Page 171 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

“Yes, you do. I bought you one.”

“You did?” I couldn’t help my smile or the warmth that blossomed in my chest.

“Yes, in my tradition, it is part of the ceremony. The partner who proposes has three tasks they have to complete. One, they have to find a precious gem for their intended, and it has to be rare. That is a sign of how they view their intended. Your stone can only be found at the center of one very active and nasty lava pit. Two, they are to take care of the event itself. In doing so, they prove they are capable of taking care of their partner. Three, they handle the attire. If their partner doesn’t like what they have chosen, it is said that they do not truly love or know their intended, and the ceremony is voided.”

I shook my head in pure bewilderment. “That’s actually really romantic.”

“It is.” He squeezed my hand a fraction tighter.

Stupid tears threatened to blur my vision. I had never been loved like this. I squeezed Samkiel’s hand in return, unsure if he even felt it with our gauntlets. “So if I hate my dress, we call this whole thing off?”

Samkiel laughed. “Yes, but I am not worried in the least.”

“Cocky.” I bumped into him.

I was so foolish. The entire time he was gone, I had assumed the worst. The part of me still damaged thought he’d be like Kaden. Even though I knew Samkiel would never treat me as Kaden had, I still expected the absolute worst. I’d thought he had given up on us when I’d been the one threatening to pull back. I truly didn’t deserve this man, but I no longer cared. He was mine, and I was keeping him.

I didn’t have pretty words to offer him, and I sucked at revealing my emotions, so I did what I always did and said, “I am going to fuck you senseless.”

His whole body went rigid, and he practically stumbled to a halt. Silver lined his eyes, and I didn’t need to see his full expression to know how my words had affected him. This time, it was his turn to stumble over his words.

“Well . . . I mean . . . we technically could now. If you want? This entire place is abandoned.”

I smirked beneath my helmet, dropping his hand as I walked past him, tapping his shoulder. “Ravage me after the ceremony.”

WE SEARCHED THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE OLD, BROKEN STRUCTURE before making our way downstairs.

“Are you sure they are still alive?”

Samkiel nodded and walked in front of me, ducking low to avoid the support beam above. “My sources say yes. The plus side is that she is similar to an air fae. The energy carried by the wind nourishes them so she would not starve. They are quite able to defend themselves and adept at hiding, but overall, they are usually docile. She would not feel the need to flee in fear of the creatures we so politely destroyed.”

He held out his hand, and I took it. We walked down the roughhewn stone steps, following them as they circled deeper.

Samkiel let go of my hand as he reached the landing. He twisted the knob of a wooden door, but it did not budge. His body stilled, and he tipped his head, listening.

“It is barricaded from the inside, and I can hear a heartbeat.”

“Lovely,” I said.

Samkiel leaned back and rammed the door with his shoulder. The door gave, and whatever was bracing it on the other side scratched against the stone with an ungodly sound. I flinched and covered my ears.

“Sorry,” he whispered and summoned a ball of light into his hand before stepping toward the ruined door. Nothing stirred but a tiny, little creature hissing away from the light. We walked further inside, the room a complete disaster. Some crates were lodged to one side, half overturned and empty, while the others were in shards. Samkiel stopped in the center of the room, raising his hand as he looked around. He paused as his light found a hall in the far left corner, half-hidden by a support beam.

“Wait here,” he said. “Just in case.”

“In case what?” I asked.

Samkiel didn’t answer, but as he stepped closer to the hall, I heard running footsteps coming from my right. A battle cry tore through the air just before I was tackled from the side. I hit the ground with a clang, but the armor absorbed most of the impact. My hands rose instinctively, stopping the descent of the rusty spoon aimed at my face.

A woman with pale skin and swirling white markings on her face snarled at me, exposing conical-shaped teeth. One minute, she was staring daggers at me, and the next, Samkiel had her up on her feet. He yanked the spoon from her hand and tossed it aside.

“Everrine. Be calm.” Samkiel’s voice was infused with power.

Her sapphire eyes dulled, and her lower lip trembled. She tossed her arms around his neck and sobbed, the flowing white gown she wore dirty and ragged. She clung to him, speaking quickly. I was so glad Samkiel had taught me the common language, or I’d be lost.

“Samkiel,” she wept, stepping back so she could look up at him. Her hands clasped the sides of his helmet, and she pulled him down, placing a kiss on each cheek.

I gripped her arm and pried her from him, ignoring her hiss as I pushed her back.

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