My chest tightened painfully, a sharp, squeezing pressure that made it hard to breathe. Dread seeped into every fiber of my body, cold and choking, until even my fingertips trembled. “What did she ask for?”
Della shook her head as tears spilled down her cheeks. “She wanted me to erase you from her memory,” she whispered. “She didn’t want to know you existed. She didn’t want even the meaningless memories of you.”
She wanted to forget me completely. Gods, that fucking tore me up inside. It felt like something inside me split open violently, like a wound that would never close.
“Tell me you didn’t, Dells,” I begged softly, my voice breaking around the edges.
“Of course not,” she said, voice breaking, “but she wasn’t happy about it. I’ve never seen her so angry and hurt. Her magic was suffocating mine. Her eyes turned black, and when I tried to comfort her, she left.”
I sank onto the couch, burying my face in my hands. My entire body felt heavy, like the universe itself was crushing me.
“What happened, Abe?” Della asked gently.
Silence wrapped around us. Finally, I let out a broken laugh. “We weren’t seeing each other… not at first,” I rasped. “She was trying to find a husband. All her options were shit, so she cast a spell, asking the moon and fate to bring her someone she could love.”
I lifted my gaze to them, shame and longing clawing at my chest. But so was anticipation of telling someone the truth.
“I never told Elowyn… but that night, I felt something. A pull. I heard her name whispered in the wind, like fate itself was callingme to her. I ignored it at first, thinking I’d lost my mind. But it didn’t stop. The whispers, the tug in my chest… it got so strong I couldn’t stay away.”
Della’s eyes widened. “Her spell called to you.”
“Yes.” I nodded, voice shaking. “Why would it do that if she isn’t my mate?”
“Maybe fate is still fucked up like it was for Della and me,” Haden said quietly.
I swallowed hard. “When I saw her standing there in a wedding dress… gods, the spell wasn’t keeping me there anymore. She was. It felt wrong to want her so badly when she wasn’t mine to keep. But at the same time… it felt right. Like fate put her in front of me for a reason.”
“You acted like you hated her,” Della whispered.
“She isn’t my mate. It felt like a betrayal to whoever my mate was. But… after meeting Loma, I know I don’t want her. And I…,” my voice cracked. “I don’t even remember most of yesterday after I met Loma. I was supposed to go to Elowyn’s crowning for her to be sworn in as queen of the coven, and I missed it. I would have never missed it. I came here yesterday to tell you about her. I wanted to see if you knew a way to make it permanent.”
“What do you mean you don’t remember yesterday?” Haden asked, frowning.
“When I got here, I was so excited to tell you both about Elowyn and me. I was looking forward to her crowning. Then I met Loma, and I tried to leave, but I couldn’t. The longer I sat there, the more it felt like I was forgetting something… until I didn’t remember anything at all.”
Della gasped softly. “Do you think it was Loma?”
“Well it sure as fuck wasn’t any of you.” I still felt so confused. “What was she doing at your house?”
Haden and Della shared a look before frowning in confusion. Gods, they looked like they didn’t know either.
“I actually don’t know,” Della whispered. “I remember talking to her about artifacts, but I don’t know how she found us.”
“Artifacts?” I asked sharply.
“Yeah… Oh, gods.” Della looked at me. “The Sword of Wern, the Mirror of Vesmal, and the Bow of Blythe.”
I froze, dread creeping down my spine.
“That’s what she was here for?” I stood abruptly. “I need to figure out what the hell is going on. Something about all of this feels wrong.”
“What do you want us to do?” Haden asked.
“I don’t know. Ineedto find Elowyn first.”She needs to know that I love her.
Chapter 19
Elowyn
