A Bond of Venom and Magic (The Goddess and the Guardians Book 1)

by Karen Tomlinson

  Hugo ignored her demand, unwilling to let her go.

  The force of her punch vibrated into his shoulder. “Put me down now, Hugo, or I’ll poke your eyes out like I did that damn Seeker!” Her violet eyes burned with indignation and fury.

  Caught off guard by her fierce spirit, a rare smile tugged at Hugo lips. He quashed it immediately. What in the goddess is this girl doing to me? Smiling was not something he had done since he had returned to Valentia; there usually wasn’t anything worth smiling about. Besides, the scar on his face pulled his mouth up in an ugly grimace and exposed his teeth like a beast’s when he did. It was repellent. Women generally found it gruesome. He had suffered ridicule for years at the hands of the malicious royal court sycophants. He managed to ignore their snide glances and whispered insults—most of the time. But occasionally, just to entertain himself, he allowed himself to put the fear of death in them. All it took was a snarl and they would nearly piss themselves in fear.

  Diamond glanced at his scar as it twitched. She did not recoil as he expected.

  “As you wish, but stay near me and don’t interfere. This is something Jack has to do. He needs to prove himself to General Edo in front of his men or he will not maintain authority over either,” he warned her.

  She nodded once, but he didn’t for one second trust her to stand on the side-lines. Slowly, and with more reluctance than he wanted to admit, he lowered Diamond’s feet to the ground. She pushed away from his chest, then walked towards the two fighting men.

  Hugo sauntered up beside her, not fooled for a moment. She frowned at him, but he just lifted an eyebrow and glared at her. “Close to me, half-blood,” he repeated in a voice laced with threat.

  Her nostrils flared. “Don’t order me around, faery prick,” she hissed insultingly between gritted teeth.

  Hugo almost grinned at her feistiness—almost.

  Jack staggered and fell, knocked on his back by the hilt of the general’s sword. He spat a globule of blood to the ground, then wiped the back of his hand over his split lip with a loud curse. His brown eyes met Diamond’s and widened as they exchanged a look. Gritting his teeth, the prince sprung back to his feet and lunged at the general’s legs, knocking him off balance with a shoulder charge.

  Hugo ignored his sudden surge of resentment toward Jack and made himself watch impassively. Jack was a good swordsman, but he was not as strong, or apparently as vicious, as the older warrior. Hugo tried to trust the general not to keep this fight going too long. He understood General Edo wanted to push Jack, to see what the younger man could do before agreeing to take orders from him. Hugo didn’t want to interfere—but he readied himself to take the general on if it looked like he was going too far. Jack was still the future king of Rhodainia, after all—and Hugo’s friend.

  Jack’s soldiers gripped their swords and surrounded their prince. Some faced in, some out. Not daring to get too close to a bunch of distrustful, aggressive fae males, stood a bunch of rag tag human survivors, strangers Jack had picked up on their travels. One woman and four men. Hugo did not want to know anything about them. Jack always did this, found strays that slowed the progress of the group down. The fae warriors either ended up carrying them or the entire group had to walk. He snarled as one of the humans caught his eye, an arrogant smile stretching thin lips over rotten teeth. Hugo’s fae instincts flared.

  Zane sauntered up beside Hugo.

  “His name is Freddy. The woman said he is a nasty little bastard. Has tried to get under her skirts several time already.” The warrior’s astute eyes drifted to Diamond. “I’m telling you so you can protect her. Just like I feel I want to look out for him,” Zane huffed wryly and inclined his head at Tom. “It seems we’ve both been blindsided by our inconvenient fae instincts.”

  So Hugo had been careless with his emotions. But Hugo trusted Zane. He was arrogant but not vindictive. Hugo grunted his thanks and stepped closer to Diamond.

  Freddy chose that moment to give a gleeful smile at the sight of Jack’s blood running from his split lip. Hugo hoped this fight ended soon, before any of the soldiers, particularly Roin, decided to try and put a stop to it. Now that would delight Freddy to no end. Jack’s loyal captain had once been a smithy and he was one of the strongest human males Hugo had ever met. He had to be to command respect from a mixed force of men and dominant fae. A fight between Roin and the general—now that would get messy, judging by the general’s prowess with a blade. If Jack’s men so much as tried to slow General Edo down, he would cause carnage.

  Diamond hissed as Jack landed a heavy blow on the general’s jaw but was then floored himself by a sweeping kick to his legs. Angry at them both, she took a step forwards with flashing eyes. Amazed by her expressive face, Hugo quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her fast. Zane chuckled and stalked back towards Tom, whose fury-filled eyes were fixed on them. The warrior stood in front of Tom, big broad shoulders obscuring his view. It seemed Zane had Hugo’s back where Diamond was concerned.

  He pulled her firmly against him and almost forgot about the others as his heart vibrated through her slim body. The top of her head reached his collar bone, so he leaned forwards until his cheek rested against hers. This close, her scent made his senses swim. His magic involuntarily surged around them, winding through her energy and increasing his heart rate. Swallowing hard, he tightened his arms.

  “I said to stay near me,” he growled as convincingly as he could in her ear, whilst biting down on an urge to smile at her defiance.

  She twisted her head and glared furiously at him. “Let. Me. Go,” she hissed, her body writhing against his grip, against him.

  Confused by the heat that flushed up his neck, Hugo pulled away slightly. “Keep still,” he warned, his voice ominously quiet, “or I will make you.”

  Immediately her movements stilled, the fire dying in her eyes only to be replaced by doubt. Hugo kept his face blank, hiding his unease. Consciously he made his voice gentler and more reassuring. “Just watch. I told you I won’t let either of them get badly wounded.”

  He quickly glanced around, relaxing when he saw there was no one else close enough to hear his uncharacteristic tone of voice. Slowly, he unwound his arms but stayed mere inches behind her in case she decided to take matters into her own hands. Or Freddy, who kept eyeing Diamond like she was his next meal, decided to make his move.

  Surprisingly, she didn’t step away from him.

  Jack swung his blade down, but this time misjudged his timing. Weeks of very little food had weakened him, and it was starting to show. The general parried, then struck with such speed and force even Hugo’s eyes could not see his blade. A powerful blow drove Jack to his knees as he twisted to block. Jack’s gloved fist closed around some ash, throwing a handful in the general’s face. The general roared as it burned his eyes. Jack seized his opportunity and exploded with an uppercut. At six feet two inches tall and made of sinew and muscle, his fist crashed into the general’s jaw, sending him staggering. Jack did not allow himself to be arrogant and grin, but he couldn’t help glancing at Diamond. It was a typical Jack move, and it cost him.

  Diamond did not look impressed, only horrified, when General Edo recovered quickly enough to slam his own fist into Jack’s jaw. Jack’s knees buckled and he fell unconscious in a heartbeat.

  Diamond rushed to Jack, ignoring Hugo’s warning growl. She rolled the unconscious prince onto his side before any of his men could get there, then launched herself at General Edo, her face furious.

  “What in the name of Chaos did you do that for?” she raged at him. “The prince’s men could cut you down in a second. Are you insane? Do you want to die too?” she yelled, tears shining in her eyes. Losing her childhood uncle would be more than she could bear right now.

  But the general was panting. Panting and grinning like he had just had the best time. Diamond couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Before she could release the tirade of anxiety burning a hole in her chest, Hugo grabbed her arm and yanked
her away. The general watched Hugo seize her and did nothing, only turned away from them, his wings still armoured and outstretched.

  “Let go of me, you—”

  “Leave him. He needs to talk to the men now,” Hugo interrupted her, his voice infuriatingly calm. “Do not interfere, Diamond. Whatever you think, this was necessary, and the general has the prince’s best interests at heart.”

  “Best interests!” she spluttered disbelievingly. They are all mad.

  But Hugo held her gaze steadily. “Yes. If it is any of your concern at all, General Edo will explain when he is ready; until then, go and sit with Jack and let the general do what he does best—lead these men,” he finished.

  Diamond pushed her hands onto her hips and glared at him. No one gives me orders. Who does he think he is? But winning a staring contest with a Queen’s guard was not something she could manage. He cocked a dark brow expectantly and she dropped her eyes.

  “Fine! I’ll sit with him. No one else seems bothered anyway,” she muttered, plonking herself on the ground next to Jack. That wasn’t strictly true. Jack’s soldiers had not been given time to check on him. All the men and women, she noticed now, had been gathered together by General Edo.

  Hugo threw her a warning look over one broad shoulder as he strode over to join them.

  It was hard not to listen to General Edo’s explanation to the soldiers. He gave a rousing speech, easily gaining their trust and support. Darkness settled around the group as he confidently organised the warriors. Diamond shivered, cold seeping into her clothes. It was a relief when Tom came and passed over a water skin. Together they cleaned up Jack’s face.

  “Are you alright?” asked Tom, studying her face.

  “Not really,” she sighed, plopping down onto her rump. “The whole of my childhood has been built on lies and illusion.” She stared at her trembling hands, hands that could wield magic. “Do you think my father knew about my magic?”

  “I don’t know.” Tom raked his hand through his hair. “If he did, and kept it to himself, it would only be to keep you safe…you know that.”

  Pain lanced her chest. Both her father and General Edo had hidden who they really were from her. Why would my dad do that? Was the man who comforted me when I was sad, who picked me up when I fell, who told me I was his beautiful jewel, just a stranger? Did I ever really known him at all? Tears pricked her eyes.

  It was easier to ignore the storm of thoughts than confront her hurt and grief. For a while she bent her knees and rested her head on her arms, closing her eyes. Soft voices murmured through the trees, but it seemed everyone was trying to be as quiet as possible.

  Diamond felt physically sick when she thought about that wild magic coursing through her bones and blood. Did I really let it consume me so much my soul drifted into Eternity? She squeezed her arms tightly around her knees.

  Hugo. She wondered how he had managed to give her enough energy to keep her grounded, why he had done it. Now she knew he also had magic while living in a kingdom that abhorred it. Does that make him a hypocrite or a born survivor? she wondered.

  When she opened her eyes again it was nearly dark. Tom had disappeared. Typical. Diamond shuffled uncomfortably. She needed to answer the call of nature. The prince lay on his side, an arm flung over his face, sleeping peacefully. Pushing herself to her feet, she carefully picked her way through the scorched trees to a bit of forest, thick enough to obscure her from view. Uncomfortable performing such personal necessities in the open, Diamond rushed herself, almost peeing over her boot when her oversized leggings got caught around her knees. After cursing under her breath, Diamond fixed her clothes then stood still and listened. Silence enveloped her.

  Alone, she allowed her shoulders to sag, letting her weariness and grief weigh her down. The fierce need to see her dad nearly choked her. Just once, she wanted to see him so she could tell him she loved him. She hadn’t told him for such a long time, and now it was too late. Giving into the sobs that had been brewing all day was almost a relief. So much of her life had been a lie, but it had been hers—and now it was gone. Diamond sank to the ground and wept until only a hollow emptiness remained.

  Diamond swiped at her wet cheeks. No amount of crying was going to change what had happened and bring him back. If she was going to survive she had to find a way to deal with his loss…and get away from Hugo and the fae Queen. Diamond didn’t understand how or why she had magic, but she knew the fae Queen would not tolerate it. Unleashing her magic like that, no matter who it had saved, had set her on a dangerous path.

  Around her, sinister shadows seemed to pulse. Diamond tensed. Completely still, the only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat. Pushing hastily to her feet, she hurried back towards the circle of guards. Suddenly, a shape materialised from behind a fallen tree trunk. She stifled a squeal, not wanting to bring Jack’s warriors or Hugo down on her head for leaving the prince.

  “There you are,” purred a tall, skinny man. He blocked her way forwards. “I’ve been looking for you. The name’s Freddy,” he gave a sly grin, sidling closer.

  Diamond conceded a step. His eyes glittered with a dark menacing amusement that had her hackles rising immediately. Alone in the dark with him was not a good place to be. Pointedly she ignored the hand he held out. It was only just possible to see the scowl on his face.

  “Now there’s no need to be scared. I just wanted to say thank ya t’ the pretty girlie that saved us from the dragon.”

  Just as Tu Lanah emerged from the clouds, Freddy gave an unpleasant smile that revealed rotten teeth. Another step closer and his hand snapped out. Diamond recoiled before he could grab her wrist, a chill skittering down her spine. This disgusting worm of a man was not a soldier. He was one of the refugees the prince had found hiding in the forest. Freddy cocked his head to one side, his tongue flicking around his lips in a lewd kind of way. Excitement gleamed in his furtive eyes. The thrill of the chase—a human predator. Her body gave an involuntary shudder, her instincts screaming at her to run.

  “Aw, come on, me lovely. It’s a long time since I’ve ‘ad the chance of saying thanks to a lady for ‘er help. Why don’t yer let me escort you back to the others? ‘Ere, take me arm. Yer look so cold.” His voice was intimate and quiet as he slowly raked his eyes up and down her body. “I can warm yer up if yer let me.”

  Diamond swiftly shook her head. “No thanks, I’m warm enough already,” she said, her eyes darting about for an escape route.

  “Diamond!” barked a deep voice from nearby.

  “Yes! Over here!” yelled Diamond, relief making her knees weak. She had met men like Freddy before. She knew what he wanted and it wasn’t to thank her or escort her back to the others.

  “What the hell are you doing out here on your own!” Hugo berated her as she ran towards the mass of shadow that seemed to solidify into his body as she got closer. “Why did you leave the prince?”

  “I was on my way back,” she said defensively.

  Hugo stared coldly over her shoulder at Freddy. Instantly a feral snarled curled Hugo’s lip.

  Freddy plastered an arrogant grin over his face, but got the message. Whistling tunelessly he sauntered back to the others.

  “Stay away from him. He’s dangerous,” Hugo warned, frowning down at her like she was stupid enough to seek the creep out.

  “I already figured that out,” she snapped before she could stop herself. “I’m not stupid!”

  “Come on. I’m taking you back,” he said, ignoring her tone. Instead he regarded Freddy’s receding back, a murderous glint in his dark eyes.

  Taken aback, Diamond registered his hostility. He must really hate Freddy to allow her to see anything other than his cold facade. Hugo’s sapphire eyes drifted back to her. For a second he looked perplexed and silence fell between them. Leather creaked as he squared his shoulders. When she dared look at his face again, only ice remained. Prepared to walk the short distance back, she raised her eyebrows in surprise when he held out
his arms.

  “I will take you back,” he said.

  Footsteps nearby, followed by a grunt and the unmistakable sound of someone relieving their bladder made Diamond jump. Without another thought she stepped into Hugo’s warmth, let him slip one arm under her legs and his other around her back. Lifting her in his arms, he held her securely against him.

  It was far too dark for either of them to see the fury and frustration on Freddy’s face as he turned and watched them go.

  Diamond guiltily enjoyed the sensation of heat seeping from Hugo’s body into hers. He smelled of musky sweat, earth, leather and something she couldn’t place. It was a heady mix that invaded her senses, and in the minute or so it took to reach the clearing she could do nothing to prevent the hot flush that surged on her cheeks. It was thankfully dark enough to hide her blush as he landed and released her.

  Diamond moved toward Jack. At a look from Hugo, Jack’s two guards backed up and after a cursory. “Don’t go into the forest on your own again,” Hugo ordered as left her with them.

  Diamond stuck her tongue out at his receding shadow.

  Endless and vast, the night sky twinkled with thousands of stars. Unobstructed, Tu Lanah was so bright it cast oddly shaped shadows on to the ash from the skeletal burnt trees. She wrinkled her nose before plonking herself down next to the sleeping prince. Every time the grey ash was disturbed an acrid smell drifted up. It was disgusting.

  Diamond found it impossible to relax. Her nerves jangled every time someone strode nearby. Meeting Freddy again filled her with dread. Perhaps if she stayed near Hugo or the prince, he would leave her alone.

  General Edo decided it would be safer to stay near the clearing than travel the dark forest at night. Barking orders, the man who had been seen as eccentric and odd by the town’s people of Berriesford was unrecognisable to her. This stranger was tough, uncompromising and utterly sure of himself. In the dim light it was hard to see Tom, but she could hear him. He seemed happy to mix with the soldiers.