Page 209 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

He grunted, pushing to his hands and knees. Blood dripped down his face from a wound on his head, turning his teeth red as he laughed at me.

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” I said. “You are bleeding more than I.”

His grin only widened as he rose to his feet, cradling his injured arm. The ryphor between us took one last breath, then went quiet and seemed to deflate.

“So you are her? You’ve been making quite a fuss, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard Nismera is mad, so mad she decimated planets. Talk about a temper tantrum.”

“You’re a fool, girl, if you think it was merely that,” he spat. “She has a weapon now that will leave nothing behind. I guess you can thank your dead ex-lover for that.”

My hand was around his throat before he stopped speaking. I lifted him and tried to speak, but my body decided that wasn’t necessary, and a cool, tingly feeling washed through every muscle and nerve. My legs wobbled, and he laughed, clamping an enormous hand around my wrist. I sank to the ground, my limbs giving out.

“I was hoping you were as easy to piss off as they said.” He tightened his grip, that cool feeling spreading. His eyes blazed with victory as he leaned forward, pushing more of that paralyzing agent into me. “I will wear a medal for your capture.”

I heard a swish, and something sliced through the air. Illian’s gaze remained fixed on me, but his eyes went wide, and blood rushed through my body once more as his hand went limp. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. A bright line bubbled and grew across his throat as he blinked once more before his head rolled to the side, bouncing off his shoulder.

Samkiel kicked Illian’s body aside and held his hand out for me. “I leave you alone for five minutes.” He lifted me and supported me as I regained the use of my limbs.

“It was more than five, and look around. I pretty much sacked the whole place while you were saving Neverra,” I joked before growing serious. “Is she okay?”

“Yes,” he said with a heavy sigh. “Orym and Veruka?”

My hand, nice and mobile once more, whipped out, popping him in his armored chest plate. He looked at me, confused. “Don’t do that again.”

“What? Destroy those who threaten you with my blade?”

“No. You don’t ask me to choose.”

His eyes softened. “Dianna.”

“Don’t Dianna or baby or akrai me,” I said, meaning every word as I pushed him again. He didn’t stumble or even move, really, and that just made me even more mad. “You will not like the outcome if you ask me to choose between you and someone else again. And I don’t care if you huff or roar or stay pissed at me. I am not the hero. That’s your job.”

The corner of his lips twisted. I felt the warmth of his admiration flutter across my mind, and there was even a hint of arousal at my protectiveness. “So, what’s your job, then?”

“Keeping you alive and making sure you don’t make stupid mistakes.” I folded my arms and cocked my hip to the side, watching how his eyes stroked the curve. “You’re terrible at it.”

His laugh was short. “All right then. Where are they? Orym and Veruka?”

I nodded, pointing my thumb behind me. “Safe. I stopped the caravan that tried to escape with them. The commander was what was left.”

His hands slid over my arms, checking me for injuries, and I let him. I knew fighting him would only hold up the process. He noticed the small cuts and tears on my clothes, but I knew he wouldn’t find anything major. Even my hip wasn’t hurting as much. The ryphor teeth must have only grazed me.

“I’m fine.”

“Mm-hmm,” he added before rubbing his hands over my head, his fingers tangling in my hair.

I slapped him away. “Seriously, I’m fine. What about you?”

“I’m good,” he said, glancing around the burnt camp. “More wounded emotionally, but I’ll tell you later.”

“Okay,” I said. “We need to go get Veruka and Orym. They are both banged up pretty bad.”

“All right.”

I turned, leading the way as we walked past the burning remains of ryphors and tents. We came up to the charred caravans surrounded by the corpses of the burnt guards. Veruka held her side and groaned, Orym still passed out in her lap.

“I cauterized her wounds the best I could before the commander escaped.”

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