“What do you mean?”
Keziq’s eyes blazed as she approached me, magic cracking at her fingertips. “All those loving memories you have of your mate? I’m going to change them.” Panic seizedmy limbs as Nakul pushed me to sit on the chair with two firm hands on my shoulders. “I am going to change every last one of your memories until your hate for vampires is so strong you’d kill your mate to rid the world of those monsters.”
“No,” I pleaded. “No.” I tried to stand, but Nakul kept me down, his grip firm.
“You can never make me hate him.” My voice broke.
Keziq cocked her head to the side as she took my face in her hands, her palms cool on my heated cheeks. “Want to bet?”
I tried to yank my face from her viselike grip, but pain slammed into me, ripping a scream from my throat and seizing my limbs.
I squeezed my eyes shut as pain radiated through my skull, causing my entire body to tremble. Pain thrummed behind my eyes as Keziq’s invisible claws ripped into my mind.
One by one, memories flashed by, like pages flipping through a book.
The story of me and Luka.
Me and Luka sitting outside, talking under the stars. The feel of his skin against mine as he slipped his hand into mine as we lay on the grass.
Pain.
The night Luka saved me from the Vanir, taking off with me in his arms as he clutched me to his chest. The feel of his lips brushing over my forehead.“I won’t let anything happen to you,”he whispered as my eyes fluttered closed.
Pain.
Waking up that first morning with him by my side, the relief at sleeping without a nightmare. The warmth and comfort of his body next to mine.
Pain.
Our first kiss in the forest. He threw me off guard as he pulled meto him and pressed his lips to mine. The entire ground threatened to crumble beneath me at that kiss. My world began and stopped with our first kiss.
Pain.
Our first night together. How perfect we fit together.
Pain.
“I’d rip the stars from the sky for you if that’s what you wanted. Because I love you, Lennox.”
Pain.
“I’ll wait for you, however long it takes.”
Pain.
“I promise you will not regret choosing me tonight, Lennox.”
Pain.
“You and me, until the stars turn to dust, Lennox Adair.”
Pain.
Memory after memory assaulted me as the pain continued, as those invisible claws dug deeper, shredding my brain. My memories.
Finally, darkness swept in.
14
