Queen of The Dome (QOTD)

Lia sat by the window in Deianira’s room, her blood boiling.

She thought she’d seen Cade in a bad condition many times but those incidents didn’t have a touch on how he looked now. If it weren’t for Deianira approaching him outside the kitchen, she probably wouldn’t have even known it was Cade. He was beaten, bloodied, and burned. Drake, his own father, had done that to him.

Lia looked away from the window, turning to Cade where he lay on the bed, head cradled in Deianira’s lap as she ran her fingers through his hair.

She stood and went to sit on the side of the bed when something vibrated on her wrist. The room was practically silent before so all heads turned in her direction.

Deianira’s bracelet.

“Why do you have that?” Deianira whispered in an effort not to wake Cade.

Lia’s mouth opened and closed. Deianira didn’t necessarily look angry. She guessed that was a good sign.

Considering there was a possibility that they wouldn’t make it through the night, now was as good a time as any to come clean.

“I-uh, I took it earlier,” she admitted, casting her eyes to Cade. “I know about my mother,” she said, keeping her voice down. “All I wanted was to meet her.”

Deianira’s face was frozen, so Lia continued.

“I found her at the Haven…she told me everything. About giving me away, about Cade’s mother…”

“I’m sorry,” Deianira interrupted.

Lia looked up, confused. Why was she apologizing?

“It was an accident,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.

“I know,” Lia said slowly. “She knows that too.”

That didn’t seem to assuage Deianira in the slightest. Lia moved closer and sat next to her.

“I don’t blame you for what happened to them and I don’t blame you for not telling me. I was a stranger. I barged into your home and started making demands. You didn’t owe me anything. I might not have had Grace, but I had a mother,” she whispered, looking down at Cade again. “A wonderful mother. If you hadn’t restored her, I wouldn’t have. So, thank you.”

Deianira just watched Lia for a moment before nodding stiffly. Lia wondered if she should tell Deianira about Jude’s history with her mother, but something told her not to. She was going through enough. She didn’t need any more to think about.

The bracelet buzzed on her wrist again and Lia stifled a snort before

Deianira reached out and grabbed her arm. She flinched, wondering if she was mad after all when Deianira swiped her index finger across the bracelet. Lia almost jumped back as a small screen came out of it and Hewn’s face appeared.

“Your Majesty, if you’re watching this, we need an extraction team and quick. The arena was a trap. Finch and I managed to get most of us out but we have at least twenty injured.”

Lia stared at the screen in awe as the others gathered around to see the message. She even tried to touch it but was astonished when her hand went right through it.

“Stop that.” Devin smacked her offending hand and she glared at him before looking back at it.

“It’s quiet now but I don’t know if it’s clear so I’m keeping the cloak up. We’re in the woodlands. Head east at the gate and give us the passcode so we know it’s safe.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold it.”

Deianira

As the message cut out, Deianira dropped her head in guilt. She had completely forgotten about her people. She was so focused on finding Cade, she’d forgotten that Hewn was out trying to save them. She was still focused on Cade, she didn’t want to leave his side.

She opened her mouth to speak but Lia spoke for her.

“It’s okay. I’ll go.”

“No,” Deianira protested. “He’ll want you here when he wakes up.”

She flicked her gaze to the corner of the room where her sentinel sat on the floor, gnawing at the side of her jaw.

“Salem,” she started before she remembered.

Salem couldn’t go. She was the most skilled person Deianira knew but she was too vulnerable right now.

“No, I’m not.” Salem turned to her before uncrossing her legs and standing. “I can go. I’ll suit up and take one of the guys.”

Of course, she’d been reading them the whole time.

“Salem, no. You can’t…”

“Yes, I can,” she said plainly as she turned to Devin. “Can you shoot an M…”

“I’ll come with you.” Cassian stepped forward.

Deianira was surprised to hear him talk, surprised to hear him offer his help.

Doesn’t he want to stay with Cade?

“Let’s go,” he repeated, looking at Salem.

Deianira noticed a small smirk on Devin’s face before she turned back to Salem who looked Cassian up and down.

She looked between them for a moment before sighing. “Fine. Be careful.”