“I’ve been thinking of a way to pay you back, you know.” She smiled fondly at me, giving me a half shrug. “You really set the world ablaze when you showed up. You destroyed many of my legions and took down a good portion of my fleet. Monster to monster, I truly think you’d be a threat, which is why I’m going to make an example out of you.”
Nismera lifted her knee and slammed her armored boot into my gut, forcing me to double over. She pulled back her arm and slammed her fist into my face. I stumbled, barely managing to stay on my feet. Laughing wetly, I wiped the blood from my chin and waited for my neck to heal from the whiplash and the ringing in my ears to stop. I flipped my hair out of my face and spat at her feet. “You think you’re above everyone else, but here you are, only able to face me with my powers bound. You are weak and afraid, nothing more than a blustering bully.”
Her eyes were icy chunks of hard silver, burning me as she glared at me. “No, my sweet Ayla, I am afraid you have met your match. There is nothing you can take from me that can hurt me.”
Her eyes flicked to the side. “But there is something I can take from you that will hurt you.”
My heart thudded as she advanced toward the fates. The inches between us suddenly felt like miles. I leaned forward, the chains biting cruelly into my wrists. I told myself that there was no need to be afraid. A god could not kill a fate, but I couldn’t help how my chest ached with a terror that made my beast writhe.
She crouched in front of Reggie and grinned at me over her shoulder, the death spear still clutched in her hand.
“You want to hear a story, Ayla? About how the universe was made?”
“I’d rather hear you die.”
Her smile widened. “It is foretold that those above us, higher than mortals, gods, Primordials, and Sovereigns have a purpose. Should they stray from their purpose, they will be punished.”
I didn’t know what she meant, but Reggie looked as if he did.
Nismera pointed her spear at Reggie’s heart, and I snapped like a snarling beast, fighting against the chains, trying to reach him.
“Don’t you dare touch him,” I snapped.
“You want to hear the saddest part of the story? Fate saw a small babe who could alter the world. His sisters whispered that the change must happen alone. He must watch, but never intervene. However, fate fell in love, as a father would love a child. He watched her grow, watched her fall, and when chaos was not looking, he helped pick her back up. Fate defied orders, and a god heard of it, took him to a safer location so none could find him. It wasn’t until that babe, now a woman, ventured to him that fate knew. She took him, made him flesh, but that’s not all. Fate loved her so much that he grew a mortal heart.” Nismera tsked as my eyes burned, filling with tears. “Love is a curse, Ayla, and you are its wielder.”
My chest ached, but Reggie looked at me as if he knew this all along.
“Reggie?” I asked him, continuing to twist my hands in the chains, rubbing my wrists raw.
“Go on, tell her,” Nismera said, poking him with the tip of the spear.
Reggie hissed, but didn’t take his eyes off me. “She is right,” he said. “After I saved you, my visions ceased, and my body felt different. I’ve known for a while now, but it wasn’t until Gathrriel took you that my heart started beating out of fear for you. I pledged my loyalty and love to you long before we ever met, and loving you was the greatest gift of my existence. There is nothing I would change, and I don’t want you to be anything other than what you are. I know what you will be, Dianna, and it is glorious. Please know, no matter what happens, I would do it all again.”
My eyes burned as I looked at Reggie. He was more than a fate, much more than that to me. He was family. My heart hurt as I remembered the first time he smiled at me. He’d been so confused, as if it were the most foreign concept. He’d stood vigil on the truly brutal nights after I’d lost Gabby. Reggie had been a constant, steady presence, never judging or retaliating when the pain became too much, and I cast vile words at him, needing him to share my pain. Reggie was like a father to me. He’d shared in the absolute worst time of my life, but he had celebrated the best as well. He’d walked me down the aisle, toward the man who was my everything, witnessing our marriage proudly.
“Aww,” Nismera crooned, one hand under her chin, the other holding the spear to his chest.
I looked at Nismera, steeling my back. “Take me instead,” I said. “Punish me, whatever you have to do, but leave him out of it.”
“Dianna. No,” Reggie said, his tone jagged and his back stiffening.
“You want to make a statement? You don’t need him to do it. Take me, but leave him alone.”
Nismera’s lip curled, but relief flooded me when she nodded slowly and stood, taking a step away from Reggie. “You know, I expected more from the fabled queen sent to ruin me. This is just disappointing.”
I didn’t care about her mocking, just relieved she had finally moved the spear away from Reggie. I let out a low breath, but it stuttered in my lungs as she spun. She stepped away from us before raising her hands and clapping. We both jumped, and she laughed.
“Pathetic.”
I didn’t care. Nismera was threatening to take someone I loved from me, and I didn’t know if I could bear it. For Reggie, I’d be pathetic. It was an easy price to pay. He was worth so much more than my pride.
Nismera tipped her head toward the guards. Their boots scraped against stone as they turned in unison and ascended the curved staircase. We waited in silence until they reached the top. I couldn’t see them from here, but I heard the dungeon door open. I thought perhaps Nismera was about to leave, but my hopes died when I heard the murmur of voices. The dingy cell filled with the scent of perfume and cologne as he royals flooded in, draped to the teeth in fancy garments, jewels, and shiny adornments. I beheld the lords and ladies from the remaining seven realms and thought about how foolish we had been. They were all here. Everyone Samkiel and I had visited, all the ones who rejected us. They smiled as they filed down the stairs after the guards.
Nismera wanted a demonstration and was putting Reggie, Unir, and me on full display to prove her power. She held a fate, an ancient, powerful god, and me, the object of her hatred and fear. To them, she was beyond powerful, and they knew it was safer to kneel before her than stand against her. I glared at them in disgust. They were idiotic cowards, all of them.
Their loud, luxurious outfits stood out like sore thumbs in the dungeon. They were a sea of blue, emerald, gold, and white, and they looked as if they were headed to a gala. The way their noses wrinkled in disgust told me this place smelled as bad as it looked. One by one, they met my eyes, standing side by side with their partners.
“Welcome,” Nismera said, greeting them with a smile as they bowed to her. Lord Iver made sure to look directly at me. His smile was so wide I wanted to rip it off his face and make him eat it. I didn’t see his trembling wife with him. Instead, he’d brought another woman who clung to his side. Piece of shit. “I hope the trip was not too hard for any of you.”
