The Goddess and The Guardians Boxset: The Complete Romantic Fantasy Quartet

by Karen Tomlinson

  That inky darkness pulsed around Griana as she spread her wings and bestowed him a hideous smile, one that promised pain and revenge. “Restrain him,” she ordered. “The spell my provost weaved is waning. His magic will soon return.”

  Provost? Shit! She lied!

  Griana laughed. “You didn’t believe my little white lie about Erebos did you? No. It was a spell, pure and simple, in the air which bound your magic.” She fluttered her fingers in front of Hugo’s face. “A powerful one, granted, and one that took the life of the only green-winged fae I had left in my dungeon, plus some of your own shadow-laced blood, but it was worth every sacrifice. You, my handsome traitor, are going to give me back my lord and set me free.”

  The clank of iron restraints echoed against the wind a second before the skin of his wrists hissed and burned. Hugo bit down on the agony, knowing what was coming next.

  Do not struggle, he repeated to himself over and over.

  Two guards held him still whilst rough hands stretched out one wing.

  Don’t struggle, don’t struggle, don’t struggle…

  A blast of hot agony shot right down into his spine when they drove the first iron bolt through feathers, flesh and bone. A moment later a second bolt was staked through his other wing. For one awful moment, Hugo’s body was beyond his control. His spine arched backwards. The muscles of his jaw spasmed and his vision darkened as he struggled to stay conscious.

  But he would not cry out again in front of Griana.

  Thorn met Hugo’s pain-filled gaze, his eyes full of hate and a sick kind of pleasure. Hugo held his stare, not sure what he had ever done to deserve such hatred. At least he understood and knew he deserved Jack’s.

  The iron poisoned his flesh and saturated his bones, sending waves of pain up to his shoulders and down his back. Hugo could not even attempt to speak or move. The toxic metal would keep him weak while they transported him to the palace.

  Unfeelingly, the guards dragged him along the wall until there was enough space for the group to spread their wings.

  In a daze of agony, Hugo cursed his foolishness. He should have listened to his instincts. Stupidly, he had thought he could protect Diamond from Griana. So sure that if they had survived the battle with Ragor, if they had gotten away last night, they could beat her together. Now it was Jack who held Diamond’s safety in his hands. Would the prince safeguard her, or would he listen to Griana’s threats? The life of one beautiful friend sacrificed for the lives of thousands of his own people.

  Hugo had no idea what Jack would do, not now that he knew the truth about his father. Hugo just hoped Jack loved Diamond too much to betray her.

  Icy fear swept through his wrecked body. He knew what horrors awaited him at the palace, but it was no more than he deserved; it was retribution for the past, for all the innocent people he had murdered, for the life of his friend’s father and king.

  The guards turned to face the sheer drop. Hugo’s limp body was hoisted up. Pleading with them was pointless. He knew because he had once been like them: no heart, no feelings—no hope. The ground disappeared and they hauled him away at terrific speed.

  Suspended in the dark, Hugo made himself stay conscious and, for a moment, his sapphire eyes focused on the distant glow of Valentia. A choked moan escaped his throat as his soulmate, his blood bonded, became ever more distant. He could not believe he would never see her beautiful face again, never touch the silver waterfall of her hair, never see the way her eyes shone when he kissed her.

  And she loved him.

  Despite all his faults and mistakes, she loved him enough to bind herself to him.

  Hugo could not bear the crushing agony of losing her. It tore at him, destroying him in a way his physical pain never could. But his love for her raged in the fragments of his heart and, even as darkness engulfed him, he begged silently to the guardians for a chance to prove that her love was deserved, to prove that he could be a better person.

  He reached for her mind. Nothing. Pain cleaved his soul. Griana had smothered even their soul-bond with that awful spell. This time he welcomed the blessed release of unconsciousness.

  Chapter 15

  Diamond wanted to scream, but Elexon’s hand over her mouth smothered her. Hugo had gone. He had left her so quickly she couldn’t comprehend what had happened.

  Elexon hissed at her to stay quiet, his breath hot on her neck before he let go. He dragged her down the hallway on the first floor and pushed his finger inside a small hole in the wall. A concealed bolt hole, just large enough to hide two or three people, materialised. Before she could react, Elexon pulled her into the claustrophobic stone space.

  Cobwebs brushed her face and dust swirled around them, the tiny particles of grit coating her mouth and nose. Shaking and unsteady in the pitch black, she leaned against Elexon’s chest, allowing him to support her.

  Sounds were muffled by the stone, but clearly spoken or shouted words still reached them. Her cold fingers gripped Elexon’s forearms as a solid blow landed followed by a grunt. Then booted feet ran up the stairs, doors banged and beds were turned over.

  Elexon stiffened, his arms tightening around her. “Keep very still. Not a sound,” he breathed. Heavy feet stomped back down the stairs. They both held their breath as Thorn bellowed his rage.

  Elexon held her so tightly she could hardly breathe. Then she knew why. Hugo screamed so loudly her blood ran cold. Elexon’s arms tightened, muffling her cry of distress against his chest, keeping her upright even as her legs buckled. Salty tears ran down her cheeks, soaking his leather chest plate as she sobbed quietly.

  “What are they doing?”

  “Griana is trying to draw you out. You cannot go,” he told her, his voice strained.

  Diamond fought to find her magic. The oily darkness that had bound it was weakening. Concentrating, she pulled the barest spark from inside her. It flickered across the fingers she held flat to Elexon’s chest.

  Elexon watched, then she felt heat on her back as he did the same.

  “A few more minutes, my queen, and we will be able to fight them. Burn them all,” Elexon whispered, his voice shaking with suppressed rage.

  Both of them stiffened as they heard Jack’s commanding voice. Straining their fae ears, their bodies went rigid with shock as Griana spat out the truth about King Oden’s death.

  Fearfully, Diamond prayed to Lunaria that Jack would not kill Hugo where he stood.

  Hugo screamed again.

  Diamond fought the urge to be sick.

  The next moments were a blur of voices: Jack’s, the guards’, Griana’s; they merged into one. But Diamond didn’t hear Hugo again. Her whole body shook, her fingers gripping onto Elexon like a lifeline as she wondered if she’d lost her soulmate.

  Silently, he held her until the voices became distant.

  “We should stay here for now. The prince will give you up to protect his people. Every one of his and Griana’s soldiers will be searching for you. We will wait until the early hours and then escape. If we can make it to the cliff, I can fly us back to Catava. Attion may still live. If he does, we can only hope he is out there somewhere and will help us.”

  “No,” Diamond whispered forcefully. “We need to leave. Now. We have to help Hugo. Our magic is returning. We can fight!”

  “No. Prince Oden will be looking for you. He is a ruler, and his people will come first to him. He will betray you.”

  “No,” she denied, shaking her head. “He wouldn’t. I saved his people. I helped him—Hugo helped him. He will help me. I—I know he will,” she whispered. Jack was too kind and loyal, he wouldn’t hurt her or hand her over to someone like Griana.

  Elexon remained quiet, but his rigid muscles spoke of his disagreement.

  At that moment, agony shot down her spine; a burning pain saturated her wrists and arms before shooting down her back. Powerless to prevent it, a cry escaped her. Quickly, Elexon muffled her mouth against his chest. But she was floating in the dark, cold wind hi
tting her face, her consciousness full of grief and regret and pain. Then it was gone.

  She sobbed, wrapping her arms around Elexon, needing the solid strength of him.

  “My queen? What happened? Are you all right?” he whispered urgently as she trembled against him.

  She nodded. “Our bond,” she mumbled, anxiety tightening her chest.

  Feet stomped up the stairs.

  “Diamond!?” yelled Jack. “Where are you? It’s all right; they’ve gone. It’s safe to come out.”

  Elexon shook his head.

  Diamond hesitated, then other voices began yelling.

  “Diamond! Please come out! It’s safe. They really have gone,” shouted a painfully familiar voice.

  Tom!

  She smiled widely and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “It’s okay, Elexon. It’s Tom. He’s my friend. I’ve known him all my life. He would never hurt me.” She smiled in relief.

  “I still think we should wait,” Elexon pleaded.

  “Elexon, I need to find Hugo. Besides, they know we are here. It’s only a matter of time before someone finds this room.”

  Reluctantly, Elexon nodded. His body shifted as he reached up with his right hand. “Has your magic returned yet, majesty?” he asked.

  Diamond felt for it. “Yes,” she lied, just wanting to get out of the room. Hugo was her main concern right now. They had to get to him before Erebos did.

  A grinding sound filled the air. For a moment they both blinked as light flooded the darkness, blinding them. Familiar faces came into focus and she smiled, tears of relief pricking her eyes as she threw herself at Tom.

  “Tom!” she cried, so happy to see her friend alive and well.

  He hugged her tightly, then pushed her gently back, holding her upper arms to steady her. He had changed almost beyond recognition. His hair was pulled back from his face, revealing a much tougher, sculpted jaw covered in stubble. His shoulders were square and broad; in fact, his whole body had filled out with hard-won muscle, and he had two broadswords at his hips. No stiff wind was going to blow him over.

  Zane stood close by his side.

  Seeing both of them together, she smiled. Then it slipped and the words of happiness she was about to utter congealed on her tongue as she looked at Tom’s eyes.

  Sadness and regret swam in their brown depths. “I’m so sorry,” he choked out.

  Her heart froze. “No…” she whispered.

  His grip tightened, holding her arms down as he nodded to someone behind her. Her head whipped around, but before she had time to reach for her magic, something foul and cold was thrust over her mouth and nose.

  Monksweet.

  She recognised the bitter taste in her nose and mouth. Her mind instantly became foggy, her limbs heavy and fluid.

  No. No. No, they won’t do this to me...

  She felt her heart break as Jack’s beloved face swam before her eyes, and he caught her falling body. Her hearing was fuzzy, as though her head were full of water.

  Elexon bellowed his fury and desperation. He continued to shout as he loosed a blast of weak red magic at whoever held the cloth over her face. But it was Gunnald’s shadow that Diamond saw. Her cry of alarm stuck in her chest. There was an arrow aimed directly at Elexon’s chest.

  “Stop!” bellowed Jack and Zane together as Elexon twisted toward Tom.

  Elexon stilled, his eyes fading to a dull garnet. Clearly his magic hadn’t returned fully, either. “Don’t do this,” he growled. “Griana will kill her. Diamond is the true queen of Valentia. You need not fear for your people. We can protect you. Prince Oden, we have an...”

  Above her, Jack clenched his jaw then whipped his head round to look at Elexon. His voice was shaking with suppressed fury. “You helped harbour my father’s murderer. You saved his life when he could already have been dead. And I know who he is.” He shook his head, a look of disgust upon his face. “I should have let the assassin free, should have let her kill him tonight.” He looked in Gunnald’s direction. “Shut him up. Now!” he ordered.

  “No,” Elexon’s voice was abruptly cut off.

  “Don’t kill him!” Diamond choked out, tears of rage and hurt streaming from her eyes.

  There was a heavy thud as Elexon hit the ground.

  She cringed at the sound, wanting to block it from her mind. What have they done? Her heart shattered. She had been betrayed by the people she trusted and loved the most, the people she had fought so hard to protect. The world imploded as the harsh reality of war hit her. Her beloved friends had become her enemies.

  Drugged and weak, she forced her gaze to find theirs, one by one, willing every ounce of hurt and fury into it for them to see.

  “I’m sorry, Diamond, but I cannot let thousands of my people die for you, no matter how much I care for you. They are my responsibility,” Jack stated, his features still harsh. The eyes she had once thought soft and warm turned cold and hard; the warm lips that had smiled and kissed her were now set in a thin, tough line. “And Hugo is a murderer. It doesn’t matter what plans Griana has for him, they will soon be cut short. He will never hurt another living soul,” Jack vowed darkly. “I will see him dead first.”

  Paralysed, all she could do to convey her pain was spit in his face.

  He recoiled and swiftly wiped his cheek, but she felt no remorse. This was not the gallant prince she loved or the friend she had fought so hard for; this person was a stranger. Whilst she had been busy learning to fight and kill for him, he had learned to put his people first. He had become a king, a cold-hearted ruler; he had become someone who had betrayed her friendship and trust.

  Suddenly Ragor’s words came back to haunt her, “She wants these souls for herself.”

  Diamond wanted to scream at Jack, to force him to understand that he was making a mistake, that handing her over to Griana would not stop the slaughter of his people, but her tongue was thick and heavy in her mouth. Lax and useless, her body was rolled over and her arms twisted behind her back.

  The bite of metal came as another shock. They were shackling her. How could they do this? How could Tom do this?

  The iron was cold on her wrists, burning and biting painfully into her skin. The last thing she saw as her eyelids drooped was Elexon’s face, his cheek lying against the cold stone floor, blood trickling from a gash on his temple. Heartbroken, she tried to cry out his name but no words came.

  Diamond swallowed the bitter taste of Monksweet, her throat raw from the foul tincture. No matter what Griana did to her, she would find a way to break through the darkest shadows to free Hugo. But she was no fool; if she could not free him, if there was no hope left, then she alone would be the one to kill him. He could not be allowed to plunge this world into Chaos. Just as she had been betrayed, she would become the betrayer.

  Chapter 16

  Thorn stamped on the back of her knees. With her wrists shackled, she had no hope of stopping her fall. Diamond grunted. The weight of his boot crushed her face into the cold floor. Coughing and gagging, she tried to raise her gaze, but all she could see was Hugo’s bare feet and manacles and a short expanse of the green marble floor of her nightmares. The throne room. How she hated this place of pain and servitude.

  “Get off her!” growled Hugo.

  Thorn’s boot only pressed harder. A screech of pain escaped her lips as he laughed in Hugo’s face.

  “You presume to give me orders? Has it not sunk in yet, you arrogant bastard? You are no longer a Queen’s guard. You are our prisoner. You committed treason,” he said, pushing his boot down again.

  Involuntarily, a muffled scream ripped from Diamond’s throat.

  “Commander Thorn, that is quite enough—for now,” the Queen purred. “Get her up. She is marking my floor.”

  Diamond was almost as filthy as Hugo. She had awoken in the dungeons, curled up on the freezing, slime-covered stone floor with the stench of death and blood and excrement filling her nostrils. Her joy at seeing Hugo alive and bein
g with him had been short-lived. He had been unable to move or even speak. Griana had left the iron bolts in his body, knowing how torturous it would be.

  Diamond soon discovered her arms remained shackled, and everything other than the shirt she wore and her dirt and blood-stained leggings had been removed. Mercifully, her time in the cell had been short.

  Rough hands pulled Diamond to her feet, close enough for Hugo to brush his fingers lightly against hers before anyone saw. That light touch gave her courage. Diamond blinked, trying to clear the sweat so that she could see clearly. Her magic was thrashing weakly, held by that same inky darkness as before.

  Griana watched them carefully from her marble throne, a small smile playing on her lips.

  Diamond kept her expression impassive, but all she really wanted to do was smash that beautiful face into the marble floor until she didn’t have to see it ever again. Instead, she held that cold green gaze defiantly. She knew why Hugo was here, but it was unclear why the Queen had kept her alive.

  Her gut twisted with fear. It would not be for anything pleasant.

  Taking her time, Griana rose and prowled forward, like a predator approaching her trapped prey. Ignoring Diamond completely, she stopped in front of Hugo. “Hugo, I am so hurt you tried to leave me after everything I have done for you. You know how much I adore you. And you leave me for this!” she hissed, turning to point at Diamond.

  Diamond stumbled backwards as a wall of coldness and hate blasted through her skull. Her manacles hindered her feet, and she fell against the hard body of Commander Thorn. He shoved her upright, and Hugo grabbed her hand, his grip weak.

  “You fancy yourself in love again. So how about we come to an arrangement,” Griana said smoothly as she eyed their clasped hands.