Diamond waited until the door clicked shut. She twirled to Ophelia, ready to address another worry in her heart. “Where has Elexon gone?” she demanded.
Ophelia smiled. “He has gone to get Rose back. He should have left by now.”
“But how will he get into the palace? Surely it is too dangerous to simply fly in?”
Ophelia smiled. “There are many ways to get into the palace. It is an old building with many secret tunnels and doors. The false queen certainly has never found all of them, but Erzion has lived in that place for a long time too; he knows far more than Griana ever will, but he cannot go to the palace to help our son because he has another important task to complete tonight,” she said almost to herself. Smiling, she added, “However, Tallo knows exactly what Elexon’s plans are.”
“Good. Then let’s go and talk to him together.”
Chapter 6
The sound of falling water grew louder and louder and the air became frigid. Diamond shuddered.
They flew down a huge tunnel. Diamond wondered what could have made such a passage, one that was large enough for a guardian to fly through. Fine spray kissed her cold skin, blown into the air by a thundering waterfall.
Hugo’s glorious wings slowed to a strong and steady beat. Diamond curled her fingers into the leather covering his shoulders, loving the way his shoulder muscles bunched and relaxed against her touch. She twisted to have a better view of where they were going; unfortunately, the ridges of his elite guard armour dug into her arms. A scowl immediately clouded her features. The sight of Hugo wearing Griana’s mark made her sick to her stomach.
“We are all wearing them,” Hugo reminded her gently, pulling her closer, “or we will never be able to get you in as our prisoner. It is night-time and the shadows make it easy for me to shroud our faces and wings, but even so, we need to be careful.”
Diamond nodded, but she made herself unfold her arms and wrapped them around his neck. Hugo no longer belonged to Griana. He was hers. Her mate. This armour meant nothing.
Hugo smiled. “Yes, I am yours,” he whispered in answer to the look in her eyes. Gently, he brushed a kiss against the corner of her mouth.
A sharp cough had him pulling away. Tallo smirked, raised his brows and pointed.
Havron’s red magic illuminated the deluge of water that crashed down in front of them, dangerous—if not impossible—to pass.
“Come,” said Tallo, his customary authority in his voice.
Years of training and respect for the warrior kicked in, and Hugo allowed his friend to take the lead. They flew towards solid rock. Hugo slowed to a hover.
Diamond caught the words Tallo uttered. Lilting and musical, it was a language Diamond had never heard before. Glowing gold magic emerged from Tallo’s outstretched palm, snaking out until it covered the wall in front of them.
A bright flare of red magic and heat had Diamond cursing. Hugo cursed right alongside her. Havron gave a chuckle, grinning at the wide-eyed look on their faces as he worked with Tallo.
Diamond had never even considered that Tallo possessed such magic. She tried not to gape, she really did.
The stone suddenly dropped away. No, not stone, a glamour, albeit a solid one. It left a gap in the rock.
“Come,” Tallo said, with a wide grin. “You don’t know everything about me, my friend,” he quipped to Hugo, diving through the hole.
Exchanging a glance, they followed him, Havron bringing up the rear.
Dampness and ice seeped into Diamond’s bones, causing her to shiver. Hugo’s arms tightened around her and kept her warm. She blinked, calling upon her gift to see the energy, the life force of the world, around her. It was beautiful. Energy flowed, becoming a kaleidoscope of colours and rhythms. She smiled at the curtain of blue energy that was the water, her eyes travelling over Tallo and Havron. The glowing blue aura of life surrounded the fae, burning brightly, but it was the sight of Hugo’s sapphire and silver magic that made her smile.
He smirked as he noticed her opaque eyes, gently wrapping several more ribbons of magic around her. Heat ignited in her core at the intimacy of that magical touch.
“See anything you like, majesty?” he whispered in her ear.
She sent her own magic to wrap around him—all of him, from his neck, down to his boots. “Oh yes, very much. But I am a patient woman. I can wait,” she retorted.
His throat bobbed, and a flush darkened his golden skin. He grinned rakishly. “Not for too long, I trust?” he rumbled in her ear, flicking the tip of his tongue against the soft skin just below her earlobe.
Diamond shivered, but they both knew it wasn’t from the icy blasts of wind. Her face heated, but she did not pull back.
Hugo chuckled. “Me either,” he rumbled, in that same ear.
Havron pushed his red magic out to light their way. It illuminated the spray floating through the air, making it seem as though they were surrounded by tiny rubies.
“This way,” Tallo instructed, landing on a ledge behind the waterfall. They all followed suit. Armouring his wings, Tallo carefully stepped from the glamoured entrance and into the raging storm beyond.
Chapter 7
The group skirted Valentia, keeping to the darkness of the ocean. Mountainous waves reared and crashed, forcing them to fly higher and fight the fierce winds. The lower echelons of the island city passed in near darkness on their right. Only the higher layers of the city, nearer the palace, were lit.
Tallo led them over deep fissures in the rocks, slowly climbing the heights of the rugged northern cliff where the palace sat on its pinnacle. They crested the palace walls that edged the sheer cliff, passing by numerous palace guards and into the grounds without challenge. It seemed Hugo’s shadow had hidden them effectively.
From high up, it was clear a celebration was taking place. The palace and gardens were lit, the sound of music and laughter filling the air.
Diamond wondered if any of those people knew how close to death they had come only days ago or even spared a thought for the warriors who had died to save them. It didn’t seem so.
Hugo cursed softly. The illuminated corridors and gardens made it impossible to approach the throne room without being seen.
Tallo did not falter, propelling himself onward with purpose.
Hugo followed.
Diamond wished, not for the first time, that she could fly too. Her father’s fae heritage had given her all his traits except a set of wings. Half fae manifesting wings wasn’t unheard of, just extremely rare.
Tallo landed lightly, and Hugo followed suit before lowering Diamond to the ground. She looked up at the huge, domed temple. Its white walls glowed in the darkness. Diamond had explored the outside of the temple with Rose but had never dared enter.
She didn’t get time to appreciate its beauty now. Tallo ran swiftly across the grass and vaulted over an iron railing, disappearing down ancient steps into the darkness of the temple’s foundations.
They silently followed, Hugo giving her a boost to reach up and grab the top of the railings. Swinging over her legs, she dropped to the other side. At the base of the steps an old metal-studded door blocked their progress.
“Hugo, some shadow if you please,” uttered Tallo.
A blanket of darkness immediately swathed them all as Tallo went to work. Gold-winged fae were originally manipulators of metals, though that trait had been bred out of them—or that’s what Diamond had been led to believe. She watched in amazement as Tallo used his magic to reform the lock on the door.
He grinned as the door popped open. Cringing at the protesting hinges, he pulled it open further. “Let’s go,” he said, indicating they should all enter. Once they were in, Havron lit the corridor, and Tallo manipulated the lock back into place. “There. No one will know we are here,” he said with satisfaction.
After the fierce cold winds outside, the damp tunnel seemed relatively warm. Havron led this time, taking them down past a couple of disused cells. Their rusted old bars in
dicated this place had remained unused for hundreds of years. They soon came to the end of the tunnel. A damp rock wall, covered in moss, blocked any further progress.
“Now what?” asked Diamond, confused about why they were here.
Tallo grinned. “This,” he answered, reaching into the shadows above his head.
There was the sound of stone grinding on stone. Hugo swore softly as another set of steps appeared.
“Welcome back to the catacombs, Hugo,” said Tallo, grimly.
Hugo frowned at the reference to the last time he had used these tunnels.
Diamond took his hand and squeezed in a gesture of support. He was remembering the two men he had killed when Elexon had kidnapped her. He had followed her scent right through these ancient tunnels and tracked her down.
Jaw tight, Hugo nodded his thanks and followed Tallo.
The noise of the party drifted into the dusty passageway that they crept along, the gentle and refined melody from a string quartet caressing Diamond’s ears. A frown creased her brow. It was unlikely Jack would leave the wall to attend such an event—not when so many had died, not when he at least cared about the people who didn’t have fine clothes and jewels to wear and were suffering.
Cobwebs and dust tickled Diamond’s nose. She reached up to brush sticky threads from her face, then grimaced and wiped her fingers down her leggings. Recent boot prints marked the dust covering the stone floor. Elexon had come this way. He would already have gained access to the throne room where this passage ended and would be in the dungeons retrieving Rose—or he would be dead.
Diamond tried not to think the worst. They all knew the Queen’s elite guards would be protecting the doors to the dungeons. She just hoped Attion was not one of them. The thought of him and Elexon fighting made her feel physically sick. They had both helped her and Hugo in different ways, and she owed them both.
It seemed much longer than two weeks since she had seen Attion. So much had happened since that day she had been forced to fight him—the day Rose had been taken. She swallowed the bitter taste of worry and hoped that Griana had not followed through with her threat to bite him and enslave him to her will.
Diamond’s fists curled. Recalling that day left her insides burning. She hated that she had not been strong enough to fight Griana. She hated that she had abandoned Rose, that Hugo had been manipulated by the fear he held in his heart for her. She hated that she had left Attion in the hands of the ones who had abused him, who abused so many young souls for so many years.
But things were different now. She was different, and she would always fight for her friends and those she loved.
Tallo slowed. Due to Havron’s glowing red wings, Diamond could make out the end of the tunnel. Stone blocks.
Hugo glanced at her and raised a brow. Tallo placed a finger to his lips. In response, Hugo rolled his eyes, making Tallo smirk. Hugo smiled back.
Diamond felt her chest tighten. It was good to see him smile.
Tallo put his ear to the wall. Now it was Diamond’s turn to roll her eyes. She brushed past Hugo to stand next to Tallo. Three sets of intense male eyes narrowed on her, questioning. Then Hugo grinned and stepped forward. He understood that sight was better than mere sound.
Diamond closed her eyes, lightly resting her hand on his arm. Her magic answered her summons. The city’s shield could no longer affect her the way it used to, and Hugo’s had never been fully stifled by Valentia’s shield.
She sucked in a deep breath and freed her conscious mind. It soared away from her, happy to be unconfined. Diamond gasped. Seeing the colours and energy of the world filled her heart with such joy.
Somewhere distant, Hugo growled.
Her magical self stopped its playful soaring. His silver and sapphire ribbons were wrapped around Diamond’s physical body, the walls to his mind now down. The trust that she could find what they needed was there but so was anxiety and a deep protectiveness. He wanted her to come back.
She understood. The last few times she had allowed her magic freedom, it had nearly left her an empty shell. Even on the wall, she had needed to force it back into her body. She could not move her body—but maybe she could use her voice. She reached for his mind. Do not fear for me. I am in control. I will not leave.
You’d better not, or I don’t care what’s happening in this world, I will come after you, he replied.
Tallo and Havron exchanged a look of amazement when it became clear the couple was communicating without words.
Diamond pushed her power through the stone walls, across the throne room and into the corridor beyond. In the ballroom, the energy of the living glowed brightly. Hundreds of people gathered to eat, drink and dance to the sound of the string quartet.
Her magic thrashed. On a dais above her guests sat Griana, resplendent in her green silk gown and simple circlet of emerald and gold. She eyed her guests with disdain. The shadow writhing in her aura told of her true allegiance; Erebos clearly already possessed some, if not all, of her soul.
Ream stood behind her, coldly watching the crowd. Hate caused Diamond’s power to surge. This was the male who had raped and killed Amy. This was the male who had abused and killed unchecked numbers of vulnerable young boys, who manipulated them as grown men. Diamond wanted to end Griana right then, but she knew a battle now would put all these people at risk, and as sycophantic as they were, they did not deserve to die for Diamond’s own revenge.
Floating in a haze of light near the painted ceiling and burning chandeliers, Diamond did not miss the slight frown on the false queen’s brow and the way she beckoned her Lord Commander, but all Diamond cared about was the brown-haired warrior who stood behind Ream. Without hesitation, she swooped down and touched Attion’s face with her magic, then wrapped her power around his left hand, leaving his right resting lightly on the pommel of his sword.
Other than his fingers curling into a fist, he gave no outward sign that he had felt anything untoward.
Will he even know the feel of magic? Diamond wondered, doubt weighing heavy on her. What if he has been bitten by Griana and she has a venom bond to him now?
Before she could even consider how else to get her friend’s attention, Ream turned on his heel. “Sarou! You’re with me!” he barked over his shoulder.
Diamond retreated immediately, slamming back into her body. She gasped and flexed the fingers resting against Hugo’s arm, digging her fingernails into his scaled armour. She swallowed the bile that burned her throat in the aftermath of disconnecting her body and her soul.
“Gods, I hate it when you leave like that,” Hugo growled quietly.
“I know,” she told him, patting the arm she had leaned on, indicating she could stand on her own now.
He let her go, but his sapphire eyes regarded her with relief.
“There are two dead guards near the throne room doors—on the inside. Two alive ones in the hall outside the doors.” Diamond paused. “Oh, and err, Ream is on his way here—with Attion,” she finished.
“What? Why is Ream on his way here?”
Diamond had the grace to look a little guilty. “Because I wanted to find Attion and I think the Queen—I mean Griana—might have sensed my magic.”
“You mean you got too close to her?” Anger flared in Hugo’s eyes, but he took a quick breath, blinked and it was gone.
Diamond swallowed. He was trying to control the dominant side of his nature—for her. “No. I made her curious. Curious enough to send Ream to check out the dungeons, to make sure we aren’t trying to rescue Rose. And I want all of my friends back. That includes Attion,” she told him.
“Fine, my queen,” he rumbled. “What do you wish us to do with Ream when he gets here? We do not have time for sweet vengeance or to allow the possibility of him escaping and raising the alarm.”
Diamond smiled but it did not reach her eyes. She knew exactly what she was going to do. She just hoped he arrived before Elexon came back out of the hellhole that was Griana’s dungeons
.
Chapter 8
Brightly enamelled serpents graced the throne room doors and flashed in the light as they swung open. Lord Commander Ream entered, his footsteps purposeful as he strode forward, quickly descending the steps. Hand on his sword, Attion followed, his eyes alert and assessing. His cold expression did not alter as the two elite guards by the door saluted their commander and swung the heavy doors closed.
Before the echo had even settled, Diamond shot magic in two small ribbons from her hands. There was no time to waste. Ream was no longer a match for her and could not be allowed to raise the alarm. Part of her wondered if Hugo deserved to do this; he, Amy and countless other young boys had suffered at the hands of this brutally cruel male. One of them now stood calmly behind Ream, watching with a kind of strangely detached interest.
One ribbon whipped around Ream’s throat, the other speared right through his groin. His strangled scream was cut off as she tightened the ribbon around his neck and slashed again and again at his groin.
“Hello, commander,” she purred, cocking her head and watching with satisfaction as his eyes widened in shock and pain. “I’m so glad you could join us. Of course, you won’t be with us long, and you won’t see your queen again.” She stalked closer to her prey. “Know this, you evil bastard; I am going to tear down her kingdom and destroy her for what she has done to my people and my lands.” The venom in her voice surprised her. She had fought for all the souls in this city, and she would be damned if she would let Griana hand them over to Erebos. She looked in his wide eyes, still cold—furious—even in the face of death. “You are going to die now. My only regret is that your death will be missed by the people whose lives you have destroyed.”
“Not all of them,” rumbled a voice from behind Ream.
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