Page 84 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

“Don’t try to kiss your way out of a discussion.”

My hips moved again. “What if I wiggle?”

He lightly popped my ass. “Stop it. I’m being serious.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Fine. I’ll play along if we make a deal?”

His brows furrowed. “A deal?”

My hand stilled behind his head. “Gabby was stolen from me because I trusted others. You were . . . I will not do it again. I can’t.”

His hands drifted to my hips, gripping as if to stabilize me on this plane. It was as if he was afraid if he let go, I’d float away to that damaged dark place where all my demons waited. “I know.”

“I told you before, I am not the same as I was before. I will not change, and if that’s a problem, you need to tell me.”

“It’s not.” His fingers flexed on my skin. “You’re not. All I’m saying is that in this war, we will have to deal with and form alliances with those we may not like or trust. I’ve done it my whole life. And sometimes that means holding our tongue.”

His fingers tipped my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. I nipped at his hand and said, “I’ll work on that.”

“And keeping things from me?” He tilted his head, a single brow raised as if he already knew every single thing I hid. I felt my body flush. Had he figured it out? Did he know what I’d done?

“What do you mean?” I swallowed.

“I thought we had moved past this.” His words carved my heart into pieces. “I thought after everything, you’d rely on me more. Tell me your plans. Do you want to tell me about the fires in the East?”

Relief washed over me in a cool wave.

He went on. “I know how cocky you are, but leaving the place burnt to embers and a note for her? That’s brash, and it will only fuel her rage when we need to stay under the radar.”

I nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It was when you were still unconscious. I wanted her to look for us there, far away from the southwest region of the realms and Jade City. That’s all.”

His thumb stroked across my lower back. “I do have a question, though. How did you even know where to go? Where the soldiers were?”

My lips formed into a thin line, knowing he wouldn’t like my answer.

“Reggie.”

His hands flexed on my lower back before moving to my thighs. “Roccurem sent you to the East without regard for your safety or her numbers? He risked you for a distraction?”

“Technically, he knew how many. I just went a tad bit overboard,” I said, holding my finger and thumb about half an inch apart.

Samkiel ran his hand over his face and rubbed his eyes. “I need to speak to him . . . or kill him. I have not decided yet.”

A small laugh left my lips, and I pulled his hand away, clasping it in mine. “No killing. It bought us time, okay?”

“To be fair, I am unsure if a god could even kill a fate, but I am persistent and willing to try.”

“Stop it.”

“I do not like feeling left out when it comes to you. Especially after everything.”

I pressed my lips together. He wanted all of me, and I wanted to give it more than anything, but it was so hard, even after everything, to let every wall fall. I needed to tell him about the tunnel, about what happened, but I was so scared. I could claim I wasn’t, but I was. Nismera scared me more than anything, if I were being honest. With how he was now, it’d only take a second for her to take him from me again. I feared myself and what I would do if that happened. I could fight her armies and dismember threats, but I could not fight death. It held the upper hand, and I always lost.

“I know,” I said. “I’m sorry. Honestly, I’ve been worried about more important things,” I joked lightly, poking at his side.

He didn’t wince like he had so many times before when something brushed against him. The antidote had worked, which meant it was the poison that had made him so ill. I was so worried about him even being alive again that I hadn’t even thought an outside factor could play a role in his lack of healing.

“I also burned down Jade City,” I said, peeking through my lashes.

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