Twenty-Nine
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Imogen
“W hy do I have to come along?” I asked as we landed outside Silver
City.
We crossed the street at a light jog, Samkiel’s gaze focused on the guild. “Because I need to test a theory.”
I groaned, preferring when Cameron or Xavier was the test dummy, not me. They volunteered half the time, both of them pure mischief. They enjoyed it.
“Leave when I give you the signal. Not a moment before, okay?”
“Okay. I hope this works. For all of our sake.”
“Me too.”
I’d expected flames, screaming, and burning buildings when we made it back to Silver City. But if there was one thing I’d learned, Dianna was anything but predictable.
The city was empty. Samkiel worried about the power she might unleash, but the entire city? I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. We hadn’t fought or seen anything that could wield that kind of force in so long. But even the thought of it made sweat form on my back. Despite the chill of winter, the long-sleeved shirt I wore stuck to me.
Vehicles sat abandoned on the road. The street lights flared on as we passed beneath them and then died. An unnatural stillness filled the air as if the world held its breath and waited. A small furry animal burst from the bushes and ran across the street. I jumped to the side, raising my sword.
Samkiel placed his hand on my blade, lowering it. “You feel it too?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
It was as if a dark power stalked us. I couldn’t determine the source, but I had felt it on the remains of Rashearim. It made my skin crawl. I had watched her emerge from the darkness, and her power had made me hesitate. I never hesitated. None of us did, we’d been trained since our creation to never fear, never falter. We were warriors that scared any beast or monster with our title alone, but we weren’t dealing with just any
monster.
“What if—”
He shook his head, his tone pained. “Don’t say it. Please.”
My lips formed into a thin line, and I kept that one question to myself.
What if we were too late? What if she was already too far gone? I knew Samkiel. He’d risk his life for others, he always had, but what if even with all his power, he could not reach her?
We stopped before the guild, and I lowered my blade to my side. The multilayered skyscraper glared back at us, the windows reflecting the bright rays of the sun before the overcast sky swallowed them whole.
“Imogen, do you remember what I taught you back on Dunn Moran?”
I nodded. “When we were fighting the spiked-tail Naga?”
“Yes. Large predators disrupt the environment. Animals that call a place home will flee for miles to avoid an apex predator. What do you hear now?”
I tipped my head to the side, glancing toward the trees that crowded the sidewalks and the alleyways dividing the buildings. My gaze fell back to him. “Nothing.”
“Exactly. The lack of animals is the first sign.”
“That’s why you knew at the cafe that it wasn’t Dianna.”
“Yes, but also, I know her.” His gaze clouded as if a memory ripped through him as he spoke. “She could never deceive me, no matter how hard she may try. I could spot her in a crowd of millions.”
My heart thudded, and the corner of my lip twitched. I owed Cameron thirty gold coins. Samkiel was still every bit the god I remembered, but so different now. Ever since his ascension, he had slowly slipped away, not just from me but from all of us. Gradually, he rebuilt himself until he was everything his father had wanted him to be. Samkiel became a king unlike any other.
Logan said he had caught glimpses of the old Samkiel over the last months. He had smiled and laughed again. Then she left, and so did a part of him. I loved him as much as they did, and just like them, I would die for
him. We were duty-bound to do so, but it was so much more. The night The Hand landed on Onuna, we made a pact. He was drowning himself in research and the need to find her. We swore that no matter what happened, we would try to bring her back because if Samkiel loved her, she was also ours. He had finally chosen for himself. He hadn't been coerced or chosen out of duty. We would be damned if we lost him like so many gods before.
I cleared my throat. “So, she is here.”
“Yes.” He glanced at me then. “Stick to the plan.”
I nodded, clutching my ablaze weapon tighter before we took the steps two at a time. Samkiel reached the door first, glancing inside before holding it for me. I stepped inside, a small creak following as Samkiel closed it behind me.
L ights flickered , the building seemingly empty . I wandered through the top floor, Samkiel searching the levels below me. The cobalt energy burned reassuringly against my palm; the ablaze weapon held in my other.
I controlled my breathing and heart rate as I searched and scanned, but I couldn’t ignore the feeling of being watched the entire time. Every window I passed gave me pause, and I kept expecting to see her reflection appear behind me.
I had passed so many rooms seemingly untouched that I was starting to believe she wasn’t here. Maybe she had already been through this building and found what she was looking for. No, we would have known. At least, I hoped so.
I let out a breath and returned to the wide hallway. I think the dead silence was the worst for me. Static filled the air, and I lifted my blade. A flicker of electricity ran through the lights. They tried and failed to turn on, dying at the end of the hall. The darkness stared at me, and I gripped my sword tighter. I waited for her to rush me, cutting me down as easily as she’d cut Cameron, but nothing came. I sighed at my stupidity. It was probably just Samkiel walking the floors below me.
I spun around, my blade stopping mere inches from his throat. I yelped and lowered my sword. “Gods, Samkiel, you scared me!”
He placed a single finger to his lips, shushing me. “She’s close.”
That explained why the lights were acting weird. He must have ridden them up here.
“I haven’t seen or heard anything,” I whispered.
“We have to hurry.” He paused at the end of the hall, and pressed his back against the wall. He peeked quickly around the corner before waving me forward. I stayed behind him as we walked into the main lobby, checking every door and entryway. “I misplaced the map. I think Vincent might have moved it. It’s not downstairs with the rest of the texts.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose, and I stopped. “How? You kept all of that stuff with you. Vincent wouldn’t touch it. You told no one to.”
Samkiel stopped.
“Did I?”
He turned, a flicker of orange dancing across his eyes before they bled to red. He was so menacing that my blood froze in my veins. If he had been born Ig’Morruthen, they would have slaughtered him the day he was born.
Not even an Ig’Morruthen would have allowed something that powerful,
that evil, to exist.
“Imogen.”
The Samkiel in front of me glanced up, fangs descending.
The real Samkiel stood at the end of the hall, and even as I spun toward his voice, I knew it was a mistake.
A massive clawed hand gripped my throat, dragging me back against the shell of Samkiel, nails piercing my throat.
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