Chapter 35
Dianna
I watched Cameron hit his wrist, causing a small snack to fly across the room.
Xavier bent backward, trying to catch it in his mouth.
Ancient terrifying warriors, my guards, were tossing snacks at each other like sixteen-year-old boys.
I rolled my eyes, trying not to shift uncomfortably, the chains wrapped around me digging into my wrists.
“Dude, that’s five for five,” Xavier cheered happily.
Cameron snorted and ate the handful he had, and Xavier laughed. Their armor was new, formed of a dark material I didn’t recognize. The collars were upright, protecting their throats, and they had blades strapped everywhere. Smart.
“Hungry?” Cameron asked, looking at me as he reached for the bag Xavier held.
“Starved, but I don’t eat that,” I said, my voice cracking. I smiled, my canines protruding. The chains drained me more than I thought they would, and every time I moved, they cut deeper.
“Oh yeah? What are you hungry for? Samkiel?” Xavier asked.
Cameron grinned and shoved Xavier’s shoulder. “Yeah, that whole display was kind of hot. I won’t lie. But I doubt he would ever take you in front of anyone. He seems way more possessive of you than his previous lovers.”
Xavier shrugged. “True.”
I forced a smile as they laughed. They wanted to get under my skin. Fine, I could play that game, too, but I was way better at it.
“You know what I don’t get?” I asked. “You two.”
They stopped laughing and looked at me with identical expressions.
“Us?” Cameron asked with a smirk. “What about us?”
“Do you ever tire of pretending you don’t want each other?”
Cameron’s smile dropped, and Xavier looked like I had punched him in the stomach. His eyes darted too quickly toward Cameron, and he stopped mid-chew.
“I mean, it’s not like Samkiel or the others would care if you two finally took all that boiling tension and did something about it,” I teased.
Cameron laughed and shook his head. “Seriously? Your plan is to goad us over something that isn’t even true? Xavier is my oldest friend, and he has a boyfriend.”
“Oh, a boyfriend,” I mocked, a laugh spilling from my throat. “I’m so sorry. You’re right, completely off limits.”
Cameron stepped closer, holding the sides of his vest. “Don’t try to project the tension between you and Samkiel onto us.”
Cameron glanced over his shoulder. Xavier smiled and quickly nodded, but I saw it. I saw the emotions in Xavier’s eyes. I saw the want and need and knew I had hit home. However, Cameron was completely oblivious or in deep denial. I assumed the latter.
“Right, just friends.” I rocked back on my heels, my smile mocking as I looked between them. “Samkiel and I said the same thing, and I still blew him.”
Cameron’s expression hardened in annoyance, his smirk falling flat. “You cannot bait us.”
“Are you sure about that? I baited one of you.” I shrugged my shoulders, looking toward Xavier, who had said nothing.
They stared at me, identical expressions of consternation on their faces.
Two dream eaters solidified behind Xavier and Cameron.
The warriors sensed them, but it was already too late as they spun to confront the threat.
The dream eater’s mouths gaped wide, and they sucked what looked like wispy threads from Xavier and Cameron.
It only took two seconds before they fell to the floor, unconscious.
Reggie came around the corner with his hands behind his back.
The dream eaters moved aside, and he stepped over the sleeping Xavier and Cameron.
Reggie lifted Cameron’s hand and placed it on a pad near the door.
The bars dissolved, and Reggie allowed Cameron’s arm to drop before stepping inside.
He carried a key I recognized, and I wondered how he had gotten it from Samkiel.
He undid one wrist and then the next, my strength returning in a rush of euphoria.
The chains fell in an untidy pile on the floor, and I rubbed my wrists, relieving the bone-deep ache.
“The others are asleep as well,” Reggie said.
“You’re late, and I’m starving.”
“My apologies.” He nodded toward the dream eaters. “They were a little harder to find, given your recent activities, but they owed you a favor.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s pointless now. The map is gone.” I huffed a stray piece of hair from my face.
“It is not.”
“What?”
“I’ll show you.”
I cocked my head to the side but didn’t question his claim.
If there were a chance the map still existed, then I would take it.
I stepped out of the cell and over the sleeping bodies, following Reggie.
The two dream eaters hovered over the two celestials, their eyes rolled back and their hands extended.
Cameron and Xavier twitched in their sleep-like state, swirls of wispy magic sinking into their heads.
“How many of the Baku did you bring?” I asked.
“All of them.”
A slow smile pulled at my lips. If they all came, this whole place would be sound asleep and none the wiser of my escape.
* * *
The elevator door slid to the side on the top floor, and I paused before stepping out.
The room was a disaster, as if Samkiel had been struggling to maintain control again.
I had seen something similar so many times before in the blooddreams. Here, it looked like he’d tried to fix it the best he could several times.
“He is barely holding on, as you can see.”
A wave of guilt hit my gut. “I don’t care.”
Emotions flickered over Reggie’s face. Maybe regret or something else?
Fear? I shook my head and skirted the large sofa.
Stacks of books and other items covered the tabletop.
I sorted through the texts and clutter, looking for the map.
Reggie said Samkiel had restored it, and I knew he would keep it close until he could secure it out of my reach.
I tossed a book over my shoulder, then another, ignoring the thud as they hit the floor.
I felt Reggie watching me the whole time, waiting.
My hand hovered over a thick book, shock rippling through me.
“Why does he have this?” I grabbed the thin strip of black and white photos, drinking in the images.
“I think you know why.”
These were the damned photos from that booth. Something in my chest fractured at the memory.
“You’re terrible at blending in,” I whispered, popping another piece of cotton candy into my mouth. Samkiel glared at me. I suspected it was just his go-to expression. “You know people that go to festivals have fun?”
“This isn’t fun. It’s loud, obnoxious, and overcrowded. Why are you making that gesture with your hands?”
I stopped the random opening and closing of my hand as he rattled off everything that bothered him. “Oh, I am just imitating how often you complain. Listen, I know this isn’t wild drinking games or orgies on Rashearim, but you can at least attempt to have fun.”
If his fists clenched any tighter, he might have popped a blood vessel.
“How will me having fun make your acquaintance come any faster?”
I shrugged. “It won’t, but it would make me happy.”
Something sparked in his eyes, but I didn’t know him well enough to read his expression.
Nearby laughter caught my attention. A couple exited a photo booth and exclaimed over the strip of images the machine spit out before hurrying away, pointing toward a large ride.
I smiled, and Samkiel’s gaze followed mine.
“I dislike that,” he remarked, eyeing my grin. “It means you have some idea I will probably not like.”
My smile only grew, and he opened his mouth to say something. I didn’t allow him to protest before grabbing his wrist and pulling him with me. He didn’t resist like I thought he would. I let go of him as I stopped outside of the booth.
He studied the booth suspiciously. “What is this device?”
I snorted, inserting a few coins I might have stolen. “You’ll see.”
He started to protest, but I shoved him inside and pulled the curtain closed behind us.
I spun and nearly collided with his chest. Okay, I hadn’t considered his size, the small space, and how close we would be.
He was damn near a giant, and our bodies were pressed close.
I felt the flush travel through my body and turn my cheeks hot. What the fuck?
“You’re so hostile.”
I snorted. “Sorry. I wanted you in here before you could object.”
He looked down at me, and my heart thudded. Yeah, he was way too close.
“What happens now?”
“Well, first…” I reached up. My fingers threaded through his hair, ruffling it. I tried to ignore how soft it was as he frowned at me.
I laughed, my arm half raised as a flash went off, startling us both.
Samkiel jumped, almost hitting his head on the top of the machine.
I busted out laughing and almost dropped my cotton candy.
There was another flash, and he glared at the source of the light.
One of his rings vibrated as if he was about to draw a weapon and fight the machine.
I rested my hand over his, covering his rings. He looked down at our hands and then back up at me.
“It’s fine. I promise. It’s harmless. It’s just taking pictures,” I explained calmly.
“Pictures?” The flash went off again, and I smiled brighter. He looked damn near terrified.
“Yes. Look, like this.” I let go of his hand and lifted mine toward his face. He almost flinched back but stopped, his eyes darting to me.
I lightly grabbed his chin and forced his face toward the camera just as it flashed again.
I didn’t know if it was the sugar rush from the candy or the great and powerful World Ender’s fear of a small photo booth, but I hadn’t genuinely laughed like this in what felt like centuries.
There were two more flashes before the room returned to its dull glow.
I placed another piece of candy in my mouth as he stared at me.
“What?”
He shook his head as if he was in a daze. “Nothing, I just never heard you laugh before.”