Page 128 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

“I tried to have the fate killed, and Vincent came back an absolute waste.”

My heart lurched. He was here? But I had checked the medical wing and everything.

“He returned from the infirmary in Pike’s Bay a few minutes ago. We had the guards escort him to his chambers. I am afraid he is still in rough shape. We have not had the opportunity to seek out new healers since she destroyed Jade City.”

She waved her hand, staring out the window of her war room. “He is nothing but a sentient weapon. He is not my concern. These realms are my concern. My rule will be challenged if I am even suspected of weakness. Losing that prison is weakness, having my legion decimated is weakness, having my general near death is weakness.”

My chest tightened for him. Vincent had betrayed his family and was damn near on his deathbed for her, yet she spoke about him as if he meant nothing. He was nothing to her. I struggled to hold back the anger that bubbled in my throat. I hated her.

“You are not dealing with a simple rebel, my king. She was, for all intents and purposes, the Queen of Rashearim. She was meant to rule everything. Therefore, her—” Leviathan’s head exploded, blood and brain matter spraying everywhere.

Elianna yelped and grabbed her notes. The other council members froze, none daring to speak.

Nismera’s eyes returned to their normal color, the silver power that had burned in their depths receding.

“Rolluse,” she said. The man sitting to the left of Leviathan’s corpse stood, his hair, face, and clothes splattered with gore. “You are now the leader of The Order. Please don’t be like Leviathan.”

“Yes, my liege.” Rolluse bowed, a slight tremor shaking his body.

“And there will be no further talk of rulers. I am your king. Your only. Understood?”

Every head in the war room bobbed, even the guards.

“What’s our next step?”

Rolluse swallowed, reaching for the folder in front of Leviathan’s chair. He opened it and cleared his throat before speaking. “The King of Quinural still requests to see you in five days for the resale. I suppose he wants to gift you the murrak and offer a display of power.”

“He’s only pissing in his boots because The Eye is growing close to his territory. Otherwise, he would have pledged his loyalty sooner.” Nismera waved her hand.

“Regardless, a murrak is a rare creature. You can add it to the plethora of others you have collected and stored.”

Collected? How many monsters did she have under this damn city? And what was she storing them for?

She sighed. “I suppose. Even with my ryphors, I do not have the time to fly there to retrieve it myself. We need to prepare for the coronation. I cannot prepare a legion to join me if I’m not here. What commander is stationed closest? Maybe they can pick it up for me?”

Elianna flipped through several pages before half raising her hand. “The closest would be Enit, but his calvary is too small. Send Illain.”

I didn’t stay to hear the rest, needing to check on Vincent. Sneaking out of the war room, I hurried toward my chambers, taking the wide stone steps two at a time. The hall was clear, but I heard the low murmur of voices and paused before turning the last corner. I carefully stepped into the corridor and pressed against the wall to listen.

“The infirmary did a terrible job,” a tall woman said, her face and hands completely covered.

The short, stout man next to her nodded. “They are all we have now that Jade City is ash.”

They hurried past me, continuing to talk and none the wiser. I didn’t hesitate, nearly running to Vincent’s door and pushing it open. I snuck in and spoke the enchantment, dropping the veil of invisibility as the door closed behind me.

Vincent’s feet, raw and burned, were the first things I saw. He lay atop his bed, covered in gauze. My horror grew the closer I got. His entire body was covered in horrific burns. He seemed to be resting, but then I saw the tonic on his bedside table and knew they had sedated him for the pain.

My hand went to my mouth, and tears filled my eyes. Not a single hair remained on his head. Even his brows and lashes were gone. How bad had he been before the infirmary got to him? Near death, at least. I knew the true power of Ig’Morruthen flames and had seen what Dianna could do. She could have made this quick, but she had done this to make him suffer before he died.

“Stupid, stupid idiot,” I whispered, wiping tears from my cheek. I knelt beside his bed. “Why would you even go after her? You know it’s suicide. How dare you try to leave me here alone! I can’t do this without you. I can’t be alone.” It was true. He was the only friend I had in this wretched, wretched world.

My head dropped to my arms along the side of his bed as my body shook. Tears spilled as the stress of this damned place finally broke like a dam. If Vincent died, I would be alone, truly, utterly alone. A wet sob left my lips before I covered it, lifting my head. I refused to leave him like this. There was no telling how long it would take for his celestial blood to heal him.

I knew for a fact Nismera did not care one single bit, nor would she even venture here to visit him. He was a weapon to her but not to me. The tears dried on my face, resolve replacing despair. I stood in one solid motion and cast my illusion once more before leaving the room.

I stormed through the maze of halls, my magic raging around me. I didn’t even care about the chaos I left in my wake. An emerald ball of power formed in my hand, and I blew Kaden’s door off its hinges.

He lunged out of bed, his chest bare, dark slacks slung low around his hips, the twin lines of muscle on each side disappearing beneath them. His eyes were burning, and he snarled at me, baring his fangs, ready to end my life.

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