Chapter Twenty-Two

Nova

August devoured me with his gaze as we walked. My body felt like a network of static energy because of it. When I crossed my arms and huffed, he waggled his brows, and a single chicken leg floated in front of my face.

My lips twitched as I snatched the food from the air and took a bite.

“Drink some water, too,” he said, pushing a bottle against my other hand.

I frowned. “You’ve always had this ability to make food appear out of thin air, and because I’m your marked mate, I can do whatever you can.”

“Yeah. It’s not that we’re creating it. Most things we’re yanking from somewhere else. Like right now, someone just lost a chicken leg from their meal in the human world.”

My stomach tensed at the realization. “I’ve had this ability to give myself food the entire time, and I starved.”

“Don’t.” August faced me. “We didn’t know. Everything you’ve been through was unfair. Harvest will pay for his crime against us, and Derrick will die. I promise you.”

“I won’t fall apart like I did earlier. Relax.”

“It’s okay to grieve. You’ve been through hell.”

“You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

“You’ve told me enough. I know you starved in a cell, and that can lead to insanity for an immortal.”

I glanced around the long corridor. “Why are we walking inside the castle when we can do your thing and take us to the first location?”

“I’ll let you change the subject.” August turned and resumed walking, so I followed. “And it’s called fading. I’m pretty sure I told you this before. Before we go, I need the others to know we’re leaving.”

I stopped.

August glanced over his shoulder. “What?”

I squeezed my hands together. “I’ll wait here while you tell them.”

He arched a brow. “You can’t avoid my family, especially when we’re living here.”

“I’m not avoiding them.” I was.

“They won’t cause trouble.”

“That wouldn’t be smart on their part.” While I felt guilty for the things I’d done to them, I wouldn’t tolerate anyone’s hostility. I’d lived in pain and isolation for too long.

“You’re right.”

I couldn’t help but notice how much bigger and broader August was as I followed behind him. His back quadrupled mine. Surprisingly, I realized I had all the power. Strangely, that didn’t make me happy. I’d been owned and shackled a lifetime. I didn’t want my bond with August to become like that. We were something else, and I wasn’t sure how to put it in words. I wasn’t sure who I was beyond the anger and vengeance. How could I understand what he was to me?

I just knew he was mine.

We descended the curved stairs and entered a massive empty room, while laughter echoed from a nearby hallway. My stomach knotted, but I held my head high, especially when August waited until I was next to him to enter the room.

The area was a kitchen. My grip on my chicken leg tightened as I greedily inhaled a sweet aroma. As we entered, the chatter and happiness evaporated. Tense silence filled the air, and I thought it was a terrible idea to cut into their family moment right after trying to kill them. Every one of his siblings and their mates stared at us.

Sebastian snorted and then covered his hand over his face. Barron sucked his lips in like he tried to conceal a sound. Everyone laughed.

“What’s so funny?” August asked.

Sebastian and Barron exchanged a glance, trying to stifle their laughter before erupting in amusement.

“Maureen told us you’re a virgin.” Sebastian wiped his eyes.

“And we’re just thinking how many times you’ve went out of your way over the years to hide it.” Barron’s face was red from his chuckling.

When August glanced at Maureen, she shrugged and grinned.

August arched a brow. “Really? Out of all the things you could talk about, it’s this?”

“Well, personally, I think it’s beautiful,” Joy piped in as Payne kissed her cheek. “August doesn’t have any regrets he wished he could take back.”

Payne and Joy stood behind the island, but I still saw her swollen stomach. How was she so far along in her pregnancy? She hadn’t been pregnant when Derrick kidnapped her.

“I’m not laughing at his virginity,” Barron said. “What’s funny is how hard he faked a life. Our curses are a bitch, but what kind of brother would I be if I didn’t make fun of August for his?”

August smirked. “We’re going to raid some of Harvest’s hideouts. Just letting you know we won’t be here to help with the dragons when they show up.”

Prudence stood. “Shouldn’t more of us go with you?”

“Believe me.” August gestured toward me. “I don’t need help. I got this tiny stick of dynamite right here.”

My skin heated as August rubbed my back. I didn’t know what to think of his words, but the others nodded.

“Be safe,” the youngest, Kara, said. “Take care of each other. We don’t know when our powers will vanish again.”

The mood darkened in the room. Was it the mention of their powers disappearing? Despite being happy about our departure, I found myself strangely perplexed by the outcome. No one cared about my presence. As soon as I faded us to one of Harvest’s hideouts, I said, “I don’t get it.”

I was almost afraid he didn’t hear me over the gurgling waterfall beside us.

August frowned. “Get what?”

“They acted as if I didn’t try to kill them earlier.”

“I think you’re forgetting you also saved them. Despite the hardships you’ve faced, you still made the conscious choice to be good, even before knowing Harvest’s trick. You’re more than you think, Nova, and I can’t wait to see you flourish.”

My heart pounded as August walked ahead, as if his words didn’t cause a frenzy in my chest.

“To be honest, they’ll probably wait until they need a favor or want to be an ass and randomly say, remember that time you almost killed me?” August whistled. “This place is beautiful.” A lot of places in the human world were beautiful. But in some places, the air was scorching, suffocating, and made my clothes cling to my skin. Or it was so cold my teeth chattered. I wasn’t sure which feeling was worse.

I had been a fan of that hideout while with Harvest, since I enjoyed using the water to bathe. A strange sense of lightness loosened my shoulders when I realized I never had to wash myself that way again. The thought strangely brought tears to my eyes. Being near August felt like I had woken up from a terribly long, bad dream and didn’t know how to embrace being awake.

“Yes, it’s beautiful out here,” I agreed. “Behind the waterfall is the nightmare.”

August walked down the small rock path beside the water. “No one’s guarding the entrance.”

“Good, then they won’t mind if we pop in and say hello.” Sebastian’s voice caught me by surprise and the rush of adrenaline had my pulse throbbing in my ear. Somehow, I remained calm as he and Isabella sauntered past me.

“I’m not surprised to see you,” August muttered.

“You didn’t think we’d let you two hunt Harvest alone, did you?” Sebastian asked, reaching for Isabella’s hand.

“You’re not the only one Harvest has hurt,” Isabella murmured, staring directly at me. “I also deserve my revenge.”

“He won’t be at any of the hideouts,” I said. “But taking out his army will affect him. It could draw him out.”

“Then let’s do that,” Sebastian said.

The ground trembled beneath my feet, and rocks bounced around my boots as an enormous dragon flew through the waterfall. I blinked as water splashed against me.

“They know we’re here.” Sebastian materialized a blade.

Contemplating the creature’s lifeless organs, I raised my hand, aware of the concoction that Harvest had used to revive them. I pictured those organs exploding as I stretched my fingers apart, then balled my hand into a fist and exclaimed, “Boom!”

The dragon shrieked as he descended from the sky. More water splashed on us as the creature sank into the water.

“The water is deeper than I thought,” August said. “You can’t see the dragon at all.”

Sebastian’s jaw dropped. “Okay, so we’ve been struggling with these dragons and your girl is taking them out by closing her fist.”

August smirked. “To be fair, Isabella and her deadly touch could have destroyed them, too.”

“Your brother’s right,” Isabella agreed. “Although I’m not sure how my touch would affect something that’s already dead.”

“I’d rather you not get close enough to find out,” Sebastian said.

“Come here.” August reached out his hand. “I’ll help you around these rocks.”

“I’ve stepped over them plenty of times.” I walked toward him, taking his hand anyway.

______

“This is boring,” Sebastian complained as I stepped over the corpse of a bird demon. “Nova is taking them out before we can do anything. I haven’t used my sword once.”

“No one told you to come,” August retorted. “But Nova, maybe you can let us help?”

That was the fourth hideout I destroyed. I thought it would make me happy to kill those demons helping Harvest, but it left me filled with questions. How many of his followers, like me, had no choice but to join? How many of them were the victims of trickery? Maybe it was better not to wonder.

I’d killed innocent lives already, but the weight of what we must do set heavily on my shoulders. While I had no choice back then, every choice from there would be mine. Those demons might not know what they signed up for, but they still became wicked. We had to intervene before Harvest’s followers hurt more innocence.

An unexpected rush of adrenaline burst through me as August neared. I didn’t have to look to my right to know it was him. My body had a certain awareness for the man that terrified me. I kept feeling new sensations around him.

“What’s wrong?” He touched the middle of my back.

I swallowed as the spot grew warm. “Nothing.”

“If it makes you feel better, these demons aren’t good. If we were concerned about wandering souls, every soul would get descended.”

“Ghosts and demon souls are the least of our problems,” Sebastian muttered.

“Do you want me to show you?” August asked.

My nose wrinkled, and he smirked.

“If you focus hard enough, you can see their souls, Nova. My power courses through your veins.” Materializing his scythe, August stepped forward and opened a portal.

An ominous chill swept down my spine the longer I stared at the swirling black vortex. A piercing wail pierced my skull, causing my teeth to chatter. I stumbled back a step. “T-that’s…”

“It’s the gate to Hell,” August said. “We send the wicked souls to the Devil.”

My stomach churned, and I had the sudden urge to vomit. I swallowed heavily, trying to keep down the precious chicken.

It’s where I belonged because of the horrible things I’d done. As I watched several screaming black blobs fly into the vortex, I shook. I wasn’t a good person. Was that my future?

My knees nearly buckled when August closed the gate. I didn’t know how I stood. “I don’t have a kind soul,” I whispered as August stepped in front of me.

“You have an immortal one.” August grabbed my hand with his mechanical one. His yellow essence surrounded us, and something about its presence was comforting. His essence had always been with me. In the beginning, it made me upset. At that moment, it felt warm and inviting. “And your soul is good. I’ve seen all that you’ve done for others. You might have forgotten, but I haven’t.”

“I’ve done bad things.”

“That’s the cool thing about God.” Isabella walked toward us. “Sebastian says He finds everyone redeemable.” With a gloved hand, she pulled my hand from August’s. “You’re not the only one with blood on your hands because of Harvest.”

I didn’t know what to think of Isabella. Repeatedly, she offered kindness. It was almost as if the witch was trying to connect with me. She was unaware that I had no concern for my actions at that time. My hatred completely consumed me for those who had done me wrong. That feeling was resurfacing forcefully, and I wasn’t ready for it.

I pulled away quickly. “Let’s go to another hideout.”

In the next location, I stood back and let the boys take out the demons. Their fighting was a lot messier than my way. Somehow, August materialized another chicken leg as he fought two demons because the food floated near my head. I snatched it and took a big bite. My stomach felt swollen and full, but I couldn’t resist eating every time August put food in front of me.

Isabella touched a red-skinned demon when he got too close, and he fell over dead. Sebastian stabbed him in the back, and his mate shook her head.

Seeing them together was strange. How were mates supposed to act? My gaze wandered to August, who dematerialized his sword as he stalked toward me. “I think that was the last one. Where to now, beautiful?”

I tossed the chicken bone on the ground. Suddenly, August nudged a bottle of water into my hand.

“Drink,” he urged. “Staying hydrated is just as important.”

“There’s another spot in the human…” I saw August tipping forward as his eyes closed. “August?” The big Reaper crashed into me. I would have fallen over with him if it weren’t for Sebastian lifting him off me.

“What’s wrong with him?” As Sebastian helped August stand, I caressed his face with my palm. He was a head taller than Sebastian, if not more. August’s breath fanned my palm and soothed some of my worry.

“Yep,” Sebastian said. “Knew it was coming.”

“What?” I asked.

“Don’t worry. He’s asleep.”

“I don’t understand.”

Sebastian gestured toward his brother. “This idiot hasn’t been asleep since he discovered you were alive weeks ago. He looked God awful walking around, but at least he cleaned up a little before meeting you.”

“Let’s call it for now,” Isabella said.

“Grab her, Izzie,” Sebastian said, and his mate latched onto my arm, and I stiffened. “Sorry, Nova. You can’t go off on your own. August would kill me if I lost you.”

I exhaled, letting my shoulders relax. “I wasn’t going to.”

Sebastian just stared. “Well, thank you.”

“What for?”

“For not leaving him. You could have killed us to get away. I’m aware of how freakishly strong you are, so thanks.”

I averted my gaze. Those interactions with the Reapers were making me uncomfortable.

“And to make things more awkward, thanks for keeping us alive.” Isabella nudged my shoulder with hers.