“Why would you care? You were planning to let my siblings out and destroy the realm.”
“Haden, you don’t understand what is happening. Your mother concocted this; I didn’t. You have always been my favorite child. I care that you are suffering.”
He stood up when I didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry that it had to be this way, but Della made the choice to do what she did. I had no idea she was deceiving the stars. She knew that staying in Hell with the souls would damn them there for eternity. It was all a fucking lie,” he said with an emotional glare.
“Good!” I yelled at him. “I will find a way to kill every star that thought she would be so easily manipulated. My wife would never destroy the realm or turn her back on me.”
“Haden…”
I stood up.
“In fact, I think I should start killing the stars with you,” I said, my eyes turning red and a frost dagger appearing in my hand.
My father sighed and immediately left, and I collapsed to my knees again, begging Della to come back. My breathing waserratic, and I was beginning to feel light-headed as memories of Della swarmed my mind. No, I couldn’t do this. I could not live without her. I wasn't strong enough. This pain was all-consuming. I didn’t even realize someone was holding me until Ezra pulled me back.
“Haden.” His voice was panicked as he watched me. “Breathe.”
I shook my head as black seeped on the edges of my vision. She was dead. My wife was gone.
“Please kill me,” I asked Death. “Please.”
Death shook his head. “I’m sorry, friend, but I cannot do that. Della told me you would ask, and she said that I needed to remind you that you promised her you would wait for her if something bad happened.”
That is what she had been telling him before she ripped the souls from him? Did that mean she knew she’d be back? I closed my eyes, and my head fell forward before everything went black, swallowed by my grief.
Chapter 23
Della- 1 month later
Malamay was sitting across from me as all of us stars gathered in our conference area. His eyes kept flickering to me when I did not engage with the conversations. I had hardly spoken a word since arriving here. I did not belong here.
“The gods are doing well. Mikel and Remiah are with child. Avesh and Nayla have completed their mating bond.”
Nothing flickered inside of me. I was happy for Mikel and Remiah, but I was too fucking bitter about being held here to show it. I needed Haden to go see Avesh. Why hadn’t he gone yet? The longer I was here, the more these assholes were pissing me off. They acted like they hadn’t tried to destroy the realm. Which meant they were up to something else. Damn it, Haden. Why hadn’t the images I planted in his mind surfaced?
“Kaios and his mate Artmos—”
Malamay sighed heavily, and I immediately felt the flicker of emotion in my chest because I knew what was coming. This wasthe only thing I looked forward to every day; Haden had not missed a day since I died.
Malamay immediately began rubbing his forehead, his eyes closed, and started slouching in his seat. The other stars groaned when Haden’s voice surrounded us.
“This prayer is for the stars; go fuck yourselves.” His deep voice wrapped around me, and I tried to hold onto that fleeting feeling. “I hope you all are up there feeling like the slimy excuses for deities that you are. Give her back to me now.”
I smiled slightly, and Malamay narrowed his eyes on me. It was torture to see him every day because of how much he looked like Haden. He was a constant reminder of what I did not have.
“I want her back, and I’m getting desperate. In fact, I think I’m so desperate that I will start praying to you at least twice a day.” Everyone let out a sigh of disapproval. “Tell me what I should be waiting for. Is she permanently a star? Is she already being reborn? Do you not know?”
He paused, and then I heard a very long sigh.
“If she is up there, let me see her. It’s been thirty-nine days.” I glanced up at Diath, who was watching me with a deep hatred in her eyes. She was not a star, but she sat with Malamay in every meeting, even though she had no say in anything. “Do you really want to piss me off? I will start causing havoc in the realm if one of your sorry asses does not get down here and tell me anything.”
“He is not bluffing,” Diath muttered.
“I know. He is hardheaded like his mother.” Malamay smirked slightly, betraying the annoyance in his voice.
“We cannot give in to the demands of one god,” Abarra said in her flat, monotone, bitchy voice. My gaze flickered to her. She was stunning with her red hair and green eyes, but I hated her with the passion of ten million suns.
“No one said we were,” I snapped back.
