Page 118 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

I shrugged, holding my reins as we turned onto a path that hugged the steep cliff, grateful for the rolling clouds that offered a reprieve from the bright sun. “Perhaps they are well fed.”

“Or perhaps something far worse is here,” she said, her eyes scanning restlessly.

“Does Nismera know you fear the sounds of small animals?” I asked her.

Her eyes cut to mine. “It is better to know all of your surroundings than not.”

The cliffside opened as we leveled out, the wide trees coated in fresh snow. Abbie was correct, even if I did not say it. I didn’t hear any skyrippers, and we were well enough up the mountain to be in their territory, but we held our pace. The trail continued between the cliff face and snow-capped rocks as we neared the prison.

The ground leveled out, and I held up my hand. Every soldier behind me came to an abrupt stop, our breath forming clouds in the cold air. I folded my reins and hopped off, my legion doing the same. Abbie approached and stood at my side.

“Where is the prison?” Abbie asked.

I raised a finger, pointing to the edge of the mountainside. “There.”

She cleared her throat. “Sir, there is nothing there.”

“Exactly,” I said through gritted teeth.

The wooden bridge that led to the prison was gone, along with half the mountainside. I raised my hand again, telling my legion to stay where they were.

I walked to the edge of the clearing and looked over the cliff. There was nothing left but jagged rock and rubble. The prison had been destroyed. It looked as if a force of nature had hit it hard, reducing it to dust and stone.

“The prison is no more,” I said loud enough that they could all hear. “We’re leaving.”

Murmurs started between the soldiers, and I felt a spike of fear from them.

Abbie shook her head, shushing the ones behind her as the second in command before turning back to me. “Gone? No skyripper invasion could do that. What has the power to take down an entire prison?”

I shook my head and turned around, scanning the area. What had I missed? At the side of the clearing, snow fell off the massive rock formation, and an eyelid blinked open. I stared into a single crimson eye, my heart thudding as if it would burst from my chest. This was a trap.

The dark, misshapen stone moved again, and I realized that those were not jagged edges but spikes. Dianna’s Ig’Morruthen form had grown tremendously. It was my last thought before I yelled for the legion to move back. She raised her massive scaled head, opened her mouth, and set the mountains of Flagerun ablaze.

FORTY-SIX

DIANNA

The mountains of Flagerun were no longer covered in snow. Instead, flames licked at them, forming rivers of molten rock. Behind me, the forest cracked and trees snapped. Embers floated on the air, the sparks funneling toward the sky in a plume of smoke. I ripped the head off a soldier and tossed his body into the fray. Others screamed as they tried to escape the fire by running down the slope, but the flames caught them, turning them to ash.

His voice rose above the sounds of battle, broken and cracked, ordering someone to leave. I hopped atop the rock separating us and grabbed the person he was speaking to. Wrenching her head to the side, I sank my fangs deep and drank. I tossed her drained body at his feet, her bloodstained helmet making an odd clanking sound when it hit the rock. I braced my feet and slowly clapped. “Well, would you look at that? A golden prick army led by the biggest prick of all.”

Flames hissed against the snow, sending steam into the air. Vincent stared at me, a myriad of emotions flashing through his eyes. I saw shock, fear, rage, and something that looked like despair. My smile deepened when I noticed he hadn’t escaped from the fire unscathed. His skin was burned and pink along his neck, face, and left arm.

“Surprised to see me?” I asked, tipping my head to the side.

This changed everything. Luckily for me, I had a plan.

“Dianna.” He spoke my name behind gritted teeth. “I have to say I am. You were halfway across the realms last I heard.”

“Well, you heard wrong, but I’m not surprised, given your sources.”

Vincent crossed his arms over his chest and nodded once. “So it’s true then? You are protecting Reggie. Isn’t that what you called him? Honestly, I thought you’d mourn longer, but you did fuck anything that moved after your sister died. Guess it’s a pattern.”

My smile never faltered. He expected me to lash out, to charge him. I saw the way he pressed his foot into the ground, readying for the attack. He wanted me unhinged and out of control. I tilted my head. “How do you want this to go? Do you want me to send your ashes back to Nismera? Do you think she will care?”

I jumped from my rock and landed in a crouch, grinning when I saw him flinch. Placing my boot on the chest of a soldier’s corpse, I yanked a spear from his side. “I don’t think she will,” I said, spinning the weapon between us. “I don’t think anyone will care about the celestial who was too weak to stand up to a god for his family. Who would care about a warrior who didn’t even try to stop her? A man who was too weak to save the people who loved him the most, even when he didn’t deserve it? I think you’re just a sad little boy who hides behind his weird mommy issues, draping himself in armor and blades to feel good about himself. Who would love that? Love you? That’s why it really hurts, isn’t it? That, no matter what cruel thing I did, Samkiel loved me. Your family loved me. But you? We both know they will never forgive you, never love you again. So I don’t think anyone is going to miss you. What do you think?”

“I think you’re the same raging bitch,” Vincent spat, his celestial adyin glowing a bright blue.

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