Jack looked at Roin, who nodded.
The unknown warrior stood still as stone, his eyes boring into Jack, who in turn ignored him. He had no time for this mystery warrior—not now.
Elexon dropped his shield and pulled a sword, beginning to fight with both magic and metal.
The warrior snarled down at Jack, then gripped a sword in one hand and a viciously curved dagger in the other; he stalked to Elexon’s side and struck at Griana’s warriors.
For a few seconds, Jack watched the elegant and vicious way the warrior moved. He bit his lip and frowned. It reminded him of someone else. He choked on his gasp of recognition.
General Edo!
A legion of red warriors landed around them, keeping the enemy away. Above, Sulphurious slammed his barbed tail against the might of the shield. Magic sparked. It seemed there was no escape through the night beyond the shield.
“Go! Now! Head south. Diamond will head there when she is freed. Leave the sword or the dragon will hunt you,” ordered Elexon as his warriors took his place in the line.
Before Jack could even open his mouth to speak, the stranger leaped across the space. Without ceremony, he knocked Dragonsblood from Jack’s grip and handed it to Elexon. A ball of red magic hid the blade as Elexon ran into the fray, his warriors fighting a path alongside him.
“Get your guard off this wall now. You are going to lead us to your escape ship,” the warrior barked in a commanding voice.
Jack clamped down on his refusal; there was no time for power plays. Right now they were swamped.
“Here.” The warrior threw his curved blade to Jack.
Jack nodded and caught it. A voice yelled from nearby. Jack spun, but Roin and Karl were already fighting their way to the group of fae and human soldiers who were trying desperately to reach them.
“Who are you?” Jack asked as they reached the group, blood splattered and exhausted though they were.
“Captain Reese Dunns, highness,” the soldier panted in reply.
Tom clapped the man on his shoulder, and Karl shouted a greeting to the young soldier by Reese’s side. Clearly, they had all met before.
“Good to see you again, captain,” grinned Tom. “But let’s get out of here.”
Reese nodded. Merging with Jack’s guard, they all fought a path up to the battlements. The coppery stench of blood and death filled the air. Jack could taste it, as foul as the bitterness of yet another defeat. When they reached the battlements, there was no time for discussion.
Zane grabbed Tom. Karl grabbed Gunnald. Unis soon had Roin clutched around his big chest and the stranger grabbed Jack. “No, take Syhira first,” Jack barked. The stranger snarled, not letting go of Jack.
“You! Take the girl,” the warrior ordered Somal.
Syhira had more sense than to argue, she ran to Somal, turned and fired an arrow into the chest of an oncoming warrior as Somal lifted her skyward. Reese and his warriors followed suit, and within seconds they were all airborne. Jack’s guard Vico followed, protecting their rear.
From up high, Jack could see the extent of the carnage. Bodies from both armies lay strewn across the battlements. He shuddered. If Erebos commanded the dead in a similar way, he would soon have a vast army. For the first time since his father had disappeared, Jack prayed to Lunaria for the souls of his people. He could only hope that Elexon and Erzion could save them and free Diamond from the fate he had brought upon her.
Silently, he begged her forgiveness; the wretchedness of his betrayal as heavy in his heart as his failure to protect his people.
The fae pursuing them were soon dead as Karl turned with Gunnald and Somal spun with Syhira. Together with Vico, they shot them from the sky.
Not wanting to risk the wrath of Sulphurious or any waiting airborne legions, they landed silently and swiftly in the darkness among the remains of the charred forest—and ran.
Overhead an eagle swooped, its eerie call hollow in the night.
Chapter 19
Sleet and snow peppered her freezing face, reducing visibility to only a few feet. Diamond clutched the swords she had swiped off a fallen guard. Her numb feet pounded the frozen ground as she sprinted towards the guards’ tower.
“In here,” urged Attion, pushing the door open with such force it slammed against the inner wall. He charged in, cutting down the three door guards before Diamond even blinked.
They bypassed the inner training rooms and the school. Somewhere, a commander barked orders at the young trainee guards. Diamond hoped they, at least, would be spared fighting tonight.
Utterly exhausted, she stumbled more than once on the steps up to the roof. Attion, however, raced up them. Without hesitation, he kicked open the topmost door, slicing the roof guards down in two swift moves.
Diamond skidded to a halt, her lungs burning.
Attion wasted no time. He yanked Diamond to him and launched himself into the night.
Diamond squeezed her eyes shut, desperately feeling for Hugo, trying to push through that curtain of darkness that blocked him from her. Please forgive me for leaving you, my love. Fight Erebos. Fight him for me—for us, she repeated over and over as Attion fought his own battle with the raging storm and mountainous dark waves as they headed out across the ocean.
Soaked to the skin and exhausted, they fell heavily on to the wildly tilting deck of a Hourian ship. Even Attion could not keep upright as the ship was tossed around like driftwood. Visibly pale, he tucked his wings in and fell to his knees. The palms of his hands slapped against the deck as he tried to regain his breath and his balance.
Nearby sailors roared with laughter. Almost as if their feet were glued to the deck, they walked about the slippery boards.
A deep voice bellowed against the sleet-laced winds. Rough hands grabbed her arm, and Diamond was hauled off to the side. Panting hard, she pushed herself up against a pile of coiled rope. The sailor now guarding her was unaffected by the heaving deck as his feet stayed planted firmly, his stance solid and imposing. Diamond scowled at him. He merely stared down at her, arms crossed over his chest. His forked beard whipped to and fro, beads twinkling in the ship’s lantern lights. Diamond hugged her knees into her chest and ignored him; instead, she watched Attion.
Attion was urged up to a higher deck. He did not fight. Like most fae, he hated being surrounded by the sea. His big hands grasped the guardrail as if he’d never let his fingers uncurl.
From his position on the higher deck, the captain eyed her coldly.
Attion’s face was drawn and pale as he answered the captain’s questions, but within moments her fae warrior turned and nodded at her. They had been accepted on the ship.
There was nothing except hollowness inside Diamond. No joy at escaping these shores, only emptiness at what she was leaving behind; her mate, her people, her friends, even her magic was gone. She had only just begun to understand her power, and now it had been stolen from her. But it was the loss of her Nexus that left her so empty; that intimate bond had been there from the moment she had met Hugo, nipping at her skin or wrapping its warmth around her.
The captain bellowed orders, and her guard huffed and left her curled up against the ropes. The ship groaned and lurched as if in answer to its captain’s demand, then an otherworldly calm settled, wholly encompassing the ship.
Diamond’s eyes widened, catching Attion’s. He was still standing and gripping the rail of the ship. It seemed he was not going to wander around the slippery deck anytime soon.
Concentration clouded the captain’s face, triggering her memory. Hourian captains commanded magic to sail the Rough Sea in winter. They bonded with their ship and controlled the weather in the bubble of power that surrounded the vessel.
The rain ceased. It was then Diamond noticed the bright light of Tu Lanah pushing through the stormy clouds. Her heart lurched. Winter Solstice would be over in mere hours. Tomorrow the sky would renew and begin to lighten, signalling the onset of the spring returning.
Forcing h
erself to stand on numb and shaking legs, she fought the tilting rise and fall of the deck and stumbled over to the edge of the ship to stare at the distant shadow that was Valentia. Diamond wondered how much blood had been shed that night, how many souls had been taken into Chaos.
One day, she vowed silently to her people, I will set you all free. Even if Erebos wears Hugo’s skin, I will end him.
There was a sizzling sound and a muffled bang echoing over their heads, rattling the air. The ship began to pass through Valentia’s shield just as warning shouts resounded from the sailors at the stern of the ship. Her guard returned and grabbed her arm, dragging her up the steps to the higher deck even as Attion was shoved down onto the lower deck with a dagger against his back.
He met her eyes, his face dark—a question. She shook her head. They needed this passage. He snarled with frustration but did not attack the seaman.
“What do they want? What trouble do you bring to my ship?” Captain Sabiliar barked. He was a tall man with thinning brown hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a weathered blue tunic trimmed with gold braid and brown loose leggings stuffed into a pair of knee-high brown boots. A curved slim-bladed sword dangled from his waist, and his eyes were beady and small. They flashed angrily at her as he gave her a shove that landed her hard against the top rail.
Diamond remembered Gorian’s warning. This captain could not be trusted.
“I don’t know,” uttered Diamond. Dread filled her as the flying figures approached the shield, their wings glinting in the light of the ice moon.
“Elite guards!” the captain spat. “You bring death upon us! Men! Grab your weapons! Prepare to defend the ship!” he bellowed loudly.
There was a flurry of activity as the sailors pulled their curved swords, shouting warnings to others.
Diamond squinted her eyes. A slim figure led the approaching warriors. Griana! Her blood froze. Even though the false queen could not pass through the shield, these warrior fae could annihilate every sailor on this ship in the blink of an eye.
Heart thumping, she looked to Attion. She nodded slightly and he returned the gesture. These seamen stupidly had not relieved him of his sword.
“What’s that they’re carrying?” shouted an almost toothless sailor, pointing to the guards flanking Griana.
Diamond gave a loud cry as she recognised the shape of a body dangling from between two huge guards.
They grasped Hugo’s limp form under his shoulders. His wings hung unarmoured down his back, his arms dangling loosely, one of them at a strange angle.
Bile burned Diamond’s throat. Panicking, she searched for his mind but their bond was still not there.
The ship passed fully through the shield just as Griana reached it. Screaming her rage, she touched the shield, sending sparks flying. “I see you, whore!” she cried out, her green eyes illuminated with a demonic glow. “I am going to let you go, for I will not lose any more time or men fighting for you.” Griana cackled with satisfaction, her hand upon her belly. “Leave in the knowledge that he has broken my curse and his soul will soon belong to my lord,” she screeched, her voice wild and rattling the air around the ship. “Commander Thorn!” she barked.
The commander flew forward but stayed inside the shield.
Diamond could not hear the orders Griana gave him but he turned to Diamond, an evil smile stretching his cruel mouth. Diamond gripped the balustrade of the ship until her fingernails began to bleed. Her breath stuck in her chest as she waited for what was about to happen.
Thorn flew over to Hugo. Reaching into Hugo’s blood-soaked hair he yanked the wounded fae’s head back. “Look at your whore, traitor!” he bellowed in Hugo’s ear. “Look at her or I will go through this shield with my men and rip her to pieces!” he threatened.
Behind her, Attion snarled loudly.
Hugo’s appearance rocked Diamond so badly, her legs threaten to give way. He had been beaten so viciously that his face looked like raw meat, blood and saliva dripping from his mouth and broken nose.
“Look at her!” Thorn bellowed. Viciously, he pulled on Hugo’s dislocated arm.
Hugo gave a cry of pain and his eyelids fluttered open. Dark and anguished, his eyes sought her out.
“Hold his head up!” ordered Thorn to one of the other guards.
Diamond watched in horror as the Commander drew his sword and hovered behind Hugo. He grabbed one of Hugo’s large wings. Hugo realised what was about to happen and began to struggle weakly.
“No! No!” shouted Diamond in despair.
Thorn brought his sword down, cleaving off one beautiful wing.
Hugo screamed. He jerked against the vise-like grip of his captors, his eyes rolling in his head. He was spitting and choking on his own blood, but before he passed out his eyes sought Diamond’s.
Tears streamed down her face. She had never felt so useless.
Thorn let the wing drop into the dark swell of the ocean waves.
Laughing at Diamond’s pale, stricken face, Griana ranted and pointed a slim armoured finger at her chest. “This excuse for a warrior will never fly again! Even as my lord’s vassal, he will never escape me.”
Griana nodded to Thorn, who flew to the other side of Hugo.
Valiantly, Hugo began to struggle.
“Hold this,” Thorn ordered another guard. “I think this one may be more difficult to hack off.” He curled his lip and smiled cruelly at Diamond.
Tears streamed down Diamond’s face as she looked into Hugo’s eyes. Her legs buckled at the pain and sorrow she saw there. She fell against the rail and vomited down into the water.
Griana chuckled and, lifting her hands to sky, began to chant. The wind picked up, bringing more darkness towards them. Agonised screams laced the air as the souls of the dead were wrenched towards them.
Out of the ether, dark fronds of magic wound through the sky towards Hugo, pushing into his skull, forcing him to wake and suffer the pain and humiliation of his torturers. Thorn took out a small dagger and began hacking at Hugo’s remaining wing.
Broken and bleeding, Hugo gritted his teeth but did not scream again. His midnight blue eyes turned black, and Diamond watched the light of his soul fade from them.
She reached out with everything she had, her mind, her soul, her heart, but there was nothing. Not even that curtain of shadow. Her heart broke as she realised silver fire would never light his midnight eyes again.
Hugo stared unseeingly at her, and she knew he was gone.
It was true he would live—Griana would not let her prize die—but Hugo’s soul was no longer his own. He would become the darkness that would destroy the world.
She watched as Thorn hacked and carved. Blood spurted from Hugo’s back and dripped steadily into the waves. Eventually they dropped the severed wing.
Diamond gagged, trying to expel her horror at their cruelty, but Hugo only stared forward unseeingly.
“You will not survive without him! You are pathetic! A smear of filth, descended from a family who were only ever cowards, who were never strong enough to rule this city. You are just like them—too weak to fight me. Like them, you will die. Without magic, you are less than nothing,” she declared. “Thorn! Buy the services of that captain and give him his orders. I must take my lord back to the palace and get ready for when he wakes.”
As Griana turned away, Thorn flew through the shield. Diamond faced him, wishing she hadn’t dropped her blade, but it rested next to the ropes on the lower deck.
Thorn landed next to her, his eyes cold and full of hate. He ran his gaze down her body with an insulting leer. “You will be sent to the slave markets in Gar Anon.” He turned to Captain Sabiliar.
The captain tried not to flinch away.
“Make sure she is good for nothing other than a whore house.” He turned back to Diamond. “You thought being my prisoner would be bad? Well, wait and see what a shipload of sex-starved sailors can do to you,” he laughed, but wasn’t stupid enough to come within striking dista
nce.
Exhausted though she was, Diamond curled her fists. She may not have magic, but she could still fight.
Thorn kept an eye on her as he addressed the captain. “Captain, tell your men to use her as they will, but leave her in one piece. My queen wishes you to make sure someone with cruel and unusual tastes gets the benefit of her soiled and used body.”
A tall, mountainous sea man wrapped in heavy clothing sidled closer to the bottom of the steps.
Attion fixed him with a cold glare. The others ignored him, all their attention on Thorn and the elite guards who hovered over their ship.
Thorn laughed at her pale face as he handed a large bag of coins to the captain. “Here’s payment for your services. Ensure she does not die on this voyage; if she jumps overboard, you send one of your men in to get her or the God of Chaos will know and he will reap your soul.” To Diamond he snarled, “I believe my Queen is wrong; Erebos will still come for you. Once he is established in this world, he will find you. He will end you and drag your soul into Chaos to suffer for all time.” He gave her a mocking bow before he launched himself into the sky back towards Valentia.
Diamond had no time to gather her thoughts before three men grabbed her and threw her down the stairs. Only the arms of a large sailor stopped her from hitting the deck. He caught her falling body, planted her on her feet, grabbed her arm and hauled her across the deck before the others even got down the steps.
Attion pulled his sword and killed the sailor who guarded him. Leaping, he landed in front of Diamond, intent on cutting down her captor, but the robed sailor let her go and quickly flicked down his hood.
Diamond found herself looking into a set of dark brown eyes. Inlaid into the skin of the man’s forehead was a turquoise sun, its fingers stretching down to his jaw. The sight jerked her memory. This man had been an escaped slave. She had seen him weeks ago, fighting for the life of his daughter. What the hell was he doing on this ship?
The Goddess and The Guardians Boxset: The Complete Romantic Fantasy Quartet Page 85
