Page 39 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

As my hand touched the handle of the door, she shoved me away. I stumbled into the wall before turning and glaring at her. Della looked around frantically as I readied myself for a fight.

“Please,” she begged. “I’m on your side.”

“I don’t know how I can believe a strange woman who snuck into my room. Especially one who says she’s a goddess.”

“Ask Haden,” she spoke quickly, her eyes flashing with pain as she spoke of him. “He knows who I am. He can confirm I’m not lying to you.”

“Haden, as in, Cassius’ guard?”

“Yes, he’s a very good friend of yours.” She winced a little as if she were in pain. I took a step to help her, but she backed away from me. Tell me what she is thinking, I demanded from my magic. Nothing came to mind. Odd.

“That magic doesn’t work on gods.” She wheezed in pain toward me. How had she known I tried?

“Is this some sick joke that Cassius put you up to? Why would I believe Haden? He’s probably in on this weird act you have going too.”

“He hates me!” she yelled. Tears filled her eyes, and I gasped as they fell down her cheeks. They were illuminated like the stars in the sky and glowed brightly. Well, that is not normal. “He hates me; he will not lie for me."

“Why does he hate you?”

“Because I killed his sister to save him,” she whispered. “I’m in love with a man who wishes he had never met me. He curses my very existence every day of his life.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but she sobbed into her hands.

“I still don’t know how this will make me believe you.” I frowned.

“You will be able to tell by the devastation on his face that it is not an act.” She looked away from me, ashamed. “He will tell you how much he hates me, and you’ll know he is telling the truth. You can ask Cassius too.”

Shit, I believed her, and I wasn’t sure if I was desperate to have any indication that Cassius was important to me or if I was gullible.

“Why did you have to kill his sister to save him?”

Della’s shoulders stilled at my question before turning to me. Glowing tears still falling from her eyes.

“Because he was the one who was supposed to die, and I couldn’t lose him, but I needed to collect a soul to keep the balance. So, I took hers instead, even though he begged me to save her. It’s the reason my brother Mikel cursed you, but I cannot tell you the details. Cassius is the only one who can.”

My mind reeled with everything she was saying. I believed her.

“Why wouldn’t you just take his soul like he asked?” I didn’t blame him for being so angry.

Della stared me right in the eyes as she took a shaky breath.

“Because he is my fated mate, and I couldn’t lose him, but in the end, I lost him anyway.”

I gaped at her.

“He doesn’t know he’s my fated mate, so don’t tell him, please. He will have a new reason to hate me.”

“I won’t,” I promised.

“I’ve never told anyone about Haden being my mate,” she confessed. “Besides my housekeeper, Pia. It feels good that someone else knows.”

She stared at me with devastation on her face. Something about the look made me think of Cassius. Like I had seen a similar look on his face before.

“Can I ask you a question about Cassius?”

This seemed to jar her from her thoughts, and she perked up.

“Yes.”

---