Eighty-Four Samkiel

I jumped over a high wall of flame, rolling to my feet on the other side. Dianna roared with every pass above me, thick dark smoke blocking out the sun and making it hard to breathe. Massive wings flapped through the air, screams turning to dust wherever she passed. On the plus side, I was not sure what had changed, but her fire no longer burned me. However, the heat alone made me sweat. I cleared a path through the guards, who ran in retreat. Others tried to gather a defense, but they had no weapons that would be effective against her. All the Ig’Morruthens left in this world were on Nismera’s side.

I surged through the smoke, throwing two blades. They connected, sinking deep into the skulls of a couple of guards. Their bodies dropped, creating a cloud of dust as they hit the ground in a heap.

“You’re going the wrong way,”Dianna growled in my head.

“Oh, I apologize. I must not be able to see through thick clouds of smoke.”I stopped, squinting to see if I could even make out the guard tower from here.

“Over here.”

My head whipped to the right, and I saw the orange and gold flames pour from the sky. I turned and ran toward them, her tail swishing through the clouds, making them roil. I needed to get Veruka and Orym and get out of here. All it would take was for word to get back to Nismera, and she would rip a portal to get here. I wasn’t ready for her, not yet.

Illian had run the moment he saw her, heading for the ryphors, but Dianna had killed his beast before he could get to it.

I ran faster, dodging guards and burning tents, working my way toward the tower. Somehow, over the noise of the chaos, I heard the scuff of a boot against the ground. I grunted as I was tackled from the side, my back breaking the wooden bench we fell against. I groaned and opened my eyes, rolling out from under the sword aimed at my head. Neverra. She must have woken up and ran the entire way here to end me. Yeah, it was definitely a kill code.

I hopped to my feet, summoning a blade as Neverra came at me, aiming for my throat. I blocked, and steel crashed against steel, the vibration echoing down my arm. Her eyes were pure cerulean flame as she pressed harder. I pushed off her, and she twirled her blade above her head. I blocked the attacks she threw, letting her push me back. The last thing I wanted was to hurt her, and killing her was out of the question. I felt Dianna whisper through my mind, but I was too focused on Neverra to pay attention.

“Neverra,” I said as she slammed her blade against mine once more. “I know you’re in there.”

I pushed back, and she sailed through the air, landing in a squat. Her face held no emotion. There was no sweat on her skin. She was a perfect weapon.

“I already have Logan,” I said. “It’s time for you to come home, too.”

She stood slowly and raised the sword between us but stopped at my words. Gods, my heart faltered. If she could be reached, they all could. Hope burst in my chest. They could all be saved.

She shifted the sword, gripping the hilt and the end of the blade before slamming it across her knee. With a snap, the one blade became two. She tossed one piece at me. I leaned back, hitting it away, but it was already too late. Neverra was my quickest, my strongest, and my cleverest. She wasted no time in taking advantage of my distraction. She was behind me in a blink, the other half of the sword coming toward my throat. There was a clap as Dianna’s hand grabbed Neverra’s wrist, stopping the blade’s descent.

“Hey, Nev,” Dianna said. “Long time no see.”

Neverra didn’t hesitate to drop the blade and twist free, delivering a spinning kick that pushed Dianna into me, sending us crashing into the side of a nearby tent.

My arm wrapped across Dianna’s middle as she landed on top of me, my body breaking her fall.

Her hand covered mine where it rested on her abdomen. “Fuck. She’s stronger.”

“No,” I said, rolling to my feet and lifting Dianna with me. “Neverra has always been humble and sweet, but she, by far, is my strongest celestial.”

“Oh. Great.”

Neverra reached down and grabbed the broken blade, ready to complete her mission.

I reached out and gripped Dianna’s shoulder. She glanced at me but was obviously reluctant to take her eyes off Neverra. “I need you to go take care of Illian.”

“No,” she said, “I’m not leaving you here.”

“He has Orym and Veruka. If he takes them back to Nismera, they are dead.”

Her face scrunched as she debated it, and I knew a part of her didn’t care. It wasn’t because she was cold or callous, as everyone assumed, but because she loved me, and she was so tired of losing the ones she loved.

“I will be fine. I trained Neverra, and I can subdue her.”

Something flickered in Neverra’s gaze, but it was gone a moment later. She started to pace, her movements as graceful and elegant as always. I knew we didn’t have much time before she came at me again. She was just figuring out how to get past Dianna.

“Dianna,” I prompted.

“You’re so bossy,” she said and clenched her fists. I knew she’d not leave me, the world be damned, but I needed her to. We’d lose Orym and Veruka if she didn’t.

“Please,” I said, sending a wave of my desperation to her but also my love. “Save the others. I can take care of Neverra.”

“I don’t even like them.”

“Dianna.”

Dianna growled softly and walked a distance away before changing her form and launching herself into the air, her wings pounding the ground with a rush of wind threatening to flatten everything around us. I knew it was her way of having the last word.

I took a deep breath and held my hands up. “No weapons, Nev,” I said. “I will not hurt you. Logan would kick my ass.” Again, there was that flicker in the depths of her eyes. “You remember him, don’t you?”

She lunged, aiming for my chest with that broken piece of her sword. I dodged, raising my arm to take the brunt of her strike. It clanged against my armor, and my forearm tingled from the force of the hit. I snatched the hilt from her grip, leaning back when her fist came at my face, the punch just missing my jaw.

She came at me with punches and kicks, relentless in her mission. Most I either blocked or took, but I refused to fight her. She was not my enemy, only my family.

“All the women in my life want to kick my ass,” I joked. She brought her knee up hard enough to make me grunt from the impact. I pushed back, and we circled each other. I heard another roar of flames behind me. Dianna must have found them.

“You know, I was thinking the other day of how reluctant you were to join The Hand.”

Neverra sent another jab toward my face, and when I moved out of her way, she lifted her elbow and caught me across the chin. The impact sent my helmet flying. She followed it with a kick to my chest, my head ringing when I landed on my back.

“Now look at you,” I groaned and sat up. “One of my strongest.”

Neverra raised her foot to stomp me. I jerked back, sliding over the ground on my ass. She kicked out at me again, but I caught her foot this time and pushed, sending her flying through a pile of crates. I jumped to my feet and walked toward her. She pushed herself up, debris scattered all around her.

“You know, a fate told me once that love has power. I want to test that theory.”

I knew I shouldn’t, and it would cost me, but I had to save my family, regardless of the power I used. They came first. Neverra charged, and I opened a portal to our new home right in her path. Logan sat in a cell, blue bars gleaming behind him. His empty cerulean eyes stared at us, and it broke my heart to see him look at his amata like that. I had never seen anything but love in his gaze when he looked at her.

Neverra skidded to a stop, her hands dropping to her sides. She blinked just once as she looked at him. Her lip quivered, and I knew it had worked.

Her eyes darted to mine. “Sa-Samkiel. How? What’s going on?”

“You are in there.” I couldn’t help the tears that burned my eyes, but my joy was short-lived. She dropped to her knees, her scream bloodcurdling as she grabbed her head. I ran, falling to my knees and skidding to a stop beside her. I held her clawing hands, keeping her from pulling at her scalp.

“Neverra. It’s okay, I’m here. You’re—”

She twisted out of my grip, and her fist shot out, catching me in the nose and sending me reeling back. My eyes watered, but I could feel it already healing. Her boots stomped against the turned-up ground as she stood up, looming over me. I looked up at her, and my heart sank. Whatever had been there was gone, but it had happened. I’d seen it, and I heard her voice. That was all I needed to give me hope. If they could be reached, nothing would stop me from saving my family.

Neverra may be my fastest, but she wasn’t faster than me. I rose to my feet and appeared behind her. My fingers found the pressure point between her neck and shoulder, and she slumped into my arms. I lifted her and stepped through the portal, calling for Roccurem.