Bastien
My head is swimming with too much information. I don’ t remember any of the events Selene is describing, and so much of it defies everything I believe to be true. Still the ev idence in front of me is overwhelming. The videos Selene showed me prove that Arabella has been lying to me, and as strange as it seems, it’s actually a relief. Things have felt off ever since I arrived here, as if I’ve been trapped in some strange fog. I thought it was simply a side effect of losing my memory, but now I suspect it’s Arabella’s doing.
As I look down at my beautiful mate, Axel rages in my head, urging me to claim her, protect her and punish her for risking her safety all at once. However there’s not time for any of that now. “You need to get out of here.” | com mand, rising from the couch and pulling her up with me. “You can go down the fire escape.”
“Come with me.” Selene begs, “she’s going to know ! was here either way.”
“I’m not running away like a coward.” I announce.
“Oh but it’s alright if I’m a coward?” She demands, full of sass.
“You are far more precious than I am.” | inform her, eye ing the slight swell of her belly. “I’ll find you after I’ve dealt with Arabella.”
“Just, do me a favor and keep this.” She requests, push ing the cell phone into my hand. “You can reach me through Helene. You can also track me that way – we‘re set up to share our locations.”
“Alright.” | agree, opening the window and lifting her out onto the fire escape. “Now hurry, and be careful.”
“Bastien wait!” She exclaims, before I can close the win dow.
“What’s wrong?” | pause, scanning her lovely face, which looks deeply conflicted.
“Kiss me?” She requests in a small voice, as if she’s afraid I’ll refuse.
| drag her mouth to mine, perhaps more roughly than I in tended. I’ve been trying to resist doing precisely this from the moment she walked in the door, at first feeling terribly twisted for being so attracted to someone so evil, and now relieved beyond belief that
12 13
Arabella’ s keys jingling on the
closing the window, “I’ll come
shove the cell phone under my mattress and return to the living room. When the door pushes open and Arabella appears,
- ly.
cleverer than you gave her credit for.”
so?” Arabella questions, eyeing
about her was wrong.” | continue, stalking my way around her. “The only thing you had right is how
trick you again already?” Arabella sighs, attempting to
“How long did you think you could keep this up, Bella? Did you really believe you
– Bastien Confronts
the other night – you saw her magic. Everyone in Elysium is under
I agree, “And remind me why I can’t remember meeting her the other night?” | demand. “Re mind me why I was mysteriously so ill that I slept through
with your mind, Bastien.” Arabella ar gues, backing away from me into the kitchen,
only person playing with my mind is you!” | thun der, “How have
haven’t!” Arabella whines, adopting a put upon expression, “How could you think I would do
Bella!” |
at last. For the first time since I woke up in this strange city, she actually looks like herself again. The weak, frightened little girl image nev er did sit right with the woman I remembered. The furious blonde on the verge of a tantrum however, that is exactly the way I recall Flynn’s baby sister. “I knew
LU
could go on doing this forev
in my defense, I didn’t plan on the rest of your life
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