"Shh, beloved. You will not blame yourself.""Please, please don't let her be hurt. I only asked for her to be kept in the dungeon because doing otherwise would require explanations that I don't think we're ready to grant just yet," Naomi said as she broke away from their hug.Daegal agreed, "You have my word. As you have commanded it, so it shall be."Naomi mustered up a smile in response."Shall I have food brought for you?" he asked.Naomi shook her head 'no'. "I don't think I can keep anything down for now. Can you just hold me till I fall asleep?""Of course, my love." Daegal misted their clothes, leaving them only in their small clothes.When they climbed into bed together, Daegal scooped her into his arms and pressed two kisses on the top of her head.After a while, Daegal broke the silence in the room when he noticed that Naomi's breathing hadn't evened out. "What are you thinking about, love?""A lot of things. My mind is just all over the place," came her response."Name one

Three days before Naomi arrived in Estoria, Nezetta enjoyed the fear she saw in people's eyes. The fear when they had no idea of what was to happen to them and the terror that filled their bones and very big when they eventually found out. Estoria was her home for many of her formative years and it was also the place that housed some of her worst and best memories. Joining Babatunde and Master Faizar all but exposed her to her full potential. Long before, the full moon was an essential catalyst in bringing out that unnatural part of her that her father made her hide for so many years and even sent her away to the Alcatraz because of it. Now, she could summon that side of her with only a thought, without needing the full moon. "Are you ready to devote your lives to the one, true ruler of us all?" Nezetta questioned the dwellers of a commercial town situated in the heart of Estoria. The people had all been taken from their homes by men of Babatunde's army and assembled in their to

Aelyna, come," Naomi ordered through the bond between her and her dragon as she and her husband stepped out of the command tent and into the afternoon sun."Where's Dreygor?" she asked Daegal who had a troubled look on his face. "and what's wrong? What are you thinking about?"Daegal glanced at her for a second before turning away. "In a cave, a short ride from here."As he answered, two squires brought over two horses for them, which they mounted."You didn't answer my second question," Naomi said as she spurred her horse into a trot."Do not worry about it, Cari. Let us go," he said and before Naomi could prod him further, he dug his foot into his horse's flank and it galloped off."You're lucky I love you," Naomi muttered to herself while she motioned her horse to go faster just as Aelyna flew overhead, following her rider.Within a few minutes, they had cleared their camp and were now deep into the woods. Eventually, they both came upon a wide clearing surrounded by caves. From th

The world was at peace. No war and no evil warlord was trying to destroy everything Naomi loved. Life was bliss.And then she woke up.Naomi rubbed her eyes as she rose from the bed she shared with Daegal. When she glanced beside her, her husband was gone but his side was still warm meaning that he must have left not long ago."When would everything go back to normal?" she murmured to herself as she stretched out her muscles and climbed out of bed.Naomi did her morning routine with the preparations that had been left for her and when she was finally dressed in a flowing gown that was cinched at the waist since she didn't feel like wearing leather, she opened the heavy flap of the tent, nodded to the guards stationed outside who bowed at her and stepped out.Two of the guards trailed behind her as she walked. Everywhere she passed, soldiers, workers, and camp followers alike bowed and offered smiles to her which she graciously returned.Everywhere seemed calm. The sun was out and the

Naomi couldn't sleep. She turned once on the firm mattress and then twice before she tossed the sheets off of her body.The weather was cold but her skin was sweaty and clammy. The events of the day still bothered her even though she had spent the rest of it teasing Azriel with Daegal and watching how the blacksmiths fashioned fresh weapons and armor.Remorse wasn't the problem. No, Naomi didn't feel any guilt or sorrow over the enemy soldiers she had killed. She had come to realize that in this world, it was kill or be killed and for her loved ones, she would do anything for them.It was the terror of her power that ate at her, and the mystery surrounding its origin. There were too many questions that had no answers and damn if it wasn't frustrating.Meriana's unfortunate passing had opened her eyes to just how volatile and unpredictable the magic she possessed could be and while she felt better that it was the enemy she used it on earlier that day, Naomi wondered how devastated she