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September 15 - September 21, 2025
“So I am a prisoner, then?” I folded my arms. “Are you going to bring out handcuffs next?” “Is that something you would like?” he asked.
“You’re a fool if you think I would be happy in a world where you did not exist.”
“This is the safest place for you right now. No matter how much you despise me, I will not have you rotting in a cell. I couldn’t bear it. So I will give you your space while I try to figure everything else out.”
Dianna, you are loved. You always have been and always will be. I see it even if you don’t, but more than that, you have so much love to give. I think that is where that fire comes from inside of you. You are passion and anger, and above all, pure love. You protected me, loved me, and cared for me my entire life. Because of you, I never knew a day that I was not loved.
“I loved the whole ‘she’s mine’ comment,” Cameron said, launching another triangle at Xavier. “So hot, it even made me hard.”
You can’t push us away like you do everyone else.” I turned and glared at him. “We get it.” Cameron squeezed my shoulder. “You want to remind us who and what you are, but we never forgot, Didi.” My brow lifted. “Didi?” Cameron nodded and poured another shot, passing it to Xavier. “Yeah, that’s your new nickname. Everyone gets one. Welcome to the family.”
I’d follow him anywhere. We all would, and I think you would, too.”
“I don’t see the point of me being stuck here. Either drop it or take me to the council yourself. A prison is a prison, no matter how beautiful, Samkiel.”
“How dare I? How dare you! You are not innocent in this. Do not pretend that my feelings were ever one-sided. You were there with me every step of the way through Onuna and every godsdamn place you dragged me. What about me? You may be replaceable to Kaden and his ilk, but you are not to me.”
“It was not anger that I felt. It was fear.” “Fear?” “Yes, fear because when I learned of where you were and what was happening, I realized there is no limit to what I am willing to do for you. The old gods spoke of how powerful we all are and how our emotions can override the critical part of our brains. We trained religiously to ensure the realms, the people, come before all else. We cannot be selfish, but I fear that with you, it is not something I can control. When Vincent told me what was happening, I knew I would rip Onuna to pieces for you. If Kaden had taken you, I would turn mountains
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“I thought he had tried to take you again, and I wasn’t there. I am not used to that kind of fear, Dianna.”
“There is nothing in my system from Dianna that I’d wish to remove. The thought of just being a simple fuck to her makes me wish to get disemboweled repeatedly. That would hurt less.”
“You’re wrong.” His voice was like cold, hard steel. “She was not the only one. But you are also right that I do want something from you. I want you to be happy, healthy, and alive. I want the best for you because gods know you deserve it after every fucking thing you’ve been through. One day I want you to smile again, really smile. I want to help you heal as you helped me.”
“No one was there for me after I lost my father, my world. Not until you. I don’t want you to go through this alone. It won’t be easy, and there will be days you will feel like you don’t want to get out of bed, but I want to be there for you. Every day if you will let me.”
“No one comes here. It’s yours if you wish it.” “A whole beach?” I shook my head. “You’d give me a whole beach?” “The world, if you wish.”
:')
He deserved so much more, so much better than me. Yet he looked at me as if he would rip the world to pieces for me, and I knew I would do so much worse for him.
The night she’d stripped in front of me, I’d damn near fallen to my knees and begged for just a taste.
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.
“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 didn’t mean to upset you,” he said. His voice shook away the thoughts that plagued me. “You didn’t. Pinky promise.” I gave him a forced smile. “Then what are you thinking about? You disappear sometimes.” “Do I?” He nodded. “Sometimes you retreat so far in your head I’m afraid I can’t reach you.”
“We kinda got into a fight.” He shrugged nonchalantly as he crossed his arms and leaned on the table. “A slight misunderstanding, at the most. We’ve had many.”
“I agree. I don’t want to fight with you, either. I know you are not used to it, but your safety comes first for me. You cannot be within an inch of Kaden without your powers. Not because I think you are weak, but if he hurt you again, touched you, I’d level the world.”
“Fine.” “That’s it? You’ll let me.” He picked up his spoon and took another bite. “Sure. You may deliver your final blow once I am done with him. I’ll make sure I’ve incapacitated enough that he cannot hurt you if your powers are not back. Will that suffice?” My lips twisted in a smirk. “You’re cute when you’re homicidal.”
“Dianna,” he paused, seeming to gather his words, “there is no life with you in it that would be horrible. Horrible is living without you.”
“Thank you for apologizing and bringing me here. If you wish to stay here all night and talk, we can, or if you wish to sit in silence, we can do that, too.”
“I need you to understand what you’re doing. What you are asking for. I know what I said before about you using me, but I lied. The second I touch you, once I take you completely, there will be no other. I will not share you. There will be no other lovers. I am not Kaden. I will demand you and only you. Do you understand? You mean too much to me. If we do this, you are mine, and I will not share you.”
BOUT DAMN TIME
“You deserve to be worshiped like the goddess you are,” he said, pressing another kiss to my brow. “I’m not a goddess.” “You are mine.”
“I want to taste every part of you,” he said with a groan, “and I intend to.”
“Tell me what pleases you, Dianna.” His teeth tugged at my earlobe, sending shocks of pleasure to my lower belly. “Tell me what you crave, what you need. Tell me what you like so I can do it better than anyone you’ve ever had.” “You. Just you.”
“You taste so good, baby. I could stay here forever.”
“I could come a thousand times over listening to you beg and those naughty little sounds you make.” My breath hitched, and I parted my thighs wide, cradling him as he settled atop me. “And I plan to.”
“Tell me you want me.” My voice came out in a breathless whisper, my fingers digging into the thick muscles of his arms. He rested his forehead against mine. “I always want you.” “Tell me you need me.” I needed to hear and feel it, and I didn’t care how it made me sound or if it made me weak. I was so tired of being used. Being unwanted. Being alone. “Always.” He panted. “I can barely breathe without you, Dianna.”
Something in me had shifted, and I had become a humble stranger to myself. I wondered if he felt it, too. All I knew was that a bond had solidified between us tonight. It felt different, stronger, unbreakable, and very, very dangerous.
“It’s yours,” I said, touching the hem of the shirt. “I see that. I think I might prefer this over the small lacy items you wear, but only slightly.” Samkiel closed the distance between us in two long strides and bent to kiss me. I turned my head, shaking it. “Hey,” he cupped my chin, turning my face toward him, “don’t do that. Don’t pull away from me. We are not going back to that. Kiss me, Dianna.”
“Please.” I ignored him, flicking my tongue once more. “Do you wish for me to beg? I’ll beg.” Samkiel panted.
“Kings don’t beg.” His hips thrust helplessly. “I will for you.” “Yeah?” I asked. My grip tightened at the base of his cock, flicking my tongue teasingly against his shaft. “Yes,” Samkiel hissed. “Tempting, but no.”
“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 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.”
“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.”
“I just didn’t see. I thought he meant her. This is how the world ends. But it wasn’t her. It was never her.” The Higher One looked at me curiously. “Who? Your amata?” My heart stopped. “My what?” “Your amata. You know, this beautiful being,” she said, gesturing toward the facade of Dianna she wore. “You know, I really thought The Order killed her as an infant, but here we are. Kind of funny, huh? She’s definitely your type, though.”
“Hey, we’re all flawed in one way or the other. Be selfish, then. Love fearlessly and blindly, but love nonetheless. I would want nothing else for you. I think you are perfect the way you are. Flaws and all. So does he. There is nothing I would change… Well, maybe that trip to Nappale, but that’s it.”
I stifled a laugh as I sniffled. “I’m a terrible person.” “No.” Her voice cracked as she smiled at me. “You’re just a girl who gave up everything she had for the ones she loved. You deserve to be loved in return.”
“If Roccurem is wrong, and I am truly out of time, if this doesn’t work, I want you to know that I am nothing like your father, Samkiel. I refuse to live without you. There will be no peace in this realm or the next. I will burn this universe down to embers for you. I will leave nothing untouched, taking apart anyone that’s ever hurt you piece by piece. So when you hear the screams from however far away you are from me. When you feel the very stars shake from the rage you aren’t here to pull me back from, when you hear them beg and plead for mercy, I need you to remember that it’s because you
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“How deeply you must love someone that death itself fears taking them?”
“She is a goddess, my liege. A very old, very powerful, very angry goddess.” “I fear no gods and no kings.”
