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

by Karen Tomlinson

  “Do you?” He sounded genuinely surprised. “What for?”

  “Saving me from Freddy,” she replied while meeting his eyes, hoping he could see she was sincere. “If it hadn’t been for you, Freddy would have—” she coughed disgusted by thoughts of what Freddy would have done to her. “Anyway, I’m really sorry you got hurt because of me,” she finished awkwardly.

  “Hey, I can’t think of anyone else I would rather get attacked for than you,” he teased, then brushed his fingers down her hot cheek and grinned. “Besides, it meant I got your undivided attention for a few days. It’s been more than worth it to get to know you better.”

  He gently grasped her chin, and she felt herself drowning in his deep brown eyes. She gulped, not quite knowing how to handle this handsome, charming and self-assured prince. He was so out of her league. Forcing herself not to panic, Diamond withdrew from his touch. It wasn’t that his touch felt creepy or wrong, not like the traders who had tried to corner her over the years; it was quite the opposite, in fact.

  “And I mean that. I hope I still get your attention when we get to Valentia and you are once again surrounded by warriors with wings who could whisk you away at a moment’s notice. Particularly a certain large one with blue wings,” he chuckled but she didn’t miss the serious undertone in his voice. He took her hand, his face altogether more serious. “Perhaps you should stay in the Rift Valley in my camp. It will be much safer for you than Valentia.” A gorgeous smile stunned her, and his tone lightened. “Then we can spend time together in more…luxurious surroundings. My camps even have beds….” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  Blowing air from her lips, Diamond gently but firmly pulled away. The prince studied her, looking amused at her discomfiture. Despite Jack’s stunning good looks, Diamond couldn’t help but compare him to a certain scarred and fearsome Queen’s guard. Jack’s warmth and friendliness was nothing like the cold strength Hugo exuded; yet Diamond longed to be lost in this forest with Hugo, not Jack. Which, she reflected, was ridiculous considering he was as likely to kill her as save her.

  Jack’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she focused on him again. “Diamond, I’m only teasing—about the bed thing, I mean. But not about the city. You will be safer if you stay away from it.”

  Diamond didn’t doubt it. With a weak smile at Jack she turned and began walking again.

  Diamond lost count of the days. One day of marching through this ancient part of the forest was much like another. Death caressed the old trees; their twisted trunks and heavy moss covered boughs bare of leaves. Even the tall firs that clung to the rocky slopes were mostly naked. Millions of fallen pine needles formed a deep carpet that made walking hellish and running impossible.

  Jack grabbed Diamond’s hand.

  “Move quicker,” Jack whispered, pulling her along urgently. “Wolfmen track nearly as well as Seekers.”

  This part of the ancient forest was riddled with Dust Devils and Wolfmen. The atmosphere was utterly still, so devoid of any breeze it was impossible to tell how close the monstrous creatures were from the stink of rotting carrion. Diamond gagged and swallowed her nausea.

  It had been terrifying to find so many enemy soldiers here. Jack had thought the Wolfmen would avoid this part of the ancient forest, just as the fae did. Apparently they believed the ‘heart’ of Avalonia was haunted by tree spirits who dragged their victims into the trunks of their chosen tree and slowly devoured their prey over months, sometimes years.

  Diamond shuddered. It was true the forest had a mysterious feel, as though eyes constantly watched her. But it seemed Ragor’s monsters did not respect folklore and legends.

  Diamond clutched Hugo’s dagger in her cold hand. She was painfully aware it was the only weapon they had and was nowhere near enough to defend themselves effectively. With no breeze to blow away their scent, the miles of undulating hills and twisted ancient trees were a death trap. They were easy prey.

  Diamond found she couldn’t lift her feet properly and began stumbling. With immense effort she righted herself and pushed on. The ancient forest seemed to despise them, sharp branches clutching at the remains of her clothes. Jack yanked her into a thicket of spiked undergrowth to evade a shuffling party of Dust Devils. His hand was firm over her mouth, stopping the whimper that escaped her as the thorns pierced her skin. They waited for what seemed like hours to ensure the Dust Devil patrol had long gone. Her nerves were fraught, the utter stillness of the forest and the constant smell of death terrifying. Jack squeezed her trembling hand and guided her onward.

  “Stay alert,” he hissed, his dark brown eyes surveying the shadows between the army of trees in their path. “Hugo told me once that Leaf Fairies inhabit this part of the old forest. Nasty creatures they are. They have three rows of teeth and can devour a human body in seconds, right down to the bone,” he told her, turning his chin slightly over his shoulder whilst keeping his eyes forward.

  Diamond shuddered with revulsion. “How big are they?” she whispered, nervously imagining fae as big as Hugo but with massive rows of fangs and sharp claws.

  “About as big as your hand, but those rows of teeth are as sharp as needles; they devour their prey in swarms and have a temperament more brutal than an injured Battle Imp.”

  “They sound charming. How do we fight them if we meet any?” she asked as she stepped closer to Jack’s side despite her attempt at a light tone of voice.

  “You don’t,” said a deep male voice from behind them.

  Diamond spun on her heels, dagger out. Her mouth dropped open and her heart jumped wildly against her ribs.

  Jack followed suit, pushing her behind him protectively. “Hugo!” Jack exclaimed incredulously, a wide smile spreading over his face.

  Diamond felt blood rush up her neck and into her cheeks. The sight of Hugo’s towering figure stunned her into silence. She blinked to make sure he wasn’t an apparition.

  “How the hell did you find us?” asked Jack, disbelief colouring his voice.

  “I followed your scent,” Hugo responded, his voice devoid of emotion. He stared intently at Diamond.

  Diamond could not take her eyes off his face, nor could she help the rush of relief she felt at seeing him. He was alive and unharmed….

  Jack laughed, not bothered in the least by Hugo’s cold demeanour. Obviously pleased to see his friend, Jack strode up to the Queen’s guard and gave Hugo’s shoulder a solid thwack. Diamond winced. Clearly Jack was confident Hugo would not read any disrespect into the gesture and retaliate.

  “I know I smell a bit ripe, but I didn’t think it was that bad,” Jack laughed jovially.

  “Not your scent, prince. Hers,” Hugo stated. The weight of his amazing eyes bored into Diamond.

  Jack’s smile slipped but he recovered quickly. Both of them missed the thoughtful frown he gave his friend.

  Diamond felt new heat sear her cheeks, not ready to consider how he knew her scent well enough to track it. Lifting her chin and steeling her nerves, she held his dark look until he turned his attention to Jack.

  “You look better than I expected, prince,” commented Hugo, scrutinising Jack’s movements through slightly narrowed eyes.

  “Yeah. I should be dead from infection by now. But,” he smiled indulgently at Diamond, “I had a lot of help, some top class healing and a very patient healer.”

  Jack stepped back to her side and clasped her hand in his. Hugo briefly glanced at the gesture and met Jack’s challenging gaze. Unable to meet Hugo’s eyes, hers dropped to the ground as he continued talking. A burst of anger and embarrassment clenched her belly tight. It shouldn’t matter what Hugo thought. What she did was none of his business. Even so, she was annoyed with Jack for his proprietary gesture. Silently but firmly, Diamond disengaged herself from his fingers.

  “How did you get away from the dragon?” Hugo asked tersely.

  Diamond’s legs wobbled when she stepped sideways away from Jack, pretending not to notice when Hugo clearly registere
d her movements. She hoped Jack would take the hint and let her go. She would not be marked as any one’s property, prince or no prince.

  “Diamond used her energy and I used your dagger,” said Jack, his voice steady, though his brief glance at her was questioning and somewhat amused.

  Inwardly Diamond cringed. She and Jack had become close but that did not give him rights over her.

  “Oh?” Hugo asked, turning his attention to her again. Curiosity burned in his eyes but was replaced seconds later by a blank stare.

  Diamond bristled.

  “We should go, prince. You can tell me while we walk. I meant what I said about the Leaf Fairies. If we stay here too long they will detect our presence and I don’t fancy being their next meal,” he said, dismissing Diamond with a turn of his big shoulders.

  A scowl creased her features. Not that there was really much point as Hugo didn’t look at her again.

  ***

  Days passed and still they trudged on through rolling glens and across gentle slopes. Food was scarce, and only Hugo had the ability and the weapons to cover enough ground to hunt. Sometimes he was gone for hours. Diamond hated his absence almost as much as she hated his cold attitude towards her when he returned, only to become even more confused by him when night fell and he chose to rest close by her, letting his energy wrap her in warmth and comfort.

  On the rare occasions Hugo did catch a squirrel or scrawny bird, they would stop. Both he and Jack were adept at making fires, but once their meagre meal was cooked, they extinguished the flames quickly and left the area, eating as they walked. The terrain changed, the hills becoming gentler as they headed down towards the coast. Deliverance from this hideous nightmare was near. Diamond was both relieved and terrified about what would happen to her when they got to Valentia. She wondered if Hugo would allow her to stay hidden with Jack.

  Nights fell quickly, always cold and crisp. Through the canopy, millions of bright stars twinkled. Diamond blinked and used her gift to guide her in the dark. Hugo’s energy swirled in a sapphire and silver cloud, like a beacon in the gloom. When her footsteps stumbled, his energy shot back and steadied her, drawing her closer to him. Swallowing the butterflies in her belly she walked more quickly, trying to keep up with him. Even though she didn’t like to admit it, she felt far safer with Hugo by her side. Jack was an experienced soldier, but Hugo had a quiet viciousness and power about him that Jack didn’t possess.

  As she studied Hugo’s wide back, he seemed to disappear into the inky shadows. Diamond blinked furiously and he came back into focus. Her tired mind was playing tricks on her. Wearily she dragged her feet through the pine needles. If they didn’t stop soon, she would collapse. But under the moon-lit sky, Hugo pushed them unrelentingly onwards. Diamond silently cursed his lack of consideration for anyone else.

  “Hugo? Please, can’t we stop?” she eventually dared to ask.

  “No. We are to meet General Edo in less than a week, in a cave that is flying distance from the Rift Valley wall.”

  “Sentinel’s Cave?” questioned Jack, his voice contemplative.

  “Yes. If we don’t push on, he will leave without us.”

  “Can’t we get to Valentia without him?” Diamond wearily asked.

  “Unlikely. Ragor’s forces will be thick around that section of forest. We will stand a better chance if we band together with Jack’s soldiers. Besides, there are too many humans now to fly everyone to the wall, and anyone who tried would get shot down by arrows.”

  “Oh,” said Diamond, a shudder rippling through her at the thought of having to fight her way through the monsters they had been evading for weeks.

  Jack stepped passed her. He and Hugo talked in low voices as they walked. Diamond found she was too tired to care what they were talking about.

  Hugo eventually capitulated. “You two rest here. I will take first watch.” He met Diamond’s eyes before prowling away.

  Once again his bulk morphed into the shadows, and Diamond lost sight of him within seconds. Sighing, she turned to Jack.

  “Shall we?” he shrugged, his eyebrows wiggling comically.

  Diamond had to smile, then looked with distaste at the rough ground he indicated.

  “Come on, I’ll keep you warm until my watch. It seems to annoy my good friend, which is as good an excuse as any other to get close to you,” he grinned, mischief glinting in his eyes.

  Diamond punched his shoulder playfully.

  “What? It’s true,” he defended himself. “Besides, I enjoy winding him up. His heart has been dead for far too long.” He shrugged. “It’s good to see some sort of emotion in him.”

  Diamond wondered what he meant as she lay down next to the prince who had become her friend. They lay on their sides, spooned close enough for body heat but not touching. For a while Diamond gazed at the stars twinkling though the skeletal trees. She liked Jack; his humour and friendship had kept her going, but she didn’t want his warmth, she wanted Hugo’s. She wanted to feel the touch of his magic brushing her skin when he was nearby. Watching the shadows for his return did not help that need, and it felt like hours of tossing and turning before she slept.

  Surprisingly Hugo did not disturb either of them until dawn. Diamond awoke the instant his warm fingers shook her shoulder, then cringed at the stony look on his face. Jack was clasping her hand to his chest. Guilty and embarrassed, she flushed and glared back defiantly. Holding Jack’s hand was not a crime. But under the accusing glower Hugo aimed her way, she lost her nerve and dropped her eyes.

  Jack sat up, unaware of the tension and with his curly hair in disarray. It was an effort not to shrink from him when he treated her to a languid smile and brushed a lock of hair back from her face.

  Hugo growled, and her head shot around to look at him, her eyes flashing. He had no right to disapprove of anything she did or who she did it with. It was none of his business.

  Jack looked up at his friend and frowned a little. “Just give us a minute, Hugo. Diamond needs to sort out my wound,” he ordered in a careful and even voice, but she knew he had sensed the undercurrent between her and Hugo when he rested his hand on her arm and gave it a squeeze.

  Hugo prowled to a large fallen tree, his movements laced with restrained power. After lowering his bulk down, he took out one of his daggers and began tossing it in a precise, lethal rhythm. His sapphire eyes watched unwaveringly as Diamond dipped her fingers in the remains of the salve. The weight of his regard made her fingers tremble. Jack shrugged off the surcoat Hugo had given him and leaned over his knees, his scars expanding along with his muscles. The long gash was almost healed now, but the new tissue was swollen and raised and would tighten up if left alone.

  “You don’t have to watch,” Diamond snapped at Hugo.

  Jack raised his eyes and stared steadily, challengingly, at the guard. Diamond’s anger flared. Jack was deliberately goading his friend.

  “I know, but I’m comfortable now,” Hugo drawled, clearly not intending to move. His eyes glittered at her obvious discomfort. Jack smiled tightly over his shoulder at her but remained silent. With cold fingers she gripped the makeshift jar filled with nasty smelling salve as if she wanted to crush it, resisting the violent urge to throw it at one of them.

  “Well, I’m not rubbing this into you again whilst we have an audience,” she uttered at Jack, furious with them both.

  Jack clearly wanted Hugo to see her do this and, although massaging his wounds had not bothered her before, it felt far too intimate now. What was it Jack had said, that it was ‘good to see some sort of emotion’ in Hugo. Hugo watched her intently, making her even more self-conscious. Her annoyance grew along with the redness on her neck and face. What sort of game are they playing?

  With rough hands, Diamond massaged the salve into Jack’s skin, not bothering to apologise when he winced. It served him right. She refused to look at either of them throughout the whole process.

  “There. I’m not doing that again,” she said heatedly an
d threw the salve in Jack’s lap. Wiping her hands down her bodice, she caught a flash of amused satisfaction in Hugo’s eyes as she stalked haughtily past him.

  ***

  The days were dry; although dark clouds gathered on the distant horizons, the rain never reached them. Hugo’s water skin hung empty from his waist. The damn thing taunted Diamond. She scowled, watching it swing with the movement of his hips. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, her thirst raging. The only moisture they had found was when night fell and a thick blanket of mist crept in. They had resorted to resting near any bushes that still had remnants of leaves, licking the moisture off to sooth their throats before the daylight and warmth stole it away.

  The forest eventually transformed into a bleak and barren land devoid of any life. The silence grated on Diamond’s nerves. Old gnarled trees twisted their way towards the sky, their naked boughs covered only in yellow and green lichen, their fallen leaves rotting under foot. It was disturbing to be engulfed by so much decay day in, day out.

  The sun dropped slowly behind the trees, disappearing in an orange and red shimmer of fire.

  Diamond shivered. Her ragged, torn leggings hung from her bony legs, no protection at all against the plummeting temperatures of the night. A constant ache pounded against her skull and her limbs dragged, heavy with exhaustion. She kept her own counsel, not wanting to seem weak, especially to Hugo. Hugo seemed unaffected by the lack of food and water, except that the skin around his eyes seemed to have sunk. His beard had grown longer, obscuring his face. He had lost weight too. Diamond stubbornly refused to admit her exhaustion to either of the two men. Jack had become more withdrawn the closer to Valentia they got. Diamond felt sorry for her friend. His gaze often rested on the skyline as if dreading what lay beyond. Clearly he did not relish returning to his responsibilities.

  An old quarry loomed up out of the gloom. Clumps of soft green moss glowed in the silvery moon light, covering the uneven ground like a velvet carpet laid over great chunks of granite. Hewn hundreds, possibly thousands, of years ago from the nearby rock face, they lay scattered, half buried by earth and time. Like a small ethereal haven, the quarry’s damp atmosphere gave life to leafy bushes and vines that grew in long twisted ropes, clinging tenaciously onto the sheer rock face.