helped her up. “You just confessed to the crime, so I have to take you in,” I said, slapping the shackles onto her wrists before she exploded again.
“Wait—I didn’t—” she stammered, and then she stopped. “I’m sorry.”
“Who are you apologizing to?” I asked, leading her into the sunny street outside.
“I… don’t know.” It was like Cassian was still in her mind somewhere, but she couldn’t access those memories.
I brought Jasmine straight to Commander Decker’s office with Cassian following close behind.
“Thorndrop. You found her,” Decker said, standing from her desk chair when we entered.
