Page 120 of Secrets & Curses of Fate

“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 toforget 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.Youdestroy 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 lastnight. My mind strained to remember what I was doing last. Gods, I couldn’t remember anything from the last few days.

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