Page 117 of Secrets & Curses of Fate

My gaze swept across the land it sat on, and I could see the memories of Della and I playing out in front of me. My chest ached with grief. I lost that life too, and I knew I wouldn’t get to have it now, but if I could, I would have done it with her.

I had to see it.

Once.

Slowly, I walked up the stone path she laid out with flowers on either side. As I ascended the stairs, I admired how well she did. The front porch was long and wrapped around the house, and she even carved flowers and vine detailing into the posts. I traced my fingers over it and sighed heavily.

I gripped the handle to the door and pushed it open. Emotions slammed into me as I took in the space. I walked through it, admiring the woodwork and the furnishings she had collected over the years that were a perfect combination of us. I moved through the seating area and into the space I wanted to see the most.

I rounded the corner and let out a shaky breath when I walked into the kitchen. She had saved the cabinets that I made but added a few more to them. I smiled softly when I saw the makeshift stool I had made so she could sit with me. She kept it. Turning, I gazed out of the large window, admiring how the sunset reflected off of the smooth surface of the pond.

Where I asked her to marry me.

“I can’t believe she did this,” I said to myself. I made my way upstairs. This was the part of the home I had never worked on. I never really had a vision for the rooms or how many to have, so I was excited to see what Della saw for it. When I got to the landing, I could see two doors on each side of the hallway and one at the end.

One by one I opened the doors to see bedrooms that were empty, waiting to be filled by a family that would never happen. I hesitated when I reached the end door, knowing that it was supposed to be our bedroom. I opened the door, and my mouth fell open at the large space. It had hardly any furniture in it, but Della had made the entire wall out of windows so we could see the pond and mountains in the distance.

The room had its own fireplace in the corner with shelves for books lining the wall. I saw a door to the left and figured it was a washroom. But my eyes stung and tears fell when I saw the art table she had set up in the other corner. Love and self-hatred pumped through me. Della had always been too good for me, and this just confirmed it. I did not deserve her. She was here building us a home for a future that would never happen, and I was using her to punish the gods and stars.

I had foolishly let myself believe once before that I could have both her and vengeance, and all that got me was six stab wounds before dying. I closed my eyes, and I could almost picture a life where I was a better man, and Della would never be betrayed by me. We would’ve been so fucking happy. I could’ve made her happy if I was born differently.

My throat was tight as I tried to swallow down the emotions. Tears fell down my face as I looked at this bedroom that seemed to mock me. My chest ached as I thought of all the memories we could have made here. I stared out of the window to the pond and thought of that morning I proposed to her. Would fate have changed on its own if we got married? The mating bond betweenher and Holden could’ve died and transferred to me. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. It didn’t matter. Even if it would have, Della would kill the bond as soon as she figured out I was a liar.

Maybe I should have left her alone. Holden could’ve made her happier than I ever could. I could’ve chosen a different god or goddess to manipulate. That would have made all of this easier. At least then I would be fighting my feelings of loving my enemy and making sure I fulfilled my duty even if it was at the cost of losing her forever.

I needed to get out of here. A woman who was too good for me had built this because she thought this future would happen, but I knew better. I couldn’t even let myself admire the perfect home as I left it, slamming the door shut and running—running from my past, from the woman I was destroying, and from the hurt and devastation I felt that I was responsible for.

After a minute, the air around me shifted into something heavy—evil. I stopped running and closed my eyes, almost scared to open them. When I did, I scanned around me, fearing who I would see. I sighed when I saw them. Six cloaked figures were standing in front of me, waiting for answers that I didn’t have.?

“Haden,” the one in the middle said with a bite of annoyance in her voice. “Have you figured out what Della’s treason is? What sets this whole fucking thing off?”?

“No.”?

They all stepped forward at once.?

“Are you lying to us?”?

“Why the fuck would I be lying?” I snapped.?

They chuckled softly.?

“Because you are protectingher.” They were silent, wanting me to confess to this, but they could fuck off. “Do we need to remind you of what happened the last time you went off course?”?

My jaw clenched tightly.?

“In fact, wasn’t it this very spot that you bled out and died?”?

Memories of Della trying desperately to save my life plagued me, making my whole body tense with my own grief.

“I can’t see into her future anymore. I do not know; it could take years to figure out. Maybe try a little fucking patience.”?

They were dead silent, and I could feel the tension running off of them.?

“You better not be using this as an excuse to do what you did last time. She is not yours to keep. This isn’t some fucking fairy tale. You get her future to stay on course with your first vision of her, and the old gods will be forced to step in. Which is exactly what we want. You don’t get to plan a future with her like you tried last time.”?

“I’m not protecting her. I am trying to get close to her so I can figure out what she is up to.”?

The figure in the middle took two steps forward and I knew it was Elra. Her cloaked head tilted to the side as she assessed me.?

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