“Queen, may I ask what you are doing with General Edo in your possession?” he enquired icily.
“Prince Oden, your general has been found guilty of scheming with my enemy, of planning an attack on my lands and of causing the death of my people. You may also have heard he intended to kill you, which is an act of treason against the crown that is punishable by death, even in your kingdom—or at least it was in your father’s reign.”
Jack stared at her for a moment. The Queen was challenging him and he knew it. Diamond bit her bottom lip.
“Indeed you are correct,” replied Jack carefully. “As a visiting monarch, we both know I have no right to interfere in your court’s justice, especially for crimes against your citizens.” The mortal prince turned, holding General Edo’s contemptuous eyes, his handsome face remaining a forbidding mask as silent seconds passed. Jack curled his lip in disgust and nodded slightly to himself. “I have absolutely no interest in the fate of this male. As you say, Queen, he is a traitor to me and my kingdom and caused the death of General Arades Gillon, who was a citizen of Avalonia.”
“A traitor!” spat the general. “I am no traitor to my kingdom—it was you who lost it, you who brought your people to their knees and you who leaves them now at the mercy of this scheming bitch!”
The Queen waved her hand, and Hugo slammed a forceful kick into the general’s chest, bringing him to his knees and silencing his torrent of abuse. Diamond flinched at the crack of bone breaking. Unable to speak General Edo gagged and panted, holding his broken ribs.
“As you say, prince, this is my court. He will be dealt with according to his crime,” the Queen informed Jack coolly.
Jack nodded then turned from the Queen and walked directly up to Diamond. His eyes softened and he gently touched her bruised cheek. Without hesitation he twisted back, “Queen, Diamond is a friend and has saved my life on more than one occasion. I agreed in our earlier meeting that training her to become a magical weapon would benefit all in this valley, but I would look on her being treated well as a sign of respect for our continued good relations,” his voice was heavy with meaning. “And I’m sure it will benefit us both to maintain our current military links.” He paused and let that comment sink in. The Queen smiled tightly so Jack continued. “My men are doing a good job of protecting the wall and enforcing your laws in the valley whilst your ranks are busy fighting in the forest—don’t you agree? I also see you lost your armada to that guardian earlier today. I have ten ships berthed inland along the Narkus Estuary, five of which are war ships. In return for Miss Gillon’s continued fair treatment, I will deploy them to protect the ocean borders of Valentia.”
The Queen’s mouth became a tight line. She needed those ships, Diamond realised. This city was vulnerable from the ocean even with the winter storms coming. Irritation bloomed over the Queen’s face, and she waved her hand conceding to Jack’s demand, “Yes, yes, of course, prince, you have my word she will be trained to grow her powers—and she will receive fair treatment.” A small smile curled her lips, which Jack missed as he looked back at Diamond.
“Now, deciding the manner of this male’s death is a matter for my court alone.”
Jack bowed gracefully and indicated to a stoic-looking Somal and Vico, his guards, to walk to the door. General Edo had long been a legend to the Combined Army soldiers and the two Rhodainian warriors flashed the general a murderous glance before moving to await their prince by the exit. Diamond gave Jack a small smile of thanks, so relieved he had not just abandoned her, tears stung her eyes.
“I will see you soon,” he promised quietly, giving her hand a squeeze before he turned away.
Hugo and Jack exchanged a glance, and the Queen’s guard watched his friend leave. The door grated shut and silence settled upon the throne room. General Edo kneeled. It seemed he was having trouble breathing after Hugo’s forceful kick. Diamond could not feel sorry for him. Her father was dead because of him.
“No more interruptions,” the Queen ordered sharply. The guards either side of the door bowed in acquiescence. A door bar rattled loudly as it was dropped.
“Now. Kill the general, magic wielder, and you may go back to your room and start your training. Hesitate, and Commander Casimir will deliver the boy’s punishment…followed by yours.” The Queen smiled with delight as Diamond’s face paled.
Clearly Jack’s bargain meant nothing now that he was not here.
Painfully, slowly, Diamond dragged her eyes to the kneeling general. For the first time in his life he looked scared. His chin lifted and he tried to snarl, but his defiance was clearly forced. Death was staring him in the face. A tear trickled down her cheek. How can I kill someone who has meant so much to me all these years?
“I can’t,” she whispered, shaking her head, looking from Hugo to the whip in his hand.
The darkness in his eyes flickered to sapphire and his lips tightened. Simeon whimpered.
“Please—I can’t,” she sobbed, tears streaming down her face, dripping in tiny rivulets off her chin. Guilt seared her soul. Simeon was only a boy and had done nothing wrong.
“Oh, of course. How remiss of me,” chuckled the Queen. “Lord Commander, pass the magic wielder that dagger from your belt.”
Lord Commander Ream did not move his attention from Simeon’s cowering form. Diamond wanted to scream and shout and warn him off the boy, but didn’t know how. Here in this throne room she was helpless, utterly out of control.
“Hugo…please….” Diamond beseeched her friend, her saviour, her captor. If she murdered the general, she was no better than the Queen or the guards who served her like mindless puppets; if she didn’t, Simeon would suffer.
Before Diamond could even blink, Lord Commander Ream backhanded her hard enough to rattle her brain. “You have been warned about addressing him as anything other than Commander Casimir,” he responded in a flat voice.
Hugo did not move. She didn’t think her bruised heart could have hurt any more, but it did. She had thought…. What? That he felt something for me? She stared at the dagger now resting in her palm. His dagger. Only hours ago this blade had meant hope and promises; now all it meant was death. General Edo stared at her, his face blanching with every second that passed. His life was at an end and he knew it.
Diamond swallowed her tears, her hand trembling violently as she lifted the blade. Hugo prowled around all three prisoners, swishing the whip threateningly. The iron tips clicked against the marble flooring. Then he stilled, his back towards his queen. A desperate sob burst from Diamond’s chest.
“Please….” she cried, not caring if she sounded weak.
“You are a coward, just like your father,” growled the general, but she didn’t miss the slight shake in his voice.
Hugo looked directly at her. Feeling the weight of his gaze, she lifted her eyes and met silver-starred sapphires. Endless shadow devoured her mind. Gladly Diamond fell into oblivion. No matter that he had deserted her, or lied to her….
Utter concentration washed over his face, and a peculiar heat trickled from the scar on her left breast, warmth seeping out across her chest and down her arms and legs. It was not a painful sensation, but all consuming. Diamond uttered a moan that once again got stuck in her throat. This felt different to Hugo’s magic. Her own did not react to its touch. Outwardly Diamond looked unchanged, still distraught, but inside that strange feeling travelled along her bones, her nerves, and out across her skin.
Paralysed now, it was impossible to escape the voice echoing in her head, demanding her compliance as the blackness cleared from her mind. Her thoughts were muffled as if she were drugged, her body and mind lost to another’s control. Only conscious thought remained her own. The voice in her head commanded her to turn back towards General Edo. Silence devoured Diamond’s screams. Nothing escaped her mouth. Her blood ran cold, as she approached General Edo and her hand lifted the dagger.
No, no, no! she wailed inside. No matter what he had done, she didn’t want thi
s, she was not a murderer!
‘Kill him,’ ordered the voice. Her mind fought and thrashed, but her body stepped forward anyway.
General Edo just looked at her as if accepting his fate. “Remember this if you live, Diamond. I loved your father very much, but in the end he let me down. You will always be let down by the ones you love. The simple answer is not to love anyone—be like him, be like me, if you want to save the innocent,” he said, looking over her shoulder at Hugo. “Be able to hurt and kill anyone for what you believe. If you can, you may just survive your fate—” he grinned manically at the Queen, “—and do what she’s afraid of. Save this world from darkness….”
With that he roared and lunged. Diamond could not answer, could not scream. But she did move, so fast the table of watching council toads gasped. Ducking and twisting under the general’s outstretched arms, all Diamond felt was the moment the dagger sank into his flesh. It plunged between his ribs and found his heart. The strike was precise, a perfect killing blow.
The warmth of his blood on her fingers made her want to gag, but she could not. The voice did not tell her to. Sobbing and screaming inside, her shocked gaze turned to the general’s face. Those beloved grey eyes met hers in a mixture of sorrow, defiance and pain. She wanted to look away but could not. Her hand withdrew the blade and a rush of hot blood covered her arm. Will my father condemn me for this from Eternity, or rejoice in me avenging his own painful bloody death?
This had to be the Queen’s doing, no one else would have the power to control someone’s mind, someone’s actions. Diamond was forced to watch as General Edo collapsed to his knees before falling sideways, his life seeping onto the tiles. Blood cooled on her fingers and dripped down the blade, bright red droplets hitting her stocking feet. In front of her eyes General Edo’s skin turned alabaster, stark against the deep green flooring. In seconds his breathing slowed to shallow pants.
Bile burned her throat as Diamond watched his last gasping breath. Those familiar eyes lost focus and stared unseeingly. Of their own accord, her fingers loosened and dropped the dagger. The overwhelming urge to do what the hateful echo instructed disappeared from her mind, and she collapsed on the floor. Not caring about the toads at the table or the Queen’s guards—or the immortal Queen herself—Diamond crawled through the general’s blood to his side, her fingers shaking she tried to stifle her sobs and gently closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she whispered over and over.
Even though she knew what he had done, how his exile in a kingdom that was not his own had sent him to the point of desperation and insanity, all she could remember was the protection and love this fae had given her. But he had killed her father! She withdrew her hand, confused and dazed. He deserved this fate—he would have killed Jack, and her, and maybe more people to get what he wanted. Shocked, she looked at her shaking hand. Blood glistened. She had murdered an unarmed man. Gulping down gasps of air did not help. Promptly Diamond vomited, unable to process what she had done.
A hand reached down and hooked under her arm. Still retching, bile and saliva dripping down her chin, she was pulled to her feet. Hugo’s face was empty as he turned her towards his Queen. Diamond found she could hardly stand. There was little choice but to lean into Hugo’s strong grip for support, not caring what anyone thought. Simeon remained naked and kneeling nearby. She didn’t know what would happen to him now. But Diamond’s brain couldn’t process anymore thoughts.
The Queen smiled, a thing so vicious and self-satisfied it turned her perfect face into a mask of ugliness.
“Well done, magic wielder. You have proven you can kill to save your own hide. Now all you need to do is prove that you can fight and kill to save the people of Avalonia—then I might let your friends live.”
Diamond wanted vomit again—or faint or both. She had no thoughts other than collapsing. Magic caressed her skin. Unknowingly, she swayed further into Hugo, who held her firmly on her feet. Darkness fogged the edge of her vision.
“Take her back to her room, commander. You will begin her training tomorrow. Remember what I said. Do not let me down. You may release the guards from duty at her door. I doubt she will run again; but just in case, the boy will remain with me.” She addressed Diamond. “He will be treated as fairly as my own trainee guards—unless you displease the commander, who will report to me as and when I desire it. I hope it is clear to you: you alone hold the fate of your friends in your hands.”
Hugo bowed slightly and led Diamond, dazed and shaking, from the throne room.
Diamond could not speak as they left the throne room behind. Her torn clothes flapped open unheeded, exposing her. She could not bear to acknowledge Hugo as she staggered along the corridor. Her stomach clenched, and her eyes blurred with tears. She was a murderer. Thick, sticky blood covered her, a gruesome reminder of her sin.
Hugo had not helped her…he had stood by whilst she killed. A sudden choking rage fuelled her body, giving her strength enough to run back to her room. She screamed as rage and grief burst forth. Wanting to hit something—anything, she threw open the heavy wooden door with such force it slammed against the wall. Catching it, she slammed it back in Hugo’s face.
A weapon! The Queen wanted a magical weapon! Diamond growled. Of course that was why she had been imprisoned and not killed. The hypocrisy of this kingdom—her kingdom, made her laugh out loud. A bitter humourless sound.
Hugo grunted as his hand collided against the swinging door with a resounding smack. The way he turned and closed it with so much care and gentleness tipped Diamond over the edge. Wild rage, grief and humiliation exploded.
“You bastard!” she yelled. “How could you just stand there whilst I was made to murder my friend? How could you do that to me?”
“He was not your friend, Diamond. He wished you harm and would have killed you if he’d had the chance,” Hugo responded bluntly.
“No. No, I don’t—I can’t believe that!” she denied, then looked directly at him. His face was tight and pale. “I thought you said you would never leave me. You didn’t even try and defend me! Gods, Hugo! Would you have done it? Would you have whipped me—or Simeon? Would you even have hesitated?” Hot tears tipped down her cheeks.
Hugo stared at the trails of wetness, conflicted emotion crossing his face. For a moment he opened and closed his mouth as if wanting to say something. Then his features hardened. “Do not judge me,” he said. “You have always known what I am, who I serve. What I said this morning meant nothing. Those words—my helping you—were the actions of a fool. It was a futile gesture. My place is with my Queen, my life is hers.” His voice became utterly flat. “I cannot defy an order, not even for you.”
“But you are my friend. You helped me survive, and I don’t just mean this morning. You fought for me so many times—with the dragon, in the forest. Hugo, you brought me back from the wraiths who would have taken my soul. You cared for me. You saved my life,” she choked out, her heart aching until she had to clutch her chest. Tears flowed freely down her face, and it was such an effort to look at him. She didn’t know what she wanted to do most, hit him, rage at him or just throw herself in his arms and beg him to hold her.
Instead she hugged her own body. “Did I imagine all that, Hugo? Did I imagine the things you said? Were they real or are you the best gods damned liar in the world?” she whispered, almost to herself.
Hugo cocked his head, grinding his teeth at her words, his jaw muscles tensing until his scar looked like it would rip apart. “I have never lied to you, Diamond. I warned you that very first night in the cave that you had no rights in this city, that you would be in danger. You also knew we might get caught today. I am a Queen’s guard, I could not and cannot defy my Queen to help you,” he rationalised again.
Diamond stormed up to him, her hands curled tightly into fists, wanting to punch that blank look off his handsome, scarred face. “How dare you!” her voice cracked. “Do you think that excuses you? You gave me hope where t
here was none. You might have been by my side, Hugo, but you sure as hell left me. And what of that poor, starving boy? Are you just going to leave him to the mercy of your perverted lord commander? Of course you are….” she jeered. “You brought me here knowing what your Queen would do to me, that she would use me or kill me—or both. I suppose it will ease your conscience when she orders you to slit his throat—and mine. After all, it’s easy to excuse anything when you tell yourself you are only following orders.”
Panting and out of breath she felt her adrenaline ebb away and—along with it—her anger. In its place was just a curious emptiness.
“I had no choice in any of it, Diamond,” Hugo answered quietly. “Bringing you here was my duty, surely you know that. And the only reason I saved you, cared for you was to ensure you became what you were meant to be—a weapon for my Queen.”
Diamond stared at him in abject horror.
“Oh, don’t look so shocked,” he stated, his voice detached and cold. “Surely you aren’t naive enough to think I actually felt something for you. You were just an amusing distraction from the mundane. I would never have run from my Queen. I am an elite guard; I care for no one other than her. “
Diamond’s throat was tight to the point of pain, and she was gasping for breath, “B-but this morning you were going to come with me. You….” her voice faded. No, she had been fooling herself. He was right, he had not lied. She had blinded herself to anything other than her feelings for him. Defiantly, she lifted her chin, even though her whole body shook. Her hand automatically went to the scratch marks on her chest, seeking the comfort of her necklace, only to find it gone. Anger swamped her again.
“That necklace was the only piece of my mother I have ever had. You took it away from me, Hugo, and I will never forget that. You are so honourable, aren’t you?” she spat, remembering the brush of his fingers on her skin. “A petty thief as well as a trained attack dog and murderer. I would have been better taking my chances with Freddy in that forest. You are a disgusting excuse for a male,” she declared, her eyes piercing his. Knowing she had been foolish with her feelings did not stop the rage in her heart. Beyond caring now, her voice rose to a fever pitch.
A Bond of Venom and Magic (The Goddess and the Guardians Book 1) Page 31