The Elemental Diaries - Complete Series

by Andrea Lamoureux

  I moved on to the next traitor, and the next. Their faces blurred together. I didn’t consider trying to experiment with my magic. I didn’t need it. I found killing with a blade much more satisfying.

  I stood over a young man, close to my age, my sword pressed against his cheek beside the cut I’d already made. I’d disarmed him easily. He squeezed his eyes shut, his whole body trembling.

  “Tell me the name of your leader.” The tone in my voice was so cold it was like it belonged to someone else.

  “Enough.” I recognized the voice beside me.

  It wasn’t enough. This man was a traitor. I was about to drag the edge of my sword across his face, but my weapon was knocked from my grasp.

  “I said, enough!” Constable Bouvant repeated.

  “He’s a traitor.” I snapped at the man who’d taken me under his wing, the man who’d given me a chance.

  “So we take him to your father—to Cedric! We are not torturers! For goddess sake.” The Constable wiped his mouth. His shoulders sagged. “Come.”

  I glared once more at the young man on the ground and picked up my weapon.

  Bloody bodies, dead or dying, were scattered on the ground around the tents. A couple of them belonged to our side. Archers lay shot beneath the trees. The aims from our soldiers had met their marks.

  The man whose cheek I’d cut was now on Constable Bouvant’s horse, riding in front of him with bound wrists.

  Ger clapped me on the back. “Well done. You’re a natural. I’ve never seen a soldier take down so many enemies their first time during a fight. We’re lucky to have you with us.”

  My other comrades beamed at me in approval.

  “Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say. I’d never been given such praise. Killing was easier than I’d imagined. Watching my father do it, time after time, I’d never understood how he could be so detached. Now, I did. It was simple. The guilty deserved to die, and it was an honour to serve my king.

  We came to a bubbling waterfall, pouring into the stream running through the forest on our way back to Terra. Mist clouded around the fall, casting dewy prisms through the air.

  We used the water from the stream to wash most of the blood off ourselves and refill our water skins. I hadn’t said a word since we’d left the Redeemers’ camp. I splashed cool, clear water in my face and wiped the blood, which had dried, from my hands. I’d have to address the wound in my side when I got back to the palace. It wasn’t deep. The leather armour had done its job.

  Elly, whose arm had been wrapped with a piece of materiel from her tunic, placed her water skin in our captive’s hands and told him to drink. It was more kindness than he deserved.

  “I’m sure your father will be able to get information from him,” Ger offered.

  I was sure he was right, but I didn’t like being reminded about the man who’d tossed me out. I’d tried my best to forget him. I shrugged Ger’s words off.

  “What’s got you in such a mood?”

  “I’m not in a mood,” I countered.

  “Could have fooled me.” Ger hauled himself up out of the stream, doing his best not to stumble on the sharp rocks.

  A flash of bright orange caught my attention behind him. “Ger—”

  “You know. You’re an asset to this army, but sometimes you can just be an ass.” He laughed at his own play on words as he tugged the boots he’d left on the bank back on.

  The orange moved toward him.

  “Ger,” I warned again. “Don’t move.”

  “Wha—?”

  A deep growl rumbled from a ginormous, solid orange cat’s chest. Tygrons, we called them. My usually loose and relaxed friend stiffened like a marble statue. The whites in his eyes grew large.

  The cat with fangs sharp enough to rip out any man’s innards in one bite prowled closer. It stopped directly in front of me and fixed its golden eyes on my gaze. I could not look away.

  Ger whimpered as the ferocious feline sniffed the air audibly.

  “Shhhh.” I put my hand forward as though telling both my friend and the tygron to stay calm. “It’s okay. We’re going to leave now. Slowly.”

  The cat’s eyes were still on me. It licked its lips but didn’t move. You will not harm us. You will let us go.

  As if it understood, it lay down on the damp earth edging the stream.

  I beckoned to Ger. “Come here, but don’t make any sudden movements.”

  “Any sudden movements?! How in the Dark Lord’s name—”

  The big feline growled lowly. A warning. It didn’t like loud noises. “Shh! Quiet.”

  He clamped his mouth shut and, as slowly as his panic would allow him, he made his way to me. I nodded at the beast with pointy ears and claws bigger than daggers and mouthed, “Thank you.”

  Some of the others had seen us and went back to inform everyone else of the danger. Reynard stood with an arrow aimed at the tygron.

  “No!” I stepped in his way. “She left us alone. Let’s go.”

  He kept his arrow cocked for a moment longer before relenting. We were all far enough away now from the majestic beast to mount our horses and ride away peacefully.

  I don’t know why, but I’d felt some connection with the animal. I could’ve sworn it understood my thoughts. Ridiculous, I told myself. It had probably eaten recently and wasn’t hungry. Pure coincidence. It made more sense.

  We rode back to the palace without any further incidents. I had my wound cleaned and dressed with a healing salve and then wrapped in bandages.

  Chapter 8

  The following day, I rode a white mare around the perimeter of the kingdom scouting for traitors. The horse I’d ridden the previous day deserved a break. Terra had a big stable with tons of horses to choose from. There was no reason to make the chestnut work after the previous day.

  Bright, colourful birds soared through the clear blue sky. The air was fragrant with blooming wild flowers. I enjoyed the solitude, even if the memory of Claudia still haunted me. I kept telling myself killing her was the right thing to do. She’d been a traitor when my blade had stolen her life.

  Regardless of my slip up with the young man at the end of the fight, Constable Bouvant told me I’d done well yesterday. It was easier to extinguish an enemy than to get answers from them. Maybe one day my father would be proud of me too. I almost laughed out loud at the thought. He’d never forgive me for leaving his side, never mind be proud of me.

  I stopped my horse at the sound of branches breaking and the thundering of hooves on the soft earth. “Whoooa, girl.” I freed my sword from its scabbard and waited.

  A bay horse carrying a petite young woman came crashing to a halt before us as she yanked on its reins. The horse’s coat beneath its saddle was dark with sweat, a sign she’d been ridden hard.

  The young woman eyed my sword and wiped her brow. “You can put that thing away, soldier. I’ve come to join you.”

  I kept my sword unsheathed. “State your name and business, and perhaps I will.”

  “My name is Blaise D’meras, and I’ve already told you my business.” The sun’s rays hit her brown hair, bringing out highlights of red and gold. She’d tied it back, but it’d come half undone in her haste.

  “You wish to be a soldier?” I half-laughed and put my blade away. This woman was no threat. Crazy maybe, but threatening? No.

  “Aye, I do.” Her amber eyes burned. “Is that a problem?”

  “You’re a lady. You’re not fit to fight as a soldier,” I explained, about to edge my horse forward and suggest she be on her way.

  “You’re wrong,” she bristled, reaching down to her calf. From beneath her worn, ivory skirts, she pulled out a dagger. Maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe she was a threat.

  But then she took the small, dull blade and began sawing off her hair.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but decided to wait until she was finished.

  Once it was completely hacked off from the place where the piece of cloth tying it back had b
een, she tossed the loose hair on the ground. “Now I don’t look like a lady. Do I?”

  I pressed my lips together then said, “That’s not what I meant. But yes, you still look like a lady.”

  She fumed. “That’s not fair.”

  “What I meant was, you’re too young… too delicate. We have women in our Guard and in our army, but they’re warriors. You’re no warrior.”

  “We’ll see about that,” she challenged. I didn’t expect what came next. She flung her arm back and threw the dagger through the air. It arched perfectly and came down to hit a black bird sitting on a branch. The bird fell to the ground with a squawk.

  I dismounted and retrieved the dagger from the bird’s body. Its black feathers shone an iridescent green. I wiped the blood off the blade on my breeches and handed it back to her. “Impressive, but was that really necessary?”

  “You made it so.” Her chin lifted. “The bird’s life is on your conscience.” She didn’t know me at all.

  “All right, you’ve got my attention.”

  Her amber eyes lit up like an inferno. “I don’t need your approval. Take me to King Corbin. He will know who I am and agree to let me serve him.”

  I scoffed. Was this some sort of trick? “Why are you so bent on becoming a soldier? Are you bored of playing dress up and drinking tea?” I questioned her.

  Her triangular-shaped face turned away as if she had to gather herself. She looked back over her horse’s ears and said, “The Redeemers, they murdered both my parents. It’s my right to end them.”

  I considered her words. “I’m sorry for your loss. A lot of others feel the same way, but getting yourself killed isn’t going to fix anything.”

  “You should have more faith in me. We’ve just met, so I’ll give you that. I don’t care if I die. As long as I take some of those traitors with me my life will mean something.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. If she wanted to die, who was I to stop her? “Fine. If you show me you know how to use a sword, I will help you see the king, but make a fool of me and I’ll kill you myself.”

  “Fine.”

  After we handed our horses over to a stable boy, I took her to the training grounds and found her a sword, a real one, not a wooden one like I’d been given. If she wanted to fight with us, she was going to have to show she could handle it. We couldn’t afford to have any weak spots in our army.

  I started out by taking it easy on Blaise. My mistake. She knocked my sword out of her way with a grunt and feigned a killing blow. She smirked. “You call yourself a soldier?”

  I picked the sword up off the packed dirt, trampled by seasons of soldiers’ feet. “I was going easy on you.”

  “Don’t”

  So be it. If she wanted me to make a fool out of her, I would.

  I blocked her next hit and countered. She evaded my strike and came at me with a routine of hits and parries. Our moves became a rhythm, and I almost felt myself enjoying our dance… almost.

  My lungs burned. My face flushed from the blood pounding through my veins. I was winded by the time I finally spun and knocked her sword from her grasp. “Enough!” I bent forward to catch my breath, placing my hands on my knees. Blaise grinned, her chest rising and falling as she regained her own breath.

  Someone clapped from behind us. I turned to find Ger walking toward us. I didn’t know how long he’d been watching.

  Blaise swung her sword once and buried its tip into the ground. “I told you I can fight. You should see me with an arrow.”

  “Fine. You’ve proven your point.”

  “The lady has skill.” Ger beamed at the fierce little warrior woman.

  We both scowled at him.

  Ger put his hands up, a sign of surrender. “I’ve come to inform you the king’s invited The Guard to dine with him. He wants to thank us for taking down the group of traitors yesterday.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I clean up,” I told him.

  “Who is she?” Ger asked me, nodding toward Blaise.

  “Don’t speak of she as if she’s not standing right here.” Blaise put a hand on her hip. “My name is Blaise D’meras. I’m your new comrade.”

  Ger chuckled. “That’s funny. Seph, I’ll meet you in the great hall. Don’t be late.”

  Blaise watched him go. “I don’t like him.”

  “He grows on you, unfortunately.” I slid my sword into the scabbard on my hip and pulled the one Blaise had been using out of the ground and handed it to her. “You may keep this one. You’ll have to sleep in the stables for tonight. I’ll request an audience with the king for you tomorrow. We’ll see if he truly knows who you are and if he trusts you enough to appoint you as part of The Guard.”

  “Wait, no. I’m coming with you. I will speak with King Corbin at supper.”

  I shook my head. Who did this woman think she was? “It’s not polite to invite yourself to dine with the king.”

  “He won’t mind. Believe me. He knew my parents,” she said, following me to the palace.

  I tried to ignore her, hoping she’d give up and go away, but she was persistent. She stared in wonder as we entered the palace through the doors of the soldiers’ quarters. The official crest of Terra, two golden leaves painted on an emerald green background, hung on one wall.

  We passed a few soldiers on their way to their rooms. They gawked at the small, fiery woman nearly jogging in order to keep up with my long strides.

  There weren’t many windows in the soldiers’ quarters, so torches were kept lit along the walls of the corridors day and night. The floors were bare stone, unlike the green-carpeted upper levels. It was much cooler down there though, a reprieve from the blistering heat of summer.

  When we reached the door to my room, I turned to shut the door, leaving Blaise in the corridor, but she darted into my room beneath my arm quicker than a hare. She headed straight for the wooden chest sitting by my bed and pulled out two pieces of clothing. “Mind if I borrow these?” She held up a white tunic and a pair of dark brown breeches.

  I regarded her incredulously. “Yes.”

  She twisted her finger. “Turn around.” Apparently my answer didn’t matter.

  I didn’t comply, so she shrugged and began undoing the buttons down the front of her worn ivory dress.

  “Goddess, woman!” I turned my back to her and closed my eyes. “You can’t come to dinner. What about that don’t you understand?”

  “Okay, how do I look?”

  Anything, she didn’t understand anything.

  I twisted back around, slowly, taking in her appearance. The tunic was like a pillowed cloud around her small form. And the pants, they were baggy and much too long. “Like a boy,” I told her truthfully.

  She smirked. “I’m coming to dinner. My dress is too filthy to wear in front of royalty.”

  Unbelievable.

  “I give up,” I said, going to find my own outfit to wear for the night. “Do what you want. You’re not my responsibility. If King Corbin throws you out on your ass, don’t look at me.” I settled on a grey tunic and my best black breeches. I had better clothes at my father’s, but I wasn’t going back to retrieve them.

  Blaise busied herself with shuffling through some books on my table while I dressed myself. I had taken them from the palace’s library to try to teach myself to read better. I’d given up after a few attempts. I didn’t have the patience to learn.

  Fully clothed again, I turned back and found her running her fingers over the mahogany table. She studied the marks I’d dug in the wood the night Claudia had died… the night I’d killed her.

  Noticing me watching her, she scanned my face. “What happened here?”

  “Nothing.” I pushed her aside and placed a book over the spot. “They were there when I moved into this room.”

  I saw a thousand thoughts in her face, which she didn’t voice. She settled on, “If you say so.”

  Goddess, she was infuriating.

  I ascended the stairs to the grea
t hall with Blaise in tow. Maybe if I stopped talking to her she’d leave me alone.

  I heard her gasp as we entered the hall through the tall doors. She gazed up at the colourfully painted ceiling as though it were a sky full of stars. The green marble floor had been polished so well, it glimmered like the facet of a diamond.

  Most of King Corbin’s personal guard, Constable Bouvant included, already sat at the long, bronze linen covered table in the centre of the hall. The iron and gold chandelier hung over the table, its candlelight casting a glow over the gold edged dishes and candelabras.

  A looming, black shape at one side of the table caught my eye… my father. What is he doing here?

  He sat in his usual bulky black robes beside Chamberlain Leblond. The chamberlain fiddled with his gold fork as he awaited his king. Neither man had been known for keeping good conversation.

  I took a seat beside Ger and Elly, leaving Blaise no choice but to sit across from us.

  “What is she doing here?” Ger nudged me, but the king and queen’s entrance saved me from having to answer.

  Everyone stood and faced the king and queen. Both rulers were draped in rich green silk and topped with proud golden crowns.

  King Corbin reached his seat at the center of the long table. “Be seated,” his voice boomed.

  We obeyed.

  Queen Nicola wiggled her small, rounded nose at the food the servants brought out. “Smells delicious! We are honoured to share this meal with you all tonight.”

  “Indeed,” the king agreed. “Because of you, my guards, we have finally made progress against The Redeemers.” The king dipped his soft bread into the bowl of beef soup placed before him. Thick broth dribbled down his beard.

  “We only wish we’d have found more of them, Your Majesty,” Constable Bouvant offered. He was wearing a rust-coloured doublet with silver buttons. I wasn’t used to seeing him wear anything but his uniform. It was strange to see him gussied up.

  “Yes, well, they’re sneaky bastards, but I have faith you’ll snuff each of them out.” King Corbin pierced the table with his eating knife for theatrics, gaining a few laughs.