Page 87 of Secrets & Curses of Fate

As I got closer, I noticed there were letters carved in the tree. I traced them in confusion as Della appeared next to me and looked at it. Her face turned toward me.

“H loves A.” She smiled. I could see that something about this carving made her happy. “Haden loves Ardella,” she whispered. Her face flushed. “Gods, I’m not saying you love me. I just think it’s quite the coincidence.”

I smiled as she blushed and nervously tucked her hair behind her ear.

“My gods, I talk a lot when I am nervous, and if I’m being honest, I know I should stop talking. But it's like my mind thinks I can make this awkwardness better if I just fill the silence.”

She was spiraling as she kept going on, but fuck, I could listen to her ramble on for hours, and at this rate she would probably tell me her whole life story and everything she ever thought about me.

“But I know this is probably making everything worse. You don’t even know me. But I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.” Her eyes glanced up at me as I smiled at her, and her talking faded off. She turned quickly, and I followed her, smiling at her even though she was embarrassed.

“Where are you going?” I chuckled.

She stopped and looked at me with a longing in her eyes. Her awkwardness made me relax. Della was just as terrible at this as I was.

“To swim.”

She turned away again.

“Swim? It is freezing.”

She turned and smiled at me, relaxing a bit more.

“Come feel the water with me.” She held out her hand, and I took it quickly, desperate to touch her. Della led me to the water’s edge and leaned down, running her hand through it. I did the same, and my gaze snapped up to her in surprise.

“Holy fuck, it's warm.”

“I know. Now get undressed and come in with me.”

I swallowed hard, and she smiled.

“Don’t be embarrassed.” She started stripping off her clothing, and I turned from her. I only turned back when I heard her splash into the water. When I looked, Della was smiling at me, her head the only thing I could see. I started taking off my clothes and noticed she looked away to give me privacy. Something about that seemed wrong.

I walked out into the water next to her and smiled when she looked at me. Her eyes shined brightly as we started swimming around. I watched her but felt an odd tugging in my chest while I looked at her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Sometimes, I get weird chest pains.” I rubbed my chest, and Della looked down at my hand rubbing and smirked. She swam over to me, and her hand slowly lifted, resting over my heart. The aching stopped immediately.

“Is that better?”

“Yes.”

I leaned down and kissed her. Della pulled back and glanced at my face with questions in her eyes. She looked away for a moment before turning back and looking me in the eyes.

“Are you sure you are fae?”

I chuckled.

“Yes?” I stopped smiling when she didn’t smile back. “Why?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes it seems like you aren’t fae.” She shrugged. As she said it, I could feel the void wanting to come up, but I held it in with everything I could. This was my day with Della. I did not need him swooping in and taking over.

“My parents are fae. Unless maybe they are mixed with something else.” She looked me over slowly before reaching up and touching my pointed ear. Gods, she really didn’t think I was fae. What did I do to make her think that?

“You don’t have pointed ears, so what are you?” I asked.

“I’m not fae.”

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