Chapter Twelve

Nova

My brain liked to think and do too much when alone. During the decades I spent locked in a cell, silly scenarios would seep into my conscious mind. My thoughts were all I had. Sometimes, I’d imagine escaping, plunging a dagger into Harvest’s chest. In my dreams, he was always mortal while I was free and powerful. Killing him was satisfying and easy. Over and over, I’d kill him, Derrick, and August Reaper. I became forever trapped because of them.

I lost track of time in that cell. My stomach was so hollow, hunger kept me from moving. I couldn’t understand how I survived. My teeth would rot, and I felt like the rest of me should have too. But I never died, and when I pulled enough power from my shackled limbs, I’d blow my mouth apart because the pain of the decay hurt too much.

My teeth always grew back, perfect once more, as if the pain I endured never happened. When Harvest inflicted punishment or broke my bones, I always healed. I hated healing because it meant living. No matter how tired, even when I couldn’t do anything more than sleep, I never stayed dead. For so long, I didn’t understand how that was possible. Until Harvest found another angel and pulled me from the cell to be at his side.

The first angel told Harvest how he’d start the apocalypse. His new angel gave more secrets. One was about the Reaper siblings. They had marked soulmates. The Devil set in motion something he hadn’t predicted when he cursed them. He had a soulmate, too, and Harvest wanted to know which sibling it was. Maureen and Prudence had found their marked soulmates, which narrowed it down to Joy or Kara Reaper. Kidnapping and torturing Joy gave Harvest no response from the Devil, which meant the Devil’s mate was the baby sister. The one they called Kitty, Kara Reaper. Harvest was obsessed with his creator as much as he loathed him. He wanted to bring pain to the Devil. Harvest believed Kara would be the Devil’s downfall and the key to assuring he walked through the portal when it opened in the end instead of the Devil. Harvest was trying to steal his creator’s fate.

I was a mere pawn. I was stronger than everyone that harmed me —knew it in my bones. But a shackled proxy might as well be human. First trapped by Derrick, then Harvest, I’d never had the chance to defend myself. Someone always owned me and my power.

Staring at the wreckage Joy’s marked mate left when he rescued her weeks ago, I had another annoying thought. The brain once more infuriated me. For I didn’t want to think or imagine August, but as I walked through the blood and torn bodies. As I saw the huge chunks of rocks scattered everywhere from the dragon who plowed through the cave, killing everything to get to Joy, I understood. Soulmates protected each other.

My fate was a cruel joke, like the man who was supposedly my soulmate. August was my ruin, not my mate. He didn’t protect me. He plunged me into agony.

In my darkest times, when imagining the death of those I hated wasn’t enough as I rotted away all alone, I thought of those fairy tales the kids liked. I hated my mind most at those moments because it always took me back to the kids and August. Those imaginations fooled me and returned me to the time I allowed those reckless, hopeful thoughts to cloud my judgement. My mind was sick. For it would dream of August coming to rescue me. He would rip apart the bars I lived behind, then he’d tear off the shackles and free me. Those disgusting visions would consume me for months when they hit me. My heart would thump so rapidly. Sometimes, I envisioned him at my cell door, tearing it apart, only to blink and see nothing more than the bars.

August’s heartlessness still ripped my heart into pieces. When I should be numb to pain, his callous refusal to help us that ugly day broke me again and again. I lost everything. If he had done as he promised, I might have saved us. So, I despised myself for being so weak, for still thinking of him in that weird way. He deserved nothing more than my wrath. All those who wronged us did.

And because of him, death denied me time and time again. I had begged for my end. The hunger, the pain, the isolation inside that cell. Not knowing at the time that the reason I continued to suffer was because of him. That the toad mark on my butt and the yellow essence woven through mine was from him. Somehow, the world continued to show me how brutal it could be. The boy who ridiculed me was someone who should have protected me. Mate, mate. I was so tired of that word!

“Nova.” I didn’t turn when Derrick called my name.

If there was one small pleasure in being Harvest’s captive all that time, it was knowing I no longer belonged to Derrick. He couldn’t touch me unless Harvest allowed it. Even then, the spell I shared with August so long ago would protect me from any unwanted advances. If anything, the boy he was back then had done one thing for me. But I didn’t want to push Harvest. If he discovered the spell, he might know a way to remove it. So, I hope Harvest never allowed Derrick access to me to discover the magic.

When I died the first time, someone buried me. When I tore myself from the ground, I was confused and scared. I couldn’t understand why they abandoned me in the dirt. But not wanting to be found alive, I rushed out of the woods and into the City of the Dead. I didn’t make it a day before Harvest found me. He had been as astonished as me to find me alive. The shock on his ugly face turned to malice, though, and he threw me into darkness, waiting for the chance to use me.

At least I ate those days since Harvest pulled me out of the cell. With the things I’d done since, the food felt heavy and twisted inside my stomach. Hades, I was tired, even of the hatred burning inside me. And yet, it fueled me.

“Why do you wear that foolish mask when we aren’t in a public area?” Derrick sounded far too near. Beneath my cloak, I tensed and turned toward his voice. The second he tried to place his hand on my shoulder, I lit into him with my magic. Or tried to, but Derrick predicted my reaction. I could blow him to bits, and he knew that. So, he kept a continuous loop of protection on himself. I wasn’t sure exactly what type of magic he used. I couldn’t see a shield, but the power he used deflected my attack, converting it into nothing more than a crackling sound in the air.

“Nova…” My name came out in a huff from his lips, as if I was the problem and not him. “Harvest will give you to me.”

Despite every inch of me wanting to recoil, I remained utterly still. I feared Derrick’s words. Harvest would give me to him, eventually. Harvest would grow tired of keeping me from Derrick and might enjoy imagining what Derrick could do to me.

Harvest’s deep laugh echoed off the cave walls. “Will I now?”

I turned to face Harvest, knowing he would be cruel if he thought I was being defiant by ignoring his presence.

“Of course.” Derrick extended his arms. “I’ll do anything you ask in return for her.”

We knew Derrick loathed Harvest. But in Derrick’s infatuation with me, he was as bound to Harvest as me. What a dumb proxy.

At least Harvest was in a good mood. His dragons were getting stronger. At first, he had been furious Joy had escaped. Even if Joy hadn’t been the Devil’s marked mate, he still wanted to kill them all. With them becoming mortal at random, Harvest’s goal was attainable. Their weakness made things possible for me, too. If I couldn’t seek revenge, I could meet peace. I’d like the chance to make them pay first. Harvest, Derrick, and August deserved my wrath. Odin, Finn, Cloud, and Sofia deserved justice. The iron bars, the ones withholding my magic from me, were heavy and all over my body. As it was, I stood no way of doing anything.

“Hmm.” Harvest tapped his index finger to his chin as he stared at Derrick. “You say you’ll do anything, and yet, she’s still August’s mate.”

Derrick gritted his teeth. “I’ll kill him.”

Harvest made a tsking sound. “So, you said weeks ago. My dragons visit them frequently. How many times have you tried to kill him or any of them? Promises, promises.”

Derrick looked on the verge of shaking. He let his rage show too often and Harvest enjoyed it far too much.

Harvest stepped closer to Derrick, chuckling. “Tell me, are you afraid of August?”

Derrick’s eyes widened, mouth parting. It was only a second before he scoffed, but the flicker of unease on his face spoke the truth. He was afraid to go up against August or likely any of them. Derrick always sent everyone else to do his job. While I wasn’t sure how he retrieved Joy, I was positive he had been a weasel about it, waiting until there were no threats.

August’s sister had seemed kind. I hoped she would tell August what I did to her. Even if Harvest had made me do it, I wanted August to suffer in seeing them hurt. If August cared at all for his siblings as I did those children, that would be good.

“Harvest!” Nadine ported into the cave, practically gasping. “Someone is approaching the hill.”

Harvest glared at Derrick, who immediately closed his eyes, as if he was reaching out to check his magic. Derrick created the wards that hid Harvest’s hideouts. No one could cast a better barrier for concealment better than a someone who always hid. When Derrick opened his lids, he swore. “It’s August.”

My stomach felt like it plummeted to the ground. Despite all the dreams I had about hurting August, the idea of facing him unnerved me. Which was foolish. I had briefly encountered August in New York City. Considering I was cloaked head to toe in concealment, he didn’t know who I was, but I recognized him immediately despite how he’d aged. He was a massive man, still dressed well, and carried himself with the attitude of someone who had never suffered. While I rotted in a cell, he claimed the City of the Dead. Harvest kept me updated on everything August did once he discovered he was my mate. I knew August had a harem of women. Most women he bought or bid on from certain shops he ran. He stole, cheated, and lied, claiming the city through wickedness. It was as I always assumed before I let August’s lies fool me. He was a disgusting person. He probably didn’t remember the girl he refused to help. The girl that gave him hair ties for the food he brought.

“Payne must have given the Reapers directions to this cave to see if we were still here,” Harvest said. “No matter. We have nothing here. Let’s go to the cave in the human world.”

_____

A few minutes later, we were in another hideout, still in the Underworld. We had to leave the human world as soon as we arrived. August had pursued. Derrick had sensed him immediately.

The flames on Harvest’s head were growing higher as he gripped Derrick by the shirt and yanked him forward. “How is he finding us? At this rate, he’ll know all our locations!”

“It shouldn’t be possible!” Derrick yelled as he tried pulling from Harvest’s grip. “I don’t understand. If he broke through, he still shouldn’t be able to weave through the barrier so quickly. My magic is like a damned maze that leads in circles.”

Harvest shoved Derrick with a curse. Harvest prowled back and forth, smacking jars and bowls off one of his tables. He cooked up a lot of weird things and creatures, no matter what hideout we were in. The creatures he brought to life with dead body parts shouldn’t be possible. I fought the urge to shudder as a glass of eyeballs shattered on the ground right beside me. Several of the eyes rolled until they hit the tip of my boots.

“Payne found Joy, so…” Harvest stopped, then glanced at me, and groaned. “It seems your lover boy has finally figured out who you are, Nova? Does that make you happy?”

I said nothing. August Reaper didn’t care about me. Why would he bother if I was his marked mate? He had to know I’d kill him for tricking me so long ago if he come for me.

Derrick’s top lip curled in disgust. “August is coming for Nova?”

“She’s the only reason I would think he’d be able to find us,” Harvest replied.

Derrick shouted, “We got to do something! I don’t want him near her.”

Harvest chuckled. “I’ll do nothing, but Nova will.” Beneath my mask, I frowned as Harvest smirked. “I don’t wish to leave you alone. You’re valuable, Nova, but you’re also strong enough to kill August. You’ll stay behind and meet him. This is my command. You won’t return to my side until August Reaper is dead. This is good news for you, isn’t it? I killed you and your friends that day because he refused to help you little fools.”

My throat burned as I fisted my hands at my sides. Harvest loved that game. He knew exactly how to anger me. Yes, I’d love to hurt August. I’d love to hurt them all, but I didn’t want to do it because Harvest provoked me. In the end, I would because he said it as a command. And since August was immortal, I wouldn’t be able to do my job until his power malfunctioned. That could take a while or not long at all.

“No,” Derrick said. “I’ll stay and help her.”

“Nice attempt, but no. You need to re-stabilize the barriers as two of my hideouts became compromised in minutes.”

“You can’t let August near her!” Derrick unraveled so quickly. As he got in Harvest’s face, I assumed Derrick must have a death wish.

Harvest surprised me by laughing again. “This is so fun. Come, Derrick. While I’d love to witness Nova killing her soulmate, I’d rather avoid being caught in their fight if August summons the entire family . When I meet the Reapers, it will be on my terms.”

When Derrick continued to seethe, Harvest arched a brow. “Isn’t this good news? When she kills August, she won’t be his soulmate anymore. You should want that, warlock, if you plan to have her yourself.”

Derrick examined me from head to toe, taking a deep breath before settling. The disgust rolling through me had my stomach churning. More than anything, I wished I could pulverize those two. Discussing my fate as if I were an object instead of a person.

“Aren’t you worried he will…” Derrick didn’t finish.

“He’ll what? Seduce her? Sway her?” Harvest chuckled. “Yes, Nova will hold hands with the one person who could have helped her that day but chose not to.” I flinched, unable to hide the reaction, which made Harvest laugh harder. “If she does such a thing, she is a fool. Besides, with those shackles all over her, she can only do what I say. So, be a good girl, Nova. Stay here and kill August, then return to me.”