Page 156 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

“Miska.” Orym’s head whipped toward her as she glanced up at him and then back at me.

The people in the tavern kept chattering away, but I said nothing. I had no answers. I was unsure. There was only so much one person could take, and I had given Samkiel a lifetime of reasons not to want me. Because of me, we no longer had our mark or mate bond tethering us. By his customs and laws, nothing bound us together.

“What?” Miska asked, looking at Reggie now. “No one is talking about it, but we saw you that night. Then he closed the portal, leaving you with us, and then he came back, but it was a quick visit. Are you going to leave us next?”

I turned toward her, seeing the fear and shine of tears in her eyes. I finally realized she hadn’t even touched her food, just picking at it this whole time.

“Why would you think that?”

“Why would you stay?” She glanced down at her food. “You only saved me to help him, and if he’s gone, what if I’m of no use to you?”

My lips pursed. As much as I hated to admit it, there was some validity to her concern. Everyone knew I was selfish. I used and saved people mostly to help him, but I wasn’t as I was before the realms opened. I wasn’t that person any longer.

“I’m not leaving you. Any of you. We still have a family to put back together and a nasty bitch to kill.” I pointed at Miska. “Don’t repeat those last words.”

A bright smile broke across her face, and she leaned forward, hugging me tightly. I froze, not returning the embrace, shocked by the contact. Orym raised a brow, a smile tugging at his lips as he took a drink.

I patted Miska’s back once before pushing her back a little. “Okay, enough of that.”

“Sorry,” she said, sniffling as she sat back up. “What’s our next plan? Where do we go without Samkiel?”

I snorted. “Without him? There is no without him. He’ll come back, and if he doesn’t, I will hunt him down and drag him back if I have to. Regardless of what’s going on between us, we still have a lot of work to do. So we can be adults and work together. We’ve done it before . . .” The last part of my sentence trailed off because I knew it would never be as it was before.

Miska nodded proudly before turning back to her food and digging in. Orym continued to stare at me over her head.

“What?”

He shrugged and turned back to his food. “Nothing.”

I sighed and leaned back, casting a glance toward Reggie. “I expected you to say something.”

“I have nothing to add,” Reggie said. “You are exactly where you are supposed to be.”

A small snort left my lips. “Always cryptic.”

Orym’s glass clinked on the bar top as he snickered.

“Has Veruka had any new leads as of late?” I asked Orym.

He took another bite of his food and surveyed the room, ensuring no one was close enough to overhear us. “She has cut back on the raids, but that’s all.”

I nodded as Miska scarfed her food down. The tavern abruptly went quiet, and a whirring sound filled the silence. Outside, dust blew past the dirty windows, and the glasses on the counter vibrated. The liquid inside Miska’s cup shook in time with a series of heavy thuds.

“Get downstairs,” I said. “All of you.”

Miska stared at the door. “What is it?”

I sighed. “Soldiers.”

“No,” Orym said, shaking his head, “that sound heralds a legion.”

“Take Miska,” I said.

Orym and Reggie stood, and Miska jumped up, plastering herself to Reggie’s side.

“Stay below until I come for you, all right?”

They all nodded, though Reggie held my eyes a fraction longer. I watched as they disappeared through the door, and I heard the lock click. Voices picked up outside, and the patrons in the tavern hunkered down as if they made themselves small. They wouldn’t be bothered.

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