“General!” exclaimed Diamond, taking a step forward.
The general glared coldly at her, stopping her in her tracks.
“Silence!” the Queen barked. Swishing her skirts with a flourish, she walked back across the floor and sat upon her throne.
General Edo stared from her to Diamond, such hate in his face that Diamond recoiled.
“Tell me, magic wielder, do you trust this male?” she asked, narrowing her eyes on the general.
Diamond frowned and answered without hesitation, “Of course I do. I’ve known him all my life. He was the one who saved me from Ragor’s Seekers”
“Was he indeed?” asked the Queen almost gleefully. “I wonder? How do you think Ragor’s hunting dogs found you? It was you he was searching for, wasn’t it—or at least the necklace you wore?”
Diamond gulped, not liking where this was going at all. How does she know that? Diamond had told no one—not even Tom—what Cranach had said. General Edo was bucking his body with such force his captors were almost losing their grip. He bared his teeth at the Queen.
The Queen’s grinned delightedly. “Oh, general. I’m so sorry but the cat’s out of the bag,” she purred and nodded at Lord Commander Ream, who once again disappeared, this time into a heavily reinforced wooden door behind the dais. The Queen tapped her sharp fingernails—still marred with Diamond’s blood—against the arm of the throne. An irritating high pitched click.
Diamond dared a questioning glance at Hugo, but his attention was fixed on General Edo. In an almost casual move, he twisted his body slightly and placed himself between her and the general. His hand grasped the hilt of a long dagger that sat on his hip.
Minutes passed in silence. The toads at the table did not dare move, let alone talk. Diamond could almost feel their fear. What previous horrors had they witnessed in this room of power? Diamond wondered.
The door swung open and chains rattled. Diamond gaped, as did the toads. The Queen’s guards, however, all remained stoic in their observation. Snarling and growling, a skinny Seeker was hauled before the throne. Clearly half-starved, its bones almost protruded through its skin, skin that was covered in sores and festering small wounds.
“Do you recognise him?” the Queen addressed General Edo curiously, a dangerous smile curling her lips.
“No,” growled General Edo.
“Are you sure?” she asked, then turned to Diamond. “As much as it pains me, magic wielder, as much as your kind disgust me, you still belong to my kingdom, as did most of those in your town who died when his brethren attacked,” she said, gesturing at the Seeker. “This creature has told me how Ragor found you and why. It seems the Wraith Lord has been hunting for you and your father for a very long time. Your father was clever enough to hide that necklace since your mother died. But alas, he wasn’t clever enough to recognise the enemy and traitor that lived right on his doorstep. Was he, general?” she drawled.
Diamond stared in confusion at General Edo. His eyes held pure hate as he glared at the Queen. Slowly those icy grey eyes found Diamond. That hate did not diminish; if anything, it flared brighter. Hugo’s magic pushed against her, almost as if he were trying to cocoon her in it. Diamond thrust it away.
“What does she mean?” she asked the man who had helped raise her, who had been there to pick her up when she fell, who had kissed her goodnight alongside her father.
“Nothing! She knows nothing!” he denied, his wings flaring. Diamond gasped as she noticed the small bolts that had been driven through them. Iron. So he could not armour, could not fly. “She is setting me up,” he spat, panting as his wings fell uselessly behind him.
“Oh come now, general. Don’t lie,” simpered the Queen.
The Seeker squealed in a high pitched, decidedly human way as the chains around his neck and limbs were yanked and he fell onto his knees. Diamond flinched. It sounded disturbingly like a child in pain.
“Magic wielder, it was the general, your father’s loyal friend,” the Queen sneered, “that sold him out to our enemy. He paid this thing, and it’s equally disgusting father, to take a token belonging to you to Ragor and deliver a message.”
General Edo paled, his attention narrowing on the creature. As he searched the creatures face, Diamond knew with sickening certainty that the Queen was telling the truth. Diamond watched with horrified fascination as the Queen stood and prowled closer to the Seeker. She looked intently into its eyes. That ancient magic blazed, burning the air and surging like a sandstorm against Diamond’s skin. She tensed as her own reacted, building along her nerves and in her blood. Hugo glanced at her, his scar twitching; once again that strange soothing feeling clouded her mind and calmed the wildness of her magic. She shook her head, trying to clear it.
The Queen’s court looked on in a mixture of disgust, fear and hate.
A flash of light caused everyone to blink furiously. In its wake lay a naked child, crumpled in a heap on the floor.
Diamond gasped. Even Hugo shifted on his feet as he stared at the boy who couldn’t have been more than twelve years old.
“Magic wielder, meet Simeon. He’s obviously a shapeshifter. But goodness, what an ugly being to have as an alternative self, don’t you think? Simeon, meet the girl whose father you helped to kill—Diamond Gillon.”
Simeon peered up at her, wide-eyed but fiercely defiant. His face was as dirty as the rest of him. “I didn’t kill nobody,” he denied and looked hatefully at General Edo. “He paid me da. He told us he would be a king soon, and that he would pay me da more money than we ‘as ever seen to run to the Dead Lord and give ‘im that scrap of cloth. All them people dyin’ was his an’ me da’s fault, not mine.”
Diamond felt the weight of his words crush her heart.
“No….” she whispered, shaking her head.
“It weren’t my fault!” Simeon cried in a squeaky voice, his words pouring out in a torrent. “Me da made me go with ‘im. I didn’t want to go, but I ain’t got no ma, an’ he said I ‘ad to. Me da was a shifter too, but that Dead Lord, he wouldn’t let us leave. He made us run back up north with them other Seekers. ‘Bout nearly killed me, it did. But we ‘ad no choice. They said they would tear us apart with the rest of the town if we tried to run—or you wasn’t there.”
Diamond could not believe what she was hearing, that the general had orchestrated the annihilation of a whole town. And he had used this child to do it. Diamond’s mind whirled, remembering all the times he had seemed distant and cold, his insistence at leaving her father to his fate. She felt sick as she met the full force of General Edo’s gaze, flinching at the deep hate and resentment in his eyes. It was far easier to look at Simeon. Before she could stop herself, she asked, “Where is your father now?”
Simeon unabashedly stood up, the state of his body ripping a gasp of dismay from Diamond. Turning to Hugo, he inclined his head at the huge warrior. “‘E killed ‘im. I watched from the trees.” Simeon held Hugo’s gaze fiercely, longer than Diamond had seen anyone else hold it. Standing naked at the mercy of his captors, she couldn’t help but admire such bravery. “Then I followed yer scent back ‘ere. I dodged all them dead things out in the forest, an’ all them Seekers—they weren’t bothered wi’ me. I’m too small to threaten them—but I nicked bits of the food…they left behind.” His face revealed what gruesome fare that would have been.
“Why? Why did you come here? Why didn’t you run?” Diamond asked, feeling a surge of compassion for this resourceful boy.
“To kill ‘im,” Simeon responded, lifting his chin and glaring up at Hugo, who stared back blankly.
“Silence!” ordered the Queen.
Simeon jumped, suddenly looking like the frightened child he was. What had they done to him in the dungeons? Diamond thought, feeling nauseated.
“General Edo, it is clear that you conspired with Ragor, whose hunters used your token to track the magic wielder to Berriesford. You are therefore accused of wilfully causing death to my people by duplicity, and t
he act of treason against me by bargaining with my enemy.”
Slowly she raked her imperious gaze across the council toads. “As this is an act of treason, you are not entitled to a council hearing. I therefore sentence you to death.”
“What?”
“No!”
Diamond and General Edo shouted at the same time.
“I did not kill your citizens! This boy is lying!” bellowed the general. “The only one we know died for sure was her father—and he was Rhodainian!” he thundered.
The Queen ignored him. Realising his protestations were in vain, the general began thrashing against his captors’ grip, earning himself a twist of the iron bolt in his left wing. He roared.
“Now, now, it’s no use fighting, general. Your fate is sealed. It’s just a question of who will carry out your sentence.”
Diamond fought her panic as the Queen regarded her through narrowed eyes. “Magic wielder, you will earn redemption for your attempted escape by showing me you can follow my orders.” Elegantly she gestured to General Edo. “Go and end that male’s life. He did, after all, cause your father’s death. It shouldn’t be too hard for you. Lord Commander Ream, give Commander Casimir your whip,” the Queen instructed.
Diamond looked down at her feet. No. No. She couldn’t. Panic tightened like a band around her chest. There was no air to breathe. The walls of the room began to press in on her, crushing her. Her chest heaved and tears burned her eyes. A sob rippled from deep in her chest, only to catch in her throat and fade to a whimper. She couldn’t kill anyone in cold blood; she couldn’t….
It was then she felt it—an unexpected blanket of reassurance and calm that descended from nowhere. Her mind and body responded immediately, totally beyond her control. Diamond felt her breathing slow of its own accord, silence filled her head and, although she didn’t want to look outside that tranquil cocoon to the throne room beyond, she did.
Lord Commander Ream tore his hungry gaze from Simeon’s naked body and complied with his Queen’s order. Hugo took the coil of twisted leather in his big hand and curled his fingers around it. Diamond stared in horror at the three iron ends that unfurled and clattered to the floor. He wouldn’t…. It was no use appealing to him. Hugo’s face remained impassive, his eyes like black empty pools.
“Commander Casimir. If the magic wielder refuses her task, you are to deliver one lash to this young boy, followed by two to her. You will continue that punishment until she complies,” ordered the Queen.
Simeon stared at Hugo, all his bravado now gone. Shaking visibly, he looked at Diamond with such terror, the whites of his eyes were visible.
Diamond almost stopped breathing and blanched. The Queen smirked spitefully.
“But he’s only a boy. You can’t,” Diamond whispered, certain she was going to vomit when Hugo stepped behind her.
“I am over a thousand years old and queen of this land; I can do as I please,” the Queen purred, smiling like an adder.
Simeon was led over by his chains, too frightened now to fight as he was forced to his knees, tears rolling down his face. Seeker or not he was just a scared little boy who had already suffered enough. Diamond’s bladder threatened to void, blood whooshing through her ears as she felt Hugo’s presence at her back. Simeon’s eyes beseeched her to help, but she knew pleading for him was as useless as pleading for herself. Diamond turned to General Edo. It was an effort to look at him.
“Tell me none of this is true, general,” she pleaded. “Tell me you are still the person who dried my tears and loved my father. Tell me that you did not kill your best friend?” she choked out, even as tears blurred her vision. Was this really all his fault? Had he really been the catalyst for such heartache and pain? “Tell me that, general!” Her voice broke, anguish tearing at her heart. The cave. The parchment. She stared in disbelief as things fell into place.
“Tell me it isn’t true.”
A whispered plea.
“Tell me you didn’t betray my father. That all those people didn’t suffer or die because of you! Gods! Please tell me you weren’t going to betray Jack!” Her voice rose to fever pitch. Her attention moved to Simeon, who was trying his best not to cower despite his fear. “What did Simeon mean when he said you told his father you would soon become a king?”
General Edo leaned forward, his muscles bunching as he pulled against his captors’ grip. His face twisted in a contemptuous sneer. “True? Of course it’s all true! I spent the last thirteen years of my life following the final order my king gave me. He wanted me to find and protect your mother and father and not return to Stormguaard without them. When I discovered my king had gone missing—that he was presumed dead, I pleaded with Arades to return home to Stormguaard with me. I knew if King Oden truly was gone, we were meant to rule. If your bull-headed father had agreed, we could have stopped the Wraith Lord years ago, but no—he refused. That cowardly bastard chose you and your dead mother over me and his kingdom,” he spat at her feet in disgust.
Diamond couldn’t believe this was the same person she had grown up loving. Pain cleaved her heart.
“How could you?” she choked, tears running down her cheeks. “He was your friend…he loved you!” she cried.
General Edo snorted, “Oh, it was so easy in the end. He told me how your mother died—that the Seekers found her and almost ripped you from her belly. He even told me how they wanted that necklace, that he would not leave Berriesford and risk them finding you…or it. I begged him to return with me to Rhodainia to whip that pathetic excuse for a prince into shape. But he still refused. He foolishly believed the boy would find his own way. Ha! Look how wrong he was,” he sneered.
Diamond struggled to comprehend his words. The only way to stop her sobs was to press her lips tightly together.
General Edo stood bolt upright, his strong shoulders squared, derision in his every word. “Prince Oden lost his heritage because he is a spoiled, weak brat who has allowed the simpering fools on his council and animals like that water leopard to influence him. He is an inadequate child who knows nothing about ruling a kingdom but everything about bringing it to its knees. His people—my people—are adrift like leaves on the wind, having to seek help from an evil bitch like this one. Hundreds of thousands of our people were murdered because of that boy’s incompetence! Tell me, what do you think is going to happen to the survivors, Diamond? Even if any of you manage to live through Ragor’s attack, Jack will always remain too weak to rule. I could have pulled what was once a magnificent army back together. I could have led our people back to greatness, given them back their homes. And with the decree King Oden gave me, no one would question my authority to rule once the prince was gone.”
“What? Stop! What are you saying?” asked Diamond incredulously. This was not the man she had known as a child. Then she remembered that her father had hidden who he was, so it wasn’t impossible that this warrior had done so too.
The Queen clapped her hands in glee, exclaiming, “Oh, this is too good. A deathbed confession. Are you hoping to go to Eternity after everything you’ve done, general? Do you think by explaining yourself, you will gain absolution from this child and be forgiven?” she chuckled.
“Shut up, you insane female! I don’t care about forgiveness, nor absolution from a half-blood who, along with her mother and father, ruined my life!” bellowed General Edo, clearly no longer caring for the consequences of his words. His icy regard rested back on Diamond. “I needed you dead so your father would return with me to Stormguaard,” he snarled. “So he had no reason to stay in the north. I knew Ragor wanted your mother and that necklace, so it stood to reason he would want her offspring with it too. Your father wasn’t meant to die—you were,” he hissed at her. “I saved you so I could get your necklace before that Seeker did. Once I had it I was going to throw you into that school house with your father, but one of those creatures knocked me senseless. By the time I recovered, the Queen’s attack dog was too close to get you alone. Then, when I met
Jack, I realised how pathetic the boy was. Gods—he was so easily distracted by you, and so weak. I knocked him out without even trying. I was hoping that damned dragon would kill you both, but no…you had to survive,” he snorted with disbelief. “You even managed to save the idiot. I sent him—” he snarled at Hugo, “—after you, hoping he would find the boy dead from his injuries, and at least come to his senses and slit your throat as any self-respecting Queen’s guard would, so I didn’t have to get rid of you myself.”
“Oh Prince Oden, how marvellous of you to join us!” the Queen exclaimed.
The general whipped his body around so fast one of his guards stumbled. But Hugo, in a lightning-quick move, unsheathed his sword and rested it against General Edo’s neck. The general snarled and pushed his throat up against the blade, blood running down his neck. Hugo clutched the whip in one hand, his face turned from his Queen. Silver rage burned in his eyes. One small move and the general would be dead.
“Commander, remove your blade,” ordered the Queen firmly.
Without facing his Queen, Hugo immediately complied, but he did not move from his spot between Diamond and the general.
“Guards,” she ordered.
Without further prompting, the Queen’s elite guard formed a large circle around them. Despite being unmanacled, there was no escape for General Edo, even if he should try.
Jack stood at the top of the throne room steps, regal and heart-wrenchingly handsome. But his face was cold, so cold Diamond shuddered. Her heart ached for her friend. Jack had lost his father well before he was ready to rule a kingdom. He must have hoped this tough, experienced warrior, once a loyal subject and friend of his father, would become his own advisor, his mentor.
Shoulders square and back rod straight, Jack looked every inch the ruler General Edo claimed he wasn’t. He grasped the hilt of Dragonsblood, his fingers curled around the blood red rubies, looking far from weak or pathetic. Calm and controlled, only his eyes burned with fury. The prince ignored everyone as he paced forward, stopping only when he reached the foot of the dais. To the Queen he inclined his head regally. Not low enough to suggest subservience, only respect.
A Bond of Venom and Magic (The Goddess and the Guardians Book 1) Page 30