Ezekiel held out his hand to The Last God. “Take my immortality while you’re at it.”

The smirk deepened on the God’s face. “Very well.”

With a snap of its fingers, Ezekiel felt himself lose Emry. He felt the memory of her touch dissipate, and the gentle kisses lose their trace on his lips. He forgot what she looked like and how he found the place in the basement. His eyes welled up with water, and he fell to the floor, clenching his fists. In an instant, he lost something important to him, but he couldn’t tell what.

“There, you have what you wanted,” The Last God said.

“What did I want besides my immortality taken from me?” Ezekiel asked. He looked at the God through his tear-filled eyes.

“I’ll send you home. You’ll find out soon enough.” White filled Ezekiel’s vision. He closed his eyes and shielded them from the bright light.

When he opened his eyes, he was in his room, and someone was banging on his door. A groan escaped his lips as meandered over to see what the big deal was. As soon as he reached for the handle, the door slammed into him. He fell backwards and landed with a heavy thud.

“Sorry!” Azuriel yelled. “I just thought that you would like to see this.” She held out her hand to him. “Grab on and don’t let go. Something big happened.”

“If it is another festival, I don’t want to go.” Ezekiel rubbed his forehead.

“No, it’s even better than that!” She pulled him up onto his feet and dragged him with her out of his house. As she pulled him every which way, he tripped over his steps numerous times. Whatever she had to share with him had better be good. He wasn't happy that The Last God had already stripped him of his immortality and sent him back to his home before he could even read more. The damn god tricked him.

By the time the two Tralechs arrived wherever Azuriel was taking him, his shoulder would be ripped out of his arm. Confusion struck him as they promptly arrived at the graveyard.

“Now what could be here that is possibly so important that you had to drag me here?” Ezekiel ripped his hand out of her tight grip.

“You’ll see. Now just follow me.” She raced down the path, not even giving Ezekiel a chance to follow her.

There was something enticing about chasing Azuriel through a graveyard to an unknown location. It felt like deja vu even, similar to something else that happened, but he couldn’t place where. It poked at his brain when he tried to remember, but frustration filled him when his brain wasn’t cooperating. There was something that made him feel this way.

He looked up from his feet, and his eyes landed on her. Her skin was a few shades darker than honey, but it must have been the dirt that covered her that made it darker. Her brunette hair was in spectacular curls. And the blue she wore suited her, but for a moment Ezekiel thought that purple would have better suited someone of her presence.

“Ezekiel,” she said. Even her voice was as sweet as honey.

“Who are you?” Ezekiel blurted.

She took a step back, and her mouth hung open. He could see the gears turning in her head. “I see. That’s what you did.”

“Did what?”

“Azuriel, do you mind leaving Ezekiel and I alone for a few moments?” She turned to Azuriel, like she knew her. But when did this human ever meet Azuriel? If she did meet Azuriel, why didn’t Azuriel ever tell him?

Azuriel nodded and left the area quickly. She looked over her shoulder back at Ezekiel. Her eyes looked sad. Am I supposed to know something about this human that she would feel sad about?

“Ezekiel, my name is Emry.” Emry held out her hand to him.

Emry, what a strange name. Ezekiel nodded and took her hand, shaking it gently, but firmly. Her skin was soft and warm, like it had never seen the trace of adventure before. “How do you know my name?”

“Let’s just say we were companions of a sort.” A smile crossed her lips, and he couldn’t help but get the sense that she was telling the truth. “I was hoping you would lend me a room in your house again. It would mean a lot, but before we head to your home, we should go and get drunk. Celebrate my return, even if you don’t remember?” Emry didn’t wait for Ezekiel to respond before pulling him with her towards Azuriel. He liked it, though. Her confidence that he would just go along with whatever she would say. Except he would. He didn’t know why, other than it felt like the right thing to do.

“We’re going into town to eat, Azuriel. Want to join us?” Ezekiel extended his hand out towards her.

Azuriel smiled and wrapped her tail around his. “Only if you promise to eat something that isn’t chicken.”

“Fine.” He rolled his eyes. For the first time in a while, he felt free, and he knew it had to do with whoever this human was.

===

The waitress hugged Emry immediately upon her entrance. “My dear Emry, I thought you died. What happened to you?”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Ezekiel blinked in awe at the sight. Everyone in the restaurant seemed happy to see her, so why didn’t he know her? Surely he would have seen her the many times he visited this place in the past few weeks. Zahara also knew her too, which just made the whole situation even more weird. The twins wouldn’t hide having a human friend from him. They loved talking to him about what the humans did, so this whole thing just didn’t make sense.

“Azuriel, who is she?” Ezekiel hissed under his breath.

Azuriel looked up at the ceiling. Her tail flicked back and forth. “She’s your lover.”

Ezekiel snorted loudly. “I think I would remember my own lover if I had one.” He clutched his sides as he laughed so hard until his ribs ached. “You’re delusional.”

“If you say so. I did see you kiss her the other day though.” Azuriel turned on her heels and walked to the bar where her sister had a stein ready for her.

What did she mean by me kissing Emry? I think I would have remembered that. Why does everyone know who she is but I don’t? His brows furrowed, and he ground his teeth against each other. It didn’t make sense. He felt like he could feel the sensation of Emry’s lips against his, but it vanished as soon as it came.

“What are you waiting for Ezekiel? Come join us!” Emry waved Ezekiel over to the bar and patted an open seat next to her. He felt compelled to sit next to her. Zahara set a stein of mead down in front of him immediately.

“Drink up!” Zahara said. “Today is a day of celebration. Someone important returned to us today. We all thought she was long gone.”

“I see,” Ezekiel said. He sipped at the mead, not too fond of the strong taste. His cheeks were already flushed red from the few tastes. It was a very easy task to get him drunk, and he was certain that Emry knew this. He looked over at her. She wore a smile that was beautiful. In fact, her entire face lit up like the sun. She had a natural beauty about her.

“What are you looking at?” she asked him.

“Nothing.” His cheeks turned into a deeper shade of red. He returned his gaze to the bar table. “Who exactly are you?”

“Azuriel already told you, didn’t she?” Emry ran her finger along the rim of her glass.

“Yes, but how could that be if you and I never met?” His brows furrowed. Couldn’t she just give him a straight answer? Yet that’s who she was, wasn’t it? The thought pricked at the back of his head. This is who she was. Someone who couldn’t give a straight answer because he would manipulate it.

“Maybe we did meet, and you don’t remember,” Emry said. She picked up her glass and finished the drink. A little bit of mead rolled over her chin.

“You got something there.” He pointed to her chin,

“Thank you.” She smiled brightly. “Another one please!”

Zahara brushed her blond hair out of her eyes and smiled. “Anything for you, Emry.” Ezekiel watched as she poured the glass for Emry. “Do you need another, Ziek?”

“No. I still have one left.” He picked up and drank some more. It went straight through his system, and he could feel his mind buzz. The situation felt familiar, but he couldn’t place where. He didn’t get drunk often, if at all. It impaired his ability to remember things, and hangovers were the worst. He did get drunk one night after returning from the library, but he couldn’t place why he did so.

“Very well,” Zahara said as she set the newly filled stein in front of Emry. “After this one, both of you will be cut off.”

Emry pursed her lips. “Fine.”

“Fine by me. I didn’t want to drink anyways.” Ezekiel pushed his glass forward.”I’m heading home.” He stumbled to his feet. Has it always been this hard to walk in a straight line when he was drunk? He pushed through the crowd that gathered around this time, but they seemed different. They didn’t move when he pushed through, they just went back to their place, like a scarecrow in the wind. Ezekiel rolled his eyes. He didn’t want to have to push through every single person just to leave, but apparently that’s what was required of him.

“Hold up!” Emry called after him. Ezekiel stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. “Didn’t you hear me yelling at you?”

His mouth hung agape.

“I knew it. Anyways, I’m coming home with you.” She looped her arm through his.

He bit his bottom lip. How annoying. He walked forward, going along with the charade. He mentally made a note to tell her to leave as soon as they arrived at his house.

Upon arrival, Emry just opened the door like she lived there, and she waltzed in just to cement this fact. Ezekiel ran his hand through his hair and huffed. He followed after her and looked at the kitchen counter. Flowers sat in the centre, snapdragons and lilies.

“You kept them up?” Emry asked as she traced a petal with her finger.

“Why would I take down a decoration I received from Azuriel?” He glared at her.

“Well, you used to hate having flowers in your house.”

“People change.” He sat on the couch. “You can sleep in my room.” If she knows where that is. If she doesn’t ask, doesn’t that mean I do know her?

“Thanks! I was going to stay up for a bit longer though.”

“Fine by me.” He closed his eyes. The weight of the couch shifted to his left.

“Do you really not remember?” Emry muttered.

Ezekiel opened his eyes and met her. “Remember what?”

She licked her lips and averted her gaze downwards. “Nothing.” Her tone was sombre and filled with disappointment.

He wrapped his arms around her, not sure why he did such a thing. She was warm to hold though, and it felt right. She reciprocated the action, and her head rested on his chest. He felt his heart race by the touch and wondered if she could hear it. His hand rubbed her back up and down.

“It isn’t nothing,” he whispered.

“Well, you killed me to get your immortality, but before that, you took me to the library. I fell in love with you, and you fell in love with me. I thought maybe you wouldn’t kill me that day, but you did. Now I’m back from the dead somehow, and you can’t remember me. You see how that hurts, right?” Emry sniffled loudly. He could feel his chest get wet from the tears that flowed from her eyes.

“I may not remember you, but this feels right. You in my arms. I can’t tell you why it feels right, other than it is.” He cupped her chin and lifted her head up. “Maybe we were lovers in the past you talk about. What stops you from getting to know me again?”

She laughed. “Nothing.” She pressed her lips against his. Though they tasted like liquor, they also tasted like heaven. The touch was soft. Ezekiel felt something ignite within him. A power, different from the one he felt like he gained from knowledge, made its way through him like a river being flooded by a storm.

Images flashed in his head. Images of Emry and him together. They spanned from the first kiss up until her funeral. He felt the pain and love he had for her all at once. Everything was right with the world once again.

He pulled his lips from her. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”