Marked Claws (Mystic Bonds #2) | COMPLETED

31. Lucien

Her betrayal, her words had driven the rift between us to be deeper and she knew as well as I that it couldn't be mended.

I clenched my hand, folding my arms over my chest and watching her agitation.

Cecilia searched my eyes, "I love you, Lucien. I have for longer than you even remember." A bitter laugh escaped her. "But do you know what hurts deeper than a knife?"

I silently kept staring, my amber eyes urging her to go on and so she did.

"The worst part is that you don't remember her either. But you still picked her. You pick her time and again and you don't even remember her." The tear tracked down her cheek and her words added to my bundle of mysteries about the bond with Cara.

"Should I remember her?" I asked, my voice flat.

She tilted her head staring at her. "I hope you never do."

"That doesn't tell me much, Cecilia. At least be useful and tell me what I'm forgetting. Who is Cara?"

She laughed in my face then.

My jaw clenched at the utter disrespect but I kept silent.

When her tear filled eyes met mine again, she spoke, "You're forgetting everything. And who is Cara? Who is she to you? Don't you already have an idea? Hm? And even if you don't...." She bitterly laughed, "It's not like any of us can tell you."

As I'd feared.

There was that ice in my veins, heating up and I knew. I knew that Cara was near. The visceral reactions in her presence were getting worse and it...unsettled me. But Cecilia's words meant that she was also probably incapable of telling me. That meant more magic was at play here.

Memory altering magic used to be possible before the Great War. There hasn't been a single case reported about anyone capable of altering memories. The magic it requires is of a whole other level.

So that begs the question....

Does my past go back to before the Great War? How far back? A hundred years? Two hundred?

And as soon as I started to think of the War and what was before it, my head started to throb and the images in my memory Blurred into nothingness.

"Do you like Cara?" Her voice sounded small.

My eyes slowly moved to her, aware of Cara's presence in the library too.

"And why would you think so?"

"You still picked her." Cecilia clenched her jaw.

I silently stared at her, wondering how to actually answer. Cara too, was listening. I was sure of it.

"At least she hasn't been trying to put spells of love on me."

Cecilia's pale blue eyes flared. "Well, yes because she already put what spells she-"

She cut-off mid sentence and I realized it was the spell's effect and she couldn't speak more.

I released a small scoff.

"I only came to tell you that Celera has allied with Killian officially. You should ask your Prince friend about it more, I suppose." Cecilia didn't meet Mt eyes as she stood up, jaw clenched and then her eyes seared into the space behind me and I knew it was Cara she was looking at.

"I'll be taking my leave." She twisted on her heel and walked out, "Along with the others. We'll be heading towards Heavantta. See you there, General."

I frowned at her words internally.