Page 22 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

She ignored my question, shooting a glance at the woman fluttering about near the fruits, something unspoken passing between them. Frilla turned back to me and asked, “And how did this partnership bloom? I’d never thought I’d see such a close connection between two warring sides. The Eye, no offense to you, always seemed to be above petty things. The rebellion is what matters, you see.”

Memories flooded my mind. A small smile flickered across my lips when I thought of the truth. I leaned forward, my hands wrapping across my elbows. “To be honest, we didn’t like each other at first, quite the opposite. I think it’s because we were too much alike. Stubborn. Hard-headed. Strong-willed. But we were forced to work together for a common goal. That closeness formed something stronger than dislike. We got to know each other and realized we had far more in common than not.”

I didn’t tell Frilla how being with Dianna made days feel like minutes, how time started to not exist the closer I had gotten to Dianna. After a while, against my better judgment, she was all I saw, all I thought about, and no matter how much I lied to myself in the beginning, she was all I craved. She lit a spark inside me, chasing away that harrowing darkness, and all it did was burn brighter the more I was with her. I never wanted it to go out, and I was afraid of what lengths I would go to keep it.

A sparkle lit her eyes before she cleared her throat. “Are you sure you two aren’t in love?”

“Mutually beneficial, I assure you.” I winked at her. “Maybe we can be as well.”

Someone dropped a tray in the far corner. The man was dipping to his knees and apologizing as he gathered the fruit onto a plate. Frilla’s cheeks heated once more as she cleared her throat and adjusted her posture, attempting to appear more appealing.

“I can tell you what we have discovered since you arrived. There is no more Samkiel. The fabled God King is dead, it seems. It happened while you were unconscious, so I apologize for breaking the news like this. I know The Eye had been hoping for his return.”

She shrugged as if my supposed death and the realms crumbling were no inconvenience to her and went on. “The Hand is dismantled and under Nismera’s rule. Hope, what fleeting ounce The Eye held on to, is gone.”

I swallowed as if she hadn’t just twisted a blade in my already wounded gut with her words. The images plagued me every godsdamn second. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my body on that damn floor, bleeding out, as my family walked through those portals, their eyes vacant. They were the perfect soldiers my father had warned me of eons ago.

“My faction does not see that as the end.”

Her head tipped toward me as the words left my lips. “How so? Nismera is a goddess of war. The strongest in this realm or the next, now that Unir and his prodigal son are dead. She has the same Ig’Morruthen beasts as you, only now I hear she has three.”

That was another slap to my already bruised soul. Cameron.

“To assume all hope is lost would be a grave error, in my opinion. As long as you are alive and have a willingness to help, hope is never lost. It’s when you truly give up, when you quit, that it’s gone forever, and regardless of size or numbers, I refuse to give up hope.”

Frilla pushed back in her chair, steepling her elegant hands. “Maybe that is why The Eye is still present after all these years. You all give riveting speeches.”

A soft chuckle left my lips, and with that, the meeting was over.

I stepped out into the hall, the large doors closing behind me. The sweet smell of pivorgreen filled the air, sticking to the walls with its small stalks of white, rounded bulbs. This entire palace was covered in vines and ferns. The flowers along this corridor followed my movements as if watching me, and I had a sneaky suspicion they just might be.

A sharp whistle up ahead caught my attention. Dianna leaned against the wall, her arms folded across her chest, wearing one of the lean, black ensembles I had made for her days ago. She wanted something similar to what she’d worn on Onuna when we worked out, something easy to move in. She dazzled me no matter what she wore, but I had to admit the tight clothes that hugged her every dip and small curve were my favorites.

“What are you doing?” I asked, bracing one hand against the wall beside her head and leaning my body into hers. My free hand curved around her back, reaching one of my favorite curves. “I figured you’d be resting.”

She smiled up at me before ducking under my arm and taking a step away. “I had to take the trash out. You’re a messy eater.”

Even as she distanced herself from me, my body buzzed with electricity at her double entendre and the memory of this morning. She caught whatever expression crossed my face and rubbed a spot behind her ear. I turned, remembering the signals she’d taught me, and saw a few healers coming toward us. They slowed their pace as they passed us, and we waited until they were gone before Dianna spoke.

“How did your date with our girlfriend go?”

I shrugged. “Absolutely riveting.”

“Learn anything?”

My eyes darted toward a few of the flowers above her head. “I feel dirty.”

“River?”

“River.” I nodded.

EIGHT

SAMKIEL

I darted under a hanging branch, turning quickly through an overgrown patch of trees. I leaped over the fallen log, hearing her paws beating the ground behind me. Fuck. I dodged left, then right, and then there was silence. She was fast. Too fast. I smelled the river up ahead. I had a mile left and focused on propelling my legs harder. The muscles in my abdomen burned, but I ignored it. I had been stabbed before. This wasn’t new. I’d been damn near bitten in half and survived, so I knew how wounds healed. It had been long enough for me, so why did my side still sting?

I ducked and sat, sliding on my ass. I rode the slope down and landed on my feet. A quick look back showed massive jaws snapping closed at the top of the hill, her piercing red eyes glowing from the darkness between two collapsed logs. I couldn’t help but grin. I had seen the new path a few days ago when she caught me here and knew it would buy me some time. A low growl rumbled from her throat, and I knew she was proud but pissed.

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