Page 92 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

He nodded, and his brows ticked up as if he agreed fully with what I said. It wasn’t a lie, but it also wasn’t the full truth. I was way too hungry at this point not to rip his throat open the next time he was inside me.

“All right,” he said, glancing down at me. “But when we leave here . . .”

“Yes.” I rolled my eyes dramatically. “You can ravage me for hours once we are out of here, my king.”

“Dianna,” he warned.

Shrugging my shoulders, I smiled and sauntered up the steps. I had to cover the yelp when he popped me square on the ass.

We made it back to his cell. Orym wasn’t there, and Samkiel sat down next to me. He sighed and asked, “Are you so pissed at me that you’d venture down there when I told you to stay away?”

“No,” I said. “And I can handle myself, in case you forgot.”

“I didn’t, but you do not know every Otherworld being, Dianna. I have no idea who or what he is. Some can kill with a glance, others with gas you’d never smell until it was too late.”

“Well, he doesn’t look like he can release a deadly smoke bomb. He literally has hair on his ears. He’s probably not dangerous at all. Maybe he is a soft, squishy feline.”

“I do not care what he has. Do not risk yourself like that again. Please,” Samkiel growled low in his throat.

“I won’t . . .” I paused. “I’ll try not to.”

“Well, work on that.” The corner of his lip tilted as he rested a hand on his knee. “Why did you go, anyway?”

I let his question hang in the air for a second before I released a breath. I needed to tell him. My dreams weren’t stopping, and after seeing things out of the corner of my eye back in River Bend, I started to worry that maybe I was being followed.

“I have to tell you something, and you are going to be mildly upset.”

He was quiet for a second before he nodded. “All right.”

We sat knee to knee as I told him of my dreams. I told him of the place, the man with orange eyes, and how long it had been happening. He said nothing as I finished. Only looked at me with a twinge of hurt flashing through his eyes.

“Are they . . .” He chewed on his words, growling softly. “In your words, sexy dreams?”

I couldn’t help but smile. “No, never. I only have those about you.”

The haunted look left his eyes, replaced by one that made me think of when he showed up for our ice skating date. He looked surprised or excited. I wasn’t sure, so I went on.

“It always starts the same. I’m in this bone graveyard of massive beasts, and I know where to walk, where to go. When I make it, he’s just sitting there on this throne. Waiting.”

“Waiting?” he asked. “Waiting for what?”

“Me.”

His face hardened as if I’d just threatened him. “He will not have you.”

I placed my hand on his. “I know it’s just creepy, I guess. When Orym said someone from the Otherworld was here, I went. I had to know if it was him, but it’s definitely not.”

“Why would you think he was from the Otherworld?”

My lips pursed into a thin line. “Well . . . Reggie may have said since I was here, powerful beings from the Otherworld may reach out.”

Samkiel sat back and nodded, glaring at the wall. “All right, so Reggie told you, and you confided in him over dreams of a mysterious man.”

I leaned forward, grabbing his face and forcing him to look at me. I made him face me, placing a kiss on his lips. “Don’t be jealous. I was going to tell you, but it’s not like we have time.”

“We’ve had plenty of time. You could have told me anytime, and I could have told you just the same, if not more.”

“I’m sorry.”

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