Page 29

Della

I debated where I should do this. I knew Mikel and Haden would need to be present. Remiah might be confused and scared when she comes back. I didn’t know how I was supposed to prepare for this when I had no idea of how it would turn out.

My dress pooled all around me as I sat on the hard ground outside of Crimson Castle.

I could feel that Haden was inside. My soul practically clawed at my insides to go to him.

I missed him terribly, but soon I would be back with him—at least I hoped I would.

Soon I would set the realm right again. Soon he and Mikel would get their wish. A realm where Remiah lived.

Memories of Haden and I flashed violently through my mind.

I focused hard and pictured a life I had imagined for Haden and myself—a happy life.

Sadness filled me again. It would never be mine.

At some point, I had accepted that I would not survive this, and I knew my death would happen a short time after I brought Remiah back.

“Might as well get this over with,” I muttered to myself. I lit the candle, and its flame burned black. Then I recited a small passage from the book to summon her to me.

“Sky above and flames below, bring to me the one I know. Over earth, or through the sea, bring the one I seek to me.” I almost gasped when the flame rose abnormally high, then it sank back down to barely a flicker.

“Bring me back the soul of Remiah Vale,” I whispered on the last line.

Then I waited. How long would it take for a soul to find me?

I glanced around, making sure I couldn’t see her coming.

I didn’t. My hand shielded the black flame as I stood up.

This couldn’t go out, or else she couldn’t find her way to me.

When I turned forward again, I nearly dropped the candle.

Remiah had appeared in front of me. Heavens above, she looked like Haden in so many ways.

She looked confused at first. Her soul glowed purple, pure and kind.

Part of me wondered if Ezra would go back on his word.

I guess part of me wanted to not have to do this, but it would make Haden and Mikel happy.

It would break my curse of losing my mate.

“Della?” she whispered.

Her voice was soft and lovely—just like she was. I gave her a small smile. She had been my friend before I took her away. It wasn’t until our eyes met that I realized how much guilt I had been carrying inside of me. I felt the tears spill down my face.

“Remiah.”

Her face lit up with a smile, and her form glowed more brightly in her transparent state. Her dark blonde hair was loose around her pretty face. She had a good soul.

“Why are you crying?” she asked.

“Because you've been gone for a long time, and I wish I could've brought you back sooner.” I looked up at her. “I’m sorry for choosing to save Haden that night when it was him who was supposed to die, not you.”

Remiah tilted her head to the side and smiled softly. “You made the right choice. You saved the one you loved; I do not blame you.”

Her words made me feel shittier.

“Mikel has missed you terribly,” I said.

“Gods, I have missed him so much.” She looked at me. “He was probably so sad.”

“More than you will ever know.” I frowned.

She glanced at the castle and frowned.

“Where are we?” she finally asked, confused.

“Crimson Kingdom. Your brother is inside, and soon Mikel will be here.”

Her eyes widened. “I can see them?” She looked around. “I’ve missed them so much. How long have I been gone?”

“About ten years.”

She gasped at this news. Remiah was watching me as I set her candle down carefully between us.

“It doesn’t feel that long.” She frowned. “When will they be here?”

“In a moment.” I assured her. “You didn’t move on to the next life?”

“I was waiting for Mikel.”

Her answer confused me. Either she didn’t know that gods can’t die, or she didn’t know he was a god. Well, she would find out soon because Mikel would mark her as soon as he could so she wouldn’t die again.

I shot my magic out around us, creating a barrier so that no one could get to us.

I didn’t know how this would work. I couldn’t risk hurting those around us if something went wrong.

I took a long breath trying to ease my fear.

Then I closed my eyes and called Haden to come to me. Then I did the same to Mikel.

We only had to wait for a few seconds before Haden burst from the castle like he had been waiting for me, with Thea and Cassius right behind him.

Shock filled me when Mikel came from the castle too.

What was he doing there? I used my magic and lit up the castle gardens where I stood.

Haden was running toward me with wrath and longing in his eyes.

He looked like he hadn’t slept since I left, and that made me frown.

His eyes narrowed with determination as he focused on reaching me.

“Storm, thank the fucking heavens.” He stopped when he ran into my magic barrier, stumbling backward and looking at me oddly. “Do you have any idea how terrified I have been? Why are you blocking me from coming to you?”

I glanced over each one of them for a moment. Gods, Haden looked terrible. I had done that to him.

“I came to right my wrongs, to set the realm right again,” I said. I knew they couldn’t see Remiah, not yet. Only I could see her because of my magic.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Haden frowned as he stepped forward, hitting my barrier again. “Let me in. Talk to me, please,” he begged. “I missed you so much, Storm.” His voice cracked, and it made me pause.

“Ardella, what is this?” Mikel asked me, confused. He took a step forward and realized that I had put up a barrier to block all of them. “What’s going on? Why have you blocked us from you?”

I glanced at Thea and saw she was looking at me like she could see my every thought. She was the first true friend I had made besides Pia. Cassius was gripping her hand tightly.

“What have you done?” Thea asked as she stepped forward, only to be stopped by my magic too.

“I did what I had to,” I said softly. “In a minute, the realm will be right again.”

“Gods, I forgot how handsome Mikel is,” Remiah breathed. I smiled softly at her when she looked at me. I forgot how much I enjoyed Remiah’s presence.

The book slipped in my hands because I was shaking so much.

My chest ached with worry that I would never see any of them ever again.

I thumbed through the pages to find the right passage.

Once I reached it, I sighed heavily. The weight of everything was sitting on my chest, making me slowly suffocate in grief and guilt.

I wanted to do this for Haden and Mikel, but I was so scared of what would happen afterwards.

I was about to change. This was the moment that would change everything. I reminded myself that it would not kill me. I knew that this was not how I died, but the thought didn’t give me very much comfort.

“Who is that standing in front of you?” Thea asked. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Thea could see Remiah standing here. Her magic mixed with the small sliver of my soul and her blood witch ancestry made her quite powerful.

“It’s Remiah Vale,” I sighed and ignored the silence.

“That is not possible.” Mikel frowned. “You cannot bring a soul back.” But even as he said it, I heard the crack of hope in his voice. My brother had suffered so much, and I had done that.

“Yes, I can, but only once.”

Remiah looked at me with excitement. I could see how she had been missed so terribly. There was a pull, a kindness that drew everyone toward her. I had forgotten how kind she was.

“You’re bringing me back?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

“Why?”

I glanced at Haden and Mikel. They thought I had lost my fucking mind. Then I glanced at her.

“Because you have others who love you and wish you were alive every day.” I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “They love you, and I love them enough to give them their wish. You were never supposed to die.”

“Are you sure this will work?”

“Yes, the fates told me it would.”

Remiah frowned at me when she saw the tears streaming down my face. I needed to hurry before this empty feeling swallowed me whole.

“She’s really here; I can feel her,” Mikel breathed. I glanced at him and saw the devastation I had caused all those years ago. My brother was a kind man before I betrayed him. Haden too. Haden glanced at Mikel.

“Remy?” Haden choked out.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat. Haden was going to be so upset with me.

“I missed them both so much,” she cried.

The tears in my eyes blurred the words I was supposed to recite. I started saying them in a whisper.

“Della, what do you have to do to bring her back?” Thea asked as if she could sense something was not right. I ignored her. “Let us come through the barrier,” Thea demanded. “What are you doing?”

I ignored her again.

“Della?” Haden spoke as he stepped forward, smacking into my magic. His voice made me look up at him. His face was confused as he stared at me, his eyes filled with concern. “Storm, I’ve missed you; please don’t do anything stupid.”

“I love you.” I smiled at him just in case something bad happened.

“I love you more,” he whispered. “Please, I can’t lose you.”

“Are you ready?” I asked.

“You don’t have to do this. I’m already dead; I’m sure everyone has gotten used to me being gone.”

“No, they haven’t.” I looked up to her. “I killed you when you weren’t supposed to die, and I have to make this right.”

Remy stared at me and then at Haden, who was pacing on the outside of my barrier.

His eyes were turning red as he stared at me.

His hands were running through his hair, something that he did when he was nervous.

I recited the words again from the beginning.

I took a long, strained breath as my eyes read the last sentence.

“Take back the kiss you freely gave, bring back the body from the grave, blood and bones and skin and soul, bring her back and make her whole.

“Remiah Vale, I will return your soul back to the living,” I said as I set the book down. “You will be brought forth, and your soul will remain intact for eternity, and I will take your place in death.”

“Storm, stop!” Haden demanded as he tried to break through my magic again. “Please, come talk to me before you do this!” Tears were in his eyes when he saw the look on my face.

Thea’s darkness suddenly exploded out of her, slamming into the barrier, but I knew my magic would overpower hers. “My soul is yours to take.” I smiled softly at her as she looked at me in horror. Her mouth opened to speak but stopped when my soul began glowing so brightly.

“Della!” Haden charged at my shield, frost magic exploding from him as he struck it, freezing the barrier before shattering it into a million shards. You are too late, my love.

I didn’t feel the pain at first. Then it quickly seeped into every fiber of my body.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the pain took root in my bones.

My chest burned so violently that a tortured sob ripped from me.

I cried out when my soul began separating from my body.

I watched as my silver spirit slithered its way out of me and slammed into Remiah.

We exploded.

My starlight blasted us apart in a supernova of power, lighting up the entire castle grounds.

At the same time, lightning lit up the sky so much that it cast shadows on the ground, and the wind began whipping around us in an angry vortex.

I landed on the ground hard, pain shooting through every part of me.

Fire raced through my veins, and my arm burned as another broken star seared itself into my forearm.

What I saw as I landed, though, made me smile despite the pain. Remiah’s form had solidified back into a physical body. She was alive again.

Unable to hold my head up, I stared at the stars above me before Thea and Cassius’ faces blocked my view.

Thea sobbed uncontrollably, realizing I was fading fast. My head fell to the side, and I saw Mikel hugging and kissing Remy.

This is the way it was always meant to be.

Haden stared at me like he wasn’t sure what just happened.

Shock and horror filled his stormy eyes.

“It was an honor to love you,” I said softly. My words snapped him out of his trance, and he ran to me. Panic and desperation took over his face.

“Please, Storm, do not leave me!” he yelled as he reached his hand out for me. “Do not leave me!”

“I’m sorry.”

“I cannot live without you!” He was trying desperately to get to me.

But he was too late.

My eyes fluttered shut as the pain stopped altogether.