Chapter Nine

August’s Perspective Of That Following Day.

I rubbed my fingers over the hair ties on my wrist. My joy was immediate, tugging at my chest, making me feel as if happiness would spill from my pores like syrup. Resting against the tree, I waited for Nova. Not wanting her to be the one waiting, I came early in case she arrived sooner. My giddiness died down the longer I prowled through the woods. That horrible place hid Nova away from me. Some spell kept me from finding her. I hated anything that dared to keep me apart from her. Nova and the others didn’t belong there. I couldn’t wait to take them away.

I didn’t tell Mom of my plans. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She wouldn’t understand that I couldn’t stay at the castle. Not when I had my family to protect, like Grim. During another visit to the City of the Dead, I cheated a demon out of an empty mansion through poker weeks ago while Sebastian slept. Our living arrangements wouldn’t be permanent. I couldn’t imagine Boom wanting to live in the Underworld. Honestly, I didn’t think she wanted to live around anyone at all. Just her and the minions. I was okay with that, but I was both nervous and excited to care for them. Nervous because I didn’t want to screw up. Nor did I want Grim or my brothers making fun of me by saying I was too young. Not that I cared what they thought. I found something they didn’t. My future, my lover, my little star.

I waited to save her from whatever horrendous place that trapped her.

Dead leaves crunched under the weight of someone’s boots. With a grin, I jumped up. My heart raced at the sight of Nova. She came. Until that moment, I feared she would lose her nerve and not go through with it. She lifted her chin and our gazes locked. The corner of her lips curled, eyes darkening, and her tongue darted out. I paused, at a loss for words. Something about her facial expression seemed different, but I supposed she was as nervous as I was.

“Grim’s son…” Her voice was husky as she examined me up and down. I wondered why she didn’t say my name instead. She’d never looked at me the way every other woman did. One day… I told myself she’d open herself to me. I hadn’t expected such a change so quickly when the day before tears coated her cheeks from the fear of going back to the man called Derrick. I’d already dubbed Derrick as my nemesis before I’d crossed paths with him.

“Are the others safe?” I asked her.

“Oh, yes. Safe.” She nodded her head vigorously, showing her teeth.

I hesitated. “Are you?” She seemed abnormally smiley.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

I exhaled. “I’m glad you let me free you.”

Her mouth dropped. “Oh, so that’s what we’re doing.”

“Boom…”

Placing her hands across her chest, she laughed. “Did you really think I needed help from you?”

The organ in my chest shriveled up. Why was she acting so unlike herself? “Nova…?”

She cocked her head. “How did you expect to save me? Tell me.”

I lifted my hand slowly as I approached. “You already know. Why are you acting so weird?”

She laughed. The sound was so unusual and cold falling from her lips. “I can’t believe you took me so seriously.”

“What do you mean? You’re trapped, right? I can help you.” My heart pounded and roared in my ears. I didn’t know what to make of the Nova standing in front of me.

When I stepped closer, she grimaced. “Go back to where you belong, Reaper. You shouldn’t be here.”

“Not until I help you.”

“Why?” She narrowed her gaze. “Why do you want to help me?”

“Because you’re—” Mine. No. When she acted so hostile and different, I shouldn’t use the word she hated most. So, I’d say it uniquely. That meant the same thing to me. “Because you’re my heart. I’ve known it since the moment I—”

“I belong with Derrick.”

“What! No. The man has you shackled like an animal.” I hissed. “Did you not hear me?” I choked on the question. “I can’t leave these woods until I know you guys are safe. You won’t spend another day in this godforsaken place!”

“I said leave!” With the sweep of her hand, she sent me flying back. I fell to my ass and by the time I ran back to where she’d been…

Nova was gone. Fury beat down on my chest, sagging my shoulders. I felt like a fool—Nova made me one. I told her my feelings, and she said she belonged to Derrick. Greed burst through my pores, giving me chills. The tightness in my chest intensified. She dared to say she belonged to someone else. Anyone but me. I turned around in circles. “Nova!” I said her name so many times that my throat hurt, and my voice turned hoarse.

I glanced further into the woods, the place that led me in circles when I tried to get through. She’s in there. And I wasn’t going anywhere until I had her. Something inside me burst open. It was like someone or something slammed a door inside me and ran through. Only instead of a person, my power grew and grew. Even though outwardly nothing had changed, I felt different. I lifted my hands, then noticed the yellow fog engulfing me. My essence. I unlocked more of my power. I could finally see it. My power, my soul, my curse rippling around me.

Closing my hands to fists, I knew I’d tear through the barrier that kept me from Nova.

____

The fiery sting in my chest told me I was too late. A part of me refused to believe that, though. Too desperate to steal what should have belonged with me.

My stomach dropped. I stopped running as I entered the camp. The absolute carnage that I stumbled upon had my chest heaving. The copper smell of blood filled my nose. Bodies… No , more like body parts littered the ground. A fire was still going by one tent.

I froze, unable to move for several long seconds. I can’t… I’m terrified of going forward. There was no one to welcome me. No demons attempted to harm me with weapons. There was no attempt from any magic user to blast me. A cautious-eyed beauty with dark skin did not set ablaze my heart. Absolutely not! My lungs weren’t working right or someone sucked up all the oxygen. I took a deep breath, but it never reached its destination. My chest burned as I gasped and gasped… Until finally, I found my breath and the courage.

Come on, Nova. Don’t be here.

As I started walking, twigs snapped under my boots. I had to find Nova and the others. I didn’t care how cruel she was to me. It didn’t matter. I just needed her to be safe. Once that crossed my mind, I sprinted toward the small cottages. The larger one seemed the better choice to search first. I wasn’t wrong. I nearly stumbled over a body as I entered. I saw the edge of an ugly beige dress, blood on that and worn boots, and fell to my knees.

In my very bones, in my soul and curse, I knew my heart died that day. For the witch stole my love like I should have kidnapped her from the start.

Red stained the dark curls that were scattered out. Blood was everywhere, all around and underneath Nova’s still body.

“No,” I whispered. “No.” I demanded. My knees were wet. Before I pulled her into my arms, I already knew… She was gone. The tears came, and I hated them, and I hated her for not trusting me. For letting herself die instead of coming to me. The anger wasn’t enough because it hurt. I must be dying. Did I want to live? How could I die? Even as my mind cracked in two, I pulled the hair tie out of her curls and ran my fingers through her hair. I hugged her against my chest because I didn’t hate her at all. Yes, I felt enraged when she ran and told those lies before leaving me forever. But I wanted to be livid with her while she lived and burst my heart apart. Not gone. My curse wept. That insignificant life with Nova and the others crumbled away in my head. That wondrous, far, far away place Nova wanted away from the rest of the world… Those fantasies went up in smoke and in their place, greed surged to life once more.

I needed everything, everything—anything I could get my hands on. I couldn’t properly mourn a life lost because greed was going rampant. Nothing, nothing, would be enough to make up for what I’d lost.

A whimpering sound caught my ear, and I turned slowly. I blinked away the blurred vision as I saw Odin’s lifeless body hung up on the door by a spear. Odin… I lowered my head, unable to stomach the sight. The whimpering grew worse. Standing, I followed the sound. The pitiful cry came from behind the door, so I had to maneuver Odin on the ground.

“Sofia?” I called out.

“You came too late, you came too late,” she chanted, which drove a deeper ache in my heart and throughout my bones. Suddenly, I wasn’t fifteen. I became aged, withered—nothing but a curse. Scooping her up, I carried her outside where she watched and cried as I dug four graves. But for me, it should have been five. I lost all hope for happiness without Nova.