Chapter Eighteen

August

Despite learning what Harvest had done, my chest felt light as we left the memory. Nova was still in my arms, tucked against my chest, and I felt like a god. For a blissful second, everything was as it always should have been, until she stiffened.

My grip on her tightened as she pushed at my chest. She was unnaturally quiet as she tore out of my arms and turned away from me. The only reason I released her was because Melinda watched us.

Melinda cleared her throat. “Do you know what happened now?”

Before either of us could answer, the castle shook. Melinda stumbled forward as chunks of brick ripped from the walls. My knees wobbled as I reached for Nova, but she didn’t move. My essence blazed around her frozen body. She stared ahead, unseeing.

“Nova!” I shouted.

The rumbling of the castle stopped. Nova blinked and looked at me, then at her hands. “Did I cause the rumbling?”

“Your magic is unsettled as you are. Learning the truth is a lot,” Melinda said. “You’re going to be okay, though.”

“Am I?” Nova whispered.

The truth of the past didn’t change the hardships Nova experienced. While I might be in bliss to have her near, my heaven could be her hell. I still failed to save them back then. I had to make sure I never let her down again.

Melinda said, “You can redeem yourself, Nova. You’re not what Harvest forced you to do.”

“Sofia…” Nova’s voice was barely a whisper.

“I can take you to Sofia,” I told her.

My essence spread out around Nova. Her hair rose in the air. Melinda swayed and then her feet left the ground. Next, I floated above Nova and extended my hands.

“Nova, my little star,” I spoke gently. My heart ached to see her like that.

The levitation ended, and I gracefully landed on my feet. To prevent Melinda from falling, I used my power to support her. Tucking her dress down, she thanked me.

While glaring, Nova smoothed down her curls. “I’m not doing it on purpose.”

“We know,” Melinda said. “Your magic has been bound to another your entire life. It will take time to adjust.”

Nova lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. “I should leave.”

“Absolutely not!” I yelled.

She turned her head and avoided facing me. “I don’t expect to be welcomed here. Not after everything.”

Stepping toward Nova, I gripped her chin and tilted her head up, so I made eye contact. “You’re my mate. We’ve been apart long enough, and I refuse to go another day without you. We don’t have to be alone anymore.”

The castle shook again.

“Why do you call me your mate? And what do you know of loneliness? I rotted in a cell while you paraded around the city!”

Her words were like a sucker punch to the gut. “It kills me to imagine what you went through.”

“And it kills me to know everything that I know, too!” Nova shouted.

“If I could rewrite the past, I would save you all,” I said.

Nova’s eyes shut. As her body tilted forward, I realized she was unconscious and scooped her up before she hit the floor.

Melinda moved closer. “I put her asleep.”

I tightened my hold on Nova. “Tell me what to say? Please. Everything I say angers her. What do I do to make her happy? I’ll do it.”

Melinda clasped her hands. “I lied to Nova. She’s an exceptional proxy. She should have no problem controlling her magic. It’s her emotions she can’t control.”

I frowned. “You can’t expect her to be okay after everything we’ve discovered.”

“I know the memory was hard on her. But her emotions weren’t out of control because of that.”

“I don’t understand.”

“August…” Melinda pushed a curl off Nova’s forehead . “Your mate has never known freedom or normalcy. The only family she had died. As far as you’re concerned, you could have been a light in the darkness for her or someone else to fear . Either way, she thought you were going to free her, but that didn’t happen. And now you’ve told her you’re her mate.”

Melinda continued, “Nova had two reactions when you mentioned Sofia.”

“Nova loves Sofia,” I said. “It’s only natural for her emotions to overwhelm her.”

Melinda pursed her lips, then asked, “Are you sure that’s the reason? You don’t wonder if, perhaps, she doesn’t like the idea of you being with another woman?”

“What are you implying? Sofia is family.” Sofia was the only part of mine and Nova’s family I saved that day. Of course, I always protected her. Sofia had approached me romantically once, long ago, but I told her the truth. I only saw her as a sister. I looked around the room to make sure no one else was around before mumbling, “I’m a virgin.”

Melinda quirked a brow. “I know, you snake. You can’t fool my sights with your harem, but tell me. Do you think Nova knows about your harem? Do you think she can believe you’ve never lain with a woman?”

My heart felt like it dropped to my boots. “Oh, fuck.”

“I’ll never claim to know what someone’s thinking, but imagine realizing you have one thing that’s yours and only yours. Then find out it’s been everywhere but with you. Personally, I’d be angry and sad.”

“You’re not helping. No one has passed me around!” Whispering, I admitted, “My cock hasn’t been the same since I lost Nova.”

Melinda’s nose wrinkled. “That’s something I don’t need to know. Besides, saying that doesn’t make it sound better.”

I glanced at Nova in my arms. Fuck, she was beautiful, and I was so screwed. “I can’t see her being upset or jealous when she hated the idea of sex.”

“She’s not a child anymore. Imagining having one thing—”

“Don’t say it again.” I groaned.

“Well, Nova is your mate. She’s the one person in this world destined to be with you. Just imagine being locked away, and she was with a whole harem of men.”

My face burned. The idea of Nova being with someone else made my chest tighten. “Oh, fuck,” I muttered again.

“Oh, fuck, indeed.”

“I can fix this. She’ll see the truth.”

“I hope so.”

“Stop smirking, witch. Why are you guys the most irritating bunch in the Underworld?”

“Funny you say that when your mate is a witch.”

“Exactly. She’s the most stubborn creature in both worlds.” I leaned closer to her and kissed her forehead. “But I’m the lucky bastard who gets to say she’s mine.”

I said goodbye to Melinda and headed for the hallway, where I sensed Maureen lurking. She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms and propping one foot up.

“You know, it’s rude to eavesdrop,” I said.

She regarded Nova, still in my arms.

I tightened my hold on Nova. “You won’t hurt my mate. Ever. I don’t care what she’s done.”

Maureen rolled her eyes. “Well, what happened to you both?”

“Harvest happened.”

“You won’t tell me, will you?” When I didn’t respond, Maureen pushed off the wall. “Keep her here. Melinda is right. Nova won’t do well if you bring her where your harem lives.”

Did I detect concern in my sister’s voice? “You’ve changed.”

“And you were never who I thought you were. I’m sorry for not seeing you sooner, brother.” She scoffed as she walked away and then muttered, “Fucking virgin. Unbelievable.”

“Don’t yell it,” I said.

“That’s the least of your problems. While you faked your entire life, it sounded like your mate was decaying in a cell.”

I flinched as Maureen faded before she turned the corner.

The last thing I wanted was to be at odds with Nova. I loved her more than anything and never knew how to let go of my feelings for her, no matter how hard I tried.

“You’re not alone anymore,” I whispered in her ear. “Please don’t push me away when you wake.”