“Like what?” Hugo ground out.
“You will do everything I ask of you, without fighting me. Then—once I have taken your love’s magic—I will not break every bone in her body before I give her to Lord Firan.”
No matter how Diamond tried to be brave, fear coiled inside her belly. Not for herself but for Hugo. She shook her head vehemently.
“Kneel,” Griana ordered.
The guard behind Hugo stamped on his knees when he hesitated a second too long. Already weak, he fell to the floor, his knees slamming into the marble, his hand ripped from Diamond's.
Horrified, Diamond watched as an invisible hand forced Hugo’s head sideways, exposing the blood-covered skin and veins of his neck. With the grip of iron poisoning his blood, he was unable to resist.
“Do you know who you truly are? The real reason I took you from your home and family as a baby?” Griana asked.
Hugo snarled, hate scorching his eyes.
“No? Of course you don’t. You never wanted to ask, never wanted to know anything after I destroyed that human girl and that shape shifter who tried to steal you away. And I achieved my goal that day, didn’t I? I destroyed your ability to feel anything for anyone.” Her cold green gaze flickered to Diamond. “Until she came along. I wanted to kill her the moment I saw her and felt that whore’s magic in her blood. But I need her to get what I want—from you. Tu Lanah’s night is special to me. You know this well. You will give me the child I was promised, but first let me tell you why you are really so important, my prince,” she said, running her fingers possessively down his dirt-streaked cheek.
Diamond thrashed and bucked against the guards who held her in place.
Griana did not even glance her way, totally focused on Hugo. “You are a prince of the Fire Mountains. Your name is Eryanth Kilar and you are descended from Prince Lexon Arjuno,” she ran her fingers lightly over his bloodied wings as she circled him. “Word reached me about a male child born with sapphire blue and silver eyes, Lexon’s eyes—and pale blue wings. No other fae has ever been born with blue wings. None. It takes years for a child’s wings to settle into their magic. But I knew you were different. Special.” She chuckled softly. “When you grew, not only into a powerful magic-wielder, but one who had a special gift for stealing the magic of others, I knew you would be the only one to free me from this infernal prison of a city.”
Diamond stiffened, reaching desperately for her magic. It thrashed at her insides, growing, but it was still not strong enough to fight.
Nearby, there was a disgusted grunt as Diamond fought the spell. Her attention flew to the ugly, toad-like woman who stood at the edge of the room, a young girl at her side. A half snarl, half grimace twisted the provost’s features.
Diamond snarled back, her eyes promising revenge on this hideous vassal of Griana’s.
The young girl swallowed, the creamy skin of her throat bobbing, her grey eyes wide and full of horror at the scene unfolding in front of her.
Diamond looked away from them, back to Hugo. She could see the rage in his face, the hurt at Griana’s confirmation she had stolen his life, his family. Then came the guilt. The guilt at what he had done to Jack, to all the other people he had hurt on this vile creature’s orders. His eyes met hers before dropping in shame.
Pain lanced her heart. With no magic to aid their connection, she could only cling desperately to their blood bond and will him to understand all of this was Griana’s fault, not his.
“I ordered Ream to take you from your parents and kill them and their court. I believe everyone who had been allowed to know the secret of your wings died that day. Your sister was not with them, but I soon realised she had no idea about your wings. She has never even suspected you survived, let alone tried to find you. You became mine, and you will always remain mine.”
Something invisible and powerful grabbed Diamond’s manacles, holding her still. The sound of bone breaking filled the air, a split second before pain saturated her hand.
She screamed.
Then another finger broke. And another. Diamond screwed her eyes shut, refusing to scream again. Restrained by her guards and shackles, she was unable to move. It was hopeless but she tried to prepare for the next bout of pain.
Hugo roared and thrashed against his iron chains.
The provost chanted over and over, her beady black eyes fixed upon him.
Armour clattered over him, then disappeared, coming and going in waves. His body alternating between naked and not.
The Queen chuckled at his distress, too self-satisfied to realise his magic was gaining ground. “You see, I knew this filth would be useful for this moment.”
Hugo’s eyes turned black, his skin beginning to glow with swirling tattoos.
I have to get her attention! With a last desperate look at Hugo, Diamond willed her thoughts to him, almost convinced he wouldn’t feel them. But his magic was returning, at least she could try.
“Hugo,” she croaked. “It will take more than that to break me,” she declared bravely, pushing thoughts of Amy and Rose from her mind. “Do not let her see you as she would truly desire,” she hissed, throwing as much meaning as she could into those words. “You must fight the killer inside you, the one who seeks to maim and destroy. Do not give into those urges.”
Diamond spat at Griana, a blob of saliva landing on her perfect porcelain cheek. As she hoped, Griana swung towards her. Hugo stilled. A small tingle of his magic touched her mind; he understood.
I love you, she sent to him.
His throat bobbed, but he remained still, compliant. His armour slowly covered his skin and tattoos in a film of darkness, albeit a soft one.
Griana wiped the spittle off her cheek. With a look of rage, she swung her fist at Diamond’s jaw, but Diamond had already braced herself for the blow and rolled with it, absorbing the pain. As she hoped, Griana misread her words.
“Oh, Hugo, how sickening it is to see you cowed by this.” A manicured hand swept toward Diamond. “But you are a murderer. You were born to kill,” she purred. “And there are thousands out there just waiting to die by your hand. However, you will first give me the child I am promised.”
Diamond could not stop her scream as yet another finger snapped.
Hugo roared, his face covered in sweat, his eyes full of rage and desperation.
Griana continued. “Then you will release me from this infernal prison. Your heritage and your special ability to absorb the magic of others will set me free. Prince Lexon’s magic lurks inside you. It was his magic that cast this prison and only you can destroy it. Erebos gave me the gift of eternal life. All I have to do to stay young and powerful is take magic from others. But the magic-wielders of this kingdom are few now, and I need to spread my wings. With my lord by my side, that is precisely what we shall do. We will breed magic-wielders and humans alike.” Her green eyes began to shine with a manic light, her voice rising to fever pitch.
Sharp pricks of magic hit Diamond’s skin as Hugo’s power started to return. He didn’t look at her, but his face revealed the intensity of his concentration.
The iron bars shifted slightly, as if being pulled from his wings.
Griana paced, her wings shivering and expanding, no longer gold but a beautiful pearlescent.
A pearl! Griana is a pearl! But that’s impossible. Father said pearls were always kind and gentle…
“They will become our sustenance, our power source,” Griana continued to rant. Suddenly, she spun on the ball of her foot and faced them both. Unbuttoning her cloak she dropped it to the floor. Totally naked, she tipped her head back and closed her eyes. Magic began to swirl around her, pulling at the ember of Diamond’s.
Diamond fought it, her eyes darting to Hugo.
His gaze rested upon Griana’s naked body as if mesmerised by her.
Diamond’s heart thumped, panic tightening her chest. Blood had continued to drip onto the floor from his wounds and his skin was pale and glistening with sweat.
<
br /> A warm feeling invaded her head.
I am still weak. But my guardian is fighting. He’s. Helping. Me, Hugo’s voice gasped in her head.
Armour began to form across Griana’s beautiful naked body. Different than Hugo’s, it was not scaled but was made of a dark green metallic substance similar to the armour forming over her wings.
Diamond was utterly confused. Pearl’s couldn’t armour.
Griana smiled. Wicked. Satisfied. “I have always been different. I am as far from a pearl as it is possible to get. The goddess was laughing when she made me. I hate her almost as much as I hated my own father. He wanted to turn me into a simpering woman. A girl who would serve a queen, not become one. I was never going to let that happen. When King Arjuno took that bitch of a goddess as his queen, I knew they both had to die. You should not be here,” she spat at Diamond. “Your ancestor, their daughter—was meant to die!” she hissed, anger swirling around her like a storm. She looked at Hugo with predatory intent. “He will give me the child that was denied me. He will set me free. And he will become my lord.”
Diamond’s blood ran cold.
Griana’s body swayed as she prowled towards Hugo, a row of sharp, green, needle-like teeth protruding from her gums.
Hugo’s voice whispered desperately in her head. She can’t have me, my love. I’m yours. My soul will always be yours. No matter what happens, he told her.
Diamond felt the truth of his words. Just as death had tried and failed to pull him from her last time, so Griana would fail this time.
If Erebos himself takes me, I will fight my way back to you. I don’t care if I have to burn Chaos to oblivion to do it, he promised.
“No!” cried Diamond.
Thrashing against her bonds did nothing except send pain from her broken fingers shooting up her arms. Thorn grabbed her fingers and squeezed. A scream ripped from her throat and she collapsed to her knees. All she could do was watch.
Griana indicated to two of her guards to take hold of Hugo’s iron-staked wings. He could not fight as Griana stepped behind him. Slim fingers tilted his head, the other hand she placed on his shoulder. Holding Diamond’s eyes, Griana sank her teeth into his neck and began to suck. Once, twice. Suddenly she went puce. Coughing and gagging, she fell to her knees. “What have you done?” she screamed.
Neither answered her.
Spitting Hugo’s blood from her mouth, Griana glared hatefully at Diamond then turned her attention to Hugo. “You filthy traitor! You mated with her! You mixed your blood with hers. How could you?” she yelled. “Fine, I don’t care if I cannot control you with venom. You will give me a child tonight,” she told Hugo, her eyes bright, almost feverish. “Now that I know how deep your treachery goes, I will make her suffer as that other girl did. And...” she leaned in next to his ear. “I am going to break that magical tie too. You will not feel her, ever again.”
Hugo’s eyes flew to Griana’s.
“You really are stupid at times, Hugo. Do you really think I didn’t know? That I couldn’t feel your magic touching hers—merging with it? It matters not. Her power will soon be mine, and she will suffer in my dungeons until you have done everything I ask. Thorn will keep her company any time you waver from your path,” she warned icily
“I will never set you free. I will die first,” Hugo grated.
“Oh, you will die, Hugo, just not in the traditional sense of the word. However, we have time for you to fulfil the first part of your role. My lord needs your soul before he can return to me. Thorn? When do you expect your first report of the killing fields?”
“In about an hour, majesty.”
“Good. In that case, take him to my chambers.” She eyed the provost’s ugly red face. Sweat dripped down the woman’s fat cheeks soaking the neckline of her yellow robe. “Girl, give him the Monksweet.”
The young girl scuttled forward, eyes down, clearly not even considering refusing. Thorn’s fingers were hard and cruel as he forced open Hugo’s jaw. Small hands tipped a phial of the bitter liquid into Hugo’s mouth. Without meeting anyone's eyes, the girl retreated away.
Diamond silently cursed the cowardly acolyte.
“I will control him from now on,” Griana barked.
The provost grunted and collapsed against the wall, though she kept her beady eyes upon Diamond and snarled.
Diamond tensed, just waiting for a chance to unleash her magic. To her frustration, the inky darkness weakened but did not recede. This woman was more powerful than Diamond ever dreamed a human could be.
Hugo thrashed then became immobile.
Griana’s magic held him now. She laughed triumphantly, “Oh, do stop fighting, Hugo. You know as well as I do that this is inevitable.” Griana swayed over to Diamond. “You had better hope he cares for you enough to comply, because if he doesn’t, this is going to be a long and agonising time for you.”
There was nothing Diamond could do to swallow a loud cry as her arm snapped and Griana’s magic slammed into her chest. It thrust its way through her skin and writhed along her bones. Searching. Diamond tried to fight, but with her magic contained, it was hopeless. She felt it. The moment the darkness in Griana’s magic found the ember of her own. Ancient and vile, it stabbed at her own, inciting its rage until it burst into existence, but instead of flowing into Diamond, her magic was yanked from her soul.
The agony of losing it consumed her. Her screams filled the high ceilings of the throne room, echoing through the palace hallways.
Diamond did not hear them. Pain. There was only pain. Her soul had been cleaved apart. In the distance, Hugo roared in agony—or maybe his pain roared in her head. Diamond collapsed, the smooth tiles cold against her useless body.
Hugo’s guardian began to thrash, his tattoos glowing again as his armour flickered in and out of existence.
Griana did not noticed. Eyes shut, ecstasy suffused her face. The shadow in her own magic spiralled, mixing with the bright light of Diamond's magic, pulling it through the air before it plunged into her own chest.
Diamond screamed until her throat was raw.
Hugo bellowed her name over and over—even Griana could not stop him.
The agony of loss, of emptiness consumed Diamond, her mind and body closing down.
Griana turned away dismissively before slamming a wave of magic into Hugo, knocking him off his feet. “Quiet!” she screamed at him. “Throw her in the dungeon, but make sure she stays alive. I may yet need her. Take him to my chambers,” she ordered.
Though her body no longer obeyed her commands, Diamond reached desperately for their blood bond. I love you. No matter what happens to us, I will always love you.
Hugo’s eyes burned into her, flaring with silver flame for a fraction of a second.
Oh gods, I love you with every shred of my soul, Diamond. Even when death takes me from you and I am but an echo in your memory, I will love you. Please forgive me for what she makes me do, for not protecting you.” He pushed the words into her mind just as the guards dragged him from the room and he shut down their bond.
Chapter 17
The stench of old urine and faeces swamped Diamond’s nostrils. She groaned. Forgetting her broken bones, she moved to sit up. Then screamed. Nausea hit her. Her stomach heaved, bile and spittle dribbling from the corner of her swollen lips onto the cold dirt floor. She panted, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Painfully, slowly, she struggled to a sitting position.
The cell was pitch black. Panic bloomed but she fought it with all her might. No. I will not be that person again. I am a warrior and a queen. I will not sit here in the darkness and fall apart.
She wiggled her frozen toes and experimentally moved her legs. Satisfied she had no further injuries, she scrambled onto her knees. Agony shot up her arm, her misshapen fingers throbbing incessantly. Taking deep breaths did nothing for the pain, but it did settle the tightness in her chest and the waves of nausea plaguing her.
Shuddering in the damp, freezing air, Diamond conce
ntrated on her breathing, then shuffled on her knees through the dark. It was awkward and agonising with her wrists still shackled behind her back. Her knees disappeared into stinking sludge as she moved. Diamond deliberately did not think about what that sludge may be.
She soon found the metal bars of the cell. Listening carefully, she strained her ears. Nothing. Utter silence. She recalled there had been no other prisoners in these cells when they had saved Rose. She swallowed her panic. It was utterly terrifying to feel so alone.
She wondered how long had she been here. She could not bear to think of what might have happened to Hugo.
A sudden explosion rocked the air, sucking her breath from her lungs. Before she knew what was happening, Diamond was spinning across the cell, slamming into the wall. She lay deaf and stunned.
Then magic flashed. Red magic.
She suppressed her grief for Hugo, shoving it down deep inside her chest. Later. Later she would think about Hugo and Griana. Pain consumed her hands and arms, though she forced her eyes open. It was hard to see through the darkness and dust, even with the light of red magic beginning to illuminate the cell.
A shadow approached, and big hands helped her up on her feet.
“Diamond. It’s all right. It’s me,” panted Attion.
“What’s happening?” she asked, staring around as voices bellowed and red magic flew through the air.
“Erzion,” was all he said.
The Red Wizard appeared by Attion’s side. “My queen. You must run. Griana has attacked the valley. Her troops are fighting Prince Oden’s army. I have sent Elexon and the First Legion to assist.”
“No,” Diamond hissed. “I will not run from her like a coward!”
“We have no time to discuss this, my queen. You must go!” he urged.
Diamond stared at him defiantly.
Erzion’s face filled with sorrow. He looked directly at Attion. “Take her,” he ordered. “Get her out of this valley.”
“Yes, sir. Though I don’t know how far I’ll get.”
Erzion swallowed. “Just do what you can.” Erzion’s eyes captured Diamond’s furious gaze. “My warriors will hold Griana back, but it is important you leave. You have no magic now. If you stay, you will die,” Erzion said, flicking his wrist at a Queen’s guard who was running down the steps. With half a thought, he speared the male with red fire.
The Goddess and The Guardians Boxset: The Complete Romantic Fantasy Quartet Page 83
