Page 233 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

Kaden’s eyes burned with fiery rage, and he clenched his fists hard enough to draw blood, his talons digging deep into his palms.

“Shall I show you why she would never return to you? Why father would never choose you?” I smirked, gauging his reaction before twisting my blade of words a bit harder. “Do you wish to see why I am king, and you two are a forgotten page in history, torn and tossed aside?”

Rage bubbled off them. Isaiah took a single step forward, but Kaden raised his hand, halting him.

“So the prodigal son returns,” Kaden hissed, the orange and red flames beneath his armor sparking. “Do you truly think a few jabs will make us react so blindly? I know the power that lies beneath your skin. It is just like father’s.”

“I think you’re a fool. Truly. You believe you can beat me here and return to Dianna.” I raised my hand and willed the gauntlet away to reveal the ring I had made, the one that matched hers. “Dianna will never choose you, even with all your conniving and fail-proof plans. She chose me and has every day from the moment she laid eyes on me. She left you then and never once looked back. Not. Once.”

“What is that?” Kaden hissed.

“You stole our amata mark, so I did the next best thing. She is my wife, my only, and she will never again be yours. Never.”

Kaden snapped, attacking with the same blind rage and fury he had proclaimed himself above. And Kaden fell first.

I twisted to the side, the gauntlet reforming over my hand. Using my momentum to complete the spin, I swung out with the sword. Kaden’s knees hit the ground with a dull thud, his eyes wide with shock. I watched with satisfaction as his head lolled to the side before slipping from his shoulders.

I stood with my feet planted and my body relaxed but ready, holding Oblivion casually with the tip pointed toward the ground. I flicked my eyes to Isaiah. He jerked to a stop mid-step as his brother’s body wilted and dissolved into dark ash, the particles floating between us in a haze. He glared at me, his crimson eyes filled with pained rage. I held his gaze with calm satisfaction, knowing Kaden would never again come after Dianna. I spun Oblivion in my hand and adjusted my grip on the hilt. Isaiah eyed the sword as if he wanted to flee instead of fight.

I smirked and called the sword back, holding my hands up in mock surrender. I saw his cold, red eyes narrow. “Come on, I won’t even use it on you.”

“What is this?” he spat. “Trickery?”

“I want you to see why it took chains and ancient runes to beat me.”

He didn’t move.

“Don’t be shy now. You’re embarrassing yourself, Blood Scorn.” I said his fabled name in a mocking tone.

Isaiah snarled. He ran toward me, his blade raised and angled to slice me in half.

I sidestepped.

He swung.

I grabbed the back of his armor and pulled him down. At the same time, I brought my knee up, breaking his spine before gripping his head and twisting.

THE PORTAL CLOSED ABOVE ME AS I DRIFTED TOWARD THE GROUND, Isaiah gripped in my hand, unconscious but breathing . . . for now. Thunder rumbled in the sky, the rain coming down in silvery sheets. The air was gray, and ash had turned to mud on the ground. It was complete desolation, destruction in its purest form. This was what I fought against unleashing.

My armored boots had barely touched the ground before a body collided with mine, strong, slender arms wrapping tightly around me. Warm cinnamon tinted the brutally burnt air, her scent a part of every breath. I dropped Isaiah in a heap at her feet and held her to me. With just her touch, the cold rage of battle was replaced by peace and comfort. I pulled her tighter against me, but she struggled, trying to push me away. I barely felt it. Her strength was depleted.

I cupped her face with my hands, searching her eyes. “Are you okay, akrai?”

She slapped at my armored chest. “You left me here, you ass!”

“For merely a second,” I said, happy to even hear her voice.

She forced a small smile etched in pain, the world an ashen gray mist around her.

“Are you okay?” I asked again, running my hand along the side of her neck. She hissed, her body starting to tremble. Between the rain, blood, and mud smeared over her, I couldn’t tell where she was actually hurt. “Where are you hurt?”

“Everywhere.” She smiled, then grimaced. “I really thought I had the upper hand, but I feel like I’ve been ripped to pieces and put back together again.”

“Dianna, my akrai. You did more than phenomenal. Two Ig’Morruthens? Gods have had their light bleed across the sky from one. Not to mention, my brothers were trained for war by my father. You were not.”

She nodded and grimaced in pain at the movement. “I want more training. No more holding back with me. My enemies will not.”

“We will talk about that later,” I said, tipping her jaw up so I could see the marks on her throat. It looked like one of them had grabbed her. I could see the handprint already forming. “But my main concern is why your ring is off?”

---