Page 158 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

Pulled from the erotic thoughts of having Dianna at my mercy, I turned. I smiled and nodded at the harpy. She wore a teal dress that hung loosely on her. Each strand of her hair ended in a fine blue and white feather, matching the bigger ones that grew along the sides of her arms. Talons, thick and sharp, tipped her fingers and toes.

“Actually, I am,” I said. “I’m looking for Killium.”

Her eyes dilated for a mere second before she covered it up with a soft smile. She shook her head and cocked her hip, acting coy. It was an obvious display, trying to avoid my question. But I was in love with the only woman who could ever do such a thing to me. “Sorry, I don’t know that name. Maybe I can find you—”

My smile was pleasant, even if my mood was not. “You do, and I know he’s here. Tell him Donumete wants to see him.”

Her nostrils flared. “I’ll see what I can do,” she said before stepping back.

I watched as she turned down a hall, disappearing out of sight. I leaned against the railing to wait, watching the movement on the levels beneath me. The realms were so different now. I knew when I locked myself away that things would change, but seeing the utter desolation of so many of the realms made my heart hurt.

“I thought sealing the realms, the plan you had always intended, would have left them in peace. Instead, we trapped them here with a monster,” I whispered to the ghost of my past as if my father could hear me even now.

A burst of laughter filled the air, ripping me from my thoughts. There had to be at least a hundred people here. I didn’t see any soldiers in gold and black armor, but I kept my cloak pulled tight, regardless.

I leaned my elbows against the railing, clasping my hands in front of me. My gaze snagged on my bare finger where our mark should have been, or was, I suppose. She had lied to me for months. I wanted to stay mad, to feel as hurt as I should, but a part of me knew why she’d done it. I knew Dianna, and even if I didn’t agree with her actions at times, I understood her reasoning. She held everything she loved close, afraid it’d break or be taken from her, and that was exactly what I’d done. I broke. I died. That part still hadn’t sunk in. I remembered little other than falling asleep as she held me. Everything seemed so blurry, mashes of memories that made no sense.

“I love you.”

Her voice echoed in my head. I would have stayed if I had not opened that portal right then. She’d finally spoken the words I so desperately craved, and it felt as if my soul had ignited when they fell from her lips. My legs had stilled, my body refusing to move, and I’d wanted nothing more than to stay. She’d given up the very fabric of her being for me. I would never be worthy of her, of that kind of love, but I would be a godsdamn liar if I said I wouldn’t try to be.

I wanted to make her promise that we’d never keep things from one another, but I had something I needed to do first. Fear had taken root in my gut, mocking me. I had a throne to reclaim, a crown to take back, and a war to win, but my greatest fear was that I could not protect the one I couldn’t live without.

“Donumete, Killium will see you now.”

I straightened and nodded at the harpy. I followed her around the floor toward the back of the building. As we stepped through a doorway, I noticed the same men from outside standing against the wall. So, they were not just patrons but guards.

The two large creatures smiled their toothy grins. One lifted an artistic picture with a webbed hand and pressed the hidden button behind it. I watched as a part of a wall slid to the side, revealing a small elevator.

The harpy smiled at me as she waved a feathered arm, gesturing me in. I stepped in, the harpy and the guards shuffling in behind me. None of us spoke as the wall closed behind us. A dull, blue light ran around the perimeter of the car before the door sealed shut, and the elevator jerked.

The two guards flanked me, and the harpy was at my back. The guards placed their hands in front of them, seemingly at ease, but I caught the slight twitch of the slightly taller one.

I sighed. “Is this really necessary?”

“I’m afraid so,” the harpy said, and I heard her unsheathe the blade she carried at her side. “Given that Donumete is dead.”

I’d learned far too young all the dirty tricks in fighting. Most went for a weak part, and when facing a taller opponent, that usually meant the knee or groin. Distraction was also a valuable tactic. When fighting in a team, usually one went high, the other low, which in most cases worked. In this case, not so much.

I heard the air curve around her blade as she struck low, and I jumped, avoiding the blade aimed at the back of my knees. I landed in a crouch, the second strike slashing the air right above my head. The taller guard rushed forward as I stood, a blade as sharp as his teeth aimed for my gut. I twisted and grabbed his wrist, using his momentum to slam him against the harpy behind me. They let out a grunt as they hit the wall and slumped to the floor, feathers flying around the elevator.

The second guard snarled, his tail whipping out of his coat, the tip curled around a dagger. He fisted two more and charged. My fist shot out, connecting with bone. It cracked with the contact right as the elevator doors opened. The guard fell into the small room, landing with a dull thud. I reached back and dragged the harpy and the other guard out with me, tossing them to the floor.

“That’s a hell of a greeting.”

I took a deep breath and straightened my cloak before entering the room. A small device chirped, alerting the creature currently crouched over its desk. He turned toward me, his three large eyes squinting behind the circular glasses he wore. I removed my hood. The item he held clattered to the floor as he stood, his long snout gaping.

“May the old gods damn my soul. Samkiel. It is you.”

The drowsy guards in the room practically jumped out of their skin at the mention of my name.

“Samkiel?” A woman emerged from behind a door. Dark gray ringlets fell to her shoulders as she wiped her hands on her apron.

“Jaski,” I said.

Her smile deepened the wrinkles in her cheeks, and a shine of green flickered in her eyes as she looked at me. “My eyes don’t deceive me. You truly are alive, but . . . different.”

Killium pushed past his cluttered desk and limped toward me, the wiry hairs on his back raised in greeting. His leg bore mechanics he hadn’t had the last time I’d seen him. I met him halfway and bent to hug him.

---