Seven Samkiel

I exited the healers’ quarters, lowering my shirt. Soft giggles and whispers followed me out, but I ignored them as I turned down the hall. The scents of flowers and healing herbs filtered through the air. An assortment of lush plants and vines grew from the walls, columns, and ceilings, twisting and twining through the infrastructure of the palace.

I slid my hand across my scar, and a small hiss left me. It was still sore but better than before. At least with the last few stitches out, I felt I was progressing.

As I made my way to my next appointment, I took a deep breath and ran through the cover story Dianna and I had decided on. Lying was not my strong suit, but I knew what I had to do. I grabbed the curved door handle and twisted it without knocking. The door opened easily, and I stepped inside. Frilla looked up and giggled, her flower-patterned lace dress skittering across the floor as she rose. I noticed the rare green jewels that graced her fingers and wondered just how well they paid the Jade City healers that she could afford those. I offered her a soft smile, wincing as I curled one arm in front of me and bowed. I hoped my smile still seemed genuine when I rose, with no hint of the twinge of pain that still lingered.

“Please.” She chuckled slightly, waving her hand. “You do not have to bow, Cedaar. You are a guest here.”

Cedaar. The name Dianna and Roccurem suggested, along with this elaborate ruse. I smiled and stood upright as she waved me over.

The large carved-out windows allowed the clouds in. They spread inside and dusted the floor in a pink haze. Plant life spread over every portion of this luxurious room as it did this entire world. Large baskets, overflowing with brilliant flowers, hung every few feet. Several plush, elongated ottomans were placed about the room, each paired with a small table lined with bowls of fruits and pastries.

“You summoned me, my queen.”

It still felt peculiar to have that roll off my tongue. Dianna was my queen, the only one who would receive that title from me, the only one I’d bow to. Yet I had to play the part, so I forced myself to use the correct terms.

Frilla blushed, the lavender hue across her cheeks darkening. Her consorts glared at us, the two men and women sitting at the far end of the room, whispering as they finished their morning meal. I couldn’t help the small smirk that curved my lips, remembering my own breakfast.

Frilla stopped in front of me, clasping her hands in front of her. The intricate flower crown she wore rose high on her head, parts of it twisting like vines on trees with small flowers that seemed to open and close.

“Pennynickels,” I said, nodding toward it.

She giggled as she raised her hand to touch it. “Yes. Are you familiar? They are a lost jewel.”

I swallowed. “My mother had a garden when I was younger. She liked them and said they winked when they were happy and well taken care of.”

I didn’t mention how my father had surprised her with a whole bush of them one year with as many colors as he could find just to make her smile. How every early morning, she would take me on a walk to see them since they seemed to enjoy sunrises the most.

Frilla didn’t press the conversation, taking my words as flirtation as they were meant to be. Her cheeks heated as her lashes beat a fraction harder. “Come sit with me.”

Flashing a brief smile, I nodded and followed after her as she turned, the train of her dress flowing behind her. I glanced around the room. I knew there were no exits besides the main bay windows and the door, and the florals she had in here were all harmless, but I could still smell the tinge of something more potent. A male servant pulled a chair out for her, and a woman appeared, filling her cup with a liquid that filled the air with a sweet aroma.

I sat at the small table as another man brought me the same drink.

“Thank you once again for helping as you have and letting us stay.”

She smiled, interlacing her fingers as she leaned forward. “Of course. Any member of The Eye is a friend to us. Nismera and her legion have been a disease on these realms, you know.”

“Yes, very well.”

She took a sip of her wine, savoring it. Placing her cup down, she ran her finger over her lower lip, catching the drop that had threatened to fall onto the white lace of her dress. She held my gaze as she slipped her finger into her mouth and sucked. A bold and flirtatious move, and one I had to pretend to enjoy even though it did absolutely nothing for me.

Her consorts seemed to dislike it as well, shifting restlessly and avoiding meeting either of our gazes.

“Even with the request to meet alone, I sense the Ig’Morruthen through these walls. She does not stray too far from you, does she? Not that I blame her,” she all but purred.

A smile spread across my lips. I assumed she’d nap until I went back upstairs after this morning, but I shouldn’t be surprised. Since Rashearim, she hadn’t left my side. Even with the thick walls separating us here, I still felt Dianna as if she were next to me.

“No, she does not.” I nodded. “She’s protective.”

“I’ve noticed.” The queen raised her brow. “How serious are you two?”

She is my everything. The words floated across my mind, a truth that lived deeper than my flesh and bone, one buried in my very atoms.

“You know war.” I shrugged, forcing a smile. “It breeds closeness but not permanence.”

Her eyes flicked across me, and I tried not to show my disinterest.

“I must say, it is quite intimidating for us to be this close to one.” She giggled. “An Ig’Morruthen. We heard the stories of how the Primordials made them from a fraction of themselves to best the gods. They were granted the power to devastate cities, yet this one seems most content to just be in your presence.” She reached forward and grabbed a small piece of fruit from the tray. Popping it into her mouth, she chewed and swallowed before saying, “Tell me, just out of curiosity, what deathly gift does she possess? The most legendary could breathe lightning like the gods long dead.”

I buried my uneasiness at her question, instead reaching for my glass and taking a sip. “Flame, Your Majesty.”

“Fire? That’s . . . old.”

“Old?” I raised a brow.

She ignored my question, shooting a glance at the woman fluttering about near the fruits, something unspoken passing between them. Frilla turned back to me and asked, “And how did this partnership bloom? I’d never thought I’d see such a close connection between two warring sides. The Eye, no offense to you, always seemed to be above petty things. The rebellion is what matters, you see.”

Memories flooded my mind. A small smile flickered across my lips when I thought of the truth. I leaned forward, my hands wrapping across my elbows. “To be honest, we didn’t like each other at first, quite the opposite. I think it’s because we were too much alike. Stubborn. Hard-headed. Strong-willed. But we were forced to work together for a common goal. That closeness formed something stronger than dislike. We got to know each other and realized we had far more in common than not.”

I didn’t tell Frilla how being with Dianna made days feel like minutes, how time started to not exist the closer I had gotten to Dianna. After a while, against my better judgment, she was all I saw, all I thought about, and no matter how much I lied to myself in the beginning, she was all I craved. She lit a spark inside me, chasing away that harrowing darkness, and all it did was burn brighter the more I was with her. I never wanted it to go out, and I was afraid of what lengths I would go to keep it.

A sparkle lit her eyes before she cleared her throat. “Are you sure you two aren’t in love?”

“Mutually beneficial, I assure you.” I winked at her. “Maybe we can be as well.”

Someone dropped a tray in the far corner. The man was dipping to his knees and apologizing as he gathered the fruit onto a plate. Frilla’s cheeks heated once more as she cleared her throat and adjusted her posture, attempting to appear more appealing.

“I can tell you what we have discovered since you arrived. There is no more Samkiel. The fabled God King is dead, it seems. It happened while you were unconscious, so I apologize for breaking the news like this. I know The Eye had been hoping for his return.”

She shrugged as if my supposed death and the realms crumbling were no inconvenience to her and went on. “The Hand is dismantled and under Nismera’s rule. Hope, what fleeting ounce The Eye held on to, is gone.”

I swallowed as if she hadn’t just twisted a blade in my already wounded gut with her words. The images plagued me every godsdamn second. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my body on that damn floor, bleeding out, as my family walked through those portals, their eyes vacant. They were the perfect soldiers my father had warned me of eons ago.

“My faction does not see that as the end.”

Her head tipped toward me as the words left my lips. “How so? Nismera is a goddess of war. The strongest in this realm or the next, now that Unir and his prodigal son are dead. She has the same Ig’Morruthen beasts as you, only now I hear she has three.”

That was another slap to my already bruised soul. Cameron.

“To assume all hope is lost would be a grave error, in my opinion. As long as you are alive and have a willingness to help, hope is never lost. It’s when you truly give up, when you quit, that it’s gone forever, and regardless of size or numbers, I refuse to give up hope.”

Frilla pushed back in her chair, steepling her elegant hands. “Maybe that is why The Eye is still present after all these years. You all give riveting speeches.”

A soft chuckle left my lips, and with that, the meeting was over.

I stepped out into the hall, the large doors closing behind me. The sweet smell of pivorgreen filled the air, sticking to the walls with its small stalks of white, rounded bulbs. This entire palace was covered in vines and ferns. The flowers along this corridor followed my movements as if watching me, and I had a sneaky suspicion they just might be.

A sharp whistle up ahead caught my attention. Dianna leaned against the wall, her arms folded across her chest, wearing one of the lean, black ensembles I had made for her days ago. She wanted something similar to what she’d worn on Onuna when we worked out, something easy to move in. She dazzled me no matter what she wore, but I had to admit the tight clothes that hugged her every dip and small curve were my favorites.

“What are you doing?” I asked, bracing one hand against the wall beside her head and leaning my body into hers. My free hand curved around her back, reaching one of my favorite curves. “I figured you’d be resting.”

She smiled up at me before ducking under my arm and taking a step away. “I had to take the trash out. You’re a messy eater.”

Even as she distanced herself from me, my body buzzed with electricity at her double entendre and the memory of this morning. She caught whatever expression crossed my face and rubbed a spot behind her ear. I turned, remembering the signals she’d taught me, and saw a few healers coming toward us. They slowed their pace as they passed us, and we waited until they were gone before Dianna spoke.

“How did your date with our girlfriend go?”

I shrugged. “Absolutely riveting.”

“Learn anything?”

My eyes darted toward a few of the flowers above her head. “I feel dirty.”

“River?”

“River.” I nodded.