Forty-Six
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Logan
H orror gripped me as I watched Dianna run toward Tobias, her sword
clutched in her hand. He slithered so fast across the stone floor I
could feel the vibration beneath my feet. My heart skipped a beat as Tobias opened his massive jaws and engulfed her. Neverra and I faltered, watching his scaled throat constrict as he worked to swallow her whole.
He turned his reptilian gaze on us, his eyes blazing with triumph. He hissed, his lips pulling back, exposing fangs sharp and vile. His intent was clear. We were next. His long body slithered toward us almost lazily.
Neverra looked at me, love shining from her eyes, and I nodded at her.
Neverra was my only peace; if we died here, at least we’d die together. I had found her again, and that was all I ever wanted. She smiled at me and raised her weapon. My amata knew my heart, and I was never alone.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“And I, you,” she responded, the words filled with everything we didn’t have to say.
We turned as one, silver armor flowing over our bodies with a single flick of our rings. We raised our weapons, ready to advance. Tobias stopped, his jaw going slack as if caught by surprise. He raised his massive body and writhed. His hissing turned frantic as he looked from his midsection to his side and back. Then we saw the bright ember glowing in his belly. A sword pierced his tough skin, followed by a scream so loud it damn near shook through every realm. The blade thrust out, glowing bright and hot as it moved from his center to his head, splitting him in half.
Neverra and I gaped, watching his giant body fall like a felled tree, the ground shaking with the impact.
Dianna stood at the very center of the gore with her arms outstretched, feeding power into the flames consuming the corpse. When nothing but ashes and embers remained, Dianna tipped her head back, her chest heaving like a warrior savoring the aftermath of a long battle. I saw it then. Saw why Samkiel loved her so damned much, even if he refused to say the words. He risked his crown, his throne, and the damned world for her because Dianna was a queen worthy of any king.
She wiped the viscera from her brow and smiled at the sky. The remains of Tobias floated around her on the wind before escaping through the open ceiling. She called the sword back into her ring and glanced at us. Samkiel wanted an equal, and by the old gods, they had delivered.
Neverra caught my eye, sharing every thought I had through our bond, and nodded in agreement. She was our queen now. If Samkiel chose her, we would gladly follow her through every realm and back.
Dianna’s brow furrowed, her face and body covered in blood and gore, the ash and soot sticking to her. “What are you wearing?”
I looked down at the silver battle armor covering me from head to toe.
With a flick of my ring, my helmet disappeared. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Neverra withdraw hers as well.
“We were going to help.”
“I got it.” Dianna shrugged, her lip curling in disgust when a piece of entrail fell from her shoulder. She kicked it aside and said, “Also, remind me never to do that again. That was disgusting.”
Before we could laugh, the cavern shook. A roar pierced the atmosphere, so loud and thunderous it forced us to cover our ears.
Dianna’s head whipped back, her eyes growing brighter as she scanned the sky. Her lip curled back in a soundless snarl. Even covered in wounds, her body near exhaustion, she squared her shoulders.
Kaden had returned.
The air groaned beneath the weight of a thousand wings. Kaden had brought those beasts Samkiel had told us about, the ones we had seen back in the cavern. My stomach sank, and my hopes with it. There was no way all of us would survive this. Yes, I had healed Neverra, but she was tired, and I had depleted my power to the point where I could barely stand.
Dianna, even with her rage sustaining her, was burning out.
“Dianna,” I said. Her head was still back, her gaze tracking the roar of the swarm of wings. “We will stay if you wish it.”
Dianna didn’t even look at us as she spoke. “Parties over kids, time for you to go home.”
“Not an option.” I read the sadness and regret in Neverra’s eyes, but she only squared her shoulders. “We either leave with you or stay with you.”
Neverra knew if we stayed, this would definitely be the end for us. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. When I looked back at Dianna, her eyes
were fixed on our joined hands.
“Seriously?”
“Deathly,” I said.
Neverra nodded. “Whatever you decide, we are with you. We will stay and fight, and we will lose together, or we can try to find a way out before it’s too late. But regardless, we will do it together.”
Her face tightened. “You’d stay?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. Neverra nodded.
Dianna looked at us in disbelief. “Even after everything?”
“Friends don’t abandon friends,” Neverra said, a small smile softening her face. “And you definitely need new ones.”
Dianna’s chest heaved as Kaden let out another war cry. I knew she was weighing her options. The one creature she had hunted for months was finally within her grasp. The vengeance she longed for or us. She didn’t know us, not like Gabby had, and she owed us nothing. So we would wait for her decision. What we wouldn’t do was leave her. She had been abandoned and betrayed too many times in her life. Neverra squeezed my hand in agreement. Either we all left, or we all died.
“We won’t abandon you, Dianna,” Neverra said gently. “We are not them.”
Dianna looked at Neverra, her fists clenched and her breathing labored and harsh. Kaden howled, and the beasts answered him. Dianna’s eyes scanned the open sky again before closing tightly. One breath and then another, Kaden drawing closer with each. Minutes turned into seconds, the sky darkening from the horde he’d brought with him. The noise was deafening, but I heard Dianna whisper, “I’m sorry.” Then she opened her eyes and said louder, “We’re leaving.”
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