Thirty-Nine
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Logan
D ianna leaned her head back, my blood coating her fangs. She licked
her lips, her grip tightening on my neck. “Where are the others?”
“I’m alone,” I choked out.
Her mouth turned down as she looked at me. “You’re alone? That’s stupid.”
She shoved off me, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. I sagged against the wall, grabbing at my throat as it healed. Samkiel had told me of the blooddreams and Dianna’s ability to rifle through memories once she had consumed someone’s blood. Would she be able to see the way Samkiel missed her?
She turned her back on me and stepped to the edge, looking down into the dark cavern. “What are you? A scout?”
“No, I’m looking for Neverra,” I replied, rubbing my throat as I came to her side.
“Still?” She snorted. “Won’t give up, will you?”
“You’re here for the same reason I am. Because of someone you love.”
Her head swung toward me, and I stepped back. Power rippled off of her, making my skin crawl. I had faced monsters of all shapes and sizes, but she made me want to hide.
“And Samkiel would let his strongest and most trusted ally search alone?”
I swallowed, the pain in my throat nearly gone. “He doesn’t know.”
Dianna tipped her head and folded her arms as she regarded me. She clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Look at you. All grown up and disobeying orders. I’d be impressed if you weren’t in my way.” Her eyes
darkened, and she grinned, revealing the sharp and deadly edges of her canines.
“In the way of what?” My question seemed to catch her off guard, and she paused in her attempt to intimidate me.
Instead of answering, she stared at the dead below, who stood frozen.
Before I could push at her for answers, the room erupted. Every dead mortal lifted their head in unison, a thick hollow scream vibrating from their throats. I covered my ears, and Dianna’s face grew grim. Her hand shot out, hitting me in the chest and pushing me away from the edge of the cliff.
“Time to go home, Logan.”
I ignored her, and she pushed me deeper into the shadows until we could just barely see what was happening below. Finally, the screams stopped, the cavern falling so silent you could hear a pin drop.
“What was that gods awful sound?” I whispered, my voice sounding overly loud.
“A beacon,” she whispered. The floor beneath the mortals shook.
Particles of dust, iron, and embers spun, forming a perfect circle. It slammed against the stone wall, the outer rim bursting into flame as the
middle coalesced into darkness.
“A beacon for what?”
“Not what. Who.”
As if on cue, a man stepped through. His energy felt ancient and unmistakably Ig’Morruthen. His dark hair was cut close to his head, and his ebony skin gleamed in the light of the fire. He wore a buttoned-up black jacket with silver studs at the collar. A long drape of light fabric cascaded over his right shoulder, seemingly out of place against the tough, thick material that made up the rest of his outfit. I knew what that garment represented—royalty. This was a King of Yejedin, and I recognized him from Samkiel’s description.
He was known as Tobias on Onuna, but on Rashearim, we knew him as Haldnunen.
Now I knew what that swirling portal was and where it led. I knew without looking at Dianna that she knew as well. This had been her plan all along. She would wait until a portal opened and find a way in. She did not know about the realms or how the portals worked. If she went down there, she would be stuck, or worse.
The portal widened, and terrifying clawed monsters squeezed their way through. They mantled, announcing their presence with sharp cries before launching into the air. Their thick, leathery wings beat, carrying them higher. Rows and rows of teeth snapped above the heads of the mortals.
Dianna grabbed my arm and shoved me against the far wall. She raised her finger to her lips, and I felt the world shift slightly. A dull, hazy film slid over the world as if we stood just beyond it, looking at it through a warped window. She kept her hand on mine, and I saw what looked like waves of darkness circling first her and then me. She faced the cavern and pressed her back against the wall beside me. One of the massive creatures landed right where we had been. It walked on four taloned feet, lowering its nose to the ground and sniffing.
Its nostrils flared as it focused on the spot where she had been standing.
It wasn’t just sniffing out of curiosity. They were still looking for her. It folded its enormous wings against its body, its long powerful tail swishing behind it. Its head snapped up and toward us. My hand flexed, ready to call an ablazed weapon forward and cut it in half. Dianna’s hand gripped mine, and I looked at her. She shook her head. I felt the air move, and suddenly the beast was in front of us.
Its elongated snout and turned-up nose pressed to the ground, sniffing inches from our feet, and I could smell the hot, heavy scent of the creature.
Its jaws opened, and a long, thick, dark red tongue swiped at the ground.
The whites of its eyes shone, tasting something it liked. Its head jerked up, and it exhaled in our faces.
Since the moment of my creation, I had been trained not to fear. I had seen monsters that could swallow cities, but Dianna’s hand tightening on mine and her single step forward were the only things that kept me in place.
The creature stood upright, towering over us and walking a few steps closer, its tail dragging behind it. It stopped and leaned forward, its head tipped to the side as it sniffed the air above us. The hollow curved ears flickered as if listening for our heartbeats. I grimaced, its breath smelling of flesh and blood, the sour stench making my stomach churn. I felt Dianna’s talons elongate and press into my knuckles. She was ready to kill it, but to do so would only alert the others. I squeezed once, and she took a step back. She didn’t glance at me, but she didn’t advance either.
A whistle cut through the air, and the beast turned toward the sound. It spread its leathery wings, and with a powerful downward thrust and a gust
of air, it flew up and over the chasm. Dianna let go of my hand, but we remained in that shelter made of smoke and shadow. I stayed close to her side as we moved to the edge. The dead mortals and all the iron were gone, and Tobias was nowhere in sight. The last few beasts shot through the portal, and it started to close.
I blinked as the world suddenly cleared, the haze over my vision disappearing. I turned to ask Dianna what was happening, but she was no longer at my side. Frantically, I searched for her and saw her sprinting toward the slowly closing portal. I leaped from the ledge, landing in front of her so hard my knees felt the impact. I gripped her shoulders and shook her, probably harder than I should have.
“Are you insane?” I whispered, unsure if they were still close enough to hear us. “You can’t go in there. You don’t know where it leads or what happens once it closes.” And Samkiel would kill me if you disappeared forever. I didn’t speak that last part aloud.
Dianna glared at me and groaned in frustration before rolling her eyes.
She grabbed my wrists and hissed, “Go home, Logan. She is probably dead anyway.”
“No, and don’t say that.” Against my will, my gaze darted to my hand and the mating mark. Neverra was still alive.
She twisted against my wrists hard enough that I felt the tendons strain.
I hissed as she tossed my arms from her.
“What is with you Rashearim men?” she demanded, stepping around me and toward the slowly closing portal. “You can’t let anything go, can you?”
“You’ve never been in love, have you?”
Dianna grimaced when I stepped in front of her again, her lips forming a thin line. She placed her hands on her hips, more than frustrated, but I knew she wouldn’t hurt me. Some part of me knew it.
“Listen, this portal is a one-way ticket. You go in, and you’re not coming out.”
“Obviously,” she said, her tone so matter-of-fact it took me by surprise.
“You knew.”
“Of course, I knew.” She rolled her eyes and waved her hands at me as if shooing me away. “Now go home.”
Everything clicked then, a sudden, horrifying realization washing over me.
“That’s why you didn’t bring the others with you, the witch and the fate.
You weren’t planning on coming back, were you? That is why you keep pushing Samkiel away. Why won’t you let him help? This is a suicide mission for you.”
“If I’m right, this portal will take me to Kaden. It was never the plan for me to come back.” Her eyes bore into mine as she tried to step around me, and I countered, blocking her way. “Go home,” she snarled from between clenched teeth.
“What would Gabby say about your suicide mission? Or Samkiel, for that matter? Dianna, you can’t leave him.” Fear swept through me. I knew what she was to him and what her death would do to him. He was already slipping, retreating back into himself.
“You lost me long before Rashearim fell.”
My heart thudded in my chest.
“He’s not mine to keep.” She snapped. “And if you were really his best friend, you’d make him forget about me and marry her.”
“Imogen?” I scoffed. “You’re a selfish, godsdamned fool,”
She struck at me. I blocked it, catching her fist against my palm. She swung again with her free hand, and I caught her wrist. My muscles strained as I held her. She was unnervingly strong, but I was furious with her. We stood, glaring at each other, locked in a standoff.
“How could you do that to him? After everything he is risking for you, doing for you! Do you even realize how much he cares for you? You know what he has lost, and you want to add to that pain?”
“You know nothing of me!” She threw her head forward, connecting with mine hard enough to make me see stars. I reeled, my grip loosening enough that she was able to twist and flip me over her hip. I hit the ground, and all the air left my lungs.
“Bullshit.” I coughed. “Gabriella told Neverra and me everything. The way she spoke of you… She looked up to you and wanted to be strong like you because you feared nothing. You’d die for those you care for. She admired you and loved you so much. Now look at you. Just giving up without even trying and wasting her sacrifice like it meant nothing. You’re pathetic now. She would be embarrassed.”
Dianna fell on top of me, her fist connecting once, then twice with my face. She gripped my collar and pulled me up. Her fangs descended, her eyes bleeding red.
“You say her name again, and you won’t have to worry about finding your soon-to-be-dead wife. I’ll send you to her myself.”
She shoved me to the ground before standing and stalking toward the portal.
I half sat up, wiping at my already healing lip and nose. “If you don’t take me with you, I’ll go straight to Samkiel and tell him. I’ll tell him where you are and what your plans are. Then he will rip this place apart to get to you, and any plan you think you have will be ruined.”
Her nostrils flared, and her jaw clenched as she turned back to me. “Are you threatening me? You know, I could just kill you? Right here, right now.”
“Do it. We’re not scared of you. The Hand is not afraid of you. None of us are. You wouldn’t actually hurt us because you’d hurt him. Deny it all you want, but I see it. Everyone does. I know you care about him at least that much.”
A sick smile graced her face. “Are you sure about that? I gutted Cameron.”
“You missed every major artery and organ.”
Her eyes narrowed. “The dream eaters?”
“Nightmares are a part of everyday life.” I shrugged as I got to my feet,
knocking the dust off me.
“I stabbed Samkiel. Repeatedly.”
“And saved him from a sinking ship. And let’s not forget about the kiss that got you caught. Listen, we can go back and forth, or you can let me come with you. Or, as I said, I tell Samkiel just where you are. I’m sure it would take him no time to get here, and I doubt he will let you escape twice. Decide, Dianna. Your portal is closing.”
She took a deep breath, looking over her shoulder at the portal growing smaller and smaller. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous that she would just knock me out and leave me here, but I hoped, no damn near
prayed, my words got through to her.
Finally, she sighed. “Tattletale.”
I smiled. It was a small victory, but I would take it.
“Fine. But don’t get in my way, and don’t expect me to save your ass, you know, again. You go down there with me, and you’re on your own.”
“Fine.” I nodded.
“Fine.” She didn’t wait to see if I followed as she strode into the portal.
I knew following her in there with no plan of escape was a bad idea, but this was the closest I had gotten to Nev, and I wouldn’t waste it.
“Samkiel, forgive me,” I whispered and slipped inside, the portal sealing behind me.
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