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Prim's expression remained sorrowful. "I am sorry, Rowan. Some things are lost to us forever."
Devastation washed over me, and I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. It was as if a part of me had been shattered irreparably. I had come all this way, held onto hope so tightly, only to have it slip through my fingers like sand.
My shoulders slumped, and I whispered in a broken voice, "I don't understand. Why? Why did I do this?”
Prim's response was filled with compassion as she reached out to touch my cheek. "Sometimes, my dear, the pain of the past is too great to bear. And sometimes, it is our own hearts that protect us from that pain. Trust that your journey is not in vain."
I nodded, my vision blurred by tears, and I knew that no matter what, I would have to find a way to accept the truth, to move forward, even if I couldn't unlock my memories. This didn’t make my memories go away.
As I wiped away my tears, the goddess Prim extended a delicate hand towards me, her fingers holding a small, sealed envelope made of pristine parchment. "Rowan," she said softly, "I cannot grant you your memories, but perhaps this will bring you some solace."
I accepted the envelope, my curiosity piqued, and I examined the elegant script that adorned its surface. "What is this?" I asked, my voice trembling.
Prim's eyes bore into mine, a deep sadness within them. "It is a letter, written by someone who once stood where you stand now."
My heart pounded in my chest as I carefully broke the seal and unfolded the parchment.
Dear Rowan,
If you're reading this, it means you've embarked on a journey I had hoped you would never have to take. Our life, shrouded in a mother's cruelty, was far from kind. We were the unfortunate offspring of Queen Tantaii, bearing the weight of her malevolence, and a rabbit shifter, who I named you after.
Engar Rowan. I think it’s important for you to know that, so he’s never completely forgotten. She would enjoy that too much.
In my quest, I joined forces with Finn to curse the Queen and imprison her beneath the earth's surface. It was a bold move, and it wasn't enough. I know that now. Even the both of us didn’t have enough power to kill her, Rowan, and I couldn't attain it on my own. So we cursed her instead.
And then I ran.
Our mother locked up our halfling abilities years ago, at the first sign that I was anything but Fae. She hates us. She hates anyone who isn’t her, really, but especially me. I wasn’t strong enough to beat her, and I’m not strong enough to beat Cas.
But I hope that you are, when the time is right.
Find yourself. Find our heritage.
The ring holds the answers. You know the one I speak of—the very object I concealed, even from our own memories. You must find it, before Casimir does. Erasing our memories is a huge risk, but I can’t let it fall into the wrong hands should I get caught. There is too much at stake. Hopefully, Prim’s words hold true, and the ring will be safe. I hope you can forgive me for this choice.
Its location remains my secret, and I won't disclose it in this letter, for fear it might fall into the wrong hands. While I doubt the Queen could extinguish Prim's life, I've learned never to underestimate her. You would do well to remember the same.
I will leave you with this. Trust your heart, and your instincts. You have them for a reason.
-Olette
My hands trembled as I read the letter, the weight of its words settling over me like a heavy shroud. Olette had made a choice, hidden the ring away, even from herself.
Prim's voice brought me back to the present. "Before you ask, I cannot tell you where the ring is.”
“What? Why not? She made it sound like—”
“Not because I don’t want to, child,” she soothed, a calming energy settling through me as she explained. “But because I don’t know where it is. No one does.”
I nodded, clutching the letter to my chest. I would find the ring. I could do it. The letter was a piece of my past, a glimpse into the life I had hidden from myself.
"I've cast a spell to send your adversaries away, my dear," Prim called as she started to waver in the air, her form losing focus. Her tone carrying a hint of sassy reproach. "It will be a few hours before they’ve realized what happened. Wouldn't want any bloodstains marring my sacred abode."
ChapterSeventeen
As I stood in the sacred chamber, the weight of Prim's words sank in like a stone, turning my hopes to despair. The realization that I would never retrieve my stolen memories hit me like a wave, threatening to drown me, pulling me under.
I couldn't bear to face the group now, not with the disappointment welling up inside me. They depended on me, and all I had to go on was a cryptic-ass clue that didn’t make any sense. So, for the first time since I first shifted in the woods at the Clover pack, I let the transformation overtake me, sinking into the wave of my shifter powers. My body contorted, and in moments, I was no longer the woman they knew but instead a small, white, bushy-tailed rabbit.
