Page 103 of Secrets & Curses of Cerithia

“Your father has been hiring witches and others to curse Exile, to dry up your water and your food. Everything that started going wrong with Exile was his doing. I’m not sure how he found out where it was, but I think Mikel had something to do with it, or maybe it was Lavtan.”

I stared at the waterfall and all of the pretty rainbows in the mist. Fated mate. A deity. I had the blood of the gods and the touch of the stars, but that didn’t make me feel as special as knowing I was Cassius’ mate.

“It makes sense why I felt so drawn to you in my dreams and at the trials. Every time I see you, there is a pull that I cannot describe.”

“I would’ve torn the realm apart and climbed to the stars to kill that damn god myself if it would give you back to me, so we do not need to keep going through this torture.”

Flashes of the day I had the witch’s bloodstone in the clearing filled my mind. He had been so worried that I didn’t get it, but it was because it would break our curse, not give him power. He had told me I was so close, but he couldn’t tell me anything else.

“If I had given you the stone that day in the clearing,” I choked out, “this would be over.”

“Yes,” he frowned. “There are two parts to the curse. You must gift me the bloodstoneandchoose me even after I confess my betrayal.”

My mind was still reeling from the fact that Cassius was my fated mate.

“You knew I was your fated mate when we were at war with each other?”

“The moment I saw you in the woods on the blood moon, it was like a switch flipped, and I knew you were it for me. I didn’t know what it meant until my father told me,” he chuckled. “I couldn’t simply tell you that while we were enemies.”

“And I obviously knew before I died, since we were married.”

“Yes,” he smiled. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you we were mates or that we married soon after I took you prisoner. This is where we got married.” His eyes glanced out to the cliffside and smiled.

I looked over his handsome face and felt that connection I always had, making him smile softly.

He was all mine.

“I never know how much I should tell you when you come back. It always seemed like the more information I told you, the worse you handled it. Then you started talking about how Crimson and our family were your enemies the last few times. When this all started, I made the mistake of telling you everything, thinking it would be a quick way to break the curse. You took it terribly and died almost immediately because you were distracted. The second year, I didn’t even get a chance before Cerithia killed you. Each year I told you a little bit of information, but it seemed like it only made it worse. I thought this year I wouldn’t tell you anything and would try to keep my distance. That was probably the worst torture I could have done to myself.”

My mind was blank. What did I say to all of this? How was I supposed to act? Relief was the only emotion that sank into my chest. I thought I would have to leave Crimson today if he didn’t tell me anything that I could believe.

I looked over at his handsome face. All mine. An overwhelming urge to touch him spread through me. Cassius watched me cautiously.

“Does my family know we are fated mates?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Your family does not even know that we are married. At the meeting of the kingdoms, when they announced your engagement to Jesper, I felt sick. I was so close to killing him, but I didn’t because you still looked at me like I was your villain. I didn’t want to force anything. Della told me I needed to let you piece together everything on your own after I kidnapped you at the border. She said it was the only way for you to truly choose me.”

“How did you know I was going to be at the border when I was kidnapped? You said a friend tipped you off.”

“Wisp, as you call her,” he smiled. “Your soul.”

“My soul is attached to you,” I repeated his words to him. Cassius smiled as he nodded. “Della told me who Wisp was.”

“You are the other half of my soul, Thea. We are destined to be together. Even if the gods did not destine us, I believe my soul would have searched until it found yours. You are my everything. My heart, my soul, my purpose.”

My lips crushed his as he tumbled backward.

Mine. He was mine, and I was his. Cassius held me to him like he never wanted to let go. Like if he let me go, I would disappear. He had been trying to get me back for years. I couldn’t imagine what that was like for him.

We lay there in silence for the longest time, just holding each other. My heartbeat was rapid with so much emotion. I sat up, so I straddled his hips and stared at him.

“I missed you so much when I was at Cerithia. I thought I would die,” I confessed. “I called for you, begged for you in my dreams to come and explain why you did what you did. Eventhough I knew you killed me, I was still searching for any reason to understand and forgive you.”

Something somber clouded his features.

“As soon as I fixed your bond, I could feel all of it. All the hurt, fear, pain, and moments of happiness and betrayal flooded me constantly. I had already planned on coming to the wedding to plead with you to come home. But then you called to me and begged for me, so I came to the rehearsal. If my bond hadn’t broken, you would have known that I didn’t mean what I said to you. I thought you were ignoring my pleading.”

He had felt it all. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.

---