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As he finished slaying the beast, it began to simmer into ash. The bones disintegrated and fell apart, crumbling to the ground. With a snap of his fingers, the ash floated into the air before completely dissipating, as if there were never a beast at all. The pooling blood evaporated, leaving the wooden floorboards as clean as they had been that morning.
Protego dropped to his knees and let out a wail, tears flowing down his cheeks as he turned to Primrose, who still sat against the dresser. She felt every muscle in her body relax as she saw the man she loved kneeling before her. She wanted to tell him everything. The visions, the memories, how she felt for him.
″Are you hurt?” he asked.
″I love you,” Primrose said, the corners of her mouth turning upwards.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“What?”Protegoasked.
“I love you, and I remember,” Primrose said, scooting towards him. She sat up onto her knees, and they faced each other, wrapping their arms around one another.
“What do you remember?” Protego asked, cupping her face in his hands.
Primrose’s eyes gleamed. “Bits and pieces. Fragments of memories, spirits, and monsters, but I know you.”
Kissing her forehead, he let out a ragged breath. Primrose could feel his racing heart against her chest.
“Of course you know me, starling.”
“No, Protego…I remember. I was Ilona. IamIlona.” She looked into his eyes, wide with surprise.
Protego gasped and grabbed Primrose, wrapping himself around her, kissing her gently, on her shoulder, and then down her arms. He put her hands up to his face and kissed them.
“Tell me what happened,” Primrose said and stood up. She reached her hand out to help him up. They walked hand-in-hand to the bed and sat down, skin against the soft fabric of the gray comforter.
“What do you recall?” He reached out a hand and twirled a strand of blonde hair around his finger.
“Glimpses, small moments. I need to hear your side of the story.”
“It happened so fast,” he said roughly. “We were called into Paradisus by The Committee. You thought we’d get reassigned new tasks. I knew we were in trouble, but off we went. Had we known what was to come, I think we would have fled instead.”
“So, what did they do?” Primrose’s eyes were sorrowful.
“They cursed us. Cursedyou. I watched them shoot you out of the sky like a comet. I watched your spirit plummet into the earth to be born again. I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again. They erased your memories, and you were to reincarnate until you remembered who you were. I watched you fall in love, I watched you grow old, and I watched you die over and over again. Every time I’d have to search for you, find you again, I failed every time. I failed, starling.”
Protego loosened his breath, unclenching his jaw. “I always knew our love would be eternal. I just never realized I would have to fight for centuries to get to hold you once again.”
“I don’t understand,” Primrose said, a single tear falling down her cheek. “Why didn’t you just take me?”
“It wasn’t so easy. I tried, believe me. The first time I found you, it was a hundred years later. You were a Princess in East-Terra named Akira. I told you who I was and who you were, and you told me I was crazy…. You had the guards remove me and everything. I was full of rage, so broken. I went back to Aeternus and tried to move on.” He took a breath. “200 years later, I returned. I picked up the fragments of my shattered soul, and I made my way back to you. I found a child named Ingrid, and I knew it was you, but I couldn’t take you with me. Children are unable to enter Aeternus. A monster got to you before I came back….”
“Oh…”
Protego wiped away her tears. “Once, you were a shopkeeper named Anja. I visited your shop every day, but you were happily married with children. I couldn’t take you from the life you built, so I watched you grow old with another man.”
“I’m so sorry. How many times did I reincarnate?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve met seven of you,” Protego answered.
“Seven?” she whispered.
“Yes. I found you in a tavern in South-Terra. You glowed like sunlight, drunk and dancing. I tried speaking to you, but a woman whisked you away. ‘Ella,’ she called you. You looked so full of joy. I couldn’t take that from you.” Protego took a deep breath. “Only one time were you a man. You said your name was Frederik. I told you I was a sorcerer, and you believed me. You asked me to perform magic, and so I did. I wanted to impress you. I messed up the spell and ended up in Spirito. I couldn’t find you when I finally made my way back to Terra.”
“Including me, that’s six.”
“Maire. That’s the last variation of you I met. I tried the old-fashioned way of courting you. I brought you flowers, spoke with your parents, and we went on carriage rides. It was going well until I was called back to Aeternus for an issue that was happening in Sanctuarium.” He scratched the back of his neck.
