Page 126 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

“Why doesn’t she? Could save us all from this war.”

“Do you believe that to kill a fire, it is appropriate to add more flames or extinguish it?”

“I just mean, why hasn’t she? Especially if you make it seem as if they were enemies.”

A blissful giggle filtered through the ceiling, and a slow drip of water fell onto Orym’s leather pants. He sighed and flicked it away.

“Because of love. Only her sister reached that celestial part of her, and now he does. He is order. She is chaos. One cannot exist without the other, and if she were to lose that, war would be the least of our problems.”

Orym’s eyes softened. “She had a sister.”

“And she damned near destroyed the world when she lost her. Imagine what she would do for him.”

Orym glanced up as the sounds of their coitus continued.

I reached for the tea Miska had crafted for me, my headache roaring back to the front of my eyes, and took a sip. The pain subsided, and I sighed in relief. “He finds peace in her, even before he knew what she was to him. It is something he has never found with another. I watched it from above. How that heart he’d encased in ice began to slowly beat once more.”

A grunt came from the hall and not one of pleasure, like those from above. Savees leaned in the doorway, taking up the entire frame with his bulk. His ears twitched as he glared at the ceiling.

“They don’t sound as though they hate each other now,” he snarled. “I hate Otherworldly hearing.”

“I assume it is treacherous for a Q’vineck.”

Orym jumped from his chair, nearly toppling it as he scurried to the other side of the room. Savees just rolled his eyes, those twin tails flicking in annoyance.

“You were with me for weeks, and now you fear me?”

Orym’s chest heaved. “You lot are supposed to be extinct.”

Savees’s teeth flashed, the white stripes along his neck darkening. “Don’t worry. We are now.”

I sipped at the calming liquid in my cup and regarded him. “I was surprised to see Nismera attempt to capture you. Your kind are a ferocious, rebellious bunch. I’m surprised she wished to claim you.”

His smile held no humor. “Claim is not the right word.”

“What?”

Savees cut a glance to Orym. “Whatever she needs creatures for, it is not for an army. I fear it’s much worse.”

“I think your concerns are an accurate assessment.”

Savees ran a hand behind his ear and glanced up again. “Samkiel needs to be careful with her.”

Orym snorted. “I think she can handle it. Trust me, I’ve been around them for weeks.”

Savees’s tail twisted in irritation. “That was not what I meant. She is power, power the Otherworld is raising its head toward. They will come for her. If they haven’t tried to already.”

“They will taste Samkiel’s steel if they even try,” Orym said.

Savees nodded in agreement before reaching behind him and pulling the thick hood over his head. He shifted his cloak, hiding his tail as it wrapped around him and secured the clasp at his neck. “When they finish, tell them where I went, won’t you, fate? I have a few people who I think will join the World Ender,” he said and strode from the room without waiting for a reply. Orym visibly relaxed once he was gone.

“You fear the Q’vineck?” I asked.

The noises above reached their crescendo, and Orym shifted his feet.

“I’ve heard stories of the giant beast they turn into. Fangs sharper than steel with claws to match. Their ferociousness in battle rivals even the Ig’Morruthen’s, and I’d prefer all my limbs stay attached.”

I turned toward the lost Elvian prince, who was completely unaware of his heritage or fate, and smiled. “I would not worry about the Q’vineck.”

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