Gods & Monsters (Serpent & Dove #3) by Shelby Mahurin

His nostrils flared. “Demon spawn.”

She bared her teeth in a grin. “In the flesh.”

He moved to attack her, but Beau caught his ankle. “Stop this now. I command it as your—as your crown prince,” he finished lamely. Reid froze and frowned down at him.

“Your Highness? What are you doing here?”

“That’s right.” Beau choked on a cough, still struggling to breathe. He pointed to his chest. “I’m in charge. Me. And I’m telling you to concede.”

“But you’re”—Reid shook his head sharply and winced as if in pain—“you’re my . . . are you my brother?” He touched a hand to his temple. “You are my brother.”

Beau slumped on the ground. “Oh, thank God. You remember.” He twirled a hand and coughed again. “Put your knife down, Reid. You’re outnumbered if not outmanned, and I have no interest in seeing your second asshole.” He turned to Célie, who stood apart from the rest of us, her face ashen. “Do you want to see his second asshole?”

It was Reid’s turn to blanch. “Célie.” Instead of dropping his weapons, however, he streaked to her side, his righteous anger deepening to outright rage. He pushed her behind him. “Stay back, Célie. I won’t let them touch you.”

“Oh, good lord,” Coco muttered.

“Reid.” Tentatively, Célie pushed at his back, but he didn’t budge. His eyes found mine, and in them, hatred burned hotter than anything I’d ever seen. I could feel its heat wash over my skin, primal and visceral. Eternal. Like Coco’s Hellfire. “Reid, this is unnecessary. These—Louise and Cosette are my friends.” She tried showing him the green ribbon around her wrist. “See? They will not harm me. They will not harm you either. Just give us a chance to explain.”

“What?” He whirled to face her then, seizing the ribbon and tearing it free. “You call them friends? They’re witches, Célie. They killed your sister!”

“Yes, thank you for that kindly reminder.” She snatched the ribbon back, scowling and stepping around him. “You’ll be surprised to find my ears actually do work. I know who they are. More importantly, you know who they are, if you’d stop acting like a barbarian and listen.”

“I don’t—” He shook his head again, eyes narrowing. Confusion clouded his gaze, and stupid, useless hope lit in my heart. He sensed the truth in her words. Of course he did. Surely he could feel something had gone terribly wrong. Surely if he followed the thread of his thoughts, he would realize what had happened, and he would reverse the pattern. And he had to reverse the pattern. Forgetting me was one thing, but this—this wasn’t Reid. This was a murderous zealot. He must’ve botched the magic somehow, perhaps pulled two cords instead of one.

As quickly as the thought came, I dismissed it, knowing in my heart it wasn’t true. Reid hadn’t botched anything.

He’d simply . . . forgotten me.

Forgotten him.

Forgotten everything.

“Remember, Reid,” I whispered, tears thickening my voice. “Please. I don’t know what you gained by doing this, but give it back. It isn’t worth it.” When I reached out to him, unable to stop myself, his knuckles tightened on his knives. He pushed Célie behind him once more.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The pattern.” The sounds of the beach fell away as I wrung my hands, imploring him to look at me. To see me. “It’s your magic. Only you can reverse it. You lost consciousness in L’Eau Mélancolique. Think back to that moment. Remember what you chose to forget.”

“Lou.” Coco shook her head sadly. “Don’t.”

“He needs to understand. I can help him—”

“He did understand. That’s the point. He made a choice he felt was necessary. We need to respect it.”

“Respect it?” My voice rose hysterically. “How can I respect it? How can I respect any of this?” I flung my arms wide, dangerously close to my breaking point. “If he doesn’t love me—if he doesn’t even remember me—what was the point in all this, Coco? What was the point in any of it? All the pain, all the sorrow, all the death?”

Tears limned her own lashes as she took my hands in hers. “He did this for you, Lou. If Morgane has forgotten, maybe you’re—you’re finally safe.”

I tore my hand away from her. “I will never be safe, Coco. Even if Morgane has forgotten me, Josephine hasn’t. Auguste and his Chasseurs haven’t. How are we supposed to win this war if Reid can’t separate friend from foe?”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head helplessly. “I really don’t. I just know he saved our lives.”

Reid wrapped an arm around Célie’s waist then, pulling her away from us. I closed my eyes against the sight of it. The sight of them. He’d made a sacrifice for the greater good, yet again, my blood spilled upon the altar. “You’re both insane,” he said brusquely. “Come on, Célie. We need to go.”

Célie’s voice rose in protest. “But I don’t want—”

“You’re making a mistake, Reid,” Coco said.