“Death,” I summoned, nearly begging.
An icy chill filled the dungeon, and suddenly we were no longer alone. I couldn’t see him, but I had no doubt he was here.
“Do something,” I demanded.
“I cannot,” he said, his voice making my bones ache.
“Yes, you can. You did it last time for Samkiel. Do it again,” I said, looking up, my fists full of crumpled remains.
He appeared, a cloaked figure that looked as if darkness had grown a body. His hood hid his face, and the only feature I could discern was the shimmer of his eyes. I was fine with that, unsure if I was ready to see Death’s actual face.
“I cannot because I did not.” Empty eyes met mine. “You did.”
“Then let me again,” I begged. “Teach me how?”
“You gave up your soul for one. You have nothing left to give for another.”
My heart broke and cracked wide open once more. “Then take something else, anything else.”
Death’s eyes met mine, and something in that alien gaze made me wonder if he’d truly cared for Reggie, too. “You have already given too much, and he’d never forgive me for hurting his little girl.”
An echoing howl engulfed the room, and then he was gone. I was left with just emptiness, its cold much harsher than even Death’s presence. I picked up the singed cuff that had been on Reggie’s wrist and hugged it to my chest before lying down in the ashes. The world seemed a bit duller now.
“Dianna.”
That voice cut through my harsh sobs.
“Akrai,”Samkiel said across our bond as if trying to figure out if I was crying from being tortured and bled or worse.“Tell me where you are.”
I couldn’t think, couldn’t feel. I didn’t even remember putting the ring back on.
“Akrai, baby. I can feel your pain. Tell me something, anything. Please.”
The tears came faster, their burn even more intense, and my sobs turned silent. The act of breathing was just too difficult to maintain. I knew that pain. It was an agony I thought I’d never again have to endure. I was such a damn fool.
“Reggie.”My voice felt flat and broken even through our bond, hollow like the hole in my chest.“He’s dead.”
Samkiel’s shock sliced across my mind like a harsh wind, turning painfully frigid as it transitioned into pain, and perhaps rage.
“I’m coming for you,”he said, and this time, the words were an unmistakable demand.“I’ll …”
Samkiel’s words stopped as if someone had pulled him out of his thoughts. His anger fed mine, and I was grateful to have another emotion to focus on. Just his presence in my mind and the sound of his voice lent me comfort and strength. Despite his own pain and grief, it helped to share the burden, and I knew we were both stronger for it. Nismera was wrong. Samkiel and Gabby had taught me that love did not make you weak. It made you powerful.
The renewed pain swallowed me, and I knew she had to have heard my cries. I did not hide them. I would not disrespect Reggie’s life with whimpers. He was loved, and he deserved to be mourned. I would take this time to grieve, and after that, I would do what I did best, because he also deserved to be avenged. Tonight I would weep, but come first light, I would rage.
Samkiel sensed the resurgence of my distress and tried to reassure me, promising that he was on his way, but I was too deep in my grief to respond. Distantly, I heard Unir calling to me again, but he was the last person I wanted to talk to. I tightened my fists, gripping the remains of one of my closest friends, and curled up on my side. With each sob that wracked my body, every wail of pain, my determination grew. She had not won, and she had no idea who I was and what I was capable of. She would never break me, but I would destroy her.
As I let my grief and pain pull me into darkness, a memory rose from the past.
“What is a forsaken blade from?” I asked Kaden.
He tossed a glance over his shoulder as I toyed with the serrated blade in my hand.
“Ig’Morruthen bone.”
85
SAMKIEL
