Page 65 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

My eyes narrowed on him. “Remind me to get soundproof walls when we eventually find him and build a new home.”

“My question remains. You will rule by his side. Already, others will not accept you for what you are. Will you further prove their point by piling bodies at their feet?”

I didn’t say anything for a moment as we carried on. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. My focus had been on surviving day to day. I still didn’t want to think about it. My main concern was finding and healing him. Crowns, thrones, and saving the realms could come later.

“Let’s just find him. Then we can save him, The Hand, and the realms. We will worry about politics later.”

Reggie sighed. I stopped and extended my arm, stopping both Reggie and Miska. The crowd moved at their own pace, but a chill ran down my spine. It was a sensation I knew all too well. My head whipped to the side. Across the street, between two buildings, stood a man clad in black. A hood draped his head, covering every part of his face. My heart dropped in anger, replacing all other emotions. Flames burst to life in my hands, and I ran past Reggie, darting through the crowd as he called my name.

Beings yipped and yelped as I pushed through the crowded street, the heat from my flames clearing a path as I ran. The figure was only six paces ahead of me when he turned down an alleyway. I jumped over a cart, the owner stumbling to the side and yelling after me.

I darted past a vendor full of fish and skidded to a stop at the mouth of the alleyway. A ball of flame left my hand with the force of a hurricane, hissing as it flew. It burst against the stone wall at the end of the alley, the fire extinguishing upon impact. I stopped and searched the alley but found nothing but overloaded trash barrels and a few small skittering creatures. The massive wall was the backside of another building. Where had he gone?

“What are you doing?” Reggie asked, coming up behind me, Miska holding his arm.

“Didn’t you see him?” I pointed toward the empty alley.

“See who?”

“Kaden,” I snapped. “He was standing there back in the city. Watching us.”

“Dianna.” Reggie glanced behind me, then back, concern filling his eyes. “Kaden is not here.”

“I saw him,” I said. “I felt him.”

“Respectfully, Your Grace, Kaden is not here. You are the only powerful force in this village right now. Even if he were here, the legion would be with him. There is no way he goes anywhere without her regime now, especially when it comes to you.”

My chest heaved, the Ig’Morruthen in me thrashing to kill. I shook my head, glancing back toward the empty alley. “I know what I saw, what I felt, Reggie.”

“Are you sure you are all right?” Concern furrowed his brow.

I took one last glance at the empty alley and burned wall before nodding and moving past them. “I’m fine.”

Neither Reggie nor Miska said anything as we headed back into the crowd. A few looked our way but steered clear. Others pretended they saw nothing as they moved their food carts further away. We made it past another shop, the worker watching me warily. The whole village probably thought I was crazy, and maybe I was, but I saw him. I swear I did.

“Has this happened before?” Reggie asked. “Have you seen or felt him since the remains of Rashearim?”

“No, not really. Maybe a shadow here or there, but never anything as clear as that.” My eyes darted to his. “The only other thing is the man with orange eyes, but that’s only in my dreams.”

“Why have you not spoken of seeing things outside of your dreams?”

“Because we have more important things to worry about, and I chalked it up to everything that’s happened.”

Reggie stopped in front of me, Miska by his side, watching us. He placed his hands on his hips, the cloak flaring at his sides. “That’s exactly why you should say something because of everything that has happened. The realms are open, which means the Otherworld is open. They have powerful allies that may sense your power, too.”

“And so what, they stalk me now? In my dreams or out here around every corner?”

“Perhaps.” He scratched his head. “I am not sure.”

Screams rang through the streets, interrupting our conversation. Shouts followed, and my heart thundered. I was right. Kaden was here, and he’d brought the legion. I grabbed the dagger strapped to my thigh, holding it sideways as flames lit my other hand, and I prepared for a fight. People ran toward us and scattered as Reggie grabbed Miska, holding her close.

“The sky.” Miska pointed.

Reggie and I looked up where the clouds seemed to flutter. No, not flutter, but part. A heavy beast burst through the opening. Its creamcolored wings shot through with gold spread wide. It looked like it was headed right for us. It tucked its wings and arrowed toward the ground. People scattered, leaving only an empty street.

Thick talons on its front feet flared wide as it slammed to the ground, its landing shaking the street. Feathers covered its head and massive chest, its beak glinting in the sun. A tail whipped behind it, long and smooth with a fluff of fur at the end. Its back legs ended in paws bigger than my head, and I suspected they concealed claws that could rend and tear.

The massive beak opened, and it screeched, the sound echoing so loud it could shatter windows. It bore down on me with the lethal grace of a predator, its hot breath blowing the hair back from my face.

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