“Keep going!” ordered a familiar deep voice. An almost painful wrench at her chest had Diamond raising her head. The movement caused the world to spin and rivulets of sweat to trickle down the groove of her spine. Hugo stood near the two figures on the ground, surrounded by a halo of blue and silver light, his sapphire eyes glowing with flickering silver flames. Caught by that glow, new strength and purpose surged through Diamond, bolstering her trembling and weak limbs. It boosted her but not for long.
“Do not stop!” Hugo commanded harshly as if he sensed she neared the end of her strength.
Her throat was burning and dry, her lungs heaved as darkness fogged the periphery of her vision. Despite her determination, all of it drifted away like mist on the wind: the shield, the forest, Hugo. She was floating, looking down on her physical body from a long way off. It was lovely and peaceful out here. This was the edge of Eternity. No sound penetrated, no roaring disturbed her mind. A serenity that was truly beautiful beckoned her. It would be wonderful to float away and be swept up in that never-ending tranquillity where the sun shone and the stars played.
Painful and insistent tugging dragged her back, crashing her awareness back into her body.
“Diamond!!” Hugo bellowed, close enough now to touch her.
His voice hit her like a slap to the head. Shocked, she gazed at the beautiful silver serpents of energy that reached from him, nipping her as they wound around her arms. That invisible tie jerked her closer to him even as his fiery eyes tethered her to her physical body and to him.
The dragon’s wrath was terrifying. He attacked her shield, trying to smash his way through. Molten red eyes fixated on her with murderous intent, but Diamond was too exhausted to notice. The prince crouched next to the water leopard, wide-eyed and white-faced as he watched her.
“Hold that shield, Diamond!” Hugo demanded, concentrating only on her.
To Diamond, nothing else existed but the touch of his energy and the midnight blue and silver fire of his eyes. The dragon continued to pummel the shield, his barbed tail causing a cacophony of crackling and flying sparks. Fire rained down but still she held firm, small and pale against the might of the beast.
Her throat felt raw, and darkness fuzzed the edge of her vision. Hugo’s eyes narrowed. Tingling shot through her body. Involuntarily her muscles tensed as if his strength had just poured into her, forcing her to stay upright.
“He’s leaving!” shouted Tom from nearby.
Diamond vaguely registered General Edo landing next to her but did not break her hold on Hugo’s eyes. It didn’t matter what the general thought. If she moved or lost concentration, the shield would fail and they would all die. Right now the lives of these warriors were her responsibility. Panting and gritting her teeth until they hurt, she fought wave upon wave of dizziness. Not until Hugo told her it was safe, that they were all safe, would she stop.
Long terrible minutes passed. Sparks coloured her vision and still Hugo stood in front of her, commanding her gaze, the muscles of his jaw clenched tightly.
“Can—I—stop—yet?” she forced the question out between gasping breaths. Sweat ran into her eyes, her body shaking so hard she was on the verge of collapse.
The warriors and newcomers stared at Diamond in awe as she hardened her resolve and kept the shield going. Her magic burned strong but her body was failing, even with Hugo’s borrowed strength.
The black dragon snorted and flapped his wings. Snarling, he eyed the young prince who—in turn—was staring at Diamond. Dishevelled and shocked, he sat on the ground next to the injured water leopard. The dragon’s smouldering gaze rested on Diamond and then Hugo, committing their image to memory. Intelligence and cunning shone in those red orbs. A moment later his great head tilted upwards as if listening. Giving a loud frustrated screech, he snapped out huge bat-like wings and launched himself into the grey clouds.
“You can stop,” replied the general after another minute or so. Grey, incredulous eyes looked from her to Hugo, who was still holding Diamond in his thrall.
Hugo gave the slightest nod. Agreement. Blinking rapidly, Diamond broke their bond. Her legs collapsed instantly. The soft covering of ash broke her fall, but as her cheek hit the ground a fit of retching and vomiting took hold. The general put a steadying hand on her shoulder, but even as he did so the harsh features of his face blurred and the world closed in until darkness took her. The last thing she saw was Hugo’s sapphire eyes as they lost their fire and turned to ice.
Hugo reeled. What she had just done….
He swallowed hard, it had been incredible, impossible even. Never had he felt magic so powerful and unending. Not even the Queen’s felt so vast. It scared him—even more so now. He had sensed it beginning to devour her soul, her mind. It would end her if she did not learn to dominate it.
The sight of a shield emanating from her hands had left him frozen, too shocked to do anything but stare until he had seen her weaken. A strange kind of rage had thundered through his blood then; even now he couldn’t comprehend his overwhelming urge to protect her. Using magic is banned by the Queen. I shouldn’t have helped this girl….
His hand found one of the daggers secured to his thigh as his eyes drifted to her too-pale face. She had looked so small pitted against such a mighty beast. Avoiding his blades, Hugo curled his fingers into fists, fingernails digging into his skin. He cursed his desperate need to storm over and scoop her up of the floor. Inexplicably, his magic jerked him a step toward her. She was so vulnerable right now. A growl rumbled up his throat, nearly choking him as he swallowed it.
Capturing Diamond’s gaze and commanding her had been ridiculously easy. Their magic had instantly merged; hers—wild, joyous and determined to find freedom; and his—experienced and hidden, striving to dominate and tame hers.
Underneath that magical struggle Diamond’s fear and exhaustion had tugged on his chest. She had needed him to keep her going, to hold her mind and body steady, and—without a second thought—he had done it.
Except he felt anything but steady right now. It was indescribable, their merging power and the rush of belonging. Hugo shook his head, trying to clear the buzzing in his ears.
Realisation dawned. No. It couldn’t be true.
With resentful eyes he stared at her, not wanting to believe it. Nexus bonds didn’t exist anymore. They were a myth, the substance of old wives tales. But so were guardians, and one had almost burnt them all to a crisp.
Hugo ground his teeth together, scowling darkly when he seemed unable to tear his eyes off Diamond.
He was being absurd. Showing any interest in this girl, magic driven or not, would be far too dangerous—for them both. Despite himself, his stomach flipped at the sight of her unmoving and pale on the ground. Staring hard, he made sure she was still breathing, hating the emotions that made him check. Muscles quivering, he controlled his body.
It was now clear why Ragor sought Diamond. Her magic was not red, green or gold…it was the level of magic from dreams and stories. It was the sort exhorted in religious texts as being inherent of the goddess herself: it was white magic. Such a powerful gift, and one that could wreak destruction across vast lands—or kingdoms, if she learned to control it.
Hugo wrenched his magic back inside himself as it tried to reach her, forcing himself to think like the guard he was supposed to be. The Queen would want this girl under her control, not Jack’s. Hugo was powerful enough to absorb enough of Diamond’s magic to weaken her, but it was too vast and protective of its own existence for him to destroy it. Even if he took her within the dampening effect of Valentia’s shield, her magic would only be suppressed.
Darker thoughts troubled him. The Queen would consume this girl’s wild magic—and then he would be ordered to kill her, as he had countless other magic wielders. Hugo stifled his familiar rage and disgust. Killing was as easy as breathing; age, creed, origins—it didn’t matter, he always followed his Queen’s orders; there was no reason not to.
The general glanced suspiciously at Hugo. Quickly and with practiced efficiency, Hugo schooled his features into an icy mask, then turned to the mortal prince who was still staring at Diamond with a look of wonderment.
“Jack, are you hurt?” Hugo asked in a steady voice. He looked his friend over.
“No. But only because of her,” Jack answered, sounding as overawed as he looked. Then he seemed to shake himself. Back in control, his attention moved to the older warrior. Hugo helped him up. “So who are our new friends, Hugo?” asked Jack, dusting himself down.
General Edo shifted his steely eyes from Diamond to Jack and immediately pushed himself up to his considerable height. With some amusement Hugo realised this could get messy. He had known immediately who the older warrior was, even before asking. General Edo was a legend amongst Jack’s army, renowned for his fighting skills, clever mind and friendship to King Oden.
“Prince, this is General Amsal Edo. He was in the town Cranach led us to.” Hugo hid a wince, this was getting worse for the prince. “General Arades Gillon was there too. He died in the fighting. It is his daughter, Diamond, who lies on the ground. The Seekers were hunting her.”
Jack sucked in a breath between bared teeth as he heard the names of those mighty generals, warriors who had once been loyal to the Oden Dynasty. The prince’s expression turned colder than Hugo had ever seen it. Unfazed, the older man’s regard remained steady and assessing, weighing up the dishevelled young man in front of him. Jack slowly reached over his back and grabbed his sword pommel.
The prince had been a small child when the legendary warrior had left Stormguaard. It occurred to Hugo that rather than seeing General Edo as an ally, Jack might see this powerful fae as a threat. After all, he was one of the two generals King Oden had named guardians of Rhodainia until his son reached the age of eighteen and could be crowned king. Arades Gillon, Diamond’s father had been the other. Hugo supposed the mortal king had expected to live long enough for one or other of his generals to return home. Jack was only two months away from his eighteenth birthday and not likely to turn over ruling his broken kingdom or his campaign against Ragor to a complete stranger even for so short a time, no matter what their name was.
Hugo smiled inwardly and forced himself to remain out of this meeting. Jack would only tell him to piss off if he tried to protect his friend. Since they had survived Stormguaard and Hugo had returned to his Queen, it was hard to accept that the politics of Jack’s court were none of his business. His Queen had charged him with discovering why the Seekers travelled north and, if possible, bringing the reason back to Valentia. Those were his orders, nothing else.
“So, you are my king’s son,” purred General Edo.
It was a statement, not a question. Tilting his head slightly to one side only served to make the hulking general more predatory. Jack tipped his head back to keep eye contact as the tall fae warrior took a slow deliberate step forward.
The prince wisely held his ground. Jack knew the score. He would have to prove himself strong enough to lead or, according to Rhodainia’s laws, this fae could take control of his army and his people.
Hugo hoped Jack had the sense to note the general’s tough square jaw and the iron arm muscles that bunched as he curled his fists around the pitted, scarred pommel of his heavy blade. It was clear to Hugo’s trained eye General Edo favoured his left side. Wings, covered in golden armour, extended fully in challenge, ready to be used as a weapon themselves should the need arise.
Jack unsheathed Dragonsblood, the sword his father had commissioned for him upon his birth. Not once did his eyes leave the general’s. Slowly, one by one, his leather clad fingers loosened then wrapped back around the fierce ruby-eyed, silver and gold dragon pommel. It was hard not to admire such a beautiful work of art, even for Hugo, who had no interest in elaborate weapons. Blades, whether elaborate or not, were tools of death and agony.
“I like that you are not scared of me,” the general chuckled, although his voice held no humour. “The last time I faced you with a sword, you nearly shit your princely breeches. Let’s see how much of a man you’ve grown into, shall we?”
Jack held Dragonsblood up in the air, studying the shining blade. The ruby-eyed dragon glinted angrily as if sensing the tension in the air. Jack cocked his head, rage burning in his eyes. “Oh, I’ve grown up plenty, general. Whereas you have only got older and slower since you deserted my father.”
“Slower!” laughed General Edo contemptuously. “We’ll see. And I am no deserter, prince. But that is not important now. What is important is that you prove to me that you can wield that sword with the skill of a warrior—as your father expected—and that you are worthy of carrying it.” He gave a small laugh, his eyes glinting with mockery. “When your father gave me my last orders, you couldn’t even lift this sword off the ground. You always were a small, feeble child easily driven to anger. So—little prince—has anything changed? Are you man enough to lift that blade and fight me? Or are you a weak little boy?” he challenged, narrowing his eyes and pacing in front of Jack, sword drawn, looking every inch the warrior he was.
“No. I have not been a weak boy for a long time. I am heir to the throne of Rhodainia, and you should be on one knee begging my forgiveness for deserting your duties. The duties my father gave you—general,” Jack uttered the last word with a contemptuous snarl. “You should have been there to guide me, to help me when I was too young to understand what I was doing. I lost my family’s heritage because you left my father to his fate. You have been a deserter for nearly fourteen years. Fourteen years! You, general, have no right to order me to do anything! Anything!!” he roared, his face red, his eyes angry.
But Hugo knew Jack well. They had spent too much time together for him to miss the flicker of loss and hurt in his friend’s eyes. There was no answering flicker of regret or softness in the general.
“Your father was my king and my friend. I have the last orders he gave me in my pocket. But now is not the time to explain myself to you, prince. If you want my allegiance and my help, you need to earn it. The first step is to prove to me that you can use that,” he gestured to Dragonsblood with the tip of his own sword. “Then I will consider whether I am going to bend my knee to you or take over leading your broken kingdom…little prince.”
Even Hugo cringed at the arrogance and scorn in General Edo’s voice. They had spoken at length in the cave about Jack and what had happened in the grasslands of Rhodainia. General Edo was a clever and calculating man. Hugo knew this attitude was an act, but it was a good one. Jack was about ready to explode with white hot rage. Jack’s warriors shuffled closer, their feet sending tiny plumes of ash into the air.
“Highness?” Roin, Jack’s captain questioned his voice tight. Zane and Karl stepped up beside him, swords drawn.
“Stand down,” Hugo growled at the burly, broad shouldered warrior’s.
Jack scowled at Hugo’s interference but nodded to his captain. Immediately his men shuffled back, still looking nervous and on edge. Zane prowled towards Diamond, and Hugo tensed; then he noticed the other warriors now stood in the spot between the general and Tom. Zane nodded to them.
The general swished his sword through the air with utter delight, then without warning lurched and swung his blade down towards Jack. Metal clashed against metal as his blade was barred by Dragonsblood.
Jack had been waiting.
Diamond stirred at the sound of clashing swords. Unobtrusively, Hugo eyed her with concern. Her skin looked ashen. Hugo tried to ignore the way his gut clenched as Tom pulled her onto his lap and rocked her against his skinny body. But it was Zane who eyed Hugo warily, who tracked his movements.
Hugo snarled. Completely out of character, he couldn’t stop himself striding over to the two friends. Her magic called to him. Gods help him, he was behaving like a fool.
“Let go of her,” he snarled at the boy.
The cowardly runt paled, but did not let go.
“Tom, don’t pi
ck now to start being brave,” advised Zane, his voice careful and even.
Tom looked up at Zane, clearly unsure.
“Go ahead. Hugo will not hurt her,” Zane reassured Tom.
Hugo met Zane’s knowing look, hating that the other fae could see right through his possessive actions. Deciding to ignore it, he bent down and swept Diamond away from Tom’s embrace. With her cradled in his arms, he strode back to where he had been standing. Hoping everyone else’s attention was on the fight, Hugo guiltily pulled her closer to his chest. Soothing warmth seeped from her into him. Hugo inhaled deeply. She smelled like ash and magic and something undeniably feminine; flowers and sunshine. It stirred something deep and predatory in him, something utterly impossible.
She slowly stirred, and he warily watched her as consciousness returned. Horror flashed across her pale features as she twisted to see the source of the metallic clashing.
“What’s going on? Why are they fighting?” Diamond asked.
“General Edo has just met Prince Oden,” Hugo responded flatly. Heat bloomed across his chest as she moved in his arms. “They’re getting to know one another,” he explained, surprising himself by the wry humour in his voice.
She paled even further. “But they’ll get hurt! You have to stop them.”
“No, they won’t. Not seriously. The general will stop when he has an answer to his question.”
She stilled and stared at him. “What question?” she demanded.
“If Jack, who lost his kingdom to war and death, is more capable of donning the mantle of leadership and ruling now than he was when he lost his kingdom,” Hugo said, deliberately lacing his voice indifference.
Diamond’s eyes widened. “Leadership? But he’s already a leader—a prince. What in Chaos is Uncle Amsal thinking? That’s it. Put me down,” she ordered harshly.
A Bond of Venom and Magic (The Goddess and the Guardians Book 1) Page 7
