“You,” she uttered. “No!” she barked at Attion as he lunged.
Attion pulled his strike, not questioning her judgment.
“I will not hurt her,” the man told Attion, his face and eyes portraying nothing but sincerity.
“You’d better not try, or you will die,” Attion returned icily. He spun on the ball of his foot and turned, his wings armoured and outstretched, ready to fight the surge of armed seamen.
Diamond allowed the ebony-skinned man to guide her across the deck. She did not want to think about what had just happened to Hugo; now was not the time to let that pain and loss render her useless. They had to get off this ship. Her attention darted from bow to stern, then to the rapidly receding shoreline. She wondered if Attion could fly them to the mainland.
Behind her, Attion grunted, efficiently dispatching the more stupid sailors who ran in wielding their curved blades. Within seconds the others were standing back.
Captain Sabiliar jumped over the rail and used the air under his feet to slow his descent, landing solidly in front of Attion. Fury darkened the captain’s face, his beaded beard twitching as he snarled. “You dare kill my men on my ship!” he bellowed.
Attion stared at the captain with his cold warrior’s calm and did not deign to answer the man. “We need to fly,” he growled at Diamond without dropping his attention from the captain and the seamen. His boots slid easily over the wet deck boards as he angled his large body in front of her, sword outstretched.
“I can’t fly,” stated the sun-marked man.
“I don’t care,” said Attion. “I need to get her off the ship.”
But Diamond felt that same pull towards this man as she had done before. “No. I won’t leave him,” she answered, plucking a blade from the hand of the fallen sailor. “We fight. And we find another way off this ship—even if we have to kill them all to do it,” she said before she turned to face the captain.
“You may have a warrior and a Fire Priest, but you will soon have no blades,” Captain Sabiliar commented, a sly smile on his mouth as a fierce wind came from nowhere, howling around the ship, trying to pluck the weapons from their grasp.
Diamond grunted, gripping the blade handle with both hands. Attion cursed loudly. Even the Fire Priest muttered under his breath. Diamond flicked her eyes his way. She had never met a Fire Priest before and had only read about them in the books she had shared with Hugo. The skin between her brows creased. Weren’t they supposed to have great fighting skills?
“You can fight it if you wish,” Captain Sabiliar continued, keeping his eyes fixed on Attion. “But you will die. My aim with this dagger is excellent, and the wind is my friend. I will send it as straight and true as any arrow right through your heart if you try.”
Diamond gasped as the captain released the blade. “No!” she yelled, automatically reaching for her magic.
Nothing.
The blade stopped in mid-air, held by invisible fingers of air. Its point was only inches from Attion’s heart.
Diamond immediately dropped her blade. It clattered to the deck. She could not lose another she loved.
Slowly, carefully, she put her hand on Attion’s arm. “Not now. I need you to live,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “I will endure anything they can throw at me, but I will not lose you too.”
Attion’s face filled with rage.
“Please,” she whispered.
His throat bobbed, but he nodded and dropped his blade at their feet.
Diamond turned to the captain, ready to face whatever fate had planned for her now. Silently, she prayed to the guardians to save Hugo’s soul, but in her mind she vowed she would return, if only to kill his now immortal shell.
Chapter 20
Captain Sabiliar grinned widely, revealing his rotting black teeth. “Wise choice,” he said smugly.
A rope snaked through the air and wrapped around Attion’s ankles. He was yanked to the deck. Before he could even yell, the ship lurched and shuddered, the sound of ripping wood and screeching metal exploding into the air.
Diamond screamed. The world tumbled as she went flying.
The Fire Priest dove for the balustrades, trying to catch her. But missed.
She hit the water a split second later. It was an effort not to gasp in a mouthful. The impact stung like hell, vicious cold stealing her breath; instead of giving in, Diamond kicked and thrashed. Her head broke the surface. She gasped for air only to find her lungs full of water as a huge wave crashed down on her head, sending her back under.
A figure fell into the water beside her.
She recognised Attion’s golden wings a second before it registered that he was sinking. Lungs burning, she struck out for him, swimming down with all her might. Blood leaked from his forehead, snaking out into the inky depths.
Bodies fell into the water, debris and bubbles stealing her vision. To her right, the shadowy body of the ship sank lower until it was dropping faster than Attion. It was as if a massive set of jaws had ripped the hull apart. The hole gaped like an open mouth, swallowing the ocean. Men thrashed around in the water, screaming. Not wanting to be dragged down with the ship, Diamond forced her body to move faster. She fought her panic along with her need to breathe.
Phantom-like shapes approached from below. They shot by her, heading upward at terrific speed. She twirled in the water until she faced upward. The screaming seamen were wrenched below the waves, caught by the hands of beings that were half men, half fish, their scaled bodies now glowing and flashing with little lights. They would have been beautiful, but right then they were murderous creatures.
Diamond blinked. Merpeople were the substance of legends and stories. A figure darted close, and Diamond fought the urge to scream as it stopped before her. Her vision was fading from her lack of oxygen. Her limbs were becoming heavy, her lungs burning as she fought her need to inhale.
The figure came closer, his handsome face almost nose to nose with her.
Diamond’s eyes widened.
Lord Firan!
The immortal lord smiled, his touch upon her shoulder reassuring. He cupped his hands and blew into them. A bubble spread, growing out around her head. Immediately, Diamond sucked in great shuddering breaths. Such a precious gift—oxygen. Coughing and still unable to speak, Diamond gestured urgently to where Attion had disappeared from view.
Lord Firan frowned and shook his head.
Diamond kicked his scaled lower body and, not caring about what or who he was, she dived.
Her actions caused her to miss the lord’s wide grin as he followed. His fingers grabbed her arm. Suddenly, she was flying through the water at incredible speed.
Seconds later they reached Attion. Lord Firan let her go. Once again he formed an air bubble, pushing it around Attion’s head. Done, he wrapped an arm around her waist and grabbed the back of Attion’s leather tunic and propelled them at dizzying speed through the ocean, staying under the waves. After a few minutes he stopped.
Inside his bubble of air, Attion’s lips were blue.
Diamond reached across Firan and seized the tunic covering her friend’s chest. Her fingers were too cold to grip him hard, but she shook him with all her might, her screams locked in her bubble.
Firan let her go, his blue eyes glinting with silver before a look of intense concentration clouded his handsome features.
She couldn’t breathe as he lifted his arm. Blue skin and fine silver scales glinted as he moved. Magic rippled through the water. He thrust more and more from his hand into Attion’s chest. Painful seconds passed. She couldn’t bear it. To be impotent yet again, to watch someone else she cared about die… Tears burned her eyes as she screamed and beat her fists on Attion’s chest.
Firan laid a gentle hand on her arm, calming her. Guiding her, he placed her palm where she had been beating her fists.
Attion’s chest rose then fell, a gentle thud against her palm. Relief swamped her, tears burning her eyes.
Firan smiled and nod
ded; after renewing her air bubble he grabbed them both and continued on.
Diamond squeezed his waist in thanks.
She soon became aware of another merman pacing them. She thought he might be dragging another body, but she was helpless to look and see under the immense pressure of the ocean. Time became lost to her. Firan renewed their air bubbles several times but, just as she was struggling to breathe once again, Diamond found herself thrust from the water. Limbs flailing, she landed heavily on a sandy shore.
Grey light bathed the winter sky, snowflakes falling in small flurries. Lord Firan immediately left a bedraggled and shivering Diamond on the sand to heave Attion from the waves. Scales covered his naked body.
A merman. Firan was a merman.
Diamond gaped.
His blue hair shone like silk. Lean muscle tensed, and his scaled face was screwed up with effort. Within moments, Firan’s blue body was no longer naked but covered in a cerulean armour. Other than the colour, it was remarkably similar to the armour that Hugo could form.
Diamond’s brow furrowed in confusion. At the thought of her mate, a wave of grief and pain hit her, squeezing her chest until she couldn’t breathe. She squeezed her eyes closed then, pulling herself together, she focused on Attion.
A few feet away, Lord Firan grunted as he deposited the fae warrior on his back.
Diamond could not look at Firan again. Sand stuck to her wet clothes, scraping her skin as she scrambled to Attion. His face was pale, but there was chest movement. Shallow and fast—but there. Relief washed through her.
Nearby, another body was catapulted onto the beach, coughing and spluttering.
Lord Firan knelt and placed his hand on Attion’s chest. Clearly, that shallow chest movement was not to Firan’s liking. Hazy magic hovered around Firan’s fingers.
Diamond ignored the devastating knowledge that she could no longer feel the presence of her magic; instead, she held her breath, willing Attion to wake up.
Lord Firan grunted and pushed harder.
Anger tightened her chest. “Attion!” Diamond shouted, shaking his big shoulders hard. “Wake up!”
No response.
Not knowing what else to do, she slapped him hard across the face. “Wake up. Now! I am your queen! And I order you to live!” she screamed.
Firan stared at her and huffed a laugh, his eyes shining with amusement.
“What?” she hissed bitterly. “Griana has taken everything from me. I will not let him die too…”
Firan sobered immediately. “No, Diamond, she hasn’t taken everything. It’s true she has taken your magic and your soulmate, but she hasn’t taken your heritage, nor has she taken your spirit—so use both. You are the one who must fight through this darkness and beat the shadow before it has a chance to swallow this world,” he said gravely.
Diamond gulped. Lunaria had once said the same thing. But without magic?
“You do not need magic to succeed, young queen; though you do need allies.” He gestured toward Attion. “Attion is not dead. I was merely waking him up. I had sent him to sleep to make it easier for me to transport you both to this point. As we had also done for him,” Firan told her, pointing at the Fire Priest, who was on his knees spluttering.
Suddenly, Attion’s chest heaved with a violent bout of coughing, followed by a hoarse chuckle. “I appreciate the order though, my queen. And I will do my best to follow it,” he said.
Firan grinned. “See?”
Diamond rolled her eyes at them both, trying her best to scowl. It was pointless, she was too relieved.
Together, they helped Attion sit up. Diamond remained quiet whilst he took a few deep breaths and cleared his lungs.
“Where are we, Lord Firan?” Attion asked, peering around, his eyes resting on the Fire Priest.
“You are as far as I dare take you down the coast. I need to return to Valentia.”
“But you can’t! She’ll kill you!” gasped Diamond.
Firan clenched his jaw. “Only if she finds out I sank that ship. I have to go back, Diamond. There is someone very special to me in that city. I have let him down his whole life, and I will not do so any longer. Head south. My men informed me there is still a ship moored off the coast at Port Garrison. You need to reach that vessel. Warn the rulers of the other kingdoms, gain allies and unite them against Erebos,” he said. “Stormguaard is still occupied by the Wraith Lord’s troops, so you will need to bypass it. My spies tell me activity there has increased recently. Instead of abandoning the city after the loss of their lord, the creatures of his army are amassing near its gates. Any human or fae captives are being taken there—not killed.”
“Why?” Diamond whispered.
Firan frowned. “I don’t know. My spies cannot enter the city or get close enough to see. Just give it a wide berth, whatever they are using those souls for, it can’t be good. And get to that ship. My men will come to your aid once you are on board.”
Attion nodded. “We will. I will take care of her, Lord Firan.”
Firan smiled and cocked his head. His eyes shone like Hugo’s in their deep sapphire blue and intensity, so much so that Diamond had to look away.
“I know you will,” he agreed. “Head first to the Southern Hotlands and the Sky Desert. I trust you to find a way to win over the High Wizard, Diamond.”
His eyes drifted toward the Fire Priest, who watched them silently. “I will find you as soon as I can. I lost something years ago that I hope I will find once again in Ion Kugat,” he said, a wistful note to his voice as he stood.
Diamond frowned, wondering what that could be.
“Right now, I must return to Valentia. If you travel at a steady pace, you will make it to the grasslands in three, maybe four, weeks. Stormguaard and Port Garrison will be another four after that. Diamond needs the Fire Priest, so you must go on foot,” he addressed Attion before turning his ocean eyes upon the sun marked man. “Diamond is our greatest hope for ending the threat to our world. I am old, I know what the Fire Priests guard. I hope you will see fit to share that knowledge with her soon.”
The Fire Priest narrowed his eyes but merely nodded once. Affirmation.
Diamond wanted to ask but bit her tongue. The Fire Priest would tell her when he was ready. Neither of them knew each other well enough to share secrets—yet.
Firan gently brushed Diamond’s cheek with his fingers.
Strangely, Diamond did not feel the need to flinch away. She saw only concern in his expression.
“Take care, young queen. I will see you in the Sky Desert.” He pointed to where the other merman had dumped some blades. “There are some weapons.”
Attion huffed his thanks.
Firan smiled and nodded before walking easily through the surf and diving back into the rough waves. The other mermen followed. Firan broke the surface. He waved once then, in a flash of iridescent blue scales, was gone.
Diamond swallowed. Her brain was still trying to process all that had happened.
Attion collapsed back on the sand and closed his eyes.
“Are you all right?” Diamond asked, worriedly.
He murmured a non-committal sound.
“Thank you for coming for me, Attion,” she said. They both knew she meant from Griana’s dungeons. If he had been caught...well, it didn’t bear thinking about.
Attion opened his eyes and raised a brow. “Well, I couldn’t very well abandon my true queen, now, could I? That would be treason,” he replied with a tired smirk whilst wiping some blood from his forehead. He groaned, sat up and assessed their surroundings, ignoring the Fire Priest. “I am sorry for what has happened to Hugo. I just—I couldn’t help him.” Attion’s voice, thick with emotion, dried up. He coughed and set his lips in a thin line. “He was my friend. He gave me a chance to change, to believe my life could be different when no other person ever has.” The look of sadness in his eyes brought tears to Diamond’s. Then he squared his shoulders. “Elexon and Erzion are best placed to help my king, n
ow. Besides, I promised him I would protect you,” he told her resolutely.
Diamond dropped to her knees at his side. “Thank you,” she said. It was hard not to smile at the shocked look on his face. Of course, in Attion’s world queens did not kneel to their subjects—or thank them. “Attion, we are going to be travelling a long way together.” She glanced meaningfully at the stranger nearby. “All of us. I would rather you both used my name.”
Attion nodded pushing his wet hair from his face. “If it is your wish, I will do so—for now,” he conceded.
Diamond smiled and they stood. She looked over at the other man. “So, who are you? I saw you rescued from the ocean once before, when the black dragon attacked the harbour. What happened to your daughter?” she asked, not liking the feeling of dread that settled in her stomach at his dark look.
He stood and brushed the sand off his damp clothes. “My daughter is dead. She did not survive that day,” he replied flatly.
“I’m so sorry,” Diamond uttered. The wind whipped through her wet clothes as she fought to find more words. She came up wanting. She honestly had no idea what to say to a man who had lost his child. Goosebumps covered her skin as she shivered and looked at her bare feet, feeling wholly inadequate.
The Fire Priest sighed and strode closer.
Attion blocked his way, a snarl on his face.
“Do not fret, warrior. I would never harm a descendant of the goddess,” the Fire Priest reassured Attion.
Attion grunted. “Well, I guess Firan thought you worth saving, so that must mean something,” he said grudgingly.
Diamond gave them both a watery smile. Right or wrong, Attion had just accepted this man.
“My name is Otekah,” the Fire Priest informed them, his voice deep and smooth.
“Nice to meet you, Otekah,” Diamond replied. Feeling a great weariness invading her spirit, she did not ask the questions on her tongue. Otekah clearly had great knowledge of where they were to go, but she couldn’t think about that right now. She looked out over the stormy ocean. The sun peeked over the horizon, its orange beams pushing through a small break in the clouds. Its beauty would have stolen her breath if only that glow didn’t herald the dawn of war and death.
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