“Vvive was pregnant.” The words came out quicker than I could process. “The stories, all of them, were changed. They’re wrong. They stole Vvive and their daughter from him. The gods killed them because they feared what the baby was, the power she carried.”
“Is that all he showed you?” Samkiel asked. “All you saw?”
“Yes, and no. I saw a figure, a witch, and Unir holding a baby. A baby with … silver hair. I think it was Nismera, and I don’t know what it means.”
He slid his hands over the sides of my hair, comforting me as his eyes scanned my head and face. “It’s okay,” he said before he leaned down and kissed me.
His lips had barely touched mine before I jerked back, my hand snapping up to wrap around his throat.
“You’re not my husband.”
“Nope.” He grinned, unconcerned with my grip on his throat. Then his storm gray eyes bled to red, and he slapped my hand away. I felt the slice of a blade rip through my lower abdomen. Blood rose in my throat, soaking my mouth with the taste as he twisted the dagger.
Kaden? Had he betrayed us? No. I recognized the eyes now. I had looked into them at one of the worst moments of my life. Samkiel’s form shifted and twisted, losing its bulk and height. Long silver locks replaced his dark hair.
Nismera.
79
SAMKIEL
Mere moments earlier
Stones and dirt gathered at my feet as I continued to dig at that wall. I’d told her I would, just as a precaution. Taking a step back, I blew out a breath and placed my hands on my hips. I curled my hand into a fist and kissed the shining ring encircling my third finger. I was so grateful I was able to have it made before I lost Killium. It symbolized our pledge to each other, committing ourselves to one another for all eternity, and I was grateful it allowed me to speak to her. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t still counting every second she was out of my sight, but then I had been doing that from the moment she had exploded into my life.
“I honestly thought you’d show yourself sooner,” I said, still staring at my ring with my back to the entrance.
“I was biding my time,” Umemri said.
My feet scraped against the stone floor as I shifted to give him my profile, tipping my head the slightest bit to look at him. His towering figure consumed the space in the doorway. His body twisted and writhed beneath his long, dark coat. The pits of his eyes were bottomless and nearly as dark as the abyss he crawled from.
“Is this what you’ve been reduced to? The King of the Otherworld sends his tiny bugs to do his bidding?”
“Ah.” He smiled. “So you did see?”
“I have seen each and every one since we left the Otherworld,” I said, finally turning fully to face him.
“On every windowsill of every boarding house we stayed at, every railing post, every camping site. I just assumed you’d have the balls to actually show. I didn’t take you for such a coward.”
His huffed, deep laugh nearly obscured the sound of ripping fabric. The shadows around him shivered, and long, thick, dark appendages tore from his back. Dark, insidious power seeped from him as a crown formed on his head. Sharp ebony spikes reached for the ceiling, and the band dipped to a point on his forehead.
Whoever wears the crown of Icnima rules the Otherworld.
That’s what Eryx had said, which meant he could summon the worst from the pits of the Otherworld if he wished. From what I remembered of the books and stories of my childhood, that meant nothing good, and I couldn’t risk him bringing anything to the surface while Dianna was trapped behind me. I needed a new plan. One that would keep his entire focus on me. Dianna had taught me all too well, and it was time to take a page from her book. I was going to piss him off.
“I expected more from you, the powerful King of the Otherworld. The being that other gods avoided for fear of retaliation. Except you use insects to do your dirty work and keep tabs on us.” A low whistle left my lips. “Maybe my theory was wrong. Maybe you didn’t kill Icnima. Maybe she killed herself to be rid of the embarrassment that is you.”
He swung a long, dark appendage at me as expected, but I was quicker. Silver flashed in the gloom, the glow barely registering with how quickly I summoned it. I leaned to my left and sliced. Umemri hissed as the fleshy severed appendage hit the cavern floor.
That small victory was short-lived. Tentacles flew at me, wrapping around my neck, midsection, and legs, binding my arms to my sides. He whipped me through the air, slamming me against the ceiling. My body hit with a thud, the air escaping my lungs in a harsh rush. He threw me against the ceiling, walls, and floor. My ears rang with each forceful impact against the stone, and I dropped my blade. He took quick advantage of my disorientation and bound my hands before dropping me, his appendages racing back to him.
I landed with a huff and lay there for a moment, catching my breath. Well, it seemed the tentacles didn’t regenerate. Good to know. It meant that the rest of him probably couldn’t either.
“You’re a fool to come after me.” I spat and pushed to my feet, my body aching. I summoned another ablaze sword from the ether in my ring and held it parallel to my arm. “Nismera is your enemy, Umemri. It was her legion who kept yourpet.”
His tentacles curled behind him, poised like snakes ready to strike, but he did not take my bait. “Am I? Nismera was going to return her to me when she arrived. You slaughtered her.”
I shook my head. “She was sold at an auction. She escaped her cage, rampaged through town, and tried to kill Dianna. I did what I must.”
