Free Forget Me Not by Shannon K. Butcher

shoulders slumped in defeat, he was certain he’d somehow just failed her.
    * * *
    Adria could not let this happen. She could not let Toren forget everything that was important to him—especially not when she’d selfishly wasted precious time by having sex with him.
    “Toren,” she said, giving him a little shake. “You need to concentrate. Remember you want to go home?”
    “Home? I am home when I look at you.”
    Tears stung her eyes. What she wouldn’t have given to hear any other man say such sweet things to her. As much as she cared for Toren, as much as she would have jumped at the chance to be with him, he didn’t belong here. Nothing she could do would ever change that. If he stayed here, he’d lose everything. She couldn’t let that happen to him.
    Adria blinked back her tears and shook him harder. “Stop it. You need to finish that thing on the back porch. I brought you more supplies.”
    He continued to stare at her blankly.
    “Remember Elina? Remember the man who killed your sister?”
    Like flipping a switch, he seemed to come back to his senses. Anger hardened his jawline and flattened his mouth. “Gyrnar. He killed her. I must get home and see him brought to justice. I remember now.”
    Relief tumbled through her. “Thank God. You need to stay focused on building your device, okay?”
    He gave her a short, jerky nod. “It is nearly complete, though I am missing some crucial components.”
    “I found some more things while I was out today. And I got you some clothes.” Maybe they would help her keep her hands to herself. And even if they didn’t help, she was going to be good. No more selfishly letting him seduce her. He’d already given her more pleasure than all the other men she’d known combined. If that wasn’t enough for her, then she didn’t deserve more.
    * * *
    The fog at the edges of Toren’s mind was creeping over his memories again. He chanted Elina’s name silently as he worked, hoping her memory would act as a talisman against Obliterra’s power.
    * * *
    Adreeahbenwah brought him food, which he consumed as he worked. The items she had found on her quest were molded into strange shapes, but he used more of his dwindling power to form them to fit the transportal device.
    Of course if he used all of his power, his memories would vanish, and no amount of effort was going to be enough to send him home. He had to retain enough strength to activate the device.
    Darkness crept over the land, muting the vivid oranges and warm browns of the woods surrounding them. It really was a lovely place—the perfect backdrop for his beautiful Adreeahbenwah.
    He was going to miss her once he was gone. She was so generous and gentle. He had sensed her inner turmoil when he had absorbed her language. She had come here to rest and regain her strength. To ponder her future and find a way free of the great loneliness and grief hovering over her. This time was valuable in some way he could not understand. All he knew was that once these few days of respite were over, she would lose the chance to shape her life into one that made her happy.
    Here he was, eating up that precious time, and she had not once complained. Instead she had thrown herself into his dilemma, generously giving of her time. And her body.
    The thought of what they had shared had the power to drive all other thoughts from Toren’s mind. The sweet sound of her voice, her yielding softness, the rippling cling of her body as she was fulfilled—all of that would haunt him until the end of his days.
    He might not remember his home and real life while on Obliterra, but once he was back on Sorsca, every detail of his time here would blaze in his memory, as sharp and clear as it was now. There would be no fading over time, or muting the feelings he had shared with her. His mind would work as designed, holding every tiny detail in pristine condition for the rest of his days.
    Part of him wished he could forget her. No one had ever