He glared at me. “Where do you think you’re going? I’ve been watching a lot of what they call news, and this realm is a cesspool of crime and unwarranted hate. It’s dangerous out there. I’m beginning to think we might have been safer in our realm.”
I crossed my arms. “First, never do that to me again. Second, I’m going to find help.”
“Not without me you aren’t. And we don’t have any leads, so where would we go? We have all the connections that could possibly exists around us. Searching takes time.”
“We don’t have time. You’re losing bits of your memories every day.”
He rolled his eyes. “Thanks for reminding me. But that’s why it’s important that you stay here safe, with me.” He looked back at the television, reaching out for my hand and placing his large one over it. “I can’t forget you if you’re always with me.”
I wanted to be irritated, but when he said things like that, my heart fluttered. I would no longer take for granted how much he cared for me. However, I couldn’t let the fear of what this spell was doing to him paralyze us from acting. He was giving up, but I wouldn’t let him.
I leaned my head on his shoulder, silently watching the show with him. “We can’t hide in here forever. You can’t keep me tucked away because you think someone might snatch me up. I know you dragons like to horde treasures, but I’m not a thing.”
He snorted. “No, you aren’t a thing, but you are a treasure.”
I lightly poked his side. He insisted on being so romantic. It was making it very hard to argue with him. “Stop saying sweet things.”
He kissed the top of my head. “I don’t think that’s possible. Plus, we’re newly mated. Time together is important. And if there was somewhere to go, we would. We’ve made appointments to visit the witches, and they couldn’t help. We went to the demon territory. Nothing. We’re still working our way through the fae and dragon network. If none of this works, at least we’ll have these moments together. If I lose more memories, at least I have these present moments. Where we’re happy and not frustrated because no one can help or busy fighting off attempts to kill us.”
“That sounds like giving up.”
“More like prioritizing our love.” He raised a hand. “And I know, too romantic. I’ll stop. I actually got a little sick of myself as soon as I said it.”
I chuckled. “Okay. We take a break today. Then tomorrow, we go back to searching. We might have to travel to connect with some of these off the grid groups. It might be dangerous, yes, but I can’t give up. Not on you. Not on us.”
A contented alpha purr erupted from his chest, settling me. “Now who’s the sappy one.”
“Appreciate it. It doesn’t happen often.”
He frowned, his brows furrowing together in thought, his purr cutting short. “I can’t remember, Lisa, did we ever argue?”
I stilled, unsettled by the question. I wasn’t shocked. I knew the spell was slowly stealing his memories of us. Good and bad. However, it didn’t mean I would get used to it happening. And it seemed to only be memories of me. It was like an inconsistent pain that came back at the worse times possible. I wondered who it bothered more. The one being forgotten or the one losing the memories.
Even with our bad times, there were still moments that connected us and, in some ways, strengthened us. If he lost what built the foundation of us, would he even still love me? Would I become a nameless face that surrounded him, no matter how close? Could he love a stranger with flaws? And why was it only me he was forgetting? The thought sent me into a daily panic that I struggled to suppress. Even now, I could feel the rising discomfort of hopelessness try to snatch me away from the present. I didn’t want him to feel that through our bond. I had to keep the anxiety away.
I sat upright and turned to him. He looked at me with lost emerald eyes that threatened to make me cry. I’d never seen him look so helpless. It shook me, but I would try my best to not make it worse by falling into my own fears. I nodded. “Yes, we argued. Mostly about our families. They don’t like us with each other.”
He smiled softly. Not the reaction I was expecting. “I can’t remember our arguments. Is it sad that I want to remember those too?”
I shook my head. “It’s important you remember all the times you were wrong,” I cracked.
That brought a laugh from him, which gave me some relief. I didn’t want him miserable, especially if these were his last memories with me.
“Let’s go have dinner at Daniel’s restaurant,” I stated. “He extended an invitation to us, and we might as well have a little fun.”
He eyed me suspiciously. “You really want to get out, don’t you?”
I shrugged. “It’s either we get out, or I kill you. You decide.”
***
Venturing into the city was an experience. Daniel and Billie came with us, and we sat in the back of their transporter, or car as they called it, staring out of the windows like wide-eyed children new to the world. In essence, we were new to this world.
When we got to the restaurant, I was surprised to see something familiar about it. Daniel had used more natural elements in the space, with low lights and plant life spread about the glassed building, with dark furnishings and flooring. The aesthetic was very similar to what I’d find at home. Daniel had never lived in the fae realm and only visited recently. He was part of the lost tribes. Fae from long ago who were trapped in the human world when the portals between the realms closed, making passage less open. It had only been in recent times that the fae began to visit the human realm again.
Daniel’s knowledge of the realm had only been through tales passed down between generations and yet, he’d captured a taste of our home. It made me nostalgic. Time passed differently between the realms. A month here would be four months back home. Would things still be the same when we returned?
Dinner was more enjoyable than I thought it would be with Ivan regaling the others with tales from home. I tried not to be affected at how well his memory was of things that didn’t involve me. This curse, spell, or whatever it was, seemed to have onepurpose: destroying the memory of me. I wondered if I had gone through the door first on our wedding, if it would be my memory of Ivan that would be going, or was this about me?
