Page 79 of The Tribrid Princess and the Taste of Chaos (The Rossi Legacies #7)

Heaven

I look over Jaddati’s shoulder, my eyes widening at the person standing in the doorway.

Dark hair, light eyes, that same face, that same build… he looks just like the last time I saw him. The day he kissed me and Sienna goodbye and told us to be good…

How is this possible?

How is he here?

My heart is pounding as he looks around.

“What happened? The last thing I remember is we were in Puerto Rico…” He sounds confused.

What?

What is going on? First Si, now this?

Jaddati isn’t moving, but her heart is pounding.

“R-Ray?” Aunty Del whispers from the top of the stairs before she rushes down them, flying past Ahren as she runs to Uncle and places a hand on his chest, her other hand flying to his face as if to check if he’s real.

She gasps, flinging her arms around his waist, and Uncle Rayhan hugs her tightly, kissing her head and shoulder.

“Hey… It’s ok,” he murmurs.

How is it ok? Doesn’t he remember anything? How is he here?

“Fucking hell, this shit is confusing the fuck out of me,” Grandpa Alejandro mutters.

“Sienna… she did this,” I hear Jayce whisper, and I stare at him.

It makes sense. She gave up her own life to bring Uncle back. Why? Why, Si? I thought you were happy.

My heart hurts. The loss of Sienna, her not even saying goodbye, her not sharing anything with us, is all eating up at me with painful agony, and although I want to cry, I am keeping it inside.

Uncle’s eyes flit from Ahren to me and Allie, a frown furrowing his forehead before glancing at Tatum and Jayce. The five of us have probably changed the most since the last time he saw us.

Aunty Del is crying as she kisses him, unable to say anything, and I see how Uncle’s eyes roam over her, noticing the changes. His frown deepens, and worry fills him as he holds her tenderly, pressing his forehead to hers.

After a few moments, Aunty reluctantly moves back, her hand still lingering on his arm as if he might disappear if she lets go.

She looks at me and Jaddati before motioning us over. Jaddati doesn’t move, but I do. I walk towards him, breaking into a run a few feet away and hug him tightly.

My heart hammers in my ears. He smells like him.

Sienna…

Uncle strokes my hair. “What am I missing?” he asks. I know we all look like we’ve seen a ghost, but really, it is that.

This is it… the deal Sienna made with Helios… He may have had double incentives, but she must have agreed to swap herself for Uncle. Jayce is right, it makes sense. A life for a life.

But was it the right decision? I hate that I think it wasn’t. We mourned Uncle, but now we will have to mourn Sienna. And Jayce… I feel ashamed to meet his gaze. He asked for my help, and I didn’t help him.

“Daddy!”

I move back and turn to see Mama carrying Kaden. Uncle looks up to where Kaden is pointing in our direction, and his eyes widen in shock. “That Daddy!” Kaden exclaims, staring back wide-eyed.

“Ray?” Mama whispers, her face pale.

“I think you might want to take a seat. You died in Puerto Rico nearly three years ago,” Uncle Leo says, his sharp voice cutting through the emotion-filled silence.

“Dead? He… he called me Daddy…” Uncle says, looking at Kaden.

“Three years is a long time,” Ahren murmurs.

“So come give me a hug then,” Uncle says quietly, looking at Ahren. Ahren walks over to him and they hug. Ahren’s face is full of emotion, and for the first time in years, he looks young. Vulnerable. Not the hardened Alpha he was forced to become.

I step back as Aunty Del hugs me tightly. Si… what have you done?

The pain and loss mixed with happiness is confusing…

What happened inside that room, the words said, wasn’t right. If Sienna knew- but she’s not here!

Uncle then meets Tatum before he looks at Jaddati, who hasn’t moved from her spot.

“Mom…” he says, walking over to her and pulling her into his arms. He caresses her hair as she holds him, her hands shaking. “What’s wrong?”

She looks up at him and shakes her head. “Ya Hayati… your return has brought me happiness I never knew possible, but how do I face you? How do I tell you that today is a day of great sadness, too?”

Uncle’s smile vanishes. “What?” he asks, as Mama comes over. Aunty Del takes Kaden, and Uncle Rayhan looks for answers.

“Like the fucker said, let’s take a seat,” Grandpa Alejandro says, his face pale. He must have realised what Sienna’s done… but what he said inside, words can’t be taken back.

Uncle Rayhan nods as he gives Mama a hug and a kiss on the forehead before meeting everyone else, and then he finally turns to Kaden, still looking stunned, before he holds his hands out to him. Kaden, who knows his father despite him not being around, springs into his arms and hugs him.

“Daddy!”

“We will take our leave,” Uncle Liam says quietly as he looks at Uncle Rayhan, who frowns.

“Why? Come sit, is everything alright?”

“We’re not so welcome here, Rayhan. Right, Alejandro?” Azura says icily.

He deserves that. He shouldn’t have said all he did, especially not to his mate’s family. I know Allie’s hurt, too.

“Let’s go inside,” Grandpa Alejandro says, but Uncle Liam shakes his head.

Uncle Rayhan is more understanding, and he nods. “I will speak to you soon, then, Liam, Azura, Jayce. It’s good to see you. You got big,” he says, the last part directed at Jayce.

Jayce doesn’t say much as Azura looks at Uncle Leo.

“I’ll catch up with you guys soon,” Uncle Leo says. Azura nods, kissing him before the three head to the door.

“I’m coming with you,” Allie speaks up suddenly. She looks at me, and I mask my hurt. I wanted her here…

I nod. “Go,” I say, I’m strong enough to handle this.

Strong enough.

“Who said you can?” Grandpa Alejandro growls.

“I did,” Allie retorts. “And I’m sure Mama would agree happily.”

Grandpa Alejandro clenches his jaw but simply growls something I can’t understand, but he doesn’t stop her.

Once they leave, Uncle looks around.

“And where is Sienna?”

There’s silence as no one answers as we all return to the lounge, where Grandpa Alejandro begins, “Well, you missed a whole fucking lot, so I’ll start with-”

“I think I’ll do the fucking honours, at least my version won’t be biased,” Uncle Leo cuts in icily. Oh, he’s so pissed off that Grandpa hurt Azura’s feelings.

Men.

It’s going to be a long night, and I think I need to stay downstairs, although I just want to find a corner to cry in, but I can’t do that.

And although I know Ahren has a search party for Sienna, there are no traces of the crack in the veil. We all know they won’t find anything.

Half an hour later, Uncle Rayhan has been filled in. He’s silent for a moment before he asks his first question, having listened quietly until now. “So, Jayce and Sienna…”

“-were dating,” Uncle Leo answers.

“She was so happy with him, she was smiling again, she was living again,” Aunty Delsanra explains softly. Kaden is stuck to Uncle, with pure fascination, seeing the man from the videos and photos in person. Proof of how much Aunty did to make sure he knew his father.

Uncle now closes his eyes, sighing heavily. “I’m the cause of all of this.”

“Let’s not start the blame game again,” Uncle Leo mutters, “Sienna made her decision, and it’s a shit one, but knowing her reasons… I hate to fucking say this, but I get why she’d want to… but I don’t get why she’d think her entire family would just be ok for her to sacrifice herself.”

“Maybe she didn’t know?” I suggest. I’m trying to think of why, why would she do this?

“The gods are fucking annoying.” Grandad Alejandro frowns.

“Like you,” Uncle Leo remarks. “But right now, we need to figure out if there’s a way to get her back. Maybe another god: Selene, Bastet, I don’t know, maybe Zeus, there has to be something.”

There’s silence for a moment. “ THE BOOK OF GODS , I think there was something in there. Did anyone hear much when it was being read? Otherwise, Jax was working with Liam, ask him.” Grandpa Alejandro frowns thoughtfully.

“I’ve not gone through the translations yet, Jax will be back from a mission tonight, I can ask him.” Uncle Leo lights a cigarette.

“What books? And why not just ask Liam? He seemed upset,” Uncle Rayhan asks.

Jaddati sighs. “Out of anger and hurt, things were said, and Jayce was blamed for Sienna,” she explains softly.

Uncle frowns. “Are we children that we’re pinning blame?” He stands up, still carrying Kaden, who’s fallen asleep.

The room is silent, and Aunty Delsanra nods.

“My Chocolate Chip Cookie is gone, but I wouldn’t blame anyone.

The Westwoods have been nothing but helpful since you’ve been gone.

Liam and Raven have always checked in on me.

There’s been so many nights where I just felt…

alone, and it felt like Raven understood that without me having to say a word, and she always texts, keeping me company late into the night.

” Her eyes glisten with tears. “Not a day has gone by that Raven hasn’t dropped me a message.

She doesn’t need to, but she does. I can never make up for that. The way they left was wrong.”

Uncle Rayhan pulls her close, caressing her hair as he kisses the top of her head.

“I agree, Alejandro, you need to fix this,” Jaddati says.

Grandpa Alejandro massages his temples. “I was fucking pissed, but I still believe he could have done something. This shit with Helios is over the Deimos bloodline. If she weren’t with him, then this wouldn’t have happened.

I just felt- yeah, I fucked up, too. I should have taken care of her, but I failed her. ”

“Like Del said, she was so happy… and we did the spell, she’s really gone,” Mama says, combing her fingers through her hair. “I don’t know why she thought giving herself up would be ok. But we can’t blame the Westwoods – we have to fix this.”

I listen to them talk, but I don’t know if this can be fixed. I feel far too much was said for it to be fixed…

Ever since my grandfather and Jayce’s grandfather were young, they were good friends, and that has continued through the years, only getting stronger with every fated bond that tied us closer and closer together.

But the rifts were beginning, the first being between Uncle Liam and Mama in Puerto Rico.

Since then, Uncle Liam has refused to work with Mama.

And what Grandpa Alejandro said, I think things just got worse.

“I’m going to head to bed,” I say quietly.

“Will you be alright?” Mama asks, concerned.

I nod. “Yes,” I respond. It feels surreal that she’s really gone.

“Anything is possible. I’m proof of that. We will get Sienna back,” I hear Uncle Rayhan say as I leave the room.

Tatum’s watching me, and I offer him a small smile as I walk up the large staircase and climb it, each step weighing heavily.

I enter my room, shutting the door behind me as I lean against it, my hands pressed flat against the door, staring out of my window.

What have you done?

How do we fix this?

Sienna’s always been emotionally driven, even if it meant not thinking things through. There was a cat once, lying in the middle of a busy road, and I remember telling her it was probably dead and to stop bothering about it, but she hadn’t wanted to leave it there and had rushed out to pick it up.

It was alive but barely, and sadly, it died a few days later at the vets. She had cried her heart out for it. It was the same for anyone or anything that needed help. But this quality was a double-edged sword.

If she made a deal with Helios, and he delivered, then even the gods won’t be able to intervene because Helios fulfilled his promise. So, then what can we do?

I walk over to my vanity table and sit down, picking up my brush and begin running it through my hair.

Then we look for someone favoured by a god who doesn’t care for laws…

And I know just the person.

Placing my brush down, I pick up my phone. I may not have his number, but I’ve seen it on Tatum’s phone. I close my eyes, focusing on remembering it and keying it in, waiting for him to pick up.

The moment it’s answered, I speak, “I need a favour.”

“No hi or anything? That’s a little rude even for you,” he replies.

“Perhaps. But you’re favoured by a god whose help I need, will you help me?”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“Hades. I know you’re favoured by Hades, and I need his help.”

The phone clicks as he cuts the call.

How dare he?

I purse my lips, my nostrils flaring, trying to calm my irritation as I frown, glaring into my mirror, one eye glowing ever so slightly…

“Such a fool.”