”Then, Samkiel, you will know this is how the world ends.”
But it was not this world. No, it was mine.
It was Dianna."
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Book 2 picks up approximately two weeks after the ending of Book 1. Dianna and Neverra are still missing and neither Samkiel or Logan are handling it well.
Samkiel ends an interview with a human and Logan tells him he was doing some research on the broadcast and he thinks it was broadcast to other realms, which should be impossible. They walk into a room and there she is.
He rushes to hug her but she doesn’t hug him back. She is very standoffish which confuses Samkiel. Weren’t they just hooking up two weeks ago? Samkiel smells mortal blood (as an Ig’M, Dianna craves human blood, much like a vampire, but she tries to not partake because that makes her feel less human) and Dianna manages to pin him to the table. She tells him that she is seeking revenge on everyone who had anything to do with that broadcast, and she really needs Samkiel to stay out of her way.
Dianna
Dianna is on a revenge war path. She takes out the witches, takes Camilla hostage. A week later, she goes to Drake's house, where Samkiel is arresting them. She kills Ethan, Drake, and Ethan’s wife, and sets the house and forest on fire.
A month later, she finds out that Kaden is collecting a lot of iron. She still can’t find Kaden, so she is basically killing everyone who either helped or did not try to stop Kaden from killing Gabby. She gets a lead on Santiago and goes to the shipping dock, Samkiel is there. Eventually, Sami kills Santiago.
Over the next few weeks, Dianna takes out some banshees and werewolves. She really is an effective exterminator. She learns that Kaden is planning something on the equinox.
Dianna heads to the ruins of Rashearim because she wants to portal to the different realm where Reggie (remember him?) is. Xavier, Cameron, and Imogen attempt to subdue her, but that doesn’t work out. She stabs Cameron in the gut but manages to miss all vital organs.
Dianna had gone to kill Reggie - killing everyone responsible and she finds him responsible since he can see all realities and did not tell her. But he says something that stops her. He says “all of it must happen appropriately to ensure what’s to come”. So she stops, what does he mean by that? Then she realizes Reggie could be real fucking useful seeing as he can see the future and all that. So she frees him from the realm that Unir had trapped him in. She freed him, then tells him he belongs to her until he helps her find and kill Kaden, then she’ll free him for real.
A bit later, Kaden appears to Dianna incorporeally. He tries to bait her with Samkiel, tells her about Samkiel and Imogen's betrothal, which of course she doesn’t know about (probably because it was like 1000 years ago). Dianna guesses that Kaden doesn’t have everything that he needs to finish his weapon, and she is right. What he needs is her.
The main root of Dianna’s issues is she won’t allow herself to properly grieve Gabby, she thinks that she is to blame for Gabby’s death. She thinks that by her being happy with Samkiel that somehow led to Gabby dying. She also thinks that she isn’t good enough for Samkiel and that if she allows them to get close again that it will lead to his death.
Dianna asks Reggie how he got locked away in that realm anyways. He says “There was a prophecy of rebirth for an unraveled cosmos. A child born from celestial and one born from a god. They were meant to rule it all. Save it all.”
Dianna guesses that it's about the World Ender. But Reggie says the one meant to rule with him was “taken and destroyed”. (This is important, remember this).
A few days later, Dianna has been moping and drinking. Reggie attempts to talk to her to get her to understand her feelings towards Samkiel. She threatens to kill him. He tells her he understands that she is grieving her sister but he asks “why does feeling for Samkiel hurt you as badly?” He tells her that there needs to be two rulers. She assumes he means Samkiel and Imogen. Reggie tries to explain himself and says “you do realize that falling in love with Samkiel did not kill your sister?” - which was the wrong thing to say. He tells her he only wants to help her and she says “Get out before I burn you alive”.
About a month later, Xavier and Cameron are having lunch at a cafe, when Dianna walks up. She wants them to go get Samkiel while she keeps a waitress hostage. As soon as Sami shows up though, he knows its not Dianna. He threatens to kill Camilla, but she tells him she knows where Dianna is and what she is doing.
Sami and Imogen go to the Guild to find Dianna and stop her from stealing some map from Samkiels office. They split up and Dianna shifts into Samkiel to grab Imogen by the neck. Sami shows up, tells Dianna that she helped him remember how much he missed Imogen and to please let her go. He also said he put something in the sprinklers that will freeze her magic. Then the sprinklers go off. She shoves Imogen away, and Samkiel tells her to get out.
As they fight, aka as Dianna kicks his ass, he calls her “akrai” for the first time. Which means “my heart” in her native language. Which of course, makes her mad. She tells him not to call her that, so he does, repeatedly. He then says what most of us are thinking that this is just them flirting, she says she isn’t flirting, and he says that he's not so sure because he’s getting turned on by it, she snarls that that should be “his Queens” job, and he says it is. We know that Samkiel means her, but she thinks he means Imogen, which again, makes her madder.
Sami does have a plan, he is leading her to a room where there are runes present so that he can trap her without hurting her. The madder she gets, the more she isn’t paying attention, and just following him to attack.
She manages to knock him down to the ground and then raises her sword above her to slam into Samkiels chest. But she stops. She just sits there, yeah she talks a big game about how she is going to carve his heart out, but she doesn’t move. He says “Do it. If you are truly gone, I refuse to live in a world without you…mine already belongs to you, so do with it as you will. You can’t, can you? You cannot truly hurt me.” He lunges up and kisses her, she throws the blade away, grabs him, and kisses him back.
But Camilla made a sleeping potion, that was activated by spit or something, so Dianna passes out, and he portals them out to the Guild in Arariel. She isn’t a prisoner but she is held with runes so that she can’t escape. She isn’t held long though before Reggie shows up. He apologizes to Simikiel and says this is necessary.
Reggie has brought along DreamEaters and sets them on everyone in the building. He frees Dianna from the runes and she goes to Samkiels room to find the map. There are 4 DreamEaters holding him down and he has a pained expression on his face. The master DreamEater says that Samkiel could dream of anything but yet he dreams of Dianna. She wants to tell them to stop but she doesn’t. She walks up to him and touches his face which seems to calm him almost instantly. She leans down and presses a small kiss to his lips then leaves.
Samkiel is dreaming but he keeps hearing things that are not part of his memories. He can hear Reggie and Dianna talking. Reggie appears in his dream and tells him what is happening. Samkiel thrashes to get out and Reggie tells him that he cannot let him go, that Dianna has to choose for herself without intervention or there will not be a realm left. He manages to get free and gets rid of the DreamEaters so that everyone can wake up.
Three weeks later, Logan hears of some sinkholes so he goes to investigate. Dianna is there and after some arguing, she agrees to let Logan go with her into a portal. They end up in a factory where Kaden is making weapons. Logan runs off to rescue Neverra while Dianna sets fire to literally everything. Tobias shows up to attempt to kill Dianna. Logan and Nev come back to help her, which makes her mad because she wanted them to leave. She was planning on this being a suicide mission. Dianna lets Tobias eat her in his dragon form so she can kill him from the inside. Kaden shows up but Dianna portals them to Samkiel. As the portal opens, Samkiel catches her. She is barely conscious, being wounded and using a lot of power, she says “you caught me?” He responds with “always”.
Samkiel
Important things from Samkiels POV during the first half of the book.
While at Ethan’s house, attempting to arrest them, Ethan tells him Kaden isn’t what he thinks he is. That Samkiel and Dianna were never supposed to meet because together they are too powerful. Ethan said that they and Camilla tried to push them together because they are the only chance at killing Kaden. Dianna drains Drake but not completely, when Samkiel finds him he tells him not to give up on Dianna, that Gabby would never, and Samkiel is all she has left.
On the boat with Santiago, he cuts his hands off (he did warn him in the first book). Santiago questions how does he know for sure that Azrael is dead, Alistair can make you see whatever he wants, that the Kings of Yejedin have almost as much power as the gods, and says “You really don’t know who Kaden is at all, do you?”
He spends a lot of time searching for her and pining for her. When she sees him, she is so hateful to her, but he never gives up on her.
Other important things before Part 2
Chapter 4 is Dianna's POV and it says “182 days” underneath her name. Every single time I read this I forget what that number is for, but I’ll save you - it's a countdown. Chapter 53, 91 days. Chapter 92 says 0 days.
We get Kadens POV - he is talking to someone through a dias, assuring them that everything is going to plan. He calls whoever he is talking to “my king”. Kaden gets whoever that is to agree that he can “keep” Dianna (“his pet”) as long as Kaden opens the realms successfully. In this chapter, we can see that Kaden cares for Dianna in his own sick, twisted, not at all healthy way. We also learn that Azrael is indeed alive, although not in control of his own mind. He is being used by Kaden and the “king”.
At the Guild, right before the DreamEaters show up, Logan and Vincent are talking. Vincent openly hates Dianna and doesn’t try to hide it. Logan tells him the reason he doesn’t think Dianna is a monster is because he lived with Gabby for those months. He knows Dianna’s heart. Vincent makes an interesting statement here that we should remember. Logan asks him what he would do if Nismera (remember her?) captured The Hand. He says “She wouldn’t. I’d kill her before she could, and if I couldn’t, I’d do everything in my power to get you back.” This may be important later on.
Part 2
Samkiel rebuilt his mansion in the remains of Rashearim just for Dianna. She burnt herself out and has been asleep for a bit. When she wakes up, she has discovered that she has no more powers, although Samkiel believes she is just suppressing them. Whenever Samkiel is at the house and not at the council, they argue, Samkiel is flirting, and Dianna is using her words to hurt him and push him away.
One day, when Samkiel is gone, Nev shows up. She has a letter from Gabby to Dianna. The letter helps her finally cry. She hasn’t cried this entire time. But she finally breaks down and sobs.
They are making progress until she feels guilty about it, snaps at Samkiel and tells him not to come back, that he’s needed elsewhere, to just send The Hand to check on her.
A few days past, Samkiel stays away like she asks, Xavier and Cameron show up and tell her to get dressed, they’re going out. Xavier and Cam take her to Onuna, where they go to a club, and get wasted. .Cameron and Xavier treat her like a friend, Cam gives her a nickname and says “Welcome to the family”. While there, in the bathroom, a vampire Seraphine (who was in love with Drake) attacks Dianna. She doesn’t fight back very hard, Samkiel shows up, kills all the vamps, and portals them all back to Rashearim. He starts yelling at Cam and Xavier but Dianna takes the blame and tells him not to yell at them. Switching to Camerons POV - Reggie shows up and we find out that it had been Reggies idea to take Dianna out. They didn’t know about the vampires but when they ask Reggie about it, Reggie says “it was necessary”. Xavier leaves to go meet up with his boyfriend, which makes Cameron super jealous, so he goes and hooks up with Elianna, as he does he thinks about Xavier.
Samkiel is removing glass from Diannas back and is very not happy with her. He tells her that just because she doesn’t value her own life, what about those who value her life? What would happen to them if something happened to her? When Vincent told him what was going on, he was afraid she would be taken by Kaden and he knew he would burn the world down to find her again. She asks him to stay and to come back tomorrow. Slowly, so slowly, they are making progress.
Samkiel and The Hand travel back to where Kaden was - Yejedin. Sami and Logan wander off together and Logan tells him that when all this is over, him and Nev wish to be out of The Hand. They will still work at the council but they want out. Samkiel says he understands and that unlike the other gods, he doesn’t wish to hold anyone against their will. He said whoever wants to “retire” after this is over, they can.
Samkiel discovers a bunch of cells and realizes that Yejedin is not just a pocket dimension but it's a prison. They suspect that Kaden was a prisoner there and that he escaped.
When Samkiel returns back to Dianna, she is furious. It’s been six days. He is shocked to find out he has been gone for 6 days (time moves differently in different realms). They go for a long hike, Sami tells her its time to figure out how to get her powers back. They talk, Dianna actually smiles and laughs for the first time in forever. They end up at the ocean, a place Gabby loved. Dianna gets upset and runs off. He chases her, they argue. He says he knows that the ocean would upset her but he did it on purpose because he doesn’t want her to hate a place that her and Gabby loved so much. She says that the only person who ever cared for her and loved her is dead - which obviously he disagrees with. Samkiel says he doesn’t want her to grieve alone, he will be there with her, every day, if she will let him. That he doesn’t want her to be hurting, and he will do everything he can to protect her. She takes his hand and they go back to the ocean. Lots of flirting happens. She ends up breaking down in front of him (PROGRESS!) and crying while he holds her. He tells her that she doesn’t scare him and that she can’t push him away, he is very patient.
When they get back to the house, Dianna tells him he can sleep in the bed with her if he wants. They used to share a bed all those months ago, just as friends. She asks him to just please come back tomorrow, its just better when he is there, he says pinky promise (another one of their things from before), and they fall asleep with their pinkies interlocked.
The next day, Samkiel has somewhere to be, but he remembers what Reggie had said - that Dianna lost her family, to give her a new one. So he plans a day at the beach - just The Hand and Dianna. They play beach volleyball and have a picnic. Dianna invites the girls for a sleepover which shocks Imogen. Nev and her talk a little bit about Gabby and Dianna is starting to realize that thinking about Gabby doesn’t hurt as much as it used to.
The next day, Samkiel goes back to the house to check on Dianna but also to get Nev and Imogen. Samkiel notices the change in Dianna, and she asks him if he would spend the day with her. Just the two of them, no fighting. He tells her yes, he will, tomorrow, he is all hers.
He goes back to the Yejedin, they found a giant there. He keeps close track of the time since he realized that it moves so differently there. The giant says he has been there for 3742 years. Samkiel says he has been king for almost 2000 years. The giant says oh you’re the one who caused the breaking, the Old Ones spoke of a boy who would unseat them, so they made plans. Of course, he won’t tell Samkiel anything else about the Old Ones, unless he gets something out of the deal.
Samkiel needs a whole day away - away from the council and his responsibilities. He goes down to the cell and tells Camilla he needs her assistance. Camilla mentions that Vincent is the best guard she has had (this will be important later). Samkiel wants Camilla to impersonate him for the day with Logan keeping watch over her the entire time.
For their day together, Dianna takes Samkiel ice skating (he sucks at it) and then they raid a food truck. Dianna takes him to the house she and Gabby had shared. She tells Sami that she did have ulterior motives in the date - she wants to fuck. He is willing but he stops her, he wants her to understand what this means. If he has her, fully has her, he will not share, she is his.
After - he tells her, “I know without a doubt that if I had an amata, even if they were alive today, I’d still choose you. It will always be you, Dianna.”
If you recall, Samkiel told her that he was told he had an amata (a mate) but that they were “taken” and “destroyed” a long time ago.
We switch to Camerons POV - The Hand is all in a room together and Reggie shows up. Reggie says that “the god king is preoccupied at the moment” and Cameron questions if him and Dianna are banging. Reggie says “He is with your queen, yes.” They all head out to eat, but Cameron feels bad that he didn’t ask Reggie to join, so he goes back. Reggie says “You will lose so much, young hunter. You all will. I do hope you treasure your family while you still have them. I did try. Remember that.”
Three days later, Cameron and Logan go to check on Samkiel. They haven’t heard from him since the day before the date. When they arrive, they find the kitchen a mess, the living room has furniture overturned, pillows shredded, chunks missing out of the table.
Samkiel appears from behind them, completely naked. He is shocked that its been three days.
Excellent hilarious Cameron in this situation. He entertains me.
Samkiel goes back to visit the giant, Porphyrion, in the prison realm. He tells him that Unir is the one who made this prison realm and that 3 generals ran this place - one who sheds blood, one who controls it, and one who feasts on it. He also tells him that the Kings of Yejedin are not as strong as the Generals. Samkiel doesn’t know what hes talking about so he says like you have the Hand, Unir had the Generals. Three of them - 1 general made the kings, and one of the generals can make creatures with their blood and that Samkiel reeks of one. So he concludes that one of the generals must be Kaden. That Kaden also made Apphellon, who can control minds (aka Alistair), and Haldnunen who can control the dead (Tobias). There was also Gewyrnon who controlled plagues and Ittshare who could bend ice.
After Porphyrion has told Sami all he knows - Sami offers him two choices. He can continue to live in the prison realm alone or Sami can offer him Oblivion. Porphyrion goes for option 2.
Dianna and Nev sneak into a council warehouse on Onuna. Before DIanna killed Tobias he told her that Gabby wasn’t her real sister and Dianna just needs to know for sure. So she is looking for her family's records. She finds the box but then they hear Irvikuva. Why are they here? That’s a great question. Anyways - Nev and Dianna manage to escape and Nev had grabbed the folder that Dianna had wanted. She finds out that she is not Gabbys biological sister - she’s adopted.
Samkiel gets home and Dianna tells him what she found out. She also tells him she had a dream - about a blood red moon, 3 figures in robes, and someone saying something about the equinox. Samkiel tells her he has been having a similar dream and that Nev had heard Tobias talking about the equinox while she was being held captive. She notices that Samkiel is filthy and makes him go shower. He invites her in and she says she already showered that he is the “one who got home late”. Samkiel stills and Dianna says thats how she feels when she is with him - at home. Samkiel tells her that he needs to go to another realm, mentally not physically since they are all closed, to talk to another deity and ask questions about his dad. Unir kept so many secrets and he needs to know. Since it requires him to go mentally, it might take awhile, and he’ll have to be in the council halls in a deep meditation state. Dianna asks him to do one more thing before he goes - she wants a dinner party with The Hand. Everyone is excited except for Vincent. Vincent says he’ll pass, Samkiel lets him know it wasn’t really a request. Vincent says lots of things to get Sami pissed - Dianna is a monster, she’s a killer, yeah great Sami’s getting laid but for what? His father would be ashamed. At that - Samkiel explodes. The room tears apart and he has Vincent pinned on the table by his throat. Vincent says that Dianna is a ticking time bomb that she will get everywhere killed. Samkiel punches him in the face. He backs off immediately, Vincent runs out, Imogen follows. She can smell fear (just like Cameron is a hunter and can smell things, Imogen can sense auras) and she asks him what he is afraid of but he won’t tell her.
Vincent does show up at the party though. Dianna lays into him because he hurt Samis feelings and that makes her angry. She threatens to rip his tongue from his mouth if he hurts his feelings again. Samkiel announces at dinner that after Kaden is dead, The Hand won’t be needed anymore, and he wishes for everyone to go do their own thing whatever that might be.
After dinner, Cameron and Xavier are walking out, and Xaiver tells him that his boyfriend asked him to marry him and he said yes. Cameron is gutted. They fight because they are in love with each other but refuse to admit it or act on it. Xavier tells Cam that he has waited, centuries, for him and now that Xavier is happy (we all know hes settling even if he won’t admit it), NOW Cam wants to say something? “I will not break someone’s heart because you finally decided to speak up.” Cam says “You’re right” - again NOT FIGHTING FOR HIM LIKE XAVIER WANTS. So, Xavier leaves.
The next chapter - is shocking. Its Kadens POV and he’s talking to Reggie. Then he says “Nice suit Vincent” and we all collectively GASP. Reggie is a traitor and so is Vincent?! Honestly, Reggie was more shocking to me than Vincent. Vincent says the DreamEaters planted the seeds of freedom in everyone's minds (hence why they all want to separate). Vincent also says that Sami and Dianna are closer than ever and “if they seal the bond” but he doesn’t finish his sentence. Reggie tells Kaden he is overreacting “the mark isn’t on her finger”. Reggie says “The Order will have what they wished for, what you all wished for. The death of Samkiel.”
Dianna has a dream that Samkiel is dead, Kaden is there, flanked by two other hooded creatures. They said “the last guardian is dead, no more protectors, no more peace”.
She wakes up in a state of panic, but Samkiel is alive and well next to her. They have one last fuck (spoiler alert) and then he takes off to see that deity that he has to access mentally.
Logan POV - Him and Nev are in their new apartment, someones at the door, they think its their food, its Kaden. Kaden whispers something to Nev and she becomes a thoughtless robot basically for Kaden. Logan asks what he did and he says “the same thing I’m going to do to all of you.”
While Samkiel is visiting The Higher One (who has taken the form of Dianna), it asks Samkiel if he has told Dianna that he loves her yet. But he hasn’t, because hes scared. She left so easily before, what if she leaves again after he says it? The Higher One tells him that Unir was very powerful with Kaden at his side, and the Primordials saw this, and challenged them. Unir wanted peace so he locked Kaden away, all of them away. What he hid away was very important to him, wouldn’t you want to hide something very important to you. Samkiel guesses a lover. But no - a son. And he isn’t the only one, Samkiel has other siblings. Siblings that are out there destroying the barriers to access all the realms. The Great War happened because Unir created life with these “children” he created. But they became jealous when Unir fell in love and had Samkiel. The Gods War was started because Samkiel was born. “Your birth began the Gods War, and your death will unleash chaos itself”.
Samkiel says he thought the world would end because of Dianna but it wasn’t her. Then the Higher One goes all Suriel on us and says, “Who? Your amata?”
And he's like come again, what now?
The Higher Ones like you know, this person I am currently wearing.
Then it drops another bombshell by saying that the Fate are working for Kaden. Aka Reggie. JK - Reggie worked for Unir, but his two siblings that aren’t dead, work for Kaden. But wait - doesn’t Reggie too? Why else was he there?
It tells him that his time has run out, the equinox approaches, and she doesn’t see a mark on his finger so Kaden must really have won. It also says it was just a distraction so they could trap Samkiel, because it also wants to be free and not stuck in this realm.
Samkiel comes too and the Council is around him.
Cameron POV - His phone is ringing and its Xavier. Well its his phone anyways. Its Kaden on the other end. Xavier is just like Nev is. Thoughtless and controlled by Kaden. Kaden threatens to have Xavier cut his own throat if Cameron doesn’t obey. Then he tells Cam that he knows he would do anything for Xavier, and he really needs to want this next part for it to work, then he feeds Cam his blood.
Kaden has arrived at Diannas castle. She attempts to run but is blocked by two figures - Vincent and Cameron. She pleads for Cam to stop and he says he wishes he could but Kaden has Xavier so he has no choice. She recognizes that something is different with Cam, he has changed just like Kaden changed her. She questions Kaden and he says he can do it with really desperate celestials. And shes like ok thats not me. Then he says “Say hello to daddy.” and in walks, the not dead, Azrael.
They put Dianna on a slab and secure her wrists and ankles with obsidian cuffs. So what is going on with Azrael? Well he had a dream, that he would have a daughter that would change everything. When his wife got pregnant, he got real scared. He knew of a prophecy of Samkiels equal being born, The Order knew, but Unir didn’t. Azrael knew that if The Order found out, they would kill her. So after she was born, Azrael landed in Onuna so hard that he created the desert that Dianna knows as Eoria aka where she grew up. Ava, the girl who claimed to be Azraels daughter from the first book, was actually his daughter so she was Dianna’s sister. It is her destiny, it is in her blood, to kill Samkiel. Then Kaden says “His blood closed the realms, and the blood of his mate will open them.”
He tells her that he loves her, in his own twisted way, and that he has convinced the Order to let him keep her. She is repulsed because how could he think that would ever work? He killed Gabby and is trying to kill Samkiel. She won’t go willingly. Sharp spikes pierce her arms, legs, and back, to drain her blood. They use her blood to forge a weapon, the weapon to kill Samkiel. Kaden jumps through a portal with Xavier and Cam but leaves Azrael there to watch Dianna.
Samkiel is restrained with runes, and he notices Logan and Imogen. Elianna says she used the words of Ezalan to render them emotionless soldiers. Elianna tells them that the Council died when Rashearim fell and now half of The Order runs things.
Equinox approaches and now the realms will be opened and have a true ruler.
Cam and Xavier come in. Here comes Vincent, holding a restrained Camilla. Samkiel can’t feel anyone but Vincent. The others are mindless, Cam has drank Kadens blood, but he can still feel Vincent so he knows Vincent is the true betrayer.
Kaden appears and of course has to make a quip about how he was with Dianna thats why hes late. Even though Samkiel is restrained, at the thought of Dianna being hurt, he unleashes and starts destroying the room. The runes that are holding him start burning away. Kaden is shocked that Samkiel actually loves her but that just pisses him off. He uses his energy on Samkiel and is basically like life isn’t fair, you get everything, wah wah wah. Then he takes out a sword, Samkiel can smell Dianna on it, and stabs Samkiel through the chest. Light explodes from Samkiels mouth, nose, and eyes and rips the universe open. Kaden uses the sword to rip a hole in the floor - ripping open the universe more and creatures start coming out.
Samkiel wakes as The Order and The Hand start leaving the room. Camilla sends a green ball of light towards Samkiel that says “Hold on. She’s coming.” and then there is Reggie. Samkiel asks him why, he says I serve the one true King.
Which is who comes through the rip now - Nismera.
Side note: This entire book whenever Dianna is faced with real feelings “a lock on a door rattles”. She has taken her emotions and things that are hard and shoved them behind a locked door in her mind. While she is laying there with blood lost, strapped to this stone slab, she dreams, for lack of a better word, about the house and Gabby, Except Gabby is really there. Not only has Dianna locked up her feelings - she’s locked up memories and her Ig’M powers. Gabby forces her to unlock the door. And then Gabby sees the memory that Dianna doesn’t want to acknowledge. The night that Gabby was taken, Dianna stayed with Samkiel, trusting that The Hand could find her. And for a split second she had a thought - if Gabby is dead, Kaden has no control over Dianna, she’d be free. Then she felt like a big ole bag of shit and has never forgiven herself. She tells Gabby this, and Gabby is like thats it? They have a good cry and then the house starts to shake as the realms open. Gabby tells her that Nismera is back and that she is too strong. She tells her to save Samkiel first and get revenge later. She also says she has met Samkiels mom and dad, they have helped her. Unir took her after she died because he knew that Gabby was the only one who could reach Dianna.
Dianna wakes up, rips off the shackles and starts to get up, but Azrael stops her. “You are forbidden to leave”. She tries not to hurt him because she knows he has no choice, he slices her forearm open, and seeing her blood makes him hesitate. He says “You are…..Ayla”.
He tells her he used to visit her before, disguised as someone else. He gave her her first dagger. He tells her she has to kill him because the Words of Ezalan can only be broken in death. She lets loose her Ig’M and sets fire to the cavern before flying away.
Back to Samkiel - his other brother, Isaiah comes through the portal. He takes Samkiel’s rings off, including Oblivion, and gives it to Nismera. Nismera says she will destroy every aspect of Samkiel in these worlds and remove any hope. Samkiel has an ounce of power left - he could use it to try and help himself or he could save Onuna. He chooses to save Onuna for Dianna and sends his energy towards that planet.
Then Dianna shows up by kicking the head of Nismera’s second at her. She is covered in blood and ick from fighting her way in. She trash talks Nismera because thats what she does. Nismera charges towards her but Reggie is there and blocks Dianna with white light. Dianna slides towards Samkiel, grabs him, and she portals them far away. She is helping support him as they are walking until his legs give out. He tells her that he’s cold, but gods don’t get cold. “We do,when we die” He tells her how much she means to him and says he wishes he would have met her a long time ago, he would have “loved” her then too. She cracks a joke, he tries to laugh, but he dies. She is slowly losing her shit when Reggie appears. He was hurt by Nismera when he shielded DIanna but he is still there. He tells her that he tried, he tried in so many little ways to get them together before this happened. Dianna questions what about the Mark? Reggie says the ritual is unfinished, they never told each other they love each other. Dianna can feel Death in the room with them, wanting to take Samkiel. She tells Samkiel that if he doesn’t come back to her she will rage and destroy everything and everyone but its just because she loves him. The mark appears on her finger, but then immediately disappears, just as Samkiel takes a breath.
Reggie told Dianna to take them to the floating city of Jade, where the healers were able to help Reggie and are working on Samkiel.
Take away from the last two chapters: Resurrection has a cost.