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“Haden?” I opened my eyes and stared at Cassius. “Why are you lying on the kitchen floor?”
Thea was frowning at me.
“I thought Della was here last night, and when I realized she wasn’t, I didn’t want to sleep in our bed without her.”
“For fuck's sake, Haden, did you even sleep?” He sighed.
“A little.”
“Maybe you should stay here and rest while we look for her,” Thea suggested.
“No, I want to be there as soon as we find her.” I stood up, exhausted, but I could rest when Della was home.
Thea and Cassius looked at each other but didn’t argue with me. They knew I would not be talked out of this. We were about to leave when starlight filled the room.
“Della.” I breathed as my heart pounded violently.
After a moment, it dissipated, and Mikel stood in my home. My anger immediately surfaced, and I stepped toward him. He looked terrified of me and held up his hands.
“Wait!” he begged. “I have a lead on where Ardella is.”
I stopped moving.
“Well, fucking tell me,” I demanded.
“A witch coven said that she stopped by last week.”
A witch coven? Thea looked oddly at him too. Why the fuck would she be going to a witch coven?
“And?” Cassius gestured with his hand that Mikel better keep fucking talking.
“She asked if it was possible to bring a soul back from the dead.” He hesitated before he looked me in the eyes. “Della is asking for theBook of the Dead. It has been missing for hundreds of years. Apparently, she is convinced that a witch coven has it. I have no idea why she would think that.”
None of us knew where this conversation was going, but that was probably the last thing I thought he would say. All of us stared at Mikel as if we didn’t hear him correctly. He frowned.
“She's trying to find a way to bring Remiah back. That has to be it. She came to the house the night before she left, and we talked about Remiah and how maybe the heavens would give her back to me.” His eyes filled with tears. “Like the heavens did with you and her. I love Remiah with my entire soul, and I do not want any other mate. It is her, or it is no one.”
His words shot straight through my wrath-filled heart. Remiah loved Mikel wholeheartedly. Part of me understood why he had been such an asshole to everyone since Remiah died. I would have done the same. The realization made me frown at Mikel.
“She loved you more than anything too,” I said, because it felt like I should acknowledge it. Mikel’s tears spilled over at that point. Gods, he just wanted to hear that she loved him too. Mikel turned from us as he tried to compose himself.
“But Remiah died so long ago; how could that be possible?” Thea asked.
“It’s not.” Mikel turned toward us. “Trust me, I’ve been searching for a way to bring someone back, and there isn’t one. So maybe when she realizes that she can’t, she will come back home. Besides, I’m sure Remiah’s soul has moved on and is already in its next life.”
“So, she will be your mate again?” Cassius asked.
“I don’t know. Some say that a soul can choose if they want to wait for their mate or they can go on to the next life without them. But some gods don’t die, so Remiah would be waiting for nothing. Gods, I hope she did not wait for me.” I could see the devastation and guilt in his eyes.
“Like my mother and Killian,” Thea muttered. “Killian chose to wait for her, and then they didn’t move on right away.”
“What if Remiah’s soul is here?” I asked.
“It’s not; I would be able to see it.” Thea shot that down. “Besides, Della would have said something.”
Mikel sighed heavily, and I felt bad for him. His mate had died, and he did not know if she would ever come back to him. He looked destroyed. Gods, this is what I will turn into if Della doesn't come back to me soon.
