Page 30

Chapter 30

Haden

M y bedroom felt empty as I sat here thinking of how my time with Della was running out. I was a desperate man. I grabbed the mating bond that floated in front of me and yanked on it incessantly. She would think the bond was calling her and never suspect that I knew what she was—my mate. In a sick twist of fate, the heavens decided that we should be bound. Maybe it was an attempt to protect her from me. Or me from her?

I tugged and tugged on my mating bond. My time was running out with Storm, and she was ignoring me still. It had been two days since I snuck into her home. I refused to let the void disappear for possibly years until I saw her again. My mating bond would never forgive me if I left her so sad. Not that she would know I was gone. At least she’d have me in a sense.?

It didn’t take long for her to come. As soon as her star mist disappeared, I jumped up and hugged her tightly. Della’s arms wrapped around me and squeezed hard.?

“I’m sorry.”?

Della pulled back and stared at me. Her pretty eyes glancing over my face with confusion.?

“What is wrong?”?

I should have known that she would pick up on my emotions. I smiled at her and brushed her hair from her face.?

“I missed you.”?

“Did you?” she asked, making me pause. “Or is this some sort of manipulation?”?

I froze. How much did she already know?

“I’m not manipulating you.” I frowned.?

“That means nothing. You could be, and I would not be any wiser, right?”?

“Right,” I confessed, which caught her off guard.?

“You are keeping things from me.” Her voice was so hurt.

“Yes, but you are a clever girl; you knew that already.”?

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at me. Please, don’t cry, Storm. She looked away from me like she would be able to hide the tears from me.?

“Why?”?

“I cannot tell you.” I wouldn’t because I didn’t know what her intentions were yet. I did not know if she was the villain in this story, but everything pointed to yes. She couldn't find out too much, or she would know who I was and stop me.

“You remember things when you are void.”?

I didn’t answer her.?

“Fine, then tell me what you are. I know you aren’t a fae.” She turned to me, her eyes burning pure white. God, she was fucking beautiful. “Tell me anything, Haden.”?

“There is nothing to tell.” I begged her to drop it.?

She let out a long, heartbroken sigh. Her shoulders slumped as her eyes faded to a dim silver. Della looked anywhere but at me. I watched the wheels in her mind spinning, desperate to come up with anything to convince me to change my mind.?

“I need to talk to you about something that will make no sense to you until it happens.”?

She looked at me oddly.?

“You had a vision.”?

“Yes, and it involves you.” I frowned. I ushered her to sit on the edge of the bed and stood in front of her. “Something odd is about to happen to a woman you have never met before. Her name is Thea Alzara. When you are called to her, her mate Cassius will beg you to let her stay.”?

Della’s eyes stared at me, full of confusion.?

“You will make her stay.”?

“I don’t take her soul?”?

“No. You do whatever you need to to make sure she stays alive. Do you understand?”?

“Yes, but why?”?

“She is important,” I sighed. “The stars want you to do this.”?

“Why does it feel like you are going to disappear?” she said with a frown. “If you are in danger, I will save you.”?

I reached forward and brushed my hand across her face. It was difficult to picture her as a villain in my story when she loved me like this.?

“I don’t need saving, Storm.”?

Her eyes filled with tears.?

“I do not want to live without you again. Please. Do not leave me.”?

Too late for that. I knew what was about to happen to Remiah and I, but I could not change the fate. This is when I stopped being able to really see what happens in Della’s future. I do not know what she does to try and save me, but it is important. I cannot interfere with fate.?

I knelt and wiped the tears from her cheeks. I leaned forward and kissed her softly.?

“I’m sorry I said I didn’t love you,” I whispered. “I do love you.”

Her eyes immediately filled with tears.

“I love you so much, Storm, and I hope deep down inside of you that you knew I really did.”

“I love you too, Haden.” She leaned forward and kissed me. I pulled back and traced my fingers down her face.

“You will leave here tonight, and you will not remember me anymore.” I could give her this little piece of information. It was true, but it was more like she wouldn’t remember my void side. “I have loved you in my first life and this one.”?

“Haden, you do remember,” she cried and hugged me. “Please, I love you, don’t leave me. I will fix whatever is going on.”?

I pulled back and gave her face a once-over, knowing that this fate was forged in stone, and by changing it, I did not know what the consequences were. I had to let this happen.

“You did so good on the house, Storm. It was exactly as I pictured it for us.”

Her gaze traveled over my face with confusion.

“Haden…” she cried loudly, and it broke my heart.

“Kiss me, Storm.”

She leaned forward and kissed me deeply. She pulled me to her, tilting her head to the side and pushing her tongue against mine. Della was desperate because she knew I was not changing my mind. I pulled her to me as I used my magic to jump into her beautiful mind and immediately began digging into her memories, looking for anything to do with me being void.?

I groaned as she yanked me backward on the bed. Our mouths were desperate as my magic started scrubbing away the memories I didn’t want her to have. I erased her memory with Brim, with her asking my parents about me, all of her suspicions of me.?

Tears stung my eyes as the visions of us played like a perfect story in her mind. I gripped her jaw as I hesitated with the last memory I needed to scrub away. For just a moment, I wanted to live a little longer where Della and I were still this—perfect. But in reality, we were never supposed to find one another: enemies, polar opposites, forbidden. Maybe that was why it felt too good. Because I knew this was not written by heaven or hell. We chose to be with each other and changed fate so it would happen. But now I was about to destroy her anyways.

Maybe I should have left her alone 500 years ago when I saw her. If I hadn’t messed with her mind back then, maybe this would have ended better for her. Even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew I didn’t regret it. I started scrubbing the image of me from her mind as I told her to save Thea. I left enough of the memory that she would follow through, but she would have no idea why.?

I pulled back and stared at her. Her tear-filled eyes looked back at me like she loved me more than anything. In another life, maybe we could have been happy together. In another life I would have gotten to marry her; I would have shown her how much I love her. Maybe in another life we wouldn’t be ripped apart by what we were. I ran my hand down her pretty face.

“Please,” she whispered in one last attempt.

“I am all in,” I said just so I could watch her pretty face soak in those important four words one last time.?

“I love you more,” she whispered.?

Tears fell down my cheeks, glowing black. Della gasped when she realized what I was.

“Haden, you’re—"

Then I scrubbed the last minute away from her mind permanently as black tears fell on her pretty dress. I wiped it all away as if it never happened. I tried to convince myself that she would be safer this way, but I also knew that I needed her to forget for me. After I scrubbed everything away, I manipulated her mind to go into a deep sleep. Her eyes fluttered closed as she lay under me.?

I rested my head on her chest and cried, letting myself grieve her without holding back. This was it, the beginning of the end of us. All the pain and suffering we had already gone through, and it was just the beginning. I didn’t want to leave her again, but I had no choice. This was bigger than me, and the plan couldn't be stopped.

And I begged the heavens and the hells to not do this to me. I did not want this to be a permanent goodbye. Her scent filled me, and I feared that I would forget what she smelled like. Leaning forward, I kissed her softly before picking her up in my arms and taking her to her bedroom. I used my magic to put her in my old tunic before tucking her into bed.?

I brushed my fingers through her hair before kissing her forehead softly.

“I do not understand where we go wrong, Storm, but it is about to destroy a realm. Our love is the end of everything we know. You destroy everything. What are you about to do because of me?”

I wanted to wake her up and tell her not to save me.

I was not worth this.

But Della was the key to everything. I needed her to fall from the grace of the stars to free me and my siblings.

I picked up her hand that had my ring on it. The red jewels glowed brightly when I touched it. I kissed her hand. My greedy eyes traveled over her face once more.

“I love you more.”

Then I left her room and the good memories of us with her.?

?★★★?★★★?

For fuck’s sake, I felt ill. My head pounded as I sat up in my bed. I glanced around, not remembering what happened last night. My mind strained to remember what I was doing last. Gods, I couldn’t remember anything from the last few days.

I heard Remiah laughing in the kitchen and stood up and dressed. When I came out, Della was smiling at me.?

“Morning, sleepy,” she said. “I came earlier, but you looked so tired. So, Remiah is teaching me how to make your favorite dessert.”?

I looked at her, feeling confused about why she wasn’t angry with me but not remembering why I felt that way. Slowly, I approached her, and she leaned in and gave me a soft kiss.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, looking me over.?

“I don’t feel very good,” I said truthfully. Della immediately became serious, her magic going frantic around me. After a moment, she frowned.?

“You aren’t sick, but there is some serious tension in your mind. I can make you some tea.”?

Before I could say anything, she had a tray of tea in front of her. She picked up the cup and handed it to me.?

“Thanks, Storm.” I smiled and drank it. Instantly, my shoulders relaxed. I glanced around at the mess she and Remiah were making as I stood at the counter and watched them. My gaze kept going to see how carefree and happy Della looked.?

I couldn’t stop smiling at her as she set a plate of small pastries down in front of me.?She was so pretty.

“Be honest if they taste horrible.”?

I picked one up and took a big bite from it. Fuck, that was good. I took another bite, and she smiled brightly.?

“Good?” she asked.?

“So fucking good, Storm.”?

She grabbed one and took a bite. Her eyes widened.?

“Holy shit, this is good.”?

Remiah picked one up and stuffed it into her mouth. She hummed in approval and shook her head.?

“We did good,” she said with a mouth full of pastry.?

Della and Remiah began laughing. I couldn’t help but think how perfect this day was starting. Della glanced at me, her eyes drifting over my face. I smiled at her before grabbing her and pulling her in for a hug.?

Remiah smiled brightly at the two of us.

Suddenly, the wood popped in the fireplace, making me jump and turn quickly. My heart pounded with fear, and I wasn’t sure why I was having such a reaction to the noise.

“Are you alright?” Della asked as she looked at the fire.?

“Yeah, I just feel jumpy for some reason.” I frowned. Della looked up at me, and her expression changed.?

“Maybe it’s because you know what is happening today.”?

I stilled and stared at Della, confused.

“What?”?

“You know what today is, and you don’t want it to happen.” She tilted her head, her smile now filled with something… evil. I looked at Remiah, but she seemed to be frozen and unaware of whatever the fuck was happening. “You can feel it, can’t you?”?

“Feel what?” I asked, backing away from Della as she stalked toward me.?

“That this is the beginning of the end of us.” Her smile widened. “You did this to us. You did not love me enough to save me.”?

“I will always save you.”?

“Fucking liar,” she sneered, her face contorting into anger. “You will be the reason for my own downfall, and for what? Because I loved you too much?”?

“I love you too. I don’t know what you are talking about,” I said, panicking.

Della frowned at me, a real sadness taking over her face.?

“You could have changed my fate, but you didn’t, and now I am damned.”?

I shook my head, trying to process her words.?

“I would have moved heaven and hell for you.” Her glowing tears fell quickly. “I would have rewritten fate for us.”?

“Storm, please, I don’t understand!”?

“Then wake up, Haden. Wake up and see why the noise of the fire scared you. This is the night that you destroyed us.”?

Then she shoved me backward, and I was falling through the stars and heavens straight for the ground.?

?★★★?★★★?

I sat up in my bed, gasping for air. What the fuck kind of fucked-up dream was that? Shit, I was hot. Why was I sweating so damn much?

“Haden!” Remy yelled from her room.

My gaze immediately went to my door, and I realized I could see smoke barreling in. The flicker of flames could be seen under my door, and I could hear the noise of burning wood popping like it did in my dream. Our home was filled with flames and smoke. Shit. I got up and ran to Remy’s room only to be met with a collapsed portion of the wall. She was trapped.

“Haden!” She cried from the other side. “Please, help me!”

“I won’t leave you,” I promised as I tugged and pulled on the wooden beam, but it would not budge. Please , I begged. Tears stung my eyes, and I began to crouch to stay away from the smoke surrounding me. I used my frost magic to try and stop the flames from moving, but it was too much for me to have any effect at all. The heat was too overwhelming for my cold. I hurried to my room and crawled out of the window, then ran around the house to Remy’s window.

I jumped up and grabbed the ledge, peering through the haze inside. I saw that she was lying on the floor, unmoving. Her room had no flames like mine did, but it was filled with smoke. Fear ran through me, but the void did not come to save me with his bravery.

“Remy!” I called to her.

I hoisted myself up and through the window, dropping to the floor with a heavy thud. Pain seared through my leg, but I couldn’t focus on it now. I limped over to her. As I rolled her onto her back, I could see she was still breathing.

Coughing, I picked her up and carried her to the window. With all of the strength I had left, I pushed her through it. Just as she fell through the opening, part of the roof collapsed, trapping me under a beam. Terror and smoke filled my chest. I didn’t want to die. Della’s face popped into my mind. I couldn’t leave her now; we loved each other.

“Storm!” I yelled, hoping she would hear me. I felt my head begin to swim, though, and before I could call out again, everything faded into blackness.