Samkiel said nothing, but the blade disappeared back into his ring as he continued to stare at Cameron. I stepped closer with the woman and touched Samkiel’s arm, gaining his attention before passing her off to him. She swayed, still glassy-eyed as if lost in a dream. Her heartbeat was present if fluttery and a bit weak. Samkiel steadied her and placed his hand on her neck, a soft light glowing as he healed the wound on her neck.
“I-I—”
I held up my hand, cutting Cameron off. “First, stop apologizing. You were injured, practically starved, and you are still learning. That was why I wanted to be with you when you did it. I’m proud you made it to us without decimating an entire village along the way.”
His eyes flicked toward Samkiel, but he quickly dropped his gaze as if he were ashamed or feared what he’d think of him now.
“Drop the attitude,” I snarled at Samkiel. “We have more to worry about than your bruised male ego. There is no reason for it to be, anyway.”
Sometimes I forgot I wasn’t dealing with a mortal man. Immortal ones, it seemed, were far more feral and protective over those they claimed, and I refused to have him kill one of his best friends because I wounded his ego or pride. It was a conversation and temper I needed to deal with, but it would need to be handled later.
My gaze whipped to Cameron, and I placed my hands on his shoulders. A sharp snap of teeth and a low growl came from behind me, and I could feel the heat of Samkiel’s fury slamming against my back.
“Stop it,” I snarled at Samkiel without turning. “Ignore him,” I said to Cameron, but I did drop my hands from his arms. “Killing is killing, Cameron. Monsters, men, or a woman.” I waved my hand toward her as she slowly came to in Samkiel’s arms. “It’s all the same. You’re stopping a life, whether in defense or in an attempt to obtain the food you need to live. Don’t be ashamed. You’re standing in an alley with killers.” I nodded toward Samkiel. “Even this honorable beast has ended lives.”
“To be fair,” Samkiel started. I cut him a glare that had him stopping and clearing his throat before continuing. “She is right.”
Cameron raised his hand, wiping at his mouth. “If I could have just listened, maybe I could have—”
“You couldn’t have known he was alive or what he would do. Miska is not your fault. We’ll find her. You did not fail her.”
Cameron forced a half-smirk, the light that always burned so brightly in him seemingly extinguished. Samkiel made a noise of agreement and shifted the woman in his arms as she started to come out of the compulsion. I stepped in front of her and gripped her shoulders.
“Go home, pack your bags, and follow your family to the portal at the end of the street.”
She blinked as the world rushed back to her. A smile bloomed on her pretty face as she looked at me, growing brighter when she looked at Cameron. She waved at him before leaving the alley and blending in with the crowd. Samkiel wasn’t taking any risks with this town after what we’d learned. These people would be far safer in our city than here. Once we explained and gave them the option, they eagerly gathered their most precious items and what they would need to survive. Now, with sacks tossed over their shoulders and pushing heavy carts, they entered the swirling portal at the end of the street. On the other side, our city was bright and green, with people waiting to welcome them. It was such a bright contrast to what they lived and breathed here.
“Are you sure the city is safe now that Kaden knows where it is?” Cameron asked, watching her leave. “Kaden will tell Nismera when he reaches her.”
“It will be fine,” Samkiel answered, coming to stand at my side.
“How can you be so sure?” Cameron asked.
Lightning flashed, thunder cracked, and rain came down in a deluge. “Because we are going to kill him before he ever makes it to her,” Samkiel said with lethal calm.
This changed everything. If Kaden could escape death by Oblivion, what did that mean? And why would he take Miska? Was it to replace Gabby? A way to control me again? That cold, killing calm washed over me, drowning out emotion and reason. I needed to be smart about our next move, and we needed to act now. My soul, the world, all of it would need to wait. Getting Miska back and killing Kaden and Isaiah permanently just became our top priority.
“What do we do now?” Cameron asked, the portal to our new home closing as the last person stepped through. Samkiel cast another behind us, the wind chilly as a mountainside capped in snow came into view.
“Simple,” I responded with a predatory grin. “We go hunting.”
20
ROCCUREM
Days had passed as we scoured the nearest known realms. Everywhere we went, we found one of two things. Either abandoned planets left in ruin and dust after the destruction of Nismera’s raids or small, forgotten villages and towns that Nismera hadn’t deemed worth her time and effort. Samkiel offered aid and protection to all we encountered but refused to force those who chose not to align with any power. It was a testament to Samkiel’s noble heart that he ensured they would continue to receive whatever resources they needed.
We found no signs of the Ig’Morruthens or the small girl who only wished to heal. It had been a futile hope to think that Kaden and Isaiah would lie low on their return home, but I had kept that truth to myself. What I had seen shall come to pass, no matter how brutal it may be, for it was the only way these realms would ever know peace. So I helped where and when I could.
When all of us were at our limits, we took refuge in a cave system on the coast of an abandoned planet. Water dripped down the stone walls, trickling in from the rain that had passed days ago, the moisture soaking into the feverish ground. Crescent twin moons shone brightly in the sky, surrounded by twisting shades of purple and gray. Most worlds in this solar system were inhospitable due to its gaseous nature, but they sure made for a beautiful night sky.
The only thing that interrupted the peace was the sound of massive paws beating against the forest floor. It was the only indication of the royal guard who patrolled diligently, protecting the king and queen, who slumbered deep within the cave, their bodies wrapped together in warmth, not lust. We’d had to beg them to sleep, both too consumed with searching to consider resting. They didn’t understand that they would find her when the time was right, and it had to be right. Too soon, and their fate could spin farther than I’d be able to catch.
A howl split the sky. It wasn’t loud enough to wake them, more a whimper and whine. The area was clear, and the alert was only for me. I heard the cry deep within it and knew he just wanted to know he wasn’t alone in the night, mourning the small healer. Cameron didn’t know what his future truly held, and he was doubting his ability to protect and help those he loved. He was unable to settle after losing Miska. Especially when he had made no headway in finding the man who plagued his dreams and nightmares every time he closed his eyes. Failure leaked from his pores, and he silently cried to the universe, asking for redemption that would never come. So, the restless wolf patrolled in waning circles, pausing now and then to lament to the moons.
I lay back and rested my hands on my chest, listening to Cameron move through the dark. I watched the unfamiliar stars slide across the sky. My home, my true home, was far beyond them and this place. Where a heart should beat in my chest, I felt a fleeting pinch of pain. I was almost surprised to realize that I mourned. There were so many empty worlds, all of them decimated in the wake of an oppressive dictator. They were nothing more than empty rocks now, but the light that wished to cradle the growth still illuminated them.
The night grew frigid. It wasn’t a consequence of the night but the harbinger of the dark being who had appeared. I rose to my feet, making sure I did not wake the royals sleeping behind me. With a concentrated effort, I willed my body to unmake itself and reformed at the cliff’s edge, miles from the cave and the beast that prowled the surrounding forest. A deep, dark cloak fluttered in the wind, but I knew it was not made from cloth and had no physical form. It was made from the darkness emanating from him in small waves. It enveloped him completely as if it were entangled with his very soul. I stopped beside Death, my toes kissing the edge of the cliff. His massive form towered over me, his shadows reaching out to taste me.
