Eighty-One Dianna

And this is your room,” I said, opening the door. I stepped aside so Reggie could pass.

“It’s quite lovely.”

“You like it?” I asked.

I walked to the desk in the corner, eager to show him the massive globe and large colorful map of the realms and their stars that we’d found.

Reggie lifted his gaze to the glass-domed ceiling. It was sometimes hard to tell with Reggie, but I could feel the happy surprise coming off of him. While he explored, I opened the windows, letting a sweet, warm breeze slip in.

“We are so high you can see the mountain tops and, at night, nearly the whole galaxy,” I said. He watched me flit about the room, seeming to enjoy my excitement. I stroked my hand down the large brass telescope. It pointed toward the open window above. “And if you really miss your home, you can look through here.”

Reggie nodded, grinning indulgently. “This is truly lovely. Thank you, Dianna.”

I folded my hands in front of me. “You’re welcome. I made sure there was a small table and chairs here. Maybe we can get you some of those board games you enjoy.”

Reggie said nothing as he glanced toward the small table.

“Maybe Miska can bring you those teas you love so much.”

He only nodded.

“Okay.” I tossed my hands up. “Say it. What’s wrong with you?”

Reggie’s eyes met mine. “I do not know what you mean?”

My hands fell to my hips. “You spout off about some weird message, which you haven’t done in a while. I have not seen you use those eyes in a while either, and you have been consuming a lot of tea, so I asked Miska. I know they are laced with both a sedative and painkillers. What’s wrong?”

Reggie nodded. “I see. There is nothing particular, I suppose. Just minor aches and pains here and there.”

“Since the tunnel?”

He nodded.

I stepped toward him, concern twisting in my gut. “Is there anything I can do?”

Reggie shook his head. “I am afraid not, but I shall be fine, Dianna. Nismera is a powerful goddess, but the after-effects of what she did to me shall wear off. It merely takes time.”

It didn’t completely ease my worry, but I smiled and nodded, not wanting to pester or push further. I patted his shoulder and left him to settle into his new room. I was happy that he seemed to like it.

My footsteps were light as I skipped downstairs toward Samkiel’s study. It had taken him a while, but I was glad he’d finally picked a room out of nearly the hundred here. I had finally suggested he take the one on the third floor. It was near our room and huge, with plenty of room for all the scrolls and books I knew he would eventually hoard. I had no doubt he would fill the shelves with his treasures in no time.

I couldn’t help my grin when I thought about the desk we’d moved into his office. We had found it on one of the lower levels, and it was big enough for him to spread out and make a complete mess of it. We had tested the sturdiness of it three times, just to make sure it was exactly what we needed.

My giggle preceded me as I pushed open the large double doors. Sunlight spilled through the windows on the left, dust motes sparkling in the beams. Samkiel and Orym seemed to be in the middle of a debate, but they both turned toward me. I caught the apprehension on Samkiel’s face and how Orym’s mouth was set in a thin line, and I knew there was trouble. A tall, lean female elf stepped around Samkiel. She had been standing so close to him that I hadn’t even noticed her, but I saw her now, and she was way too close. My lip must have curled, and I knew my eyes had gone red because Orym stepped in front of her and held out his hand.

“Dianna,” Orym said, “this is Veruka.”

I blinked, startled enough to pause. “Veruka? As in works-for-Nismera Veruka? And you just let her into my house?”

Before any of us had time to process my questions, I had her pinned against the very sturdy desk. It creaked under the pressure as my grip around her throat tightened. I leaned forward and inhaled deeply. My fangs lengthened, but my diction was still perfect. “You report to that bitch, and I’ll eat your fucking heart out.”

Samkiel’s arms went around me, holding me in a vise grip as he hoisted me off her, my feet dangling in the air.

“Dianna!” he snapped. “Calm down.”

“Calm down?” I shrilled. “Are you out of your fucking mind? You let her in my house when she reports to that bitch?”

“She comes in peace to provide information.” Samkiel placed me on my feet but kept his arms around me, holding me against him. My gaze remained locked on her as Orym helped her to her feet and supported her as she caught her breath.

“Yeah?” I straightened my shirt and glared at them both from within the cage of Samkiel’s arms. “You know what information I smell? I smell Isaiah on you. That is what I smell. Do you know what he did to Samkiel?”

“Listen,” Veruka said, a breeze slipping in through the window and blowing her scent my way again. “I’m not—”

My nostrils flared, and I gasped. “Sami!” I cried in a whisper, my heart thudding and a brief wash of relief making my body melt against his. I had hoped, but I’d never dared to believe.

“Dianna?” Samkiel asked, sensing the shift in my mood.

I turned in his arms and grabbed his hand, gazing up at him as I spoke mind to mind.

“She smells like Cameron and Imogen. I smell it. I do. It’s faint but there. They are alive, Sami, but they are there.”

His head whipped toward Veruka, his chest expanding as he took a deep breath. I felt it from him, too. It was an overwhelming sense of pure, blinding hope. We knew where two more were. Gods above, I wanted them home already.

“You are close to my family?” Samkiel asked her.

Veruka’s eyes widened a fraction before she nodded. “Yes, they are there. Imogen is under Isaiah, in his legion.”

“Okay,” I said. “He will be the first I kill.”

Her eyes flashed to mine, then back to Samkiel. “And Cameron is a commander of his own.”

“What?” Samkiel asked. “He’d never work for her, serve her.”

My hand fisted in his shirt, and I tugged. “He might if he had no choice. I did it, remember?”

I felt Samkiel’s cool touch across my mind and emotions, easing the burn of the memories of who I had been and what I had done. It soothed the beast that lived beneath my skin, and I leaned into his caress.

Veruka went on. “He searches for the other member of The Hand.”

“Ah,” Samkiel nodded, “I see.”

Orym glanced between us, more relaxed now that the tension had mostly subsided. “Veruka came with a note. She knows the next place we need to strike.”

I turned in Samkiel’s embrace again, and he pulled my back to his chest, holding me close. I knew we both needed the comfort and held tight to his forearm where it crossed my breasts. “Okay, and this time, you decided to show and tell?”

Veruka nodded. “Yes, because they will label me a traitor after this.”

SAMKIEL STOOD IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR AND TIPPED HIS HEAD, cleaning up the hair across his chin and along his hairline. He edged it shorter, not bothering to remake the marks I had shaved into his hair. At least now, when he removed his helmet, they wouldn’t automatically assume he was a part of The Eye. All they would see was a handsome soldier.

“Flirt.” He grinned at me as I sat on the bathroom sink.

I leaned back, admiring the flex of muscle across his broad chest and how the white towel wrapped low around his hips contrasted with his tanned skin. “Are you always in my head?”

He tapped the razor blade against the sink and ran it beneath the water. The rush of blue from the faucet was still new to me. The color reminded me of the ocean, but it was crisp and almost sweet. Samkiel said it was fed through the mountain or something, the minerals giving it the unique color and taste.

“No.” He smiled. “It’s easier to slip in when you think of me, and I, you. Plus, I only peek when your eyes do that thing.”

I tipped my head. “What thing?”

He just smiled before grabbing a small towel and wiping it under his chin and throat. He tossed it on the counter and stepped around me, keeping his distance after his shower. Veruka planned to wash my scent from his skin after our morning activities. She had said it would make sneaking into the war camp easier.

I jumped off the counter but waited for him to disappear into the closet before heading into the bedroom. I flopped onto the bed, my arms and legs spread out as I gazed at the canopy above. I heard the dresser drawers open and close as Samkiel rummaged for clothes. It was good he’d made us a bit of a wardrobe, even if I had bitched about him conserving his power.

“I’ll still be close by.”

I heard his soft chuckle. “Dianna, I will be fine, and you know you cannot leave that venue.”

I groaned, flipping onto my front. “I already hate this plan.”

I heard Samkiel’s footsteps and pushed up on my elbows just as he walked into the room. He was wearing the dark, fitted, long-sleeve shirt and pants he usually wore beneath his armor. I had a moment to appreciate how it molded to all my favorite parts before he flicked his ring, and his silver armor formed over his body. He removed the helmet and held it beneath his arm.

I propped my chin on my hand and dragged my gaze over him. “What time do we have to leave again?” I purred and bit my lower lip.

Samkiel chuckled and patted the bed before walking toward the door. “Come on, before I have to take another shower. You are much too tempting, akrai.”

I pouted but followed him out of our bedroom. As we walked down the hall toward his study, I glanced up at the tapestry hanging on the wall and the empty rectangular tables.

“I need to decorate this place, honestly.”

He chuckled. “We are preparing to infiltrate one of Nismera’s war camps, and you are worried about decorations?”

“Yes,” I said as he opened the door to the study. He waited for me to pass before walking in. Orym and Veruka were deep in conversation. I honestly had not seen Orym happier. His smile was wide and true, showing off his canines. Their tails thrashed almost in unison, and I wondered how long they had been separated. They stood as we entered, both wearing the gold armor of Nismera’s legion. I took a deep breath and released it, reminding myself they were not a threat.

Veruka’s eyes ran up and down Samkiel, not in a lustful way, but assessing.

“The silver is a dead giveaway. We will not be able to slip past security.”

“I am aware,” he said. He ran his thumb over his ring, and a flush of color crept over his armor. The silver turned gold, and a bit of tan cloth with Nismera’s war symbols draped from his hip. Two long, legless, winged beasts etched themselves into his breastplate, crisscrossing each other, forming a large X over his chest. The helmet under his arm was the last to change color, and I hated seeing her mark form in the metal.

“That is truly amazing, my king,” Veruka said, admiration clear in her voice.

“Relax.”My brow lifted as Samkiel’s voice flooded through my mind.

Orym caught the change in my attitude, though. He caught my eye and gave me a deliberate nod before nudging his sister. Veruka dipped in a small bow that had me a bit confused.

“Veruka hereby swears her loyalty to House Martinez.”

“House Martinez?” I looked toward Samkiel.

There was no humor in his gaze. “Yes, we can discuss it later.”

Veruka rose, smiling at Samkiel and me. “With the King and Queen of Rashearim back, maybe there is hope after all.”

I didn’t know how to respond. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind, and I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to being called a queen. It wasn’t that I minded, but Samkiel and I hadn’t even had a chance to discuss any of this yet.

Veruka looked at Samkiel again. “That works. You look like most of the soldiers, and I have the rancid, so I will also smell like them for a short time.”

She reached into a small pocket in the smooth pants she wore beneath her armor and pulled out a small braided bracelet. As soon as Samkiel touched it and placed it on his wrist, it was like I’d lost the scent of him. Oddly, I hadn’t realized how accustomed I was to his scent. As soon as he slipped the bracelet on, I ached with the loss of it. I didn’t like it, nor did my Ig’Morruthen, for that matter. My fangs slipped past my gums, and it wasn’t until they all turned toward me that I realized a growl had slipped from me. I clamped a hand over my mouth.

“Sorry,” I said, dropping my hand. “I just . . . It felt like he was gone for a second.”

Samkiel’s eyes softened, and he reached for me but stopped short.

Veruka stepped closer to me, holding out another bracelet. “This one’s for you, and I apologize for the smell.”

I knew what she meant the moment I slipped it on. Orym sneezed and pressed the back of his hand to his nose. Samkiel’s eyes started to water, but he stoically tried to keep from reacting.

“Great,” I said before placing my hands on my hips. “How did you get this, anyway?”

Veruka shrugged. “A witch.”

“Camilla?” I asked. It had slipped out. I hadn’t dared to hope she was still alive, but she’d disappeared with Vincent and Kaden when they went through that damn portal, and I knew of no one else who would have this kind of power. Samkiel stared at Veruka, as interested in her answer as I was.

Veruka frowned, looking between us. “I mean, I know of her, but no, I have another on the inside.” She looked at me, confusion filling her eyes. “You know her?”

“She’s still alive?” I asked, my voice catching.

Veruka’s eyes widened a fraction, and she nodded. “Yes, and under Nismera’s watchful eye. She isn’t even allowed to piss by herself, I hear. Nismera has her making spells and items for her when she is not sneaking glances at Nismera’s High Guard.”

“High Guard?”

But it was Samkiel who answered in a voice as cold as death. “Vincent?”

“Yes. Your old second,” Veruka said.

“As in recently?” I asked.

Veruka looked confused, but she nodded. “Yes.”

Samkiel and I looked at each other.

“I swear I killed him,” I said.

“You?” Veruka took a step back, and Orym stood a tad straighter.

“That was the legion member who attacked us at the prison?” Orym asked.

I nodded and started to pace. How had he survived being stabbed in the heart, especially with that weapon? I knew I hadn’t seen his light burn across the sky, and here was the confirmation.

“I am not surprised,” Samkiel said. “If he is still alive, he and Camilla must share a bond.”

I scoffed. “A bond? Since when?”

Samkiel shrugged. “He visited her cell repeatedly on Rashearim. Camilla had alluded to a relationship between the two of them.”

Veruka shrugged, a small smile curving her lips. “There is something between them. Everyone knows it, and they are both dumb to think Nismera doesn’t as well.”

That made my skin prickle, and I looked at Samkiel.

“If she is alive, I want her back.”

Samkiel’s eyes narrowed a fraction, and his jaw clenched.

“She is more than just an ally. She hid me from you for months. Imagine what Nismera can make her do. We need her, and you know it. She also brought my sister back to me when she didn’t have to. I will not let her suffer.”

The flicker of jealousy left his gaze, and he smiled ruefully. “Spoken like a true queen fighting to protect her people.”

Veruka cleared her throat. “Well, there won’t be any titles if we don’t get there soon. Luckily, I know a shortcut to Pauule.”