Page 127 of Secrets & Curses of Fate

“You have one more task before you disappear.”?

She tossed the cloak to my feet. I exhaled through my nostrils as I slipped it on. I hated this damn itchy thing. Their magic wrapped around us, and when it disappeared, I froze in my spot. We were outside of Della’s home, directly in front of her bedroom.?

She was lying on the floor, papers scattered around her. I looked around us when I smelled the charred ground—lightning strikes. She was devastated, and I could feel my own emotions bubbling up.?

Storm.

Her body shook with sobs. I didn’t want to see her like this. But they forced us into her room, and we circled around her where she had collapsed on the floor.?

She opened her pure white eyes that were full of devastation. Della didn’t flinch or move when she saw us, and the understanding broke me. My mate was shattered. She didn't care what happened to her. I swallowed down the tears that stung the backs of my eyes.

“Ardella, Goddess of Life, you have been marked for your treason of god laws. Your sins will demand a price; consider this a warning for what is to come.” One of them spoke.?Her hand instinctively rubbed her right forearm, and I stared at the four broken stars marked into her skin. The points of the stars were scattered and had seeped into her arm, making it look infected. It glowed slightly orange around each one. The heavens or old gods had already marked her.

Just like my mother.

Della looked up at me, not realizing who I was because of this stupid cloak. I twisted the red hell flower in between my fingers before tossing it next to her. She looked at the flower and closed her eyes tightly. The flowers were just a reminder to the old gods and heavens that they could not keep us locked away. It was more symbolic than anything.

“You will pay for your sins.”?

She didn’t fight us. She didn’t say a word as tears flowed down her face. Della was broken, and I knew that this was not the worst of it. Della was just getting started on her treasons, but I was not sure which one set off her destruction of everything the heavens and old gods created.

She reached forward and gripped the flower in her hand and pulled it to her chest and began sobbing. My mating bond wanted me to crawl to the ground and hold her. I want to tell her that I didn’t hate her. I understood that she had no choice but to take Remiah. I hated that fate was being so cruel to her.?

I did not want to see her so destroyed. I stared at her as she whispered for me to forgive her, not knowing I already had. Thegood side of me did not understand that Della didn’t have a choice in this, and I worried what kind of damage he would do to her heart before I could come back and fix it.?

If I could fix it. If I could save her and us.?

This is what your precious heavens had given you, Storm. They did not think you were worth making happy. They were punishing you for loving the wrong man. You were never supposed toactuallylove me. I knew that was all my fault too. Della may be the destruction of Elloryon, but I was the fire that lit the fuse.?

We were destined for heartbreak. We were destined for destruction. And we would destroy each other in the name of love. My greedy gaze drifted over her, and I got no pleasure from her sadness like the rest of them did. This damn bond was making me weak.?

I needed to remember what I saw in my vision. Della was the key for us to be free. Storm was the answer to everything. And because of that, she would destroy everything the heavens and old gods had put in place. She would be the downfall of the heavenly gods and stars. Because once we escaped our prison, we would never be put back.?

The seven of us would rain hell down on the realm that tried to keep us away.?

There were footsteps coming from outside of her room, so I used my magic to take us outside of the house. We watched closely, expecting Mikel, but it wasn't him who entered. It was a tall man with black hair and fancy robes that stepped inside. I watched closely as he didn't hesitate to scoop Della up in his arms. She gripped him tightly—like she had done it a million times. Then he laid her in bed. My chest ached with jealousy.

"Looks like your goddess is already cozy with another man," Elra said just to piss me off, but it worked. Who was this man? We couldn't see his face.

My blood ran cold when he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead—like he had done it so many times before. Della shook her head at whatever he said before sitting up and hugging him against her. My wrath was getting to a boiling point. I was going to lose it.

I wasn’t sure which one of them used their magic to take us back to the field where I buried Remiah. But as soon as my feet were planted on the ground, I ripped the cloak off and tossed it aside. I wanted to go right back to her. I wanted to pull her out of the dark storm inside of her and remind her she was good, she was kind. That man was too familiar withmymate.

“You will scrub this memory from your brain enough that yourniceside can’t remember.”?

Fuck her and her jab at me, but I was in no mood. My wrath was becoming almost uncontrollable, but I nodded.?

“We have found the trifecta.” She slipped off her hood, and Elra’s blonde hair fell over her shoulders. Her red eyes stared at me with a smile on her pretty face. Nothing but a lurking sense of evil filled her eyes.?

“Who is it?”?

“A royal couple who have nearly every sin running through them already. They are greedy, full of wrath, and envious of everyone. They are both lustful—leaving their marriage to find pleasure in others. They are gluttonous; you should see the excess of their castle, and it is so fucking ugly, too.” Her eyes flickered to me as the rest of them let their hoods down.?

I didn’t bother looking over them. I watched Elra.?

“Way too fucking prideful. But one thing they are not is sloth. However, we found the perfect man to step in and complete their sins. His name is Prince Jesper of Kizar, and he is the laziest royal I have ever witnessed.”?

“Who is the couple?” I asked again.

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