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“Forgive me, Haden. I will find you again,” she promised. “Please tell me you’ll be okay.”

“You know I can’t say that, Storm.” Tears were blurring my vision. Hell was caving in around us, but my heart was collapsing even quicker. I did not move a muscle, only staring at her in determination. “I will stay with you if this is your fate.”

Her tears began falling down her face, and I was happy to see that they were starlight again. “It is not yours.”

Death came from behind me and gripped my arm as he looked at Della, seeming to understand what was happening.

“I am not leaving you!” I reached for her as agony rippled down our bond. “Do not do this!”

“I love you.” Tears poured down her cheeks. Before I could say anything, she lifted her hands, and a huge gust of wind pushed Death and me toward the only escape out of here.

“Della!” I screamed as I watched agony take over her face. “Della, let me stay with you!” I begged. “Storm!”

Her eyes closed as she pushed us out of Hell.

We landed safely on the ground, but I jumped up immediately, trying to dive back through the portal to get to her. I was screaming as Death and Cassius held me back, speaking words of reassurance that fell on deaf ears.

“Let go of me!”

“Haden, please.” Cassius’ voice was strained. “Please.”

My eyes were on the opening of Hell, and panic set in when I saw that it seemed to be getting smaller. Even with the both of them holding me back, I was pulling them with me, trying to get back with such a frenzied need that my adrenaline-fueled strength was no match for theirs.

“Della! You still have time to get out!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, desperate to get through to her.

“Help us!” Death barked at the other gods. They all piled on top of me, holding me in place as I tried everything to get free and get to her. I could save her.

“Haden!” My father’s voice came from behind me, full of authority and anger. But I ignored him as I desperately tried to free myself, redoubling my efforts to break free and get to her.

Suddenly, the ground rumbled below our feet. A wave of power rippled all around us, and I watched in despair as the ground caved in and the entrance of Hell collapsed in front of us, the portal sealing itself like it had never even been there.

“No!” Everyone let go of me, and I scrambled to where the ground had closed up.

I fell to my knees when there was no trace of Hell ever being here, and began digging frantically with my bare hands.

“Della!” I called out to the heavens. Tears blurred my vision as I worked frantically, still determined to get to her.

All of a sudden, a light that burned with the power of a thousand stars erupted from the ground, blinding us with its intensity.

Its silvery glow reminded me of Della’s pretty eyes.

Everyone was silent as we watched the light streak all the way to the sky.

It seemed to glow brighter for a moment as it streamed into the sky, pulling away from the ground and shooting up to the heavens.

“What the fuck was that?” Ezra asked.

“That was Della.” My father’s voice was hoarse.

I turned to him as tears fell down my face.

“She is dead; she must go to the stars.”

“I gave her my soul; she can’t die,” I said through my heartache.

Malamay watched me with grief as my sobs ripped from me.

My chest felt like it was being torn apart, and I wished it was so that I didn’t have to feel anything anymore.

I yelled at the stars and heavens, begging them to give her back to me.

I demanded that they at least take me with her if they wouldn’t let her stay.

I did not want to be here if she was not.

How could I survive without my heart, without my breath, without my every reason to live?

Pain like nothing I had ever felt before seared through my chest and radiated through every fiber of my body. A violent scream tore from me as I fell to the ground in despair.

“Haden…” Thea was close to me, but pain blurred my vision as I looked around.

I wanted to die. I wanted to go with her to the stars. I did not want to exist where she did not. Please take me with her , I pleaded weakly .

“Haden.” My father was close to me.

I did not know I could feel so much agony. It consumed me. It took hold of every part of me and tainted it with grief and longing as I had never felt it before.

“Give her back to me,” I begged.

“I can’t,” he whispered. “It is her fate.”

“Fuck her fate!” I sat up and gripped my father by the cloak. “She is my fate, so give her back.”

“Son.”

“I will rip my soul out as you did and end myself,” I threatened.

My father’s face fell. “Don't do that. You will not end up with her, and Della doesn’t want you to hurt yourself. Promise me you won’t do that.”

I let him go and fell back to the ground.

“Why would you care? You were planning to let my siblings out and destroy the realm.”

“Haden, you don’t understand what is happening. Your mother concocted this; I didn’t. You have always been my favorite child. I care that you are suffering.”

He stood up when I didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry that it had to be this way, but Della made the choice to do what she did.

I had no idea she was deceiving the stars.

She knew that staying in Hell with the souls would damn them there for eternity.

It was all a fucking lie,” he said with an emotional glare.

“Good!” I yelled at him. “I will find a way to kill every star that thought she would be so easily manipulated. My wife would never destroy the realm or turn her back on me.”

“Haden…”

I stood up.

“In fact, I think I should start killing the stars with you,” I said, my eyes turning red and a frost dagger appearing in my hand.

My father sighed and immediately left, and I collapsed to my knees again, begging Della to come back.

My breathing was erratic, and I was beginning to feel light-headed as memories of Della swarmed my mind.

No, I couldn’t do this. I could not live without her.

I wasn't strong enough. This pain was all-consuming. I didn’t even realize someone was holding me until Ezra pulled me back.

“Haden.” His voice was panicked as he watched me. “Breathe.”

I shook my head as black seeped on the edges of my vision. She was dead. My wife was gone.

“Please kill me,” I asked Death. “Please.”

Death shook his head. “I’m sorry, friend, but I cannot do that. Della told me you would ask, and she said that I needed to remind you that you promised her you would wait for her if something bad happened.”

That is what she had been telling him before she ripped the souls from him? Did that mean she knew she’d be back? I closed my eyes, and my head fell forward before everything went black, swallowed by my grief.