Nineteen Samkiel. Five Days Later

My side ached as I moved on the roll laid out in our tent. I was so tired of this constant pain. We were at another stop, only this time in the hills of Klivur, to pick up another set of prisoners and a huge crate. Sweat drenched my forehead as I rolled to my back and sat up.

A groan came from outside, one of pure pain. I turned, glancing toward the side of the tent where the elf stayed, and saw nothing but a tangled mess of worn blankets.

The grunt sounded again, only this time voices followed.

“Slimy bastard.”

Tossing off the blankets, I sat up. I headed toward the tent entrance and peeked out. Only a few small fires burned, and there were no prisoners or guards around. There was another grunt, and my head whipped toward the forest’s edge. I stalked forward, past wagons and the thick-maned huroehe that pulled them. I worried about their hooves with this terrain. Even as hard as they were, the jagged rocks could cut the soft underside after a while. They huffed, paying me no mind, the thick, long hairs of their tails swatting back and forth as they ate the wiry grass and herbs the guards provided.

I snuck past them, drawing closer to the noise. The light from the fires faded as I reached the front of two wagons and a sharp cry rent the air. I sprinted toward the noise as it grew more distant, my instincts screaming at me to hurry. The wind whipped over the mountains, rustling the leaves. I came to the second clearing and stopped just inside the tree line.

“That will teach you to be a fucking traitor,” a guard spat at the crumpled form he dropped. I saw the tail and knew who it was. Another guard lifted his arm, laughing as he pointed. “Drop him off the side of the cliff. No one will know.”

“What about Nismera?”

The third guard shrugged. “Accidents happen.”

They lifted him, and he groaned in pain. I stepped into the clearing, and both guards spun, their eyes widening as a scowl formed on their faces.

“Beating a man when he does not fight back?” I tsked. “Coward is not the right word in your language, but it is close enough.”

One guard drew his blade, raising it to me. “Back to your tent, prisoner, or we will gut you here.”

The elf at his feet pushed up, opening one bloody and bruised eye. I pursed my lips, sighing.

“Sorry, I can’t do that.”

They charged.

One raised his blade. It swished through the air, and I sidestepped, my fist slamming out, knocking him to the ground. The other guard came up behind me, his blade crashing down on my shoulder. His eyes widened in disbelief when the sword bounced off.

I shook my head and turned, yanking the sword from his hand and slamming the hilt against his nose. He cursed and stumbled back, covering his face, blood spurting between his fingers. I broke the blade across my knee. The guard nearest the elf leaned down to push him off the cliff but yelped and grabbed his own neck. He fell to one knee, a small blade sticking from his throat. He tumbled back over the cliff. The elf smirked, and I realized he wasn’t as defenseless as I thought.

His eyes widened, and he reached into his pocket. He threw something, and a small silver ring flew through the air. I caught it and slipped it onto my finger. An ablaze dagger formed, and I twisted my hand, stabbing the charging guard under his chin.

A shuffling came from my right, and the last guard gasped.

“No,” he whispered. “You’re no rebel. You’re him.”

The dagger left my hand and speared through his skull, cutting off anything else he would have said. His body dropped with a thud. I picked up the first guard I’d killed and stomped through the brush as I neared the elf.

He sat up, holding his side as he smiled at me. “Thanks for saving me.”

Not saying anything, I tossed the guard off the cliff. I stalked to the other guard and pulled the blade from his head, calling it back into my ring. I leaned down and lifted his body, hissing as my side pulled. But it was not nearly as bad as before. I stood near the cliff’s edge and tossed the last guard over before glaring at the elf.

“I know you kill monsters, but I’m surprised you killed them.”

“Who said they weren’t monsters?”

He swallowed and nodded. I extended my hand toward him, and he grasped it, pulling himself up. “Please tell me you did not get yourself in this predicament to prove a point.”

His tail thrashed behind him. “Actually, no. I left to take a piss, and the guards saw and jumped me.”

“Why?” I asked. “They mentioned a traitor.”

The elf dug into his loose pants pocket. He pulled out the rest of my rings and handed them to me.

“I guess I can tell you my secret since I know yours.”

I took my rings back and placed them in my pocket. “Go on.”

“My name is Orym. I’m an ex-commander of Nismera’s Thirtysixth Legion.”

ORYM HISSED AS HE FINISHED WRAPPING THE SMALL GASH ON HIS SIDE from the guard’s boot. “So you really are him. You’re the god king.”

He faked a bow, and I grumbled. “Stop that. I hate that.”

“How . . . how are you alive?” he asked as we settled into the cramped tent. We stayed in the shadows and snuck in through the back of our tent, making it back without the guards seeing us.

I said nothing as I lay back down on my small cot.

“I saw . . . we all saw the sky open. Your light dances across the sky. You’re supposed to be dead.”

Dead. That’s what they kept saying, and by all accounts, they were right.

I glanced at him, noticing his apprehension. “What of you? How does one become an ex-commander? Defection usually means death.”

His smile lost its shine. “I told you before. It’s always about a woman.”

“You lost someone.”

Orym lifted his blanket and turned on his side to face me. “Not just anyone. The one.”

My heart sank. “Your amata.”

He nodded. “She was . . . everything. She died along with many more when Nismera destroyed my world.” I listened to his heartbeat. It thumped, not in the erratic way of fear or lying, but like he was excited, as if my existence meant something to him. “Her rule is to join or die after she conquers, and we chose the latter. My sister and I joined the legion after admitting defeat, or so she thought. We have been working ever since to undermine her. We moved behind the scenes, collecting information for The Eye and waiting for your return. But you didn’t show, and then the sky bled.”

I swallowed the aching guilt that bubbled in me. “I did not know what was happening behind the realms. They were sealed because of me. I felt nothing until they opened. I am sorry for your loss.”

Orym shrugged. “We all know the pain of loss. The only joy I find now is that one day, I’ll see her again. So until we are reunited, I’ll help as many as I can.”

“That you shall.” I let loose a breath and absently cradled the wound across my abdomen. I turned onto my back, the new position giving my side some relief.

“I knew it was you when you arrived,” Orym said. “They tossed you in the cart, and I saw that gash on your side. That’s where she stabbed you?”

I shook my head, my hand fisting in the fabric. “Not her. My . . .” My voice trailed off. Kaden was my brother, a truth a part of me hated to admit. “Someone else did.”

Orym made a noise low in his throat. “How did you not die?”

I met his gaze, a soft smile playing on my lips as I heard Dianna’s laugh echo through my mind. “Someone I love very much found me and saved me.”

“Ah.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “In my culture, we don’t refer to them as just amata. They are your great love. Is she your great love?”

I nodded, staring at the top of the tent. “The greatest.”

“Is she . . .?” His voice trailed off.

I knew his question, knew what he was asking. He wanted to know if Dianna was still alive, and I knew she was. I knew it with every fiber of my being, even if I could not feel her from here. I could not explain it even if I tried, but that warmth, that spot inside my body that burned only for her, still burned vibrantly. That light had not gone out.

“She is.”

Orym yawned. “Well, then, I hope you see her again.”

“I have no doubt I will. I only worry about the world until she finds me or I find her.”

A short laugh escaped him. “So she is a warrior like you? It would make sense.”

“She is. She is also brave and way too smart for her own good.” I couldn’t help the smile that broke across my face thinking of her.

“Is she nice? My Wyella was kind. She would give her last breath to those she cared for. She did exactly that.”

I turned my head toward Orym as he spoke of his lost love, and I wondered if he needed a friend more than rescue.

“She is kind . . . well, it depends, honestly. She loves very deeply and cares for those who are hers, but she has nothing but fury for her enemies.” I smiled to myself. “I always suggest getting on her good side.”

“Ah.” Orym grinned. “You have a fiery one.”

My smile was pure and genuine. “Oh, you have no idea.”

Orym nodded, his smile slowly fading. “Protect it. What you have with her. This world will strip it bare. It’s not the same realm you and your father left. Only death lives here now.” The tent fell into solemn quiet. The fire crackled outside, slowly dying, and Orym nestled down to sleep, placing his hand over his face.