“What the fuck?” he panted, his eyes roaming the room. He took in the missing ceiling and wall before falling to us. Since we had been in the center of the storm, I assumed we looked just as disheveled as he did. “I thought I heard a fucking hurricane, but it was just you two having sex?”
“Don’t tell him.”My words danced to her. We had more than enough to worry about without this added.
“I won’t,”she replied.
“Think of the children, Dianna,” Cameron scoffed before pointing to himself. “And the sexless.”
A small snort left my lips. I hadn’t thought it possible for me to feel humor right now, but given what he saw when he entered and how Dianna was draped across me, of course, that would be what he thought.
Dianna jumped from the bed. “Go back to bed,” she demanded with a scowl, storming toward him. Fire danced over the tips of her fingers, distracting him from the destruction and ash all around us.
“So violent.” He playfully rolled his eyes before waving to the room right as he left. “And clean up your mess.”
Dianna closed the bedroom door, and I slipped from the bed, righting the walls and ceiling of the room. Once everything was back in place, I turned toward her. She leaned against the bedroom door, worry tightening her beautiful features and darkening her eyes. The destruction I’d created wasn’t the source of her concern. It was because we both knew Oblivion lived inside me, and I had just become a threat to everyone I loved.
2
DIANNA
Three weeks later
To say that I was exhausted was an understatement. In the last few weeks, we had continued the renovations of the town near the castle. This world was so beautiful, and we’d decided to build the small city along the rolling mountains, keeping it in the shadow of the palace where we could watch over it. Waterfalls slid down the cliff faces, forming streams that meandered through the town. Samkiel worked tirelessly alongside the people who had already sought sanctuary, constructing houses, shops, roads, bridges, and even a small recreational area near the beach. I knew he was using it as a way to keep his mind off his new nightmares and Oblivion, but it also meant he was helping people, and doing so eased his soul.
Only after he was sure the town was stable and they could continue on their own did we venture back out. First, we stopped at the places closest to us, the ones we had seen before. We offered refuge to those Nismera had abandoned and left to themselves. They came gladly once they saw Samkiel, and I knew that turned the tide of his mood. Finally, he felt that he was making progress, and as he settled, the nightmares eased, and so did the uncontrollable surges in his Oblivion power.
The only dark spot was when we went back to the town with the moonkrests to find that the town was gone, as were the people. Only burned buildings and skeletons remained. Or so we thought. We were attacked as we wandered through the forest, checking for survivors. It was an ambush neither of us had expected, and my side still ached from the bite of the two-headed serpent beast we had slain. Sure, my skin had mended, but it seemed Otherworld creatures made me sore. On the plus side, we at least saved the moonkrests.
I could feel Samkiel’s mind wandering the same as mine. The uptick in recent attacks had grown almost daily. It was as if something was sending them from the Otherworld to wreak havoc. I suspected that once Samkiel’s powers left the sky, and the realms knew of his return, it pissed off someone with more than a little power. It was another reason, among many, that we were headed toward our current destination.
Water dripped from my wings as we coasted the wind currents. The portal Samkiel had opened had dropped us straight into an ocean several miles from where we had intended to be.
“You worry too much,”I sent to Samkiel.“You’ll get grey hairs. It has been three weeks since you’ve had an episode, and we can deal with this stuff.”
Episodeswas one way to describe Oblivion’s outbursts. On the plus side, he hadn’t had to live through any more brutal nightmares, and I hadn’t been awakened by roaring storms and howling winds tearing apart our home. Now, we were dealing with more issues that I didn’t know how to help him with. The only thing I could think to do was continue to support him.
Samkiel grumbled from atop my back.“Time is of the essence, and our most recent visits have not gone so well. I am expecting much of the same here.”
He wasn’t wrong. Not only had we had to deal with the increase in attacks from the creatures of the Otherworld and the ghost of his father popping in from beyond the grave, but we still had to visit what remained of the twelve realms. It was essential to see where the twelve rulers, lords and ladies, stood in their allegiance to Nismera. If we were lucky, maybe seeing Samkiel alive could shift their loyalties. Only seven realms remained, and of those we had spoken to so far, none of the royals had any interest in joining us.
Unir had shown up, and even if he wasn’t currently haunting me, it was a screaming omen to Samkiel. He was certain his father would never willingly leave the afterlife without his mother, and I had not seen Zasyn. Whatever had brought Unir here, whatever was his true goal, it had to be vital.
My wings parted clouds as we approached Shorerock. The realms here were not like Onuna at all. Some planets wouldn’t even register as such, no bigger than some moons, and this one was no different. An ocean spread as far as the eye could see, steely gray waves rolling one over the other. I wondered what lurked beneath the surface and deep below.
The sheer cliff face came up fast, a towering wall of stone robed in a heavy fall of water. I turned upward, feeling Samkiel’s legs tighten against my scales as my wings beat hard, racing through mist and clouds. The vertical climb seemed to take forever, and then the massive, sprawling city was before us.
It hung off the very edge of the cliff, water flowing all around it to fall into the ocean below. Blue and white stone columns topped with gaudy silver domes thrust toward the sky. Here and there, gardens graced some of the flat roofs. A towering city wall encompassed many of the smaller buildings. I suspected it had been created to protect the city from the violent storms the ocean threw at them.
The only visible road was a covered path outside the wall. It seemed to float in a horizontal arc, suspended above the water. Lord Orble oversaw Shorerock. It was a clever name for the city, considering it was supported by one of the few pieces of land on the planet.
We hadn’t tried to hide, and it would be hard to miss the giant, horned Ig’Morruthen that circled above the city. I assumed they were expecting us by now, and as we descended, I knew I wasn’t wrong. Guards stood straight as an arrow, backs taut as they watched us warily.
My thick, heavy wings separated the clouds as I settled down at the castle entrance. Blue and white flags snapped in the wind, a constant spray of sea salt misting the air. Shorerock was part of a large trade route, and one whiff told me what they traded. The smell of fish overwhelmed my sensitive senses, and a low growl left me as I sneezed. A small flame burst from my nostrils, singing the stone as I tried to clear my nose of the stench.
Samkiel hopped off my back, his silver armor catching the stray rays of sunshine. His father’s symbol was still etched into the pauldrons. I’d wondered if he’d change it after everything he had learned and all that had happened, but it seemed he had decided to keep them.
The guards wore sea blue armor, their weapons aimed at me. I considered changing forms, especially since I had to wrap my damn tail around me to avoid squishing anyone, but I was a bitch who loved dramatics. If we needed to use little intimidation tactics to get our way, I was okay with that, too. I tossed my head to the sky and roared, the sound piercing the air. I mantled, spreading my wings wide, casting the people below in darkness. When I finally rested back on my haunches and tucked my wings away, the guards closest to us were trembling ever so slightly.
Samkiel stopped and turned to look at me. If I could have shrugged in my beast form, I would have. He shook his head in amused exasperation before removing his helmet. I swore I heard the whole city suck in a breath.
