Page 27

CHAPTER 27

AURORA

A urora stared down at the three names on the list. The first three souls she would need to collect. She tried not to think of the lives she was ending. The first three wouldn’t break the curse. Death would not let her off that easy. He would make her collect all six, and if she failed… she couldn’t fail. Not just because of the curse but because Death could not be given the power of the stars.

As the keeper of their secrets, that gave her the power to fulfill wishes made upon them. And that was not a power Death could be given. She had not told Thane what Death wanted. Which made him sulk even more. It was hard enough to deal with this anger towards her. She couldn’t sit in the same room with him as it was. If he knew the true cost, his anger would destroy them both. She would have gone to the heavens but then Death could not reach her.

“I can’t help you. Once my father assigns a soul to you, I cannot reap it. You’ll have to reap these on your own.”

She looked up to see Thane standing in the doorway. She had moved from his room to have at least a wall between her and his hatred. “ You should be in bed.” His throat and arms were covered in cuts and bruises.

“I’m fine,” he said, stepping into the room.

She could feel every stiff muscle and bruised rib. She looked down at her wrist, pulling her sleeves down over the ghost of his bruises.

“Let me see the list.”

Aurora handed it to him. Three mortals that by nightfall would be dead. Whose heart would break for them?

“No one’s heart will break over these. One sold his soul for wealth, another wanted more time, and the final for power.”

“I knew the first three would not be the one.” She took the list again. There was nothing written behind the names, nothing to give a hint as to where she would find them. “ At least no one’s heart will break tonight.”

“It’ll be the sixth one that will be the hardest. The last one always is. Do you not see how stupid this was?” Thane closed his eyes. “ I did not mean that.”

He lied; she sensed his deception. He thought she was stupid. “ Yes , you did, and you’re right. It was stupid for me to think you cared about me.” Aurora stood. “ I’ll leave you to your self-righteousness. If I succeed, you’ll be the first to know since it is your curse I am breaking.” Aurora gathered a couple gowns from a chair.

“Aurora.” Thane reached for her. “ Don’t go. Please . I didn’t mean it.” Thane walked over to her. He took the gowns and set them down. “ Did he put any other conditions, like you had to collect all six in one night?”

“No. He just said the first three would come in three days. And here they are.” Aurora looked down at the parchment. “ Will it be hard? To reap a soul?”

Thane stepped closer to her. “ I don’t know, love. I’ve never not done it. I was born with the weight of my duty.”

“Will you tell me how?” She looked up at him. That was what scared her the most. How would she do this? A knife to the heart? A pillow over their face?

“How to reap a soul?” Thane thought for a moment. “ I don’t think I can. It’s who I am and who you are not. I wish you hadn’t done this.”

“That is not a wish I can grant. I cannot change what Death must undo.” If she could, she would’ve wished the curse away. “ You have made your feelings quite clear. Now if you have nothing helpful to say, I have a job to do. Whatever that may look like.” The night hadn’t even started, and yet she was already tired.

The gold bracelets shimmered in the low light of Manere . It was odd that no matter how she moved, they didn’t make a noise. When she slept, they left no mark. It was almost as if they weren’t there. She looked around at the few gowns she had brought with. What did one wear to a reaping? All her gowns were pale and looked heavenly.

“Aurora, say something.”

“I have nothing to wear.” Her thoughts were a mess. Emotions she rarely felt, like fear and doubt, filled her. All because of the god that stood before her. “ And I think I love you more than you love me.” The first tear hit her hand, leaving a glittery trail. Last night as she lay alone in bed, far away from home or anyone to dry her tears, her thoughts spun out of control. What if when this was all over, the truth was that Thane had never loved her, and with the curse broken, he would be free to love anyone? Or worse, what if she didn’t love him?

“No, dove.” Thane tilted her chin up. “ That’s not possible. There is no love in this world or the mortal world greater than mine for you.” Thane reached for her hand, and his breath hitched when he saw the faded bruises. The same as his. He searched her face before tugging at the neck of her gown. “ What has he done to you?”

She pulled the neck of her gown back up. “ I felt it all. Everything . Every bite of the vine. Every breath he took from you. Every life he stole. I felt it. You assume I had a choice in this. If I didn’t tell him what I wanted, he was going to tear you apart bit by bit until there was nothing left of you or me.” She wondered if the witch’s warning had already been sewn into the fabric of their lives.

Thane pressed a kiss to her wrist. “ They are golden like a star.” He slid her sleeve up, pressing a kiss to each bruise.

“What are?”

“Souls. They are held in by lifelines. The same ones you can feel. But now you will be able to see them. Once you break the lifelines that Fate has strung, the soul will come to you. That is the easy part. A soul must inhabit a body; it cannot float freely. It will have to inhabit yours. If it comes willingly, you will feel nothing, but if they fight it, you’ll feel as if you are being torn open. It will feel like you are being swallowed by their anger and grief.”

Aurora nodded, not sure what she was agreeing with. None of that sounded enjoyable, but that was what Death asked of her. “ How do I break the lifelines?”

“The same way you catch a star. You ask. You will know the words that must be spoken. Each reaper has their own words that must be said.”

She looked up at the night sky and chose which star would grant her wish. The wishes a star could grant were determined by the holder of the secrets. Before her, it had been Fate who rarely granted wishes. That was why Fortune took the secrets away from him. And why Death could never have that power. Aurora found a wishing star and called it to her. It fluttered down, turning into a little golden bird that perched on her finger, its golden eyes watching her. It was small, but she didn’t have a big wish. Before she could think her wish, Thane spoke.

“I wish to break the bargain you made with my father,” Thane said, blowing on the star before Aurora could stop him.

The bird’s feathers ruffled, but nothing happened. Even a wishing star couldn’t undo a deal with Death . Aurora straightened the bird’s feathers. “ I wish for something that could make this night easier.” Aurora blew on the bird. Stardust filled the room, raining down on them.

Thane smiled, moving closer, his lips hovering above hers. “ You didn’t have to wish that.”

She leaned into his kiss, feeling the featherlight touch of the stardust as it fell. In this moment nothing could touch them. Not Death , not Thane’s anger, just her wish. She memorized the way his mouth felt on hers. The lightness that filled her body. His love would get her through the night. As the last of the stardust fell, she pulled away, trying to hold on to the moment a little longer.

“If you wanted me to kiss you, you just needed to ask. Don’t waste a wish on something that is already yours.”

“You’ve been too angry with me,” Aurora whispered. It was more than a kiss she wished for. She wanted a moment to feel nothing but his love. So many times in these past three days, she had wanted to go to him. To feel his warmth, his love. But his anger had been too bitter for her to bear.

Thane pressed his forehead to hers. “ Not at you, at myself. I should’ve done better. I should have protected you.” He pulled away and kissed her forehead.

She loved the way the stardust clung to his lashes and his dark hair. His perfect mouth was golden. Her prints were all over him.

“What are you smiling about?” Thane asked.

She traced her finger through the dust that kissed the sharp angles of his face. “ I love the way you look right now.”

Thane ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “ And I you. If I didn’t need to deal with my father, I would take you right in this stardust. And when this is over, I shall.”

“Promise.” The moon was setting in Manere , which meant it would be rising over the mortal lands. They would have to leave, both to collect the souls his father demanded be collected.

“I promise.” Thane winked, adjusting himself. “ I will send Cadel with you. He has done this enough that he’ll know what to do.”

Aurora picked up the list now covered in stardust. “ Will I see you in the mortal realm?”

“No. My father has asked that I join him at a council meeting.” Thane brushed the stardust from his shoulders. “ You must collect the souls before the sun rises in the mortal world. There will not be enough time for you to travel back here to deliver each soul, so you’ll have to carry all three. Collect them in order. The last one is always the worst.”

Again she nodded, trying to remember all he had said. “ How will I find them?”

“They will call to you. The moment their bargain is due, their soul will call. Get in and out as quick as possible. Don’t think about what you are doing. Don’t talk to them. Just take the soul and leave.”

“Right, don’t talk to… gods below, what is that?” She was filled with a need that felt as if it was trying to claw its way up her throat. “ I’m going to be sick.”

“No, you won’t be. Cadel .” Thane reached for her as he called for the dead man. “ Just breathe through it.”

Aurora had never felt this way. Her clothes felt too tight. Her stomach sat at the base of her throat. “ Make it stop, Thane .”

“I will. Dammit , Cadel ,” Thane yelled. “ You need to breathe, Aurora .”

“I can’t. Why can’t I ?” She clawed at her throat. The need to find and take the souls clogged her breath and made her vision swim.

Cadel appeared in the room. “ You called?”

“Take her now.” Thane thrust Aurora into Cadel’s arms. “ Get her to the mortal world.”

“Gods.” Cadel wrapped his arms around Aurora and pulled her into the emptiness of the Between .