Each guardian was unique in colour and appearance, though some had horns that sprouted from the tops and sides of their heads like a halo of bone or metallic weaponry. Wings flared, the noise tremendous when two reared on their plinths, clearly displaying their fury at her presence.
The powerful movement created enough downdraft to make Lunaria stumble. Her cerulean eyes rested upon a guardian without wings. There were at least two of these serpent-like creatures. They balanced upon their coiled tails, muscles rippling under the gleaming scales of their bodies. In turn, the serpents returned her gaze.
Hesitantly, Lunaria stepped forward, trying desperately not to wipe her sweaty palms down her skirt. She noticed one guardian did not even have eyes, but its head faced her as if it were looking right at her. A shudder of fear rippled down her spine as it tracked her progress until she was passing beneath it. It moved like lightning, its smooth snake-like head stopping only inches from Lunaria’s face. The heavy weight of power pressed against her, tingling against her exposed skin. Her heart raced with fear. It was a huge effort not to sprint back the way she had come as it hissed viciously, its hot breath blasting her face and hair.
A screech made Lunaria jump, then stumble. She thought her eardrums would burst as the sound echoed off the cavern walls before escaping out to the stars above. The eyeless monster retreated to its plinth, hissing as its snake-like body recoiled.
Her eyes darted to the most powerful creature Lunaria had ever seen. It was all she could do to stop her legs from collapsing under the sheer weight of his power. Muscle rippled beneath his glimmering armour of rainbow scales.
Such dangerous beauty. Breathing as shallowly as possible, she studied the creature, well aware he could turn her to dust or banish her soul to the darkness of the tunnels with a mere thought. Horns framed his massive head. It was hard to say what colour they were. As he moved, the colourful facets of his body changed. Armoured and spiked, he was clearly made for war.
Come forward, he ordered.
Lunaria gasped. She dare not hesitate under the scrutiny of his multifaceted eyes. The soles of her bare feet whispered as they brushed over the smooth rock.
All her life Lunaria had been taught to honour the guardians, to worship and pray to them for guidance and protection, which she had done, hundreds—perhaps even thousands—of times. They had not answered her pleas—not in any way she was aware of. Part of her had always wondered whether they were just a tale, a story to make the unruly children of the gods behave.
“You may call me Krato. I am the High Ruler of the Guardians,” he rumbled.
Elongated pupils lidded in rainbow colour flicked down at her. Mesmerised, her consciousness transported into his eternal mind.
A split second. That was all it took to make her knees sag and her breath catch in her chest. She realised the infinity of space and her own insignificance. His mind had transported her everywhere and nowhere, she had become him, both young and old, male and female—a paradigm of opposites, of everything and nothing.
Krato smiled, showing a mass of sharp teeth. His claw at the end of his huge wing reached out to steady her.
“My mind sight is a dangerous thing. It is one of the reasons we do not allow immortal beings to wander here. Exposure to the endless truth of space can destroy a fragile mind.” Eyes narrowed, he studied her thoughtfully. “It seems you are not as fragile as you look. Tell me what you seek from the guardians, child,” he rumbled.
Steadying her voice, Lunaria explained how the children of the gods had created a universe of worlds and living souls. Her voice shook when she told how her brother, Erebos, was using his power to consume those souls to make himself more powerful; how vicious battles, an army of the dead and monstrous winged creatures, had torn across each mortal world until only one remained. When she revealed Erebos had built his own kingdom, where darkness and agony ruled, the High Ruler roared his displeasure. His body shivered, sending his scales into a maelstrom of shimmering colour.
Lunaria immediately dropped to one knee and bowed her head, even as her heart thumped in her chest. Her long hair cascaded forward in a silver curtain, hiding her delicate features.
“Please, my lord, will you help me fight my brother? Will you help me save the mortal souls?” she begged.
The High Ruler lowered his head. His endless eyes regarded her with thoughtful consideration. Baring his teeth, he hissed a warning at the other guardians as snarling filled the air. Some immediately cowered back, others flapped their wings; whether in defiance or anxiety, Lunaria could not tell. Her throat tightened as flame burned away the colour in Krato’s eyes.
Slowly, a deep bass vibration filled the air.
A creature of silver and deep purple scales turned his massive horned head towards her. Lunaria felt his molten eyes burning into her soul. She lifted her gaze.
“Stand back, my lady,” he rumbled, motioning with his head for her to move away from the circle of plinths.
Lunaria’s magic surged through her blood. Not since her youth had she lost control of her power. Quickly, she staggered back, bumping into one of the tall plinths. Eyes wide, she watched as the guardians began to sway and rumble. Twelve maws gaped wide, and a torrent of light and heat erupted from them. A myriad of vibrant sparks darted around the lair—energy searching for energy, merging, then flashing and exploding. Tendrils of blue smoke swirled between the sparks, coiling around each other before bursting spontaneously into flame, sending more sparks spiralling through the guardians’ circle until the air burned.
Darting backwards, her fingers brushed the rock wall of the lair. Thicker and thicker, the magic burned. It seared her eyes until tears ran down her face. Smoke filled her lungs. Lunaria coughed and choked, desperately trying to suck in air. Collapsing in a heap on the floor, she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to summon even a shield of light to protect herself. Her magic would not work here.
Mercifully, the deafening rumble began to soften until only a gentle hum could be heard. Lunaria rolled to face the guardians, then lifted her head and opened her eyes. Blue smoke thinned, leaving tiny sparks of energy to drift away. Within seconds, the heavy force of magic diminished from the air.
Pushing herself to her feet, Lunaria choked back a cry. In front of her opened an archway completely covered in the ancient symbols of the guardians. Every symbol merged into the next, glowing and filled with red hot lava.
The arch began to glow, blue light pulsing across the space between the crystal pillars. Lunaria’s eyes anxiously sought out the High Ruler, but he was regarding each one of the guardians in turn. Some shook their great heads, hissing or rumbling deep in their throats.
The silver and purple guardian jumped from his plinth and landed in front of Lunaria, shaking the ground.
She forced herself to stand straight and tall. I am a child of the gods. I need not be afraid.
He bent his front legs, lowering his head and chest in a deep bow until his scales scraped the hard ground. “My lady Lunaria,” he rumbled, his deep voice vibrating the air between them. “This crystal gateway is formed from our magic and life energy. As guardians, we are sworn to protect the gods and their creations, so we are sworn to protect you and the world you and your sisters brought to existence.” He sighed and shook, sending his scales clattering loudly. The thick skin around his mouth pulled into a grim line. “That includes keeping innocent, mortal souls safe from your brother.”
“But if you are sworn to protect the gods, how can you stop Erebos? Surely you are bound to protect him too?” she asked.
The purple guardian sagged at the mention of her brother. “We have been watching your brother grow from a small child into the cruel and deceitful young god he is now. We are greatly disappointed in him. There has been no other with such an insatiable lust for power and agony. We know of Chaos, the underworld he has created, the kingdom he calls his own. It is a dark realm full of pain and fear.” His violet eyes burned with disgust.
Krato coc
ked his head and regarded her intently.
Lunaria wanted to shrink away from that all-seeing gaze.
“Together we have pooled our magic and cast an enchantment around your world,” Krato said. “Erebos cannot leave it. He cannot pass through the gateway, which is now on that world, without one of us and a key. For us to banish him from the mortal world to Chaos, he must be surrounded by us all and bound by ice and fire alike. Only then can we pull his energy from his body. Only then will his kingdom become his prison.”
The purple and silver dragon bowed low once again. “My name is Zulad and it is my honour to become your protector. I will help you fight your brother until my energy and life force no longer exists,” he said, his eyes searching out something behind Lunaria. Proudly, he raised his head and puffed out his chest. “Nareen? Will you come with me to protect and serve the goddess and the souls she has created?” Zulad challenged.
Wings thudded, and there was a whoosh of air. An elegant and sleek dragon landed in front of the gateway, dipping her head towards Lunaria and Zulad. Her scales shone with a pearlescent pink and gold glow. Her glorious, almost translucent, wings appeared and disappeared in a shimmer as she moved.
Lunaria felt tears prick her eyes. This guardian had to be the most beautiful creature in existence.
“I will go,” this dragon affirmed quietly, turning to face Lunaria. “But remember, child, Erebos will not take kindly to us helping you. He will want revenge,” she warned. “He will likely make your planet bleed before he can be stopped.” She looked closely at Lunaria, her golden eyes molten and hot. “You will need all your strength, all your energy and all your magic to fight him. We will give you our protection and help, but you must understand, if we cannot imprison him, if he becomes too strong—it has to be you or one of your blood who kills him—for we cannot. Only a god can kill another god. Tell us truthfully, can you walk this path? Can you kill your own brother?”
Lunaria swallowed and nodded without hesitation.
The High Ruler beat his massive wings, lowering his bulk down from his plinth. The ground shook, and Lunaria could barely stay on her feet. Zulad caught her arms gently in his great claws and steadied her. She watched, fascinated, as the High Ruler gouged the edge of the gateway with one sharp talon.
Krato flicked his claw, creating two sparks. Sizzling with energy, they floated toward Zulad and Nareen. A glowing white spark settled on Zulad’s ridged forehead, just below his three purple horns. The second, a bright red spark, bore down into Nareen’s forehead between her halo of golden horns. The sparks burrowed relentlessly, releasing the smell of singed flesh. Once fused with bone, they transformed.
Lunaria gasped. A small rough diamond nestled in Zulad’s forehead, a large red ruby in Nareen’s.
The circle of guardians roared, rattling the air and shaking the floor. Krato lifted himself up on his back legs. His bellow sliced through the noise. The clamour immediately died down.
Nareen dipped her head, signalling to Lunaria that she should climb upon the guardian’s scaly neck.
Lunaria eyed the gateway.
“You have nothing to fear whilst you travel with us,” Nareen said encouragingly. Gently, she nudged Lunaria towards her back with her snout.
Lunaria swallowed, her throat suddenly dry before she remembered the people she was trying to save. Finding her courage, she mounted Nareen, settling as best she could between the ridges of the dragon’s neck. Before Lunaria could utter a word, Krato reached out a claw and pulled a single hair from Lunaria’s head, puffing a spark onto it. She flinched as a bright spark exploded.
Something clattered loudly to the cave floor.
There, at Nareen’s feet, sat a golden staff. Fiery symbols burned along its length. Nareen scooped it from the ground and passed it up.
When Lunaria touched it, the symbols flared.
“This weapon is yours. It is bound to the blood in your veins and the energy of your soul. None other than you or a descendant of yours chosen by fate will be able to harness its power. Alone, it is not enough to kill Erebos. In order to kill him, it will take everything you are.”
Lunaria winced as something pierced the palm of her hand and her wrist. She cried out but was unable to unfold her fingers to release the cause of her pain. It was as if she and the staff had fused together. Blood ran in a rivulet down the shaft. The runes sparked with flames. Her magic licked along her bones, burning her blood. She watched wide-eyed as a vicious crystal point grew from the tip, turning from green to crimson as her blood reached it.
“Your blood is the poison that will kill your brother,” warned Krato. “But it is the brightness of your soul that will smother the darkness in his.”
The spear reverted to its initial state, a harmless gold shaft covered in runes. Lunaria winced as the spikes left her body. Her skin healed instantly. She could not speak, staring only at the beautiful, yet deadly weapon. Have I just cursed myself or my descendants?
The High Ruler nodded a farewell to Zulad and Nareen. His multifaceted eyes glowed. “Take care your keys do not fall into the wrong hands. It will mean devastation for us all,” he warned, giving them a low bow.
Zulad shook himself, spread his huge wings and dived into the blue-white light.
Nareen turned toward the gateway and let out an earth-shattering roar. Lunaria screamed as Nareen’s body lurched forward, flying after Zulad. With shaking hands Lunaria gripped the guardian’s rough neck, but despite her fear, her heart soared. The guardians had heard her pleas. Erebos would taste defeat—no matter whether it was through death or banishment, only Chaos awaited him in the end.
Chapter 1
The door clicked shut. Diamond clenched and unclenched her fists. Taking deep breaths, she avoided looking at the big warrior on the bed. The battle with Ragor, the Wraith Lord, had nearly killed them both.
Diamond squeezed her eyes tightly shut, desperate to block out the memory of the arrow thudding into Hugo’s chest, not to mention his roar of agony when another spiked his thigh. With no strength or magic left after their long battle, Hugo had given her a fighting chance. He had dropped her to the ground before colliding with the great marble wall of the Rift Valley.
Grasping that chance of survival, she had slayed monster after monster—fighting and killing with vicious abandon until she reached him. But it had been too late. That impact had broken his wings and body, wrenching his soul from his flesh.
She still didn’t understand how Hugo came to live again. Not that she cared. The image of his pale, blood-covered face was something she wanted to erase from her memory.
Not ready to look at Hugo for fear of what she might see, Diamond gazed around the cave room. Despite the lack of a fire, it was warm. Sparsely but comfortably furnished, it seemed peaceful, a haven from the winter storms that raged above ground.
It had been so bitterly cold the night they had fought Ragor, but these underground caverns were a world apart. The air was clean and balmy, and light was provided by sconces along the walls that glowed with a strange blue-green flame. It was like no flame Diamond had ever seen before as it appeared to radiate magic as well as light. It felt as though that magic constantly hung in the air, prickling against her skin and touching her own.
Diamond’s magic had once been wild and unpredictable. Hugo had helped her becomes less afraid of it until she had learned to embrace its power and become its master. She swallowed the ache in her throat and blinked back tears at the memory of Hugo’s last gift. The energy of his life force. He had gifted it to her, to give her the strength to fight.
She took a deep breath, then released it slowly. Grief had consumed her and, in turn, she had consumed the darkness that was the Wraith Lord, destroying his legions of rotting corpses. She had not stopped killing until the sun rose and she was utterly spent, leaving only the remnants of Ragor’s creatures for Jack and the combined army of humans and fae to triumph over.
Footsteps approached the door but it did not open. She hea
rd Elexon’s deep voice rumble. The red-winged warrior would not let anyone in. Diamond’s trust in him was absolute after everything he had done for her and Hugo.
The silence of the room was broken only by the distant gurgle of water. It seemed each chamber in this magical place had access to a private spring that constantly renewed its steaming water from deep in the earth.
Above her head, suspended orbs cast a soft glow over the room. She wished it was brighter so she could see Hugo better. As if sensing her thoughts, the orbs glowed brighter.
Diamond blinked. Oh! A little frown creased her brow. Duller, she willed. They dimmed. A small smile curled her mouth, despite the reason she was here. While she practised willing the orbs to obey her whim, Diamond rubbed her arms, trying to relieve the magical prickle on her skin. She felt for her own magical spark. It was there but still weak. She had used every last bit of power to defeat Ragor, and she was still recovering. She had no doubt if she had not been brought to this underground haven that she would be dead.
Her last memory was of being lifted from the ground by her friend, Prince Jack Oden. He had passed her into Tallo’s waiting arms, instructing both him and Elexon to protect her at all costs. The two warriors had brought her here.
She had not seen Jack since and had not dared ask about the outside world. She had not wanted to face anything or anyone—not until Elexon had told her Hugo lived.
Diamond swallowed the ache in her throat. At least the hateful fae Queen did not know about this place. Diamond knew she would not be standing here if that were the case.
She consciously relaxed her tense shoulders. She and Hugo were safe—for now.
Gathering courage, Diamond moved her gaze to the male who had promised her his life, his soul and his heart—and nearly died for it.
Hugo was propped up by several soft pillows. His head was swathed in bandages, and he looked frighteningly pale.
The Goddess and The Guardians Boxset: The Complete Romantic Fantasy Quartet Page 69
