DIANNA
Ipushed pieces of the building off me and groaned. Samkiel grabbed my hand and lifted me out of the rubble. I was barely on my feet before he was wiping the dirt off me and checking me for wounds.
“Are you all right?”
“Physically? Yes,” I said. “My ego? Not really. Who taught Camilla to fight like that?”
He shook his head, but before he could answer, a loud thunderous boom shook the city, making waves slam against the banks of the river. I looked up at him questioningly.
He frowned and shook his head. “That wasn’t me.”
We scrambled out of the nearly destroyed building just as the sky turned dark. We looked up, and I groaned when I saw why. It wasn’t clouds that had obscured the sun, but warships entering the atmosphere.
“Looks like your girlfriend is here,” I said, my lips quirking.
He popped me on the ass and said, “Not funny.”
“If you two are done playing bump and tickle, we need to find Camilla and get that damn medallion before they do,” Kaden said, pushing himself to his feet with a groan and helping Isaiah up.
I bared my fangs at him, but it was half-hearted.
“Agreed,” Samkiel said.
Samkiel recalled his armor, and we made our way to the center of town, where one of the ships hovered low enough to drop her winged soldiers. Samkiel caught Kaden’s eye and lifted his chin. Kaden nodded, and he and Isaiah split off from us as we slipped into the crowd, doing our best to blend in. There was no sign of Camilla or Vincent, but it was hard to track anyone in the crowd. People were shifting, obviously trying to find shelter without drawing attention to themselves.
Samkiel leaned down to whisper against my ear. “Tell Kaden and Isaiah to check the outer city walls.”
I nodded and rested my hand on his arm before passing the message through the bond, knowing how much he hated it. Kaden and Isaiah looked in our direction and nodded before spreading out.
“Citizens of Goldpass, have no fear. We are simply searching for fugitives of the crown.” Silence gathered as an image projected from his gauntlet. “Have you seen these people?”
The crowd parted around us and backed away as if we were on fire.
“Well, there goes subtly,” I said. Samkiel groaned as I stepped forward with my hands raised. “No need to yell, guys. You could have just asked politely.”
The crowd split, shifting to the sides as the winged soldiers turned toward me. The one in the center who had spoken closed his gauntlet and turned toward me, but he focused on the looming presence at my back. He was big and beautifully defined. The muscles across his chest were heavy and thick enough to support his wings and body weight in flight. I could tell by the way he moved that he had a very high opinion of himself and would be insufferable. He removed his helmet, revealing hair shorn close to his scalp. The tall male dropped his helmet and stepped forward, meeting Samkiel eye to eye. “Well, it’s nice to see you again.”
Samkiel returned his smile. “Wish I could say the same.”
The male held out his arms and flexed them. The skin was lighter than on the rest of his body, made up of small pieces of sparking metal. It looked almost like scales, flexible and smooth.
“Like my new arms?” the male asked.
“Ennis.” Samkiel sighed. “I don’t like anything about you.”
Ennis chuckled and bent to pick up his helmet, slipping it back onto his head.
“I’m here to take you back. Don’t worry. I am supposed to bring you in alive. Mostly.”
“Oh, yeah?” Samkiel smirked. “How did that work last time?”
Ennis laughed and bit his bottom lip as he drew his blade, the soldiers packing the courtyard following his lead.
His gaze raked over me, his nostrils flaring in what could be disgust. “So, she is the one you were so desperate to save, huh? Really? This is her?”
“Yes,” Samkiel said.
“Not that pretty and far too lean. My sister is prettier and at least she has breasts,” Ennis said with a frown.
