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Lucian stood and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It’s okay.”
Filled with fear, Brinna turned back to her sister. “Auri.” She smoothed her hand over her sister’s face—bright now with health. “I’m not your true love, but I love you truly.” She leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Auri made a sound and shifted, then her eyes fluttered open. She sat up with a gasp. “Brinna? Oh stars. Brinna.” Auri threw her arms around Brinna’s neck. “I had awful dreams.” She leaned back, her brow bunched with confusion as she worked through whatever was in her mind. Then she paused, her gaze jumping from the bedding to Brinna. “Mother. She slipped us something. In the tea.” Then she looked around the room. Glanced at Tarley and Lachlan, Tarley muttering, “I should have known. Should have seen it…”
“She’s your mother,” Lachlan soothed, his tone calm and kind. “There must be an explanation.”
Brinna stood.
“Where’s Nix?” Auri asked her, then turned her head, and noticed him hovering in the doorway. She smiled, a radiant light on her face as she scooted from the bed. “Nix,” she cried as she maneuvered through the tight space and launched herself at him.
Nix caught her, but Brinna could see his face. Confusion mired his features. He didn’t know her.
Auri leaned back and pressed her mouth to his.
Nix stiffened.
Then his eyes shut, and he kissed her back, passionately, his arms curling around her.
Brinna averted her eyes and met Lucian’s. He was frowning at her. She could read—could feel—every bit of regret on his face at what was happening between his brother and her sister.
“Wow,” Nix said, drawing Brinna’s gaze back to them. “That was quite an introduction.”
Brinna saw immediately that Auri knew something was wrong. She stiffened and slid from his arms. “Nix?” She took a step away.
He grinned, a real one. “If I’d known the set up would start that way, I’d have taken better care of my appearance.” His eyes jumped to Lucian, a sheepish look crossing his handsome features before he shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I’m sorry, Aurielle.” Lucian looked down at his feet. “He doesn’t remember.”
“I would remember that, Luc,” Nix said. “Seriously, you need to stop with this locking away memories thing. I don’t forget things. I wouldn’t forget that. Or you. What’s your name again?”
Auri swallowed, looking at Nix, then took a step back, her eyes jumping to Lucian then to Brinna, who noticed the tears in her sister’s eyes. “He doesn’t know me?” A tear slipped down her cheek.
Nix straightened, looking rather helpless.
“What did you do, Lucian?” Auri’s tone was accusatory. It was clear she was seething, her hatred for Lucian overwhelming her features.
A shadow passed over Lucian’s face, but it wasn’t hate or anger. Brinna knew he was thinking of the spell. That he somehow deserved it. Though she didn’t know the entirety of things, she knew enough and could fill in the missing pieces based on what Lucian had told her, along with the comments Auri had made about Lucian.
“He was dying,” Luc said. “I had to make a choice. To save you both.”
“Because we were separated?” Auri asked, her anger doused.
“I’m the pinnacle of health, I’ll have you know,” Nix said.
Lucian nodded. “I wouldn’t want to hurt him. Or you.”
“I felt it—the fading—in the dreams,” Auri replied and backed away from Nix.
Brinna’s heart broke for her sister, her throat closing with tears.
“We locked up the memories. It was all we could do without severing them completely,” Lucian explained.
Nix sighed. “This…still?”
Auri moved away from Nix and Lucian until she was at Brinna’s side. Brinna felt her sister’s hand slide into hers, and Auri squeezed with what Brinna could only assume was a need for comfort.
“They’re in there somewhere,” Luc said, “hidden from his consciousness. We just have to figure out how to help him unlock them.”
