Page 208 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

“He has Orym and Veruka. If he takes them back to Nismera, they are dead.”

Her face scrunched as she debated it, and I knew a part of her didn’t care. It wasn’t because she was cold or callous, as everyone assumed, but because she loved me, and she was so tired of losing the ones she loved.

“I will be fine. I trained Neverra, and I can subdue her.”

Something flickered in Neverra’s gaze, but it was gone a moment later. She started to pace, her movements as graceful and elegant as always. I knew we didn’t have much time before she came at me again. She was just figuring out how to get past Dianna.

“Dianna,” I prompted.

“You’re so bossy,” she said and clenched her fists. I knew she’d not leave me, the world be damned, but I needed her to. We’d lose Orym and Veruka if she didn’t.

“Please,” I said, sending a wave of my desperation to her but also my love. “Save the others. I can take care of Neverra.”

“I don’t even like them.”

“Dianna.”

Dianna growled softly and walked a distance away before changing her form and launching herself into the air, her wings pounding the ground with a rush of wind threatening to flatten everything around us. I knew it was her way of having the last word.

I took a deep breath and held my hands up. “No weapons, Nev,” I said. “I will not hurt you. Logan would kick my ass.” Again, there was that flicker in the depths of her eyes. “You remember him, don’t you?”

She lunged, aiming for my chest with that broken piece of her sword. I dodged, raising my arm to take the brunt of her strike. It clanged against my armor, and my forearm tingled from the force of the hit. I snatched the hilt from her grip, leaning back when her fist came at my face, the punch just missing my jaw.

She came at me with punches and kicks, relentless in her mission. Most I either blocked or took, but I refused to fight her. She was not my enemy, only my family.

“All the women in my life want to kick my ass,” I joked. She brought her knee up hard enough to make me grunt from the impact. I pushed back, and we circled each other. I heard another roar of flames behind me. Dianna must have found them.

“You know, I was thinking the other day of how reluctant you were to join The Hand.”

Neverra sent another jab toward my face, and when I moved out of her way, she lifted her elbow and caught me across the chin. The impact sent my helmet flying. She followed it with a kick to my chest, my head ringing when I landed on my back.

“Now look at you,” I groaned and sat up. “One of my strongest.”

Neverra raised her foot to stomp me. I jerked back, sliding over the ground on my ass. She kicked out at me again, but I caught her foot this time and pushed, sending her flying through a pile of crates. I jumped to my feet and walked toward her. She pushed herself up, debris scattered all around her.

“You know, a fate told me once that love has power. I want to test that theory.”

I knew I shouldn’t, and it would cost me, but I had to save my family, regardless of the power I used. They came first. Neverra charged, and I opened a portal to our new home right in her path. Logan sat in a cell, blue bars gleaming behind him. His empty cerulean eyes stared at us, and it broke my heart to see him look at his amata like that. I had never seen anything but love in his gaze when he looked at her.

Neverra skidded to a stop, her hands dropping to her sides. She blinked just once as she looked at him. Her lip quivered, and I knew it had worked.

Her eyes darted to mine. “Sa-Samkiel. How? What’s going on?”

“You are in there.” I couldn’t help the tears that burned my eyes, but my joy was short-lived. She dropped to her knees, her scream bloodcurdling as she grabbed her head. I ran, falling to my knees and skidding to a stop beside her. I held her clawing hands, keeping her from pulling at her scalp.

“Neverra. It’s okay, I’m here. You’re—”

She twisted out of my grip, and her fist shot out, catching me in the nose and sending me reeling back. My eyes watered, but I could feel it already healing. Her boots stomped against the turned-up ground as she stood up, looming over me. I looked up at her, and my heart sank. Whatever had been there was gone, but it had happened. I’d seen it, and I heard her voice. That was all I needed to give me hope. If they could be reached, nothing would stop me from saving my family.

Neverra may be my fastest, but she wasn’t faster than me. I rose to my feet and appeared behind her. My fingers found the pressure point between her neck and shoulder, and she slumped into my arms. I lifted her and stepped through the portal, calling for Roccurem.

EIGHTY-FIVE

DIANNA

I was a killing machine, one made of fire and sharp edges. A weapon was what they all said, and a weapon was what I felt like. Chunks of the ryphors fell from the sky, the pieces of their massive bodies littering the war camp below. Claws, teeth, and flame bit into every single one that thought they could escape me. Their blood stained my jaws, taking any that took flight to the ground. Only a handful remained, and one of them carried that damn commander.

Illian and one of his guards rammed into me, ryphor teeth biting into my skin. My hip exploded with pain, and I burned his ally to a crisp, my tail hitting the commander’s beast hard enough to crack bone. They tumbled to the ground, and I followed, landing next to him. I shifted back to my mortal form.

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