Page 37 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

Nausea hit my gut, and it wasn’t all from the poison.

“You truly are a lovely specimen. I wished to keep you, kill that bitch you came with, and make you one of mine, but our king does not handle defectors, such as The Eye, well. She will require you both to return and face your punishment. At least I will be well off once she has you.”

Frilla forced my head to the side as she looked at me.

“If you touch me, she will burn you and your precious city alive.”

“Doubtful. She will be dead soon enough. I made sure of it.”

“What did you do?” I sneered.

Frilla yelped, her hand dropping from me as she shook it. Tiny sparks of electricity bit at her palm but flickered out quickly.

“How?” she asked, gaping at me.

Her question went unanswered, the doors bursting open. Armored boots echoed through the hall as soldiers covered in gold and black armor entered, Nismera’s legless creatures emblazoned on their shoulder plates. They came to a stop in unison at the back of the room.

“Queen Frilla,” a voice called, and the soldiers parted to reveal a tall commander.

My body swayed, the room fading in and out of focus. Sweat coated my skin, and I began to shiver. I watched the commander place a parchment in her hand before they exchanged a few words. He turned toward me, the single eye in his head blinking once as he stepped closer.

Fucking cyclops.

His hand gripped my hair, turning my head to the side as he looked at the mark Dianna had shaved there. Our ruse was holding true.

“A member of The Eye,” he whispered close to my ear. “I cannot wait for our king to disembowel you.”

It was the last thing he said before he slammed my head into the table. I didn’t worry for myself as darkness crept closer and my body slumped.

My last thought was and always would be her. I feared for the world and what they’d unleashed.

FOURTEEN

DIANNA

“You know, in a land full of so-called magical plants, you’d think a green flower with red and white speckles would be easier to find.”

I tossed my arms in the air as Reggie glanced at a large, opaque shrub. The planet she sent us to was nothing like I expected, putting the forests of Onuna to shame with its thick foliage and the trees that damn near touched the sky. We had walked for at least an hour, looking for the damned plants they’d sent us to find.

“I agree.”

We stopped short when the forest parted, revealing a lush, rich meadow. I brushed a piece of hair from my face, curling it around my ear as I knelt in a bunch of plants that seemed to have recently bloomed.

“Miska said it would help keep him stable.” I sighed. “He got violently ill last night. I’m so afraid that the spear messed something up on the inside, something that won’t heal.”

“They are magnificent healers,” Reggie said from behind me. “It is surprising that his wound has not healed yet.”

I stood, wiping my hands on my pants as I turned. “Another jab? I don’t remember you being this sassy.”

“The price you paid has changed you on some level, so I am not surprised if it has also changed him.”

“Reggie,” I said, “can we not?”

“I understand you don’t wish to speak about it, but—”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Do you? Because you keep throwing this big consequence in my face. I can’t think about the possibility that he doesn’t exist anymore, okay? I just can’t.”

“I’m merely saying you need to think of all possibilities.”

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