Seventy-Eight
OceanofPDF.com
Dianna
“Y ou’re quiet.” I half turned on the chair I was standing on, hanging
another string of big clear bulbs.
Samkiel grunted behind me, unwinding a few more sets of lights. “You are aware I can just put the decorations up there, correct? You do not need to balance on a flimsy chair.”
I scoffed as I clipped the last bit in place. I turned and placed my hands on my hips. “Yeah, but that takes all the fun out of it. It’s a holiday on Onuna, and if we are going to do this dinner, it needs to be perfect.”
He smiled or attempted one, at least.
“What’s wrong with you? You’ve been quiet since you got back from the council.” He handed me another set of lights, and I stretched to clip them in place. “I thought you’d be happy with everyone coming over.”
He glanced down at the lights he held for me, his thumb flicking over one large bulb. “Everyone is coming except Vincent, I believe.”
Oh, so that was what it was. I glanced at him. “Not surprised there. He hates me.”
“He’s… emotional, but so am I, I suppose.”
That got my attention. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I might have… attacked him?”
I almost fell off my chair. Samkiel reached out to steady me. “What?”
“He said some things about you. I just reacted.”
“Oh.”
I could only imagine the colorful things Vincent said about me. I knew his dislike came from centuries of being sworn enemies, but at times, it
seemed to go deeper. Samkiel stared at the bulbs in his hands. They flickered to life, light dancing in them for just a moment before going out.
“So, no, he’s not coming, but it’s more because of me than you. He blames me for leaving, and he’s right. I left them all, secluding myself for a
thousand years after Rashearim fell.”
“Samkiel, you know better th—”
“I’m trying, Dianna. I am, but I can’t keep from feeling as if all I do is fail. One decision I make affects another, and so on and so on. Anything I do… Vincent’s right. I don’t know what I’m doing. My father always knew what to do and how to act. If he saw me now, what I am, how I’d failed. He would be disappointed. It’s not enough.”
His powerful shoulders slumped, the literal weight of worlds resting on them. He dropped his head, hiding the unshed tears in his eyes.
“Hey, it’s enough. You are enough,” I said, jumping off my chair. I placed my hands on his arms, and he glanced down at me. “You lost your world and your father in a war you feel you caused. Trust me. You could have done a lot worse. You know, like go on a murderous rampage.”
Samkiel’s lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. “I suppose. I just wish they were all here. But I understand things have changed, and everything is different.”
That part hit me hard. Everything was different. Here I was, trying to make this time with Samkiel’s family special and important, doing things I had done when Gabby and I would celebrate The Fall. The lights always made her happy. I thought it would do the same for all of us. Even the dishes I forced him to help me make when he returned meant something.
“No one can be mad when they have delicious food. It’s basic science.”
“That’s not science, Gabby.”
“Who has a degree? Yeah, that’s right.”
The memory came and left, and I let it, accepting both the pain and the warmth that came with it. I sighed. “I get it. Everything has changed, and
you miss your family.”
“I do.”
“Maybe separating will be good for you all. As they say, absence makes
the heart grow fonder.”
“Perhaps.”
“Or,” I squeezed his arms, “I can kill him. Just say the word.”
He looked down as he shook his head. “That will only prove his point.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll wear a pretty dress tonight to make you feel better.”
He gave me a small smile, a crack in that thick, heavy armor. “You’re too kind.”
I stepped forward, the lights between us glowing from his power as I whispered, “With nothing on underneath.”
The lights burned brighter, illuminating both of us.
“I’m healed.”
I laughed and placed my hand against his cheek, wanting to protect him as furiously as he had always protected me. The darkest part of me, made of razor teeth, claws, and armored scales, seemed to grin widely at the thought of just how far I knew I would go to do just that. So I let a tiny sliver in that cracked locked door shine through when I spoke next. “I am sorry, though. I wish I could make it better, truly.”
“It’s not you. Things were rough long before you. Thank you for this.
That you are doing all of this for us means a lot. It’s nice.” Samkiel glanced around the large deck, the tan railing made of the same pale stone as the
palace.
I winked at him. “I’m a nice girl.”
Samkiel grinned, and every light I had hung up fell, the cord dragging them down one by one as if the universe disagreed.
“Well,” I said in a disgusted huff. Samkiel laughed, and I shook my head. “Just fix it, please.”
Samkiel’s smile never wavered as he lifted one hand and snapped his fingers. The lights hung themselves, draped perfectly along the awning and the railing, glowing with a soft, warm light. A large table appeared in the middle of the deck, the place settings and flowers flawless.
I stared. “You know, if this god thing doesn’t work out, you could also have a career in party planning.”
He chuckled, low and deep. “It is perfect,” he said, but he didn’t look at the lights or the arrangements, just at me.
We turned away, heading back into the house, and even without my powers, I felt him behind me like always. I went to the large fridge, taking out an assortment of dishes we had prepared earlier.
“I hope they like it. I’m doing this for all of you. They have been kind to me, even when I didn’t deserve it, and Gabby….” I paused, my throat closing. “Stay here,” I said, deciding to bring down another layer of walls.
I ran upstairs to the one dresser where I kept some old clothes and one of Gabby’s shirts. My fingers found the note I’d buried at the bottom of the pile. When I returned, Samkiel was still in the same place, waiting. Samkiel always waited for me. I stopped in front of him, the warmth of his power enveloping me. I held up the crumpled piece of my heart.
He looked at me and took the note. Watching him unfold the paper made my chest ache. His eyes met mine once more before he read, and the seconds felt like years. He folded it as if it were the most precious thing he had ever held.
“She loved them. She felt like she had a family with them, a home, and she wanted that for me, too. So I want to do something nice for those who cared for someone so precious to me. Especially when I have not been so kind.”
His hands cupped my face and kissed my lips, his forehead resting against mine, grounding me in his taste, scent, and touch.
“This is beautiful, Dianna. Thank you for sharing.”
I nodded, a sliver of calm trying to overcome the recent rush of emotions. I laid my head against his chest, and we held each other. “You show me your dark secrets, and I show you mine.”
“That indeed.”
“I hope it gets better. For both of us.”
Samkiel swayed with me in his arms. “It will. Trust me. This is not something you just recover from in months or even years, but I will be here with you every step of the way, whatever you need, just like you have been for me. You led me out of my darkness, Dianna. Now let me lead you, or I can follow you into the dark, but there is no me without you. Not anymore.
Do you understand?”
I shook my head. “No, I think you need to remind me. Preferably naked.”
He laughed for the first time since he had returned. “Perhaps later. If
you’re nice.”
“So, that means I can’t kill Vincent?”
His hand stroked my back. “No, you can’t kill Vincent.”
“Fine,” I said with a disappointed sigh.
I fixed the back straps of the tiny black dress I had S amkiel make me. I told him he could only look and not touch until later since he forbade me from killing Vincent. He claimed I was torturing him and got me back by wearing a button-up white shirt and dark slacks that fit too fucking well.
Everyone arrived by one, all dressed up and devastatingly beautiful. I almost forgot they were mere celestials, given they all looked damn near godly in their finery.
I passed out drinks, nervous and desperate for tonight to go well. They stood around the kitchen, talking and laughing together. They had so many stories of battles and the time they’d spent together. If written, they could fill a library. After a few glasses of wine, I relaxed. I was still giggling over a story Xavier told me that involved Cameron and Imogen getting caught shooting at some old god’s favorite tapestry when the room went quiet.
Vincent walked in.
He wore slacks and a loose-fitting shirt. Samkiel stopped mid-sentence when he made eye contact with Vincent.
“I brought cake,” Vincent said with a small shrug, holding up a pink box as if unsure of what else to say. “Cameron likes chocolate, and that’s all they had.”
Cameron pushed past me. “Fuck yes, I do.”
“No.” The wine glass in my hand shattered, my temper snapping along with it. I focused on him. The predatory drive was so innate in me that I would shred his skin from the bone if I had my damn powers. Fire or not, my attitude was not something I’d lost with my powers.
“Dianna,” Samkiel said from behind me. Every eye, including Vincent’s, was on me.
I strode toward Vincent, crashing to a halt in front of him. “I don’t care if you loathe me, but disrespecting someone who would die for you is lower than low, even for you.”
“Dianna.” I felt Samkiel’s hand on my arm as he pulled me away from
Vincent.
Vincent didn’t speak, didn’t move.
“I’ve done some terrible things and worked for slimy lesser creatures, but you take the cake. Literally. So what? All your animosity comes back because you can’t lead? It’s not his fault you feel less of yourself. You have a problem with me. You take it up with me. Even you should have enough balls to do that.”
I couldn’t tell if it was Cameron or Xavier who covered a laugh with a cough, and I didn’t care. I waited for Vincent to snap back or storm out, but he did neither.
His eyes focused above me. “I came to apologize for what I said. I was out of line, and I’m sorry.”
“Alright. It’s not forgiven, but it’s a start.” Samkiel pulled me back against him before saying, “You also need to apologize for what you said
about Dianna.”
Vincent looked at me next. “I’m sorry.”
I knew I didn’t need the apology, but Samkiel was protective, and those words would help cool his rage long enough for them to try to work through whatever tension lay between them. I knew he wanted his friend back.
Vincent was a part of his family, and he would forgive him.
Samkiel stepped forward, taking the cake from Vincent’s hands. “There is plenty of food. Cameron hasn’t gotten to all of it yet.”
“Hey!”
And just like that, everyone relaxed. I caught Cameron and Xavier exchanging some coins and chuckling to themselves. Imogen’s face had paled, but the color was slowly returning. Logan clapped Samkiel on the back, whispering something. Vincent went to join them, but I reached out, grabbing his arm and stopping him. I leaned in close and hissed, “You throw his father in his face again or hurt him again, and I won’t need my powers to rip your tongue from your skull.”
He said nothing, only nodded as he stepped away. Cameron tugged the cake from Samkiel’s hands, and the box went flying.
I took a deep breath, calming the rage bubbling in my blood. Samkiel looked at me over Logan’s shoulder, and I plastered a smile on my face, knowing he’d heard my threat to Vincent.
Samkiel looked away and smiled as Vincent handed him a drink, both of them laughing at something Logan had said.
“Men,” Neverra said with a sigh, watching Cameron join them with a giant piece of cake in his hand. “They don’t stay mad at each other long.”
D inner went smoothly . A s we sat around chatting and eating dessert, I noticed Neverra glance at Samkiel and his nod to both her and Logan. Imogen’s head turned toward them as if she had sensed a shift in the atmosphere. Neverra cleared her throat and stood, Logan rising at her side.
She lifted her wine glass. “Samkiel called this dinner, but we have news, too. Logan and I want to try for a baby.”
Cameron damned near choked. “Wait, are you pregnant now?”
“No,” Logan said with a small, nervous smile that was absolutely charming. “Key word, we are going to try. I still have to get the procedure reversed.”
Imogen’s smile was so bright it was contagious. “That’s amazing, Nev!
I get to be an aunt.”
Xavier laughed. “Oh, your child will be so spoiled.”
Vincent shuffled in his seat but said nothing as he lifted his glass in salute.
Cameron seemed to still be processing the news. Then his face turned dark. “Is that why we are here tonight?” he asked.
“That’s not why I called you all here,” Samkiel said, his voice taking on an edge. All of them sat up straighter and stiffened as if expecting an order.
“I know things have been chaotic, to say the least, but it has been that way for some time now. I left when I knew I should have stayed.”
I shifted, sliding my leg against his in a small act of support and comfort. “We have secured Yejedin. New runes have been put in place, and cells are available if we ever need them. Although, I highly doubt we will need them. I do not plan on capturing Kaden. When this is over, he will be executed immediately.” Samkiel paused and looked at each of them in turn.
I could see love, pride, and pain in his eyes. “There will be no more use for The Hand after that.”
The room erupted in chatter, everyone speaking at once. Samkiel held up his hand, and everyone grew quiet once more. Even Vincent looked shocked and a little lost.
“The point I am trying to make is that Kaden is the last link. Once that is severed, peace will return to Onuna and this realm. That means The Hand will not be needed.”
Concern and disbelief consumed everyone except Logan and Neverra.
All I saw there was relief.
“I want a life for you all without the threat of war and distress. I do not believe in my heart that you all were made to fight forever, nor should you.
You should have peace and love. You all deserve it. That’s all I ever wanted for any of you, and you can have that once this is done. A life. A semi- normal one, at least.”
“But what would we do?” Xavier leaned across the table. “This has been our life since… well, forever.”
“Whatever you wish. No longer held by burdens of servitude to the highest order. No orders. I want what’s best for you, for all of you. I want you to have a family and grow old.” Samkiel stopped and smiled. “Well, older, anyway.”
That seemed to lighten the mood for a moment.
“You are my family. I cannot be selfish with all of you. You have been growing apart for a while now, it seems. I know I carry much of the blame for that. I left you all here to pick up pieces you should have never had to deal with. A thousand years of cleaning up my mess. No more.”
Logan and Neverra beamed at each other. Imogen sighed so heavily that I was afraid she was about to cry. Cameron had his hands over his face, and Xavier was poking at the leftover food on his plate. Vincent stared at Samkiel as if seeing him for the first time.
“I mean, we will still be family, right?” Xavier looked up, near desperation in his eyes as his gaze landed on everyone at the table before
settling on Samkiel.
“Of course. That will never change.”
“And we can still visit each other. You know, check in?” Cameron asked next, dropping his hands.
“Yes.” Samkiel smiled. “I thought perhaps we could have our own holiday. Something special for all of us. A day that no matter what happens, we can come back together, even for a short time.”
Xavier smiled, nodding. “I would like that.”
“Me too,” Imogen said, her voice sounding a bit choked. Logan and Neverra agreed enthusiastically. Vincent and Cameron chimed in, both of
them unusually quiet. Samkiel nodded and moved on to planning, discussing what dates would work best for them all and what they may do with their futures.
I sat quietly, watching the room. They laughed and joked about any and everything. The tension eased, but I could feel the change even without my powers. The spark of joy that had permeated the gathering earlier in the night had faded.
I rested my arms on the stone railing and sipped my wine , needing a moment to myself. I could hear them all inside, yelling over a game Cameron had picked.
A star far off in the distance seemed to twinkle as I stared at the night sky.
“You know, even the shadows don’t move that way, right?” I said.
“I apologize. You seemed to wish to be alone.”
I shrugged and turned to lean against the railing, facing Roccurem. Even the fate had dressed up tonight. I glanced back into the house and caught Samkiel staring at me. It may have been the angle I was leaning with my dress riding up my thighs, but I didn’t think he even noticed Roccurem at my side. Or maybe it was just a trick of fate.
“Longing looks between lovers,” Reggie said, motioning to Samkiel.
Cameron punched Samkiel in the shoulder, his hands waving as he berated him for not paying attention.
I smiled, watching the two of them argue good-naturedly. “What are you doing here?”
“Samkiel allowed me to attend if I wished.”
I almost choked on the wine. “Allowed?”
“Why yes, he forbade me from seeing you. I feel it was in large part due to his feelings for you and concern for your well-being.”
“Or he’s a jealous ass.”
“Do not blame him. There are reasons he cannot control that part of him.”
“Yeah, I have seen that part of him.”
“It seems appropriate timing for both of you.”
I laughed and took another sip of wine.
“How are you….” Reggie paused as if a thousand questions ran through his skull, “feeling?”
I cocked my head. “Concern for my well-being?”
He waited, perfectly comfortable with the silence.
“If I say I’m good, I feel guilty because she isn’t here, and when I look at them and how happy and kind they are to me, I feel even worse for what
I put them through because of him.”
“And then?”
I watched Samkiel move toward the kitchen. I could hear their laughter from here, even if it was a murmured mess. “And then I feel cold and ruthless because I know the part of me that ripped through Onuna and Yejedin is not gone, even if I can’t call fire or change my form. She’s here to stay, and that is especially apparent considering my threats to eviscerate
Vincent.”
“Does that upset you?”
I shook my head. “No, for the first time in a long time, I know who I am. I like me. It’s everyone else I’m worried about. I reacted so quickly earlier, and I know if anyone ever hurt him, family or not, I would rip them to pieces and sleep like a baby afterward. So,” I tipped my wineglass in a toast, “I feel a multitude of things.”
Reggie’s smile, the first real one I’d seen from him, shined a fraction brighter as he tipped his head. “I would expect no less from you.”
“Does that make me a monster?”
Reggie shook his head. “No, that makes you a protector.”
I placed my glass down on the thick stone wall and rubbed my hands together. Reggie’s eyes darted toward them as if searching for something. I glanced down at my hands. No flames, no tickle or glimmer of my power or strength, yet Reggie stared at them as if they would burst into flame at any moment. Before I could question him, the glass door slid wide open.
“Why are you out here by yourself?” Xavier asked, stepping outside.
I turned to tell him I wasn’t alone, but Reggie was already gone, not even a trail of smoke left in his wake.
Instead, I lifted a brow and said, “Are you watching me?”
“I people-watch. Also, you bailed on the game Cameron is forcing
everyone to play.”
“Stalker.”
Xavier laughed as he walked to my side, carrying a plate full of cake and two forks. “Want to share?”
They were all so damned nice. I wasn’t used to it and doubted I ever would be.
Xavier gave me a small smile and simply waited, his eyes filled with hopeful kindness. I didn’t realize it had been weighing on me, and I hadn’t planned on saying it, but the words slipped out.
“I’m sorry about the dream eaters. About what they made you see.”
Shock flashed across Xavier’s face. “I’ve never had an Ig’Morruthen apologize to me before. They mostly try to kill or eat us.”
“Well, the night is young.”
Xavier laughed and picked up a fork, cutting off a small slice. “That threat toward Vincent was pretty funny, though. It’s not often he gets put in his place. He needs it sometimes.”
“I am serious, though. About my apology.” My hands gripped the rail behind me. “Samkiel loves you, all of you, so,” I paused for a second to take a deep breath, “hurting you all would hurt him, and I don’t want to hurt him.”
Xavier bowed slightly. “Well, I’m honored.”
Xavier leaned against the railing next to me, and we watched the others in the kitchen. Cameron made some weird gesture and Imogen laughed.
Vincent rolled his eyes behind them, all of them gathering snacks. Samkiel, as always, looked for me. He saw who I was with and stayed with Logan and Neverra.
“It was a hard adjustment when Samkiel first got us all together. We were all so scared to say or do the wrong thing. Being under the thumbs of gods was not a pleasant experience for most of us. Vincent the least.”
I swallowed. “Yeah, I heard about that.”
“He lashed out more than usual. I think he’s just afraid of you.”
I nodded. “He is right to be. You all should be.”
Xavier stilled.
“Gabby and I had little for a very long time after my parents died. I had her, and I loved her very much. Then I lost her. I am very protective of the things I care about, and losing her didn’t help my overprotective instincts. If
I had my powers, I would have ripped Vincent’s tongue from his head for how he spoke to Samkiel and not thought twice about it. Samkiel is kind, sweet, and very caring. He is good and doesn’t deserve to be treated like that. Not by me, not by family, not by anyone.”
Xavier didn’t even flinch, his eyes tracking Cameron. He held the plate out toward me. “I understand.”
I picked up the fork and cut the rich cake, taking a bite.
“Sunshine,” he said.
I nodded as we watched the two people we knew we couldn’t live
without.
“Sunshine.”
A s the night began winding down and everyone got ready to head home, Neverra gestured me close, digging through her handbag.
“I got it just in time,” she whispered, handing me the small box. “It’s a great idea, and it only took Logan and me a few hours to track down the booth.”
“I’m glad Logan isn’t mad anymore. Sorry about getting you in trouble.”
She waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. That’s what friends are for.
Besides, Logan loves makeup sex, so we are fine.”
I laughed. “I really appreciate it. Everything,” I told her, meaning far more than just the last few weeks.
She smiled softly, her eyes filled with understanding. “While we were there, I got this done, too. I gave Immy one, and I have one. This one is for you if you want it,” she said hesitantly, digging through her bag again and pulling out a picture frame. It was the picture she’d taken the night she and Imogen had stayed over. I took the frame, my heart clenching.
“Now you have two more sisters,” Neverra said.
I hugged her, and she giggled, surprised.
“Sorry,” I said, pulling back.
“Don’t be.” She put her purse over her shoulder. “Goodnight, Dianna.”
“Night,” I said and waved.
Neverra turned and hurried to Logan. He held out his hand, and she walked into his arms. He wrapped her in a hug, brushing a kiss to her hair before they walked away. I went back inside and placed the picture on the mantle beside the one of Gabby and me at the beach. I had moved it downstairs so she could be a part of our home.
“You are right, Gabby. I like them.”
A star twinkled at me through the open window. I blew it a kiss and headed upstairs with the small box.
The room was quiet, the lights off, which meant he hadn’t moved since he came up here. They flickered on as I walked in. A smile broke across my face to see Samkiel sprawled out face first on the bed. I took a running leap and jumped on his back, making him groan.
“That didn’t hurt, you big baby.” I wrapped my arms around him,
placing a kiss to his cheek.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“Depends on what we are talking about.”
I raised my hand, popping him on the shoulder as he laughed beneath me.
“No,” he said, his eyes still closed. “It could have been a lot worse, given you threatened Vincent in front of The Hand.”
“You’re lucky that is all I did after what he said to you.” I sat up, running my fingers up and down his spine.
“What about what he said about you?”
“I’ve been insulted by far scarier men.” My finger traced a line across his back, the muscles beneath it twitching. “One even called me a worm and said I was beneath him, although he stays beneath me more often than not now.”
Samkiel’s laugh filled the room. He flipped underneath me, his hands cupping my hips.
“I got you something,” I said, wiggling against him.
“Did you now?” He shifted underneath me. “Is it beneath this pretty little dress?”
I laughed and pushed off him. I padded toward the long thick curtains dancing across the floor at the window.
“Guess you will just have to find out,” I said, swaying my hips ever so slightly to tease him.
By the time I parted the curtains, allowing the moonlight to cast a glow inside, Samkiel was behind me.
I turned and looked up at him, placing my hand on his chest. “The Celebration of the Fall is coming up.”
Samkiel made a noise deep in his throat that told me exactly how he felt about it. He had plenty of reasons to hate it, which was just another reason I’d done this.
“And,” I said, pulling his attention back to me, “tradition dictates that you exchange gifts. Mostly to celebrate life as a gift, blah, blah, blah, but Gabby and I always got each other something, even when I was a million miles away from her. There was an outpost where she’d send me stuff every year. I mostly hid the gifts or lied and said I bought them myself, so I wouldn’t have to listen to Kaden. Anyway, like I said, it is tradition.”
He brushed back a long strand of my hair, his touch soothing the pain that came with the memories. I pulled out the box Neverra and Imogen helped me get. Imogen—thank the old gods—distracted the council while Neverra and Logan snuck out. I opened the box, took out the layered silver
pendant necklace, and held it up.
“What is that?” he asked.
“I know you kept those pictures from the festival, and I burned them. So I asked Neverra to go back to the festival booth and get another copy. They keep them on file for years. She got another copy and had them pressed into this pendant.” I held it a tad higher. The flat, dark green images shimmered in the moonlight. “It’s from a jeweler outside of Veistran near Naaririel. He can make anything into jewelry, press photos or carve words. I always wanted something from there. It was where lovers would go to purchase items for each other, but I….” I trailed off and shook my head. “I just thought if you’re going to keep them, at least now they won’t get lost.”
Samkiel stared at me and then at the necklace I held between us. He stared so long my heart quickened. I rolled back on my heels, wondering if I’d made another mistake. Maybe it was too much? Maybe I was too much.
I pulled it closer to me. “Well, if you hate it—”
“No.” Samkiel snatched it from me as if I was about to toss away a precious jewel. He clasped it around his neck, his eyes never leaving mine.
The small, flat silver pendant rested in the dip between his collarbones, covering a tiny scar. He placed his hand over it, and power radiated beneath
his palm. Small pulses of light ran along the chain, coating it in a bright
silver glow.
“There, now it shall never come off.”
I beamed and reached out to touch the pendant reverently, relief and that warm emotion burning away the rise of insecurity.
“Well, unless I am decapitated, I suppose.”
I smacked him on the chest. “Samkiel! Oh my gods, why would you say that?”
He rubbed the spot on his chest as if wounded, but he beamed at me.
“I am merely stating.”
I narrowed my eyes and stepped toward him, but he dodged. I countered, reaching for him again. He grabbed my wrists and locked them in one big hand, pulling me into him, my chest flushed with his.
“It’s perfect,” he whispered, releasing my hands before he cupped my face and placed a kiss to my forehead. “I was unaware of the tradition. I did not get you anything.”
“You don’t have to get me anything.” I placed my hand against the broad wall of muscle of his chest, his heart beating beneath my palm, the rhythm seeming to match mine. “This is priceless to me.”
“Dianna being sweet. Who would have thought?”
“Right? I am absolutely terrible,” I said with pride.
He leaned down, stopping a hair’s breadth away from my lips.
“Absolutely maddening.”
A feather-light kiss brushed my lips, one barely there. My entire body swam with heat.
His eyes turned molten as he pulled back. He cupped my face, his thumb caressing my cheek, the slow, tender motion more searing than any kiss or intimate touch. When Samkiel looked at me, it was as if he saw into my very soul and cared for every single part—the good, the bad, the ugly, and the cruel.
A cord inside me snapped, one that existed behind a wall of stone and flame.
And a lock on a door in a house rattled.
“I’m sorry I left,” I said. His thumb stilled against my cheek. “I promise to stay if things get bad. I won’t leave you ever again.”
Samkiel studied my face, relief filling his eyes as if he’d been waiting for me to say it for a while now. It was a comfort that I hadn’t known he
needed, but I would make sure he didn’t doubt my commitment in the future.
He raised his hand between us, extending his small finger. “Pinky promise? A dark-haired beauty told me long ago that it is practically the law in her world.”
I grinned and grasped his finger with mine. “Pinky promise.”
He yanked me forward, our hands pressed between us as he sealed the vow with a kiss.
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