Page 124 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

“I love you,” Cassius called out to me. There was a ringing in my ears as I heard Cassius saying goodbye to me. I did not allow myself to acknowledge my fear because it would paralyze me. My darkness was already wrapping up the Kizar guard that was about to kill Cassius. I sneered when he went to swing his sword, only to have my darkness force its way down his throat, making him drop the blade and fall to his knees.

Cassius glanced behind him at the man gripping his neck as my darkness blocked his airways, and then it seeped into his blood, turning his veins black. His eyes turned black as well before I turned the darkness inside of him into fire, making his body melt. Flames burst from his eye sockets as he fell over dead.

Cassius smiled at me, but then his smile dropped. I could hear someone coming up behind me, but a man was approaching Cassius too. All too quickly, clouds rolled over the sky, blocking the sun from reaching us. Lightning scattered across the sky. Della was doing something, but I didn’t have time to think aboutit. I was too concerned with Cassius and the man approaching him.

“Watch out!” Haden’s voice echoed as he ran toward Cassius. Cassius turned around right as a man charged him with a sword. He froze. Cassius didn’t move a muscle. Why wasn’t he moving? Then, starlight exploded around Haden and Cassius. I couldn’t see them but figured Della was protecting them.

I could hear the heavy footsteps of the guard who was trying to sneak up on me was getting closer, so I turned and swung my daggers at him. The Kizar guard was small and not very quick on his feet. He swung too hard, causing his body to twist awkwardly but allowing me to step forward and pierce my dagger through his ribs. He fell over dead.

Frantically, I turned back to where Cassius and Haden had been, only to find my vision playing out right in front of my eyes again. Cassius’ golden eyes stared at me as blood dripped from his cut brow. My father stood behind him, sword already coming toward Cassius. I tried to get to Cassius with my darkness, but nothing happened as it hit a barrier. The Kizar guard standing next to my father smiled.

“Cassius!” I yelled, but I was too late. The sword sliced into Cassius’ neck; blood spilled from the wound as I tried desperately to get to him. I saw the moment his eyes went vacant. I refused to believe he wasdead as my heart raced and tears flowed from my eyes. Cassius slumped to the ground. A scream tore from me, making the ground shake and crack below us, knocking my father and the guard down. Luren watched me, enjoying the anguish that was consuming me. I slid to my knees; my darkness expanded around Cassius and I.

“Please, open your eyes!” I begged. “Do not leave me!” My magic stormed above me. I could not control the emotions that ripped through my chest and nearly killed me on the spot. My hands covered the wound on his neck, trying to stop the blood gushing from it, but it was too much. My healing magic didn’t come forward to heal him because it knew there was nothing to save. He was gone. Cassius was dead. “I’m sorry.” I sobbed into his chest that no longer rose and fell with life. I gripped him tightly, refusing to let him go. My tears soaked his clothing, which was covered in his blood.

He was dead.

My husband was gone, and I couldn’t even begin to comprehend what that meant. Images of Cassius smiling and laughing hit me like an arrow. I would never see that smile again. I would never hear him laugh. I would never know what it was like to have a life with Cassius. My father had ripped that away from me, just like he did with everything.

“Please,” I begged his lifeless face. “I can’t live without you!” A war of anger and sadness raged inside of me. Cassius deserved to live; he was everything good in this realm. He was every good piece of me. Without him I was nothing. My body was on fire, black flamesburning angrily across my skin. I did not want to leave him alone on the ground like this. I curled against him, begging the stars to take me with him this very second because I couldn’t breathe without him. I gripped his cold hand in mine.

I closed my hand tightly hoping when I opened then again that Cassius would be smiling at me, and this would be a bad dream. When I opened them, Cassius was still lying in a pool of his own blood not moving. His skin was too pale, his hand was too cold.

A soft golden glow caught my attention. His soul. I sat up and turned toward the glow, but it wasn’t Cassius’ soul that stared back at me. It was Haden.

“Haden? Where is Cassius’ soul?”

Haden kneeled so that he was looking at me at eye level.

“Thea…”

“Tell me now!”

“Della overheard your father talking about killing Cassius to weaken you. The guard next to him can block magic and take down barriers. You wouldn’t have been able to save him. So, I told Della that when they tried to kill Cassius, to make me look like him, and I would take his place so it could buy you enough time to kill that bastard.”

I shook my head to try and understand what he wassaying through the grief.

“Cassius isn’t dead.” He frowned. “Look at your marriage bond; it isn’t broken.” My gaze snapped to my crown bond. It was still intact.

“I don’t…”

“Look at who you’re holding in your lap,” Haden demanded. When I did, it was no longer Cassius. It was Haden. “I tackled Cassius to the ground before the guard got him. Cassius is pissed, but he is safe behind an illusion barrier that Della put up. You must kill the guard next to your father, or he will get to Cassius again. His magic is what will allow your vision to happen.”

“You said you couldn’t die.” Relief filled me for Cassius, but I didn’t want to lose Haden either.

“I won’t die permanently. Any moment my soul will go back to my body. I will be healed; you do not need to worry about me.” Sadness flickered in his eyes. “Della always makes sure I come back to her.”

He used her nickname. The thunder above us shook the ground as lightning lit the sky. I didn’t need to know who was pissed. Della’s starlight turned red as she appeared next to Haden. But she turned to me.

“Cassius is safe; just focus on the prophecy. Use that rage coursing through you to kill that bastard next to your father. They will know it's not Cassius that died in a moment. I can only change fae, not scenery like you can.” Her eyes turned pure white before she gave Haden’s soul a soft smile and gently put him back intohis body.

I stood, letting my darkness fall away so I could find Cassius. My eyes met his black ones through Della’s barrier. He was pissed. His hands were frozen together in front of him. Haden had restrained him.

“I love you,” I said in a shaky voice even though he couldn’t hear me.

Then I turned my focus to the man who had been standing next to my father. My father had retreated behind his wall of guards like that would save him. My eyes shifted to a blinding blue as I summoned Nev’s light magic. I created a ball in my hand. As the guard was distracted by Della, my darkness crept along the ground and wrapped him up, forcing his mouth open. I stomped over to him barefoot as I burned my uncomfortable heels off my feet. I shoved the ball of light down his throat.

The man had no choice but to swallow it. I backed away from him and made the ball of light expand inside of him until his body exploded. Chunks of the man went flying into the crowd, but they still didn’t dare move.Which was good, because I would cut the flesh from their bodies if they did. My red eyes flickered over to Cassius, who watched me as I put barrier magic, shadows, and my darkness around him. Would three layers of my magic overpower his need to get to me?

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