I wasn’t afraid to admit I loved the damn thing. Not only was it something he had made for me when I thought we were over, but it was physical proof we were married and truly finally together in every way possible. And the jewel was really big and shiny, and I liked staring at it, and if he chipped it, I’d chip him.
“Don’t break it like last time.” I raised a brow.
The corner of his lip lifted. “Why, Dianna, I didn’t know you cherished it so.”
I shrugged. “It’s pretty, that’s all.”
He grinned. “Terrible liar, as usual, but I promise not to break it this time. I think I transcribed the rune wrong, but after a few tests, I figured it out.”
I took one last look at the sparkling jewel between his fingers, hating the hollow feeling of not having it in my mind. “Fine, just be careful,” I said, playfully rolling my eyes.
“I will,” he promised.
I patted his shoulder and turned away from him. “I was talking to the ring.”
The air stirred behind me just before his hand landed on my retreating ass. Both the yelp and laugh I let out were genuine. He stalked from the room, heading back downstairs.
“I’m sorry,” Miska said, glancing up at me. “I failed you.”
“It’s okay. We lost the battle, not the war,” I said, patting her head.
She huffed, catching her breath with the biggest smile on her face.
“We will have retribution, and it will be swift!” I screamed at Samkiel’s retreating form. I grinned when his mocking laughter drifted up the stairs.
AFEW DAYSlater, my new and improved ring sat happily on my finger. I still smiled to myself every time I thought of the secret message Samkiel had inscribed on the inside of the band. I loved him so damn much, and I made sure he knew it too when I went to my knees and …
I pitched forward, my face meeting the ground. Dust rose in a plume around me, filling the air. I lifted my head and spit the dirt from my mouth as I stood. Brushing the debris from my clothes, I cursed and glared at the large stone I’d tripped over. My spine tingled, and I spun, expecting to see someone behind me. I took a breath, then another, my fist half raised and covered in flame. The trees danced in the wind, and I caught the sound of soft, light footfalls beneath the rustle of the leaves. Miska came down the path, catching up with me in the next second. I extinguished my hand, hiding it behind me as the smoke settled.
“I … can’t … run … that … fast …” a sweat-drenched Miska huffed as she crashed to a stop beside me and placed her hands on her knees. We were stopped at a curve in the path Samkiel had made for us when we wanted to run. No matter which direction we went, all the trails led back to the palace. A part of me thought he did it because Cameron had told him how lost I had gotten on the remains of Rashearim.
“You are doing great, actually,” I said. “You only asked to stop eight times. That’s three less than last week.”
She huffed, wiping sweat from her brow before wrapping her arms around herself. She turned from me as if the rolling landscape offered some sort of freedom.
“What’s wrong?”
She was quiet for a moment before she glanced at me. “I’m scared.”
My head tilted ever so slightly. “Why? You’re safe here. Everyone is.”
“Scared of what’s to come,” she added. “Reggie says he cannot see past a certain veil of darkness. You and Samkiel are heading to the Otherworld, and Cameron keeps patrolling over the city like he’s waiting for something.”
“He’s practicing, that’s all,” I said. “Are the people in the city worried, too?”
She shrugged. “Seeing and hearing his wings as he passes makes them a little nervous. I think they assume it’s her and her legion or something.”
“That’s why I have him training. Just in case something happens while we are gone.”
She nodded. “You won’t be gone that long, right?”
“I won’t lie to you. I don’t know, but I’ll try not to be.”
“Okay.” She sighed.
“And as for Reggie, that’s why he is going with us. Maybe someone in the Otherworld knows more about fates. We might find out that having spotty visions isn’t that serious. Maybe even how to fix them.”
She nodded. “He’s my friend. I just worry about him. Plus, I sometimes catch him muttering in his room, yet no one is there.”
