“Yes, starlight, but I mean…”
“No, I have magic. I’ve always had magic. I have frost magic, I have visions, and sometimes I can jump into others’ minds and see memories, plant false memories, or erase things.”
Mikel’s face paled.
“Godsdamn it, Ardella.” He closed his eyes tightly as he thought about what I said. When his eyes opened, he watched me closely. “She did that. Did you get any other magic?”
“What about being void—is that magic?” Thea asked.
Mikel’s hands ran down his face, and he began pacing again. He was muttering to himself so quietly that I could not make out what he was saying.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Ardella gave youhermagic.” After a moment he sighed heavily. “Except the frost magic, that is from your father. He has the same magic, but the rest would be from Ardella.”
“So… she came to Hell and gave me magic,” I spoke slowly, like he would tell me it was a stupid thought to have.
“Apparently.” He began to chuckle. “Shit, Ardella is up to something, and it appears she has been up to it for quite some time. That would explain why Abram is hiding as well. He must know her plans. Fuck, he is probably helping her. Damn them for not telling me. They are always leaving me out of shit.”
“What the fuck is happening?” I asked.
Mikel faced me. “It looks like Ardella has been manipulating fate, and Abram has not stopped her—which is odd. So, they know something no other gods do. Something bad is happening if they didn’t tell me. They are trying to protect me, and Della gave you her magic. We only do that when we finish the mating process. But she went to Hell to give it to you, and I don’t have an answer for that.”
Great. My wife was keeping secrets from her own brother and the other gods—from me.
Chapter 16
Della
Iglanced up at the oversized home in the middle of the woods. Was this the right place? The uneasiness in my stomach told me I was exactly where I should be. The mansion looked as if it had been abandoned and left to rot away in the forest, but it still had an eerie beauty to it. Taking a deep breath, I went to the door and lifted my hand to knock, but before I could, the door opened.
A tall man answered, his eyes cloudy and his skin too pale.
“Come in,” his deep voice startled me. I watched the man, realizing there was no life pulsing from him. He was dead. He left me standing in the darkened foyer. I thought of turning and leaving, but this was the last witch coven. So, I stayed in the foyer and waited. The home was just as spooky inside as it had been on the outside. Everything was dark and dusty. I didn’t dare touch anything.
A moment later, a woman appeared in front of me.
“Ardella,” she purred. Her honey-colored eyes were void of any warmth as she ushered me to follow. I took a seat in aplush black chair, and she sat across from me. “It’s not every day that a goddess visits witches.” Her black lips pulled into a sly smile. I turned away from her gaze to the fire roaring inside the oversized fireplace.
“I need help.”
“I’m listening.” She smiled at the dead butler when he handed her a cup of tea. “Would you like some?”
“No, thank you.” She had probably poisoned it. The woman smiled. “I want to know if you are the coven that has theBook of the Dead.”
The witch took a long sip of her tea. Her eyes flickered over me curiously.
“Why would you think a witch coven has a book that is that powerful?” Her eyes gleamed at me.
“I know you have it.” I glared, not wanting to drag this out any longer. “I need it to bring a soul back.”
“Whose soul?”
“Someone who was not meant to die,” I sighed. My stomach churned with uneasiness.
“You made a mistake.” The witch chuckled softly.
It wasn’t a mistake. Haden was alive because of it, and I would always stand by my decision to save him, but I had to make this right. Her pretty eyes flickered over me. I looked like a fucking mess. All I could think of was Haden calling for me over and over since he woke up. I was tortured, and I wanted to get this over with so my mate was not suffering.
