“Always.”
I nodded and rested my forehead against hers. Dianna leaned into me for a moment, but then stepped back. She moved toward the bed, stripping off the heavy pieces of armor that no longer fit until she was standing in just the sleek, long-sleeve black bodysuit she wore beneath.
I watched as she went to every window and every corner of the room, checking to see if we were being watched.
“I already did that,” I said. “It seems that Milani trusts me even after all these years. There aren’t even any listening devices.”
“Milani?” Dianna asked, tossing me an annoyed look over her shoulder before circling back to the center of the room. “You all are back on a first-name basis now? Got reacquainted, did you?”
“Not like that.”
“You sure? You reek of her,” Dianna said, her eyes dark as she folded her arms across her chest.
I could tell by her attitude that she hadn’t heard my declaration to Milani of who she was to me. She must not have been outside long before Milani called for the guards.
My lip curled in disgust as I lifted my shirt, smelling myself. “Ugh. Well, she has been trying to fuck me for three days straight.”
Dianna’s back went bone straight, and she didn’t miss a beat as she stormed past me toward the door. “We are going straight to Plan B. I’m going to kill her now.”
I reached out, grabbing her arm and spinning her back toward me. I cupped her jaw, pressing my thumb against her chin, tipping her head up. “Not yet. We need to find out what she knows—”
“Yes, yes. I know,” she said, rolling her eyes and pouting her lower lip.
I smirked at her show of jealousy and nipped at her adorable pout. Dianna harrumphed and pressed her fist against my stomach, pushing me away a bit before going on. “Do you know how many warships she has? The sky was littered when I arrived, and I doubt that’s all of them. I couldn’t even count all the ports I saw when I entered.”
“Not fully, no.” I lifted a shoulder. “I was hoping to find out, discuss negotiations, and so forth.”
Her brow rose. “Negotiations? I was asking, so I know how many I need to put down on our way out of here, but you want to negotiate?”
“Yes,” I said. “I don’t see why I wouldn’t? Her armada is a force in these skies. If we can get her on our side, not only would it weaken Nismera, but we’d have a tremendous advantage over her.”
Her mood turned even more sour. That small light of humor that had been there a few seconds ago died with my words.
“And how do you plan to do that?” Dianna all but sneered. “Ask nicely? The only way it seems she would even entertain that prospect is if your cock is in her mouth, and then I’d kill you both, so it would be a moot point.”
I sighed, and it was my turn to roll my eyes. “I’m not putting my cock in anyone’s mouth but yours, so stop.”
Her lip curled. “I hate the negotiation route. The rulers didn’t want to help us, and I am betting she won’t either. Not without demanding a price that I am not willing to let you pay.”
“I had hoped to use our past connection to make her see my side of it.” Dianna’s eyes glowed a vibrant red, and I raised my hands in defense. “Not the sex part.”
Dianna spun away from me, running her hands through her long tresses.
“Is it not my duty to work for peace before sending the realms into war?” I asked her pacing form.
Dianna turned on me, her lip curled. She threw her hands up before slamming them onto her hips. “I guess.”
“You guess?” I asked. “Dianna, I do not want to send these realms into war. That is my last and final option. You know that. Especially if there is another way. I have to try.”
She scoffed. “Another way? So your plan is to work together with your psycho ex who abducted you? And you think that will work when I can literally smell her intentions on you?”
“I do not care about her intentions. We are talking about countless lives lost in senseless bloodshed. This is a war that has the potential to last decades once it starts. It will not end with just one or two battles. It is not that simple. Once blades are drawn—”
“I get it, Samkiel,” she cut me off. She tossed her hands up and spun away from me. “I don’t need you to explain things to me like I’m a fucking child.”
I blinked. I was used to Dianna’s emotional outbursts, but this seemed extreme. Something else was wrong. My eyes narrowed, and I tipped my head slightly as I looked at her. My mind reached for hers, but I was met with an impenetrable wall.
“What’s wrong with you?” I demanded.
