Sixty-Five Samkiel

The portal behind me hissed as it closed, and my hand dropped to clutch at my side. I’d spent so much energy the last few days, and the expenditure had my wound feeling as if it had ripped open. I took a breath, then another, but I was accustomed to this pain. Straightening my shoulders, I pushed my hood back and strolled down the dark alleyway. I heard raised voices, followed by banging and cursing. Beyond the mouth of the alleyway, the small city glowed with orange flames, smoke clogging the air as shadows darted back and forth.

A pair of smoldering red eyes suddenly burned from the shadows, making the hair at the back of my neck prickle. Before I could even get a word out, my back hit the wall, a cool blade pressing against my throat. Dianna held me firmly in her grip, her crimson eyes blazing at me.

“You left me for three fucking days. Again.”

“I can explain.”

She tipped her head to the side, the blade pressing harder into my throat. “Oh, look at that. You can actually hear me when I talk to you.”

I swallowed, the blade scraping at my neck. I deserved that since I’d made her leave when we spoke last. It hadn’t been in anger. I’d left in determination, but she didn’t know that.

“Traveling realms takes time. I apologize.”

Her nostrils flared, inhaling deeply to take in my scent. Her lip curled, and the red in her eyes flared into flames. I knew she smelled where I had been.

“Wait, it’s not what you think,” I said quickly.

Dianna stepped back, all heat and pure rage as she lifted her foot and spun. I didn’t know why I thought I could block that kick. It just made it hurt more. I flew through the wall into the neighboring room and landed hard. I groaned and arched, my back aching. Dust floated through the air as she stepped through the crumbling hole she’d made in the stone wall with my body.

“Okay, you’re mad. I understand, but that’s no reason to burn a city.”

She flipped the dagger in her hand. “Oh, I didn’t do that. That was your sister’s legion who showed up.”

I was on my feet the next second. “Are you okay?”

Her fist shot out, but I caught it, wrapping my fingers around her entire hand.

“You care? Since when? You sneak in and leave without so much as acknowledging my presence and then come back smelling like a sex house!”

“Dianna.”

She yanked her fist away and came at me again. I clasped her wrist and took her to the ground. I used my body weight to hold her, pinning her hands above her head as she thrashed. She shoved into me, tossing her hips up, which had the opposite effect of what she was going for. I took advantage of the position and maneuvered my hips between her thighs, pressing harder against her.

“I should cut your balls off and feed them to you,” she snarled, her bared canines gleaming in the darkness. The crowd outside, shoveling and fixing their ruined buildings, didn’t even notice the two most powerful beings in the universe fighting a few feet away. Even the shop she’d tossed me in was abandoned.

I risked getting close to those teeth and leaned into her space. “You’d miss them too much.”

She growled and thrashed but to no avail. “Get off of me!”

“Promise you won’t try to stab me.”

She stared at me, her eyes still blazing with that glorious red, but she eventually let the blade in her hand clatter to the floor above us. Knowing how fast she was, I rose swiftly and extended my hand. She scowled and hit it away from her as she stood.

“I’ll ask you again. Are you hurt?” My hand rubbed across my throat. I was a little surprised to find she had not even scratched me.

She adjusted the hem of her dark shirt. “Not by them.”

I lowered my gaze. There was still so much to talk about, so much to say. It didn’t surprise me in the least that she’d managed not only to kill one of Nismera’s commanders but also take half of his fleet. She was brutally efficient when protecting those she loved, making every fiber of my being burn brighter and hotter for her.

“Where is everyone?”

Her eyes never wavered. “You would know if you’d been here, but you weren’t, and from the smell of it . . . You know what? No. I’m not doing this with you. I’ve already done it with your brother.”

Glass crunched on her boots as she tried to storm past me. My hand whipped out, grabbing her arm before she could go anywhere. “Dianna. I did not do what you are accusing me of, nor would I ever hurt you like he did.”

“No,” she said, her lip curling even as her eyes shone. “You’re worse. Now let me go.”

I did, and she stepped back, creating distance between us. She glared up at me as if I were a threat, and it gutted me. I realized how thoroughly I’d fucked up. I should have stayed and talked instead of leaving her, but I had a reason, a purpose, and something I needed to collect before we moved forward.

“I apologize for sending you away. A lot happened and . . .” I stopped. I couldn’t tell her, not here, not like this. “Just come with me. Please. There is something I need your help with.”

She folded her arms tight to her body. “No.”

“No?” My brow lifted.

“No. I’m taking a play out of your book. Maybe I should disappear for a few days. Maybe visit a sex house too? I hear threesomes are great for heartbreak. Oh, wait. I can’t because the fucking universe is hunting me, and what—”

Her words died as soon as I advanced on her. I crouched, wrapped my arms around her thighs, and tossed her over my shoulder. She yelped, her hands digging into my back as she thrashed.

“Put me down.” She tried to kick her legs, but I tightened my hold on them.

“No.”

“You smell like rancid wine and sex,” she hissed, punching at my shoulder. “What, did you leave to get drunk and get your cock sucked?”

“To be quite clear, I was at a brothel.”

“I knew it!” Her scream was damn near demonic as she clawed at my shoulder. “Put me down! I’m going to kill you. You won’t have to worry about Nismera finding you.”

“Would you stop biting me?” I adjusted her on my shoulder. “It was not for sex. I went to visit an old friend who is in hiding. He can make . . . things.”

She removed her teeth from my back. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“You’ll see.”

I moved my arm in a slight circle, my side aching as I pulled on my power. The air split on a whisper, sending dust and trash skipping over the ground. Dianna grumbled and bit me again, but we were already in the portal and gone.