Fabled Kingdoms (The Fated Wings #7) - C.R. Jane Page 0,1

love the most in the world.

While the expulsion of the poison releases me from the numbness that's been my constant companion, when you're dying is not the time you all of a sudden want to feel.

With feeling comes the terror of knowing I'm dying.

I reach for the knife to pull on it, but I find I'm unable to move any of my limbs. Aiden's put some kind of spell on me rendering my entire body useless.

I stare at him, somehow feeling betrayed as he continues to gaze at me impassively.

Tears slip down my face, but they fail to move him.

"Till we meet again, sweetheart," he soothes before he stands up and walks away.

I listen as his footsteps fade.

And then I fade away too.

Chapter 1

Scars. I'm full of them.

At least on the inside.

Looking at me, you'd never know. Every hurt I've ever experienced disappeared thanks to the magical blood that flows through my veins.

But it doesn't mean they aren't there.

Staring down at Mason's face as he sleeps peacefully, I feel every single one of them.

And it's painful. Agonizing actually.

"Why don't you come and get something to eat?" Beckham asks from the doorway. I turn and look at him, losing my breath momentarily at the beautiful golden god leaning against the doorway, staring at me worriedly.

"Maybe in a few minutes," I tell him tiredly, thinking that it would probably be healthy for Mason and me to switch places.

Mason's been sleeping for three days. After saying my name and giving me hope, he promptly fell back asleep.

Evidently days of drinking and drugs isn’t good for you. Even for a supernatural.

Who knew?

During that time, I'd managed to catch a few hours of sleep, but not more than that. It's all catching up to me. The fact that Damon and Beckham don't know who I am, that Aiden's out there planning something, that Lexi betrayed me in the past and most likely the present, that Mason's still asleep.

That my past is still a mystery lying just out of my reach.

I'm tired. Down to my bones. Down to my soul actually.

For someone who only remembers bits and pieces of her past, I feel immeasurably old at the moment. Every one of those years sitting on my shoulders.

Beckham hasn't moved from his spot, so I sigh and finally get up and walk towards him. He reaches out his hand to grab mine as I get close and I give him a weak smile, my gaze searching, always searching to see if he remembers me.

I never see what I’m looking for.

There's affection there. Attraction definitely. Maybe even love.

But the way he looks at me isn't the way the Beckham who knew Eva used to look.

Like he knew all the good things and the bad things about me and still somehow thought I was perfect.

Like we shared a history older than just the past year.

Like we were once everything to each other.

"You need to start taking care of yourself," he tells me as he guides me down the hall, his hand on my lower back sending tingles all over my body.

I hum noncommittedly. I'm not overly worried that Mason won't wake up or anything like that. I think it's just having something to concentrate on beyond the crap that is my life at the moment that has me focusing single-mindedly on paying vigil at Mason's bedside instead of doing necessary things like eating or drinking.

Or maybe it's because I'm holding desperately on to the lifeline that was Mason's words.

He remembers me. He seems to be the only person who does.

It's all that's getting me through at the moment.

We make our way out into the kitchen where Damon's cooking something over the stove.

"Eggs sound good?" he asks, shooting me the same concerned look that Beckham was still giving me.

I force another smile and nod even though I know anything I eat will taste like sandpaper now.

Damon's phone buzzes on the counter and I wince when I happen to look down and see Selena's name on the Caller ID. Damon groans and ignores the call.

"Why don't you just block her number?" Beckham suggests, saying what I'm desperate to say if not for the fact that this thing between us is brand new to Damon and I don't want to come off as the jealous crazy who can't stand to think about the ex-girlfriend of the guy I'm dating.

A pang runs through my gut that I can't even call Damon my boyfriend at the moment.

"I would, but I have a feeling she