The Godless Kingdom by Sheila Masterson

Author:Sheila Masterson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2024-06-03T00:00:00+00:00

24

CECILIA

Cecilia stumbled down the castle hallway, her soaked dress clinging to her chilled skin. She barely reached the healer’s suite before she collapsed into a fit of tears.

“Oh dear,” Magdalena said, helping her to a chair by the fire and pulling out a blanket to wrap around her soaked dress.

“He’s never going to remember,” Cecilia sobbed.

“There now, love,” Magdalena said, gently brushing Cecilia’s damp hair back from her forehead and handing her a handkerchief. “Now, do you want to explain why you’re soaked to the bone and shivering?”

Magdalena tipped Cecilia’s head up, taking note of the mark on her cheek and the bruises around her neck.

“Those aren’t from Rainer?” Magdalena said tentatively.

Cecilia shook her head. “Vincent. But Rainer heard him hit me and he did nothing.”

Magdalena went to work, the tingling of her healing magic buzzing over Cecilia’s skin. “You know, he’s quite confused. I ran into him this morning. He seems just as committed to remembering.”

“He kissed me,” Cecilia rasped.

Magdalena’s lips curved into a smile. “Sounds like he’s remembering something.”

“So I thought, but then he just gave up again. It’s like he doesn’t want to remember—and I know—I know how unfair it is for me to say that when I’m the one who buried his memories behind his grief and failure.” She swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. “I know I can’t be angry at him for being the man that I love, but it breaks my heart a little bit every time I can feel him right on the edge of remembering but he chooses to turn away.”

Magdalena rubbed Cecilia’s back in slow circles. “He seems desperate to remember, and I’m sure you are a big part of that, but to remember his life is also to remember your pain and his own.”

Cecilia knew that was rational, but she wanted to rage against it. Vincent hurting her was no more Rainer’s fault than him being whipped was hers. Still, it was impossible to watch someone you loved suffer and not feel responsible for erasing all of their hurts.

The scrape of the passageway door cut through the room and they both turned to see Mika duck out from behind the tapestry on the far wall, her eyes narrowing on Cecilia.

“What happened to you? You look like a drowned rat,” Mika said.

“Rainer kissed her,” Magdalena said, pouring tea into three cups.

“Was it good?” Mika asked, taking a sip from the cup Magdalena handed her.

Cecilia glared at her. As if she could forget what it was like to be turned inside out by a kiss from the person she loved most. “Of course it was. He’s still Rainer.”

“So what are you doing here instead of in his bed?” Mika said with a grin.

“I’m glad you’re in the mood for jokes,” Cecilia said. “He told me he feels nothing for me and he was quite adamant.”

“What a liar,” Mika laughed. “That man has his heart in his eyes every time he looks at you, just like he always has. The difference is that now he’s too stubborn to realize.

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