Sixty-Eight
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Samkiel
A roar shook the ground, and another celestial flew through the large
gate. Cameron held the end of one thick chain, and Xavier was on the
opposite side, straining against his own chain. At least a few dozen celestials struggled with them, trying to hold it still.
It let out another ear-shattering roar, thrashing against the bindings, trying to break free.
“Gigantes.” My voice vibrated from the stone walls, adding another tremor. Pebbles rained down, scattering across the floor. “Be still.”
“You!” it thundered, spotting me in the massive arched doorway.
Its head scraped the high rock ceiling as it continued to pull against the chains. I summoned an ablaze weapon, igniting the runes burned into the cuffs containing the giant’s wrists. Its arms pulled tight, stretching the bulging muscles of its chest. Cameron, Xavier, and the celestials let go, stepping back as the magic took over the job of containment. Matching runes lit above the arch, sealing the door.
It cursed and spewed hatred in its tongue as it beheld me.
“Gods, it took you long enough.” Cameron panted, bending over with his hands on his knees. Dirt and debris coated his armor as if he’d dug himself out of the ground several times. And, given what they’d found, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out the giant had stepped on him.
Xavier spat a few orders at the celestials, sending them to make sure the infrastructure of the cell would hold before striding toward me. He crashed to a halt beside Cameron, covered in sweat, his jovial calm replaced by the seasoned warrior that made him one of the most powerful of The Hand. His
armored hand came down hard on Cameron’s shoulder, his gaze sliding over his friend, looking for injuries.
“Head back to the council. I need every eye and ear present for the debriefing,” I commanded.
“What about you?” Xavier asked, his voice nearly drowned out by the giant’s roar as it thrashed against the seal.
“I need information.”
H ours had passed . I had been keeping track of the time . I t moved so differently in other dimensions. Minutes here could be hours to another world, days to some, but I had promised Dianna tomorrow, and I intended to be there.
“You do not tremble in fear of my presence?”
I sighed and folded my arms, armor covering me from head to toe. He threw his body at the runes, and the ground shook beneath his weight when he fell. He glared at me from his knees, quivering with rage. The scraps he wore clung to him, covering the lashes and markings on his greenish-gray skin. I had heard stories of the giants when I was younger, but they had died out long before I existed. So to see one now was unbelievable.
“Should I?” I asked.
“I am Porphyrion.” The rhythm of his speech was that of a monotone chant filled with power. “I have slain gods, cracked their bones like twigs, laid waste to villages, and decimated worlds. I am a king among giants, and stories will be told in my name.”
I nodded, glancing at the time once more. “Yes, I appreciate your ability to share so freely. Unfortunately, most need a small amount of encouragement to do so.”
I stood before the door, clasping my hands behind my back. The wall of celestial guards shifted as Porphyrion lumbered to his feet and took one
large step forward.
“And who might you be, silver one?”
I twisted a ring on my finger, and my helmet melted away. “I am Samkiel. My name comes with many titles, but I assume you already know that.” Arrogance laced my words, but I smiled politely.
“Samkiel,” he grumbled. Porphyrion grimaced as if my name left a bitter taste on his tongue. He lowered himself to his elbows, his body taking up half of his cell entrance. “You reek of the old blood. The blood of Unir now that I am close enough.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You do not know of me, do you?”
He shook his head.
“It seems you have been locked down here for a time.”
“Three thousand seven hundred and forty-two years, to be exact. I counted. On my old walls. Everyone that entered here spoke of what time, what era, and I counted.”
I tried to keep the surprise from my face, but sweat trickled down my back. “This dimension has existed for that long?”
He nodded. “Longer than that. You have no idea where you are, do
you?”
“Yejedin.”
“That is one name for it.”
“And what is Yejedin?”
His eyes narrowed on me as if he were trying to decide if I was insane or merely asking questions to annoy him.
“You truly do not know, do you? You are a young god, yet you speak my language? How?”
“I speak a thousand languages from a thousand worlds. Yours was merely one I digested out of curiosity when I wasn’t fighting.”
“How long have you been king, the one they call Samkiel?”
I glanced up, trying to recall my own age. “Close to two thousand years, give or take. Since my birth.”
His smile was so wide I saw the razor-sharp carnassial teeth shining behind his gums. “Ah, so you are what caused the breaking. You are what
made the realms so volatile.”
“What do you mean?”
“The rulers of this dimension began talking. Even this far down, I could hear through the cells when the other prisoners were not bellowing. The Old Ones spoke of a boy born who would unseat them, and so they planned.”
“The Old Ones?”
“Aye,” he said, sitting and leaning back against the wall. The ground shook, and a few of the celestials righted themselves before returning to their guard stances. “I thought the Old Ones came back.”
“How so?”
“This dimension shook. I heard the roar and smelled the flames. The runes burned off my original cell. Walls fell, and powerful wings of death flapped through the sky. I crawled out of the rubble just as I saw a massive beast of scales and spikes pass. It destroyed everything in its path. Even I ran and hid. Then your tiny soldiers found me,” he said, pulling on the chains for effect.
Winged death. It was the same thing Santiago had called Dianna, and I suppose, to them, she was. She had slaughtered Tobias and destroyed much of this dimension. If Kaden was one of the Old Ones, it would make sense for her to have his power. Power so strong it made even a giant tremble.
“Tell me about the Old Ones.”
He sighed. “Perhaps after a meal.”
I rubbed my brow, knowing this would take more time than I had.
I secured every rune in place before I left Porphyrion. I had set up a rotation of celestial guards to make sure nothing ventured down while I was away. The sun had set by the time I returned to the council, which meant I had hours before dawn. I sighed in relief and sat, rubbing a hand over my face. I promised her tomorrow, and despite everything I still had to do, I couldn’t wait to have the day with her.
M y head jerked up as L ogan slid a small tray of roasted fowl and steamed vegetables near me.
“Neverra cooked, and you need to eat. You’ve been up here all evening.”
The Hand had been here with me since I returned from Yejedin. I had grabbed every book and scroll I could find about realms, prisons, and even worlds inside of worlds. They had been here, reading and trying to figure out why so little was known about this realm, but we came up short. So
when they’d started speaking about getting food, I’d dismissed them all for the rest of the night.
“I am not hungry.” I raised my hand, massaging my temple, a million and one thoughts burrowing through my brain.
The chair near me groaned as he sat.
“Nev took Dianna something to eat. She is fine. I told Nev just to head
back to our quarters.”
“And why are you not with her?”
He snorted. “Someone has to take care of you.”
I nodded, my hand still over my eyes. “It feels as though I know nothing. How did my father expect me to be king of everything if there were things he kept from me?”
Logan huffed. “Maybe he didn’t get around to telling you.”
I lowered my hand, my gaze swinging toward Logan. “He forgot to mention a prison world that has existed for thousands of years?”
Logan’s lips thinned into a line, and he shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Sighing, I pulled the plate closer and picked up my utensils. Logan flipped through a book as I ate. My mind continued to work, trying to figure out what I was missing.
“I—” I bit off the sentence that threatened to pour from my lips and stabbed a piece of meat.
Logan looked up from his book. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I lied, taking a deep breath. “It’s nothing.”
He tipped his head, trying to catch my gaze. “Look, we will find out why this place was hidden, even if we have to read every damned book in
this place.”
“No, I know. It’s not that.”
I stabbed at my food again, anxiety eating away at my gut. Considering what we’d found, I shouldn’t even be thinking of this, but it seemed I didn’t
have control over it.
“Samkiel.”
“It’s nothing,” I insisted, focusing on my food.
I felt Logan’s glare.
“Please return to your book. The research is more helpful than staring at me.”
“What are you avoiding?” Logan ignored me and persisted.
I sighed and finished chewing before saying, “I am wondering how important this prison world is to Kaden. Was he just a prisoner there? He has probably been hiding there for eons, making weapons and plans. If he is waiting to end me, that means it probably requires a ritual. It would only make sense since it took a ritual involving me to seal the realms. Thus, one would be required to open them. And rituals, no matter the kind, require sacrifices or major celestial events. Perhaps he is waiting for that.”
Logan sighed. “That’s great reasoning and all, but I’m talking about the other thing that has your leg twitching under the table fast enough to shake
the floor.”
I shot him a glare. “It’s nothing.”
“Samkiel.”
“I mean, it’s probably nothing. I have a tendency to overthink a lot of issues.”
“Samkiel,” he said again, his tone changing. He would not drop this, and the truth was, I needed to talk about it. I was overthinking it, and maybe if I said it aloud, I could gain some clarity. I put my fork down and folded
my hands in front of me.
“It’s Dianna.”
“Is she okay? Have her powers returned?”
“No.” I raised my hand, scratching at the back of my head. “She wishes to spend time with me. Just us. She requested a day, and she has made it clear that some of her feelings have returned for me.”
“Ah.” Logan smiled widely. “So that’s why you reek of nerves? I knew it wasn’t the colossal monster in a secret prison dimension. Dianna is the only thing that has ever made you sweat like this.”
The look I shot him only made him grin wider.
“I think I am overthinking it. Before Dianna either tried to kill me or we were arguing, but she has started to open up more regarding her trauma.
Which is what I wish, but then sometimes she looks at me in such a way that I cannot breathe. It’s as if all the air is sucked from my lungs. She brushes her hand across my chest or lays her head on my shoulder, and I feel something so much more than desire. Before Gabby died, there were glimpses of this, but it was just an idea. Now… this feels like a true beginning. As if my feet have been placed on a path, and if I take the next step, there will be no going back. I don’t know. I am overthinking.” My hands flexed on the table. “Tell me I am overthinking.”
Logan shrugged. “I don’t think you are. I think you have been chipping away at those walls she so furiously built, brick by brick, and it’s normal that her feelings for you would return. Isn’t that what you wanted? Why does this have you reeling?”
“It feels inappropriate to be concerned with such things when we are dealing with so many other major issues.”
Logan chuckled and folded his arms. “Uh-huh.”
“Am I being irrational?”
“You? Never.” Logan smirked.
I sighed, placing my head in my hands.
“What exactly did she say?”
“A day. She wishes for a day.”
“Ah, so, like a date?”
I glanced at him from beneath my hands. “What’s a date?’
He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Remember when I first courted Neverra, and I would take her to the plaza? They had muses that would play music or recite poetry during the evening. A lot of couples went there. A date is that. Something that couples do that is not work- related.” He made sure to enunciate the last part.
My head slammed to the table, and I lay there face down. “What if you’re wrong, and I am just seeing what I want to see? What if it isn’t real, Logan?” I mumbled against the table.
Logan’s laugh only made my nerves more erratic. “They wrote war songs about you. Men and beasts alike would piss themselves if you stepped on a battlefield, and now the great and fearsome World Ender is afraid of a date.”
“I am not fond of you right now,” I said.
“You should bring flowers.”
“Flowers?” I asked, lifting my head. “Why, so she can toss them in my face? Crush my heart further? We just got to the point where she can tolerate me once more. I do not wish to scare her. Sometimes she retreats so far inside her mind that even I cannot reach her.”
“Okay, well, how about this? You will know if it’s a date if you see her tomorrow and her hair and makeup are done. Nev always does that, plus the smell.”
“Smell?” I asked, more confused than when we’d begun this conversation.
Logan’s laugh reverberated off the council halls.
I really hated him.
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