Page 69 of Secrets & Curses of Fate

I hesitated for a moment, and she continued.?

“There were so many times over the years that I thought of hurting our father, but I was never brave enough to actually do it. I really thought that we would die miserable and pathetic like our parents. She saved us.”?

Pride filled my chest because the woman I was falling forhadsaved us. I still did not think that Della realized how much she gave to Remy and I by standing up to our father.

“I’ll tell her,” I promised.?

Remy stopped and looked at me with an expression that I couldn’t read. She looked like such a proud older sister, even if she was older by only a few minutes.?

“I want you to meet Mikel.” Remiah glanced away from me for a moment before staring at me intensely. “I think he is going to ask me to marry him,” she blurted out.?

My mouth fell open, but I could not think of any words. Remiah began laughing as I struggled to form any thought.

“You always said you didn’t want to marry,” I finally said.?

Remiah shrugged and began walking again. The features of her face were softer than they were growing up. Mikel had done that for her—made her believe that life could be kind.?

“That was before I met Mikel. I cannot picture a life without him, Haden. He consumes my thoughts. But it is more than that. I keep thinking that I would do everything over again—the abuse, the shitty parents, being poor—if I knew that he is where it all led to. I truly thought that I was not worthy of love or happiness until Mikel found me.”?

She glanced at me as we continued to walk forward. I mulled her words over in my mind.?

“I never thought you’d be the sappy romantic.” I smiled at her, and she swatted my shoulder.?

“I know; it’s honestly disturbing how much I love him.” Remiah’s soft laugh filled the warm air around us.

I knew what she meant because I had been trying to convince myself that it was crazy to feel the way I did about Della already. I hardly knew her, but it felt like I had known her for my entire existence.?

“For the first time in my entire life, I feel like I can be excited about my future.”?

“Della makes me feel that way too.” I smiled softly.?

We walked in silence for a few more minutes before a large pond came into view. Remiah and I had stumbled upon it when we were young. I had used my frost magic to freeze it over, and we would slide around on it. Until Remiah had fallen through the ice one time. I had barely saved her, and when we arrivedhome, we were beaten for being soaking wet. Our parents never knew that Remy had almost died that day, but I would never forget it. It was the first time the void had taken over me because I was frozen in fear. The void saved my sister, and I still thank the stars for that because I would’ve ended myself if she was taken from me.?

“Well, what are you waiting for? Freeze it, snow boy,” Remiah taunted me as I laughed. I lifted my hands, and my magic seeped from my palms, blowing like a cold wind. It covered the edges of the pond, and the ice slowly formed inward until it reached the center. I made sure the ice was beyond thick enough to hold us. When I stopped, Remiah was just watching me curiously.?

“What?” I smiled.?

“Do you think it’s odd that I didn’t get magic?” Remiah had never mentioned the fact that she had no magic, and I did. But it was odd that as my twin she had none, and I had elite magic.

“A little.” I nodded.?

“Do you think it’s strange that no one in our family has ever had magic, but you somehow ended up with it?”?

“I haven’t really thought about it. I suppose it is a bit strange.”?

Our parents did not have magic, and no one before them did either. I always thought that magic was inherited, but maybe it was just random luck. Remiah began running toward the frozen pond and slid across the smooth ice. Her smile was bright, and her laugh was contagious. I dropped the basket of food and ran toward the pond to join her.

My boots slid across the ice effortlessly. The wind blew around my face, and I smiled as Remiah followed me. I lifted my hands and let my magic explode from me. The thick forest around us turned into a winter wonderland. Frost and ice clung to the tree branches, and snow flitted through the air and mixed with the sun shining. It was stunning.

Remiah stopped sliding around and stared in awe. I don’t know if she had ever seen me use my magic so much or carelessly. Her stormy blue eyes widened as she took in the change of scenery. She blew out a long breath that could be seen in the cold air. Her eyes found mine, and she gave me a smile I had never seen from her before. It was full of pride and happiness.

“Haden, fucking hell, I didn’t know you could do this. Why have you never shown me before?”?

I shrugged.?

“I didn’t really think my magic was that impressive until recently. I’ve never explored all of what I can do.”?

“This is impressive.” She smiled and began sliding around again, letting the snow fall onto her face. “When I prayed to the heavens for you and me to be happy, I never thought that they would answer.”

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