Page 96 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

Orym only shrugged. “I was going to say if you kill him, you need to make sure he has the key on him first. Otherwise, you are wearing a useless shell.”

I nodded before turning toward Samkiel and resting a hand on his chest. “And you?”

“I was merely going to suggest for you to be careful. Also, he only wanders the lower levels of the compound in the morning. Then he returns topside. If you are to get him, we will need a diversion to distract everyone first.”

My head reared back. “I’m actually shocked. I thought you’d suggest it was immoral or something.”

He shook his head. “Taotl is cruel. I smelled it on him the second we entered. He is unkind to the others here. I saw how they cowered.”

“He is also from the Otherworld,” Savees joined in, tossing another bone.

Samkiel and I looked at each other. I assumed the Otherworld would be the first to rebel against her, given they fought the gods for eons. Instead, she had collected the meanest and used it to her advantage.

“Why would an Otherworld being bow to a god?” I asked, patting Samkiel’s arm. “No offense, baby.”

Savees cleared his throat. “From the moment the sky opened, the Otherworld erupted into chaos. There are seven rulers, and from them to the lowest of us, we saw an opportunity to have our own, so to speak. Some rebelled and died, and others ran topside.”

“Why would beings in the Otherworld run to her? Don’t gods hate us?” I asked.

“Every being wants a home, a territory. The Otherworld is like any empire. They sit above us. Nismera offered a way to overthrow even them so . . .” Savees shrugged. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

I glanced toward Orym, who looked just as shocked as us. “What does that mean . . . Wait, are they going after The Eye?”

Savees snorted. “They’d rather be ashes than help them, not that The Eye would care. No one cares about anyone but themselves now. It is a fight for survival, and everyone is running scared. Those who do not join Nismera die, and most are just striving to survive.”

“They came for you,” Samkiel said. “That’s why you were taken prisoner, why they keep you here, starved and beaten.”

Savees refused to look at any of us. “I ran topside too. The sun does not shine in parts of the Otherworld, and I saw an opportunity for freedom.”

“Freedom from what?”

Savees’s eyes turned to me, their nocturnal shine glowing from the torches outside, and I wondered just what beast he turned into. “That’s none of your business.” He all but growled.

“Watch it,” Samkiel said from behind me, the air in this chamber stirring. Savees lowered his gaze in a sign of submission.

From the scars along his arms, I was willing to bet most of his body held them. I didn’t need to know what beast he turned into, only that whatever it was, it was powerful enough that the ones who had him in the Otherworld had forced him into submission, too.

“It’s okay. I was prying.” I tossed a smile toward Samkiel, who still glared daggers at Savees. If he even flinched wrong, Samkiel would take his head off.

“Well, I think we all make a great team,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

I only got two eye rolls, which was significantly better than earlier.

“STICK TO THE PLAN,” ORYM SAID AS WE SAT IN THE CAFETERIA THE next morning. I nodded, but my brows lifted when I saw he was looking at Samkiel, not me. “I’m talking to him.”

Samkiel opened his hands from where they had been fisted on the tabletop and growled, “I will.”

Orym clicked his tongue. “I see how you look at her. She’s strong. She will be fine. Don’t run off the second it happens.”

Samkiel glared at Orym, and I smiled. I could feel his embarrassment at being called out for his protectiveness, but I adored it.

“He will,” I said, patting Samkiel’s thigh. “And as soon as I get the weapon, I’ll be back, and we can plan our escape.”

Samkiel nodded, and we all glanced up. There, stomping through the guards, was Taotl, holding his battle ax across his shoulder. His skin was ivory and speckled with freckles. A dark mane spilled down his head and along his neck, the same texture and color as the tail swishing behind him. His hands were like ours, but his hooves clattered against the metal as he stalked along the catwalks. He was speaking to a guard draped in mostly cloth, only a couple of pieces of metal armor along his arms and calves.

I nodded at Samkiel, and he hid his hands beneath the table, placing a single ring on his finger. I saw the change in him but knew no one else would notice. His rings weren’t just for his weapons but a way to focus his powers.

Samkiel raised his pointer finger, aiming at the burly man off to the far right. A tiny spark of electricity snapped at him, quick and sharp, hitting him in the thigh. He yelped and stood up as if he had been stung, glaring at the guy closest to him. He didn’t even hesitate before throwing the first punch, and then all hell broke loose.

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