“Jack, I can’t stay here!” she protested, staring up at him.
“Yes, you can and you will. Now stop arguing,” he ordered sternly.
“Don’t tell me what to do, Jack. I’m not one of your men,” she bit out.
Looking slightly chastised, the prince dropped to his knees by the bed. “I’m sorry,” he said, taking her hand, full of concern. Deep brown eyes studied her swollen features. “Word reached me about what happened right before you arrived. What the hell was Hugo thinking?” he ran his hands through his curly brown hair. “I thought he cared about you, everyone did.” He ran a gentle fingertip over her swollen lips.
“I’ll be fine,” she bristled, pulling away. “It was a test. One I had to pass. Besides, you’re Hugo’s friend. You know what his life is like. You know he had no choice.” Defensiveness made her voice harsh.
“Yes, he did. He could have fought for you.”
“What? Like you did in that throne room? Be honest, Jack. You were thinking about more than only me that day. You agreed to let me become the Queen’s slave because—just like her—you know how powerful the magic inside me is. You need a weapon to keep your people safe. You bargained more for that weapon than for me, and then you walked away. So don’t you dare judge Hugo for the mess that is his life. He has never known anything different. Besides, he tried to help me, he tried to fight. But I am glad he stopped. He would have died along with you and Tom and every other person I care about.” Diamond stopped her barrage of words, almost as surprised as Jack at her defence of Hugo and her condemnation of the prince.
They studied each other silently, then Jack cocked his head, nodded and gave her a lopsided smile. “Point taken, and I apologise wholeheartedly for this shitty situation you are in. You’re right. I am as much to blame for all this as Hugo. I could have gotten you out of the city months ago, but I am selfish. I was—no—am thinking of my people. We do need a weapon. One with enough power to defeat an immortal lord. And you are it.” He reached his hand out and brushed some hair behind her ear, smiling ruefully. “I am sorry. Am I forgiven?”
Diamond sighed. “Jack, there is nothing to forgive. You have a responsibility to your people. They should come first.”
“Glad you feel that way,” he said, then he grinned. “By the goddess, it’s good to see you. I missed you. Even Zane and Roin have been grumbling about not having a reason to leave this compound. Zane’s been moping around here like a lovesick puppy, missing Tom. Thank the goddess Tom’s back with us—permanently. I’m hoping those two hurry up and sort out their relationship. Zane’s moods have been giving me a headache! A bit like two of my other friends. So, have you and Hugo talked things out since the beating? He didn’t look too happy to give you to me, did he?” he winked and grinned ruefully.
Diamond groaned, fell backwards, and threw her arms over her face. “No. He wasn’t.”
“Well, I’m not going to apologise. I was pissed at him,” Jack grinned.
“Really? I would never have guessed,” she replied sarcastically.
“Don’t worry, I will eventually, but not tonight. He can sweat it, wondering what we’re up to. And you haven’t answered my question. Have you even tried to sort things out after yesterday?”
Diamond groaned. “No. I’m not sure how to.”
“Why?” Jack asked.
“Well, for one, because you just dragged me off to your bedroom,” she pointed out bluntly.
“And?” he encouraged, chuckling.
“Because I was angry, and I wouldn’t forgive him.” She paused, throwing her arms down by her sides. “And I hit him.”
Jack snorted. “Well, he’s used to being hit. Besides, sounds like he deserved it.”
“No, you don’t understand. I slapped him, and he didn’t even try to stop me. He simply let me. He was on his knees, he practically begged me to forgive him, and I didn’t. I am a horrible person,” she choked out.
Jack smiled sympathetically. “Hey, it’s all right. Hugo will forgive you. I know he will. It will do the stubborn fool good to realise that he will lose you if he doesn’t make a choice between you and the Queen. So tonight you are going to stay here, and we’ll see what that does to stir up those possessive fae instincts. You can share my bed,” he stated, chuckling as she glared at him. “Err, okay. I’ll sleep in the chair if you’re still declining to be my lover,” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Jack, you’re an idiot. No, I don’t want to be your lover. I couldn’t cope!”
“No, I guess I am far too much too handle for a half-blood magic-wielding maiden from the north.”
Giggling, Diamond chucked a pillow at him. “Far too much,” she agreed.
“Well, maiden, I’m glad you’re here, even if you are a bit bashed up, wiping mud all over my bed and refusing to be my amusement,” he teased.
She laughed as he pulled off her boots. It was easy to relax back and snuggle into the soft velvet and woollen throws on the bed. Jack put the muddy footwear outside the door. Diamond sighed, letting the luxurious textiles on the bed caress her skin. “How on earth did you get all this luxury out here?” she asked, looking around Jack’s room appreciatively. A fire burned in a stone hearth, making the room gloriously warm after the numbing cold of her journey. Rugs covered the wooden floor, and she noticed two armchairs near the hearth.
“Comes with being heir to the throne, even if it is of a kingdom lost to monsters and shadow,” he laughed bitterly. “Stuff appears from people who want to be on your good side. What can I say? It beats the open forest. Now, you need a nice warm bath and food. Which would you like first?”
“Oooh, a bath,” she said with a sigh. “There’s absolutely no contest.”
“So be it, my lady,” he said, bowing low.
Jack walked from the room, and Diamond heard him ordering people about. It was lovely to hear his voice again. She turned her face into his soft pillow and, wonderful though it was, no matter how much she wanted to stay in this comfort, she knew she could not. The gossip around the camp would be unbearable. Her eyes followed Jack as he walked back toward her. Carefully, he pulled her to her feet, just as a small bird-like woman appeared behind him. The woman, who looked to be in her fifties, indicated a door off to the left.
“This is Mary. She will help you bathe. Then you can come back in here and we’ll eat together,” Jack informed Diamond with a cheeky smile, knowing she would wonder what the maid would think.
Diamond raised her brows but smiled gratefully as he kissed her hand and strode out.
Languishing in the bath was pure heaven. After washing her bruised body and rubbing herself dry with a rough towel, she allowed Mary to help her dress in a simple but well-cut peach satin gown.
What an odd garment to find out here, Diamond mused, chuckling as she wondered who it belonged to. Jack’s reputation as a kind but fickle lover had not passed Diamond by. A smile pulled the corners of her mouth up. She could see why, but she loved Jack as her friend, nothing more. They were both happy with that.
Jack was sitting in one of the armchairs when she walked back into the bedchamber. He smiled appreciatively at her.
Glancing down, Diamond realised she hadn’t worn a dress for months. Leggings, breeches and tunics had become her norm. She needed functional clothes that she could fight in. Still, it was nice to feel pretty. Sitting in the chair opposite Jack, she curled her feet underneath her, staring at the flames.
“So? What’s really going on between you and Hugo? And that wicked fae who calls herself a queen?” Jack asked quietly. He seemed to have been mulling things over whilst she had been languishing in the warm water.
Diamond sighed deeply and rubbed her eyes. “I have a lot to tell you,” she stated. Jack only interrupted a couple of times as she told him about the weeks since he had left. He frowned at the story of the guardians and the keys. His gaze drifted to where his sword stood propped up on the wall, but he said nothing until she told him of the test.
“She sold me to Lord Firan for the price of an armada,” she told Jack, her voice fading when she heard someone turn the door handle.
“Lord of the Wetlands?” Jack queried, frowning. “He’s in Valentia? I’ll get my spies to find out what agreements have been signed. Look, don’t worry about that for now. We have a Wraith Lord to fight, and while we plan to do that, we are going to convince Hugo he can get you out of this place, and that he deserves to be with you. Even if the Queen can track him, you can at least try and run,” he took her hand and gave it a squeeze, loneliness evident in his eyes. “Diamond, I would give anything to find someone who is as perfect for me as you are for him, and he is for you. Fight for it while you can.”
It was a relief when Mary rattled through the door with a tray and set it on the small table between them. That conversation was a little too deep to be having with Jack.
At that moment her belly growled loudly. Jack laughed as she grasped her stomach and apologised.
A bowl of steaming beef stew and a glass of red wine later, Diamond’s eyelids drooped. Heat from the fire, not to mention the alcohol, flushed her cheeks and, although Jack smiled as he put his glass down, there was concern in his voice. “Come on, your body has a lot of healing to do. Half fae or not, you need to rest.”
Diamond meekly let him lead her to his bed. Her head cleared a bit when he sat her down on the edge.
“Jack! I can’t sleep in your bed. What will people think?”
He brushed off her protests, lifting her feet up. “It doesn’t matter. You need to sleep properly—in a decent bed. Just this once, stop worrying about what anyone else thinks, hmm?”
The sheets were smooth against her feet, but she was glad Jack did not suggest she get undressed, that would have been too much. Warily, she watched Jack take his shirt and boots off. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He looked fitter and more muscled than he had a few weeks ago. Thankfully he had recovered from being so ill. The scars from the knife wounds to his back had faded to a light purple. Diamond squeezed her eyes shut. Without a doubt her friend was gorgeous, but it wasn’t him she wanted in her bed.
“Diamond, relax. Go to sleep,” Jack said soothingly. “I’m going to sleep in the chair.” He brushed his fingers gently down her cheek and kissed her lightly. “Believe me when I say this will do Hugo some good,” he told her before settling himself down under some blankets in the armchair. “Goodnight, Diamond,” his voice drifted over her.
“Night,” she echoed, snuggling into the warmth of the bed.
CHAPTER 33
Howling winds woke Diamond. Jack was nowhere to be seen. She released a moan and smacked the bed with the flat of her hands. Hugo would be insufferably moody today. She cursed Jack for leaving her to deal with him on her own.
After she had eaten the breakfast Mary served, she strapped her armour securely on her body. Stretching her stiff limbs, Diamond cricked her neck. Right, she decided with resolve, this is best done now. Avoidance was not going to make things better.
Stepping out of Jack’s quarters, she flung her cloak around her shoulders and set off in search of Hugo. Soldiers were busy all around the compound, carrying out their orders with purpose. The bulk of the column had already headed out to the wall.
Forcing her feet to move, she walked to the building that Hugo had been heading towards when Jack had stopped him. After asking another soldier where to find him, she knocked on Hugo’s door. No answer. Maybe he had gone out with the squadron somewhere.
Back outside, she headed to the stables. Midnight Fire would still be stabled if Hugo was around. Hugo wouldn’t fly anywhere today, not unless he had to. It was too windy.
The stallion stood patiently in the stall next to Luna. Both horses snorted a greeting and pushed their heads out to reach her. Smiling, she leaned on the wooden bar of the stable door and indulgently fussed them both. The darkness and the light, she thought ruefully. Her face was leaning against the stallion’s neck when she felt a presence behind her. He tugged almost painfully on their bond.
“Good morning, Hugo,” Diamond responded, trying to stop her voice from shaking.
“Morning,” he answered, his voice flat and unemotional.
Nerves made her belly flip. She was dreading this. Still, she may as well get it over with. Kissing the neck of the stallion, Diamond turned around.
With his arms crossed over his leather-encased chest, the Queen’s guard stared at her coldly. But Diamond had spent months studying Hugo and his expressions. She probably knew him better than he knew himself. Even though he was holding his emotions away from her, his rage was evident. His mouth and jaw were tight, twisting his scarred lips.
Bravely, she walked right up to him and found herself staring up into glittering black eyes. No sapphire blue or silver. Nervous though she was, she found her own anger responding to those endless eyes of shadow. He had shut down his heart, hidden it from her again.
“Go on then,” she challenged, resentful of his withdrawal. Violet sparked brightly in her eyes.
“What?” he growled through clenched teeth.
“Get it over with. Call me Jack’s whore. Go on. Just like you have before. Call me names if it makes you feel better, but don’t you dare give me the silent treatment.”
Nothing. Not a sign of the warrior who had wanted to fight to keep her in his arms last night. Her stomach sank. Is that all it took? Surely he doesn’t think so low of me as to believe I would actually sleep with Jack to get my own back? Indignation seared her heart. “Is that all it takes for you?” she snarled. “Just one night to give up on me? After everything you have done to me these past months? You insufferable bastard! How dare you judge me!” Her eyes dropped to his fingers.
Hugo’s knuckles had turned white where he gripped his own bicep. Unfolding his arms he clenched his fists by his sides.
Tears burned her eyes and, though she tried to stop, her words kept tumbling out. “And I didn’t ask to stay with him. Jack has always been kind to me, and I was so tired. And I didn’t want you both to fight. G-Gunnald. He had his bow on you. He would have killed you if Jack ordered it.” Diamond knew she was rambling, but her words stumbled at the thought of an arrow piercing Hugo’s skin.
Hugo stared at her. Unwavering. His body completely still.
Dropping her eyes, she kicked hard at the ground, a tear running down her cheek. Why doesn’t he believe me? “Oh you know what, Hugo?” she hissed. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me. That you wouldn’t want to believe me. I’m not sure you believed that Jack was only ever a friend. Why should I care what you or anyone else thinks? I can share my body with whoever I want,” she said cuttingly. “Tell you what, commander, you fly back to that cold-hearted bitch queen, and when you’re gone, I’ll go back to Jack’s bed, and we’ll busy ourselves giving the rest of this camp something interesting to gossip about. After the way he touched me last night, I doubt he’ll say no.” The words were out before she could stop them. Damn her mouth. Why did I say that?
Hugo paled before his face flushed and his eyes shone dangerous and dark against his golden skin. Metal clattered across his wings. The growl he emitted was so animalistic and savage, Diamond warily backed up against the stalls. Around them soldiers began to stand and watch. Hugo’s blue-armoured wings were a novelty for most soldiers.
Those armoured wings now glowed brightly, almost as brightly as they had when Sulphurious had attacked Valentia. Shadows swirled around Hugo’s face before he took a deep breath and sucked it inside himself.
The horses snorted and shuffled around in their stalls. Midnight Fire stuck his head out to see what all the fuss was about. He nudged Diamond’s shoulder with his big head as if to say, Take that back.
Absentmindedly, Diamond stroked the stallion, her face flushed with shame. Tears tipped out of her eyes. She had to get away from this hard-hearted warrior. He threw her emotions and control completely off kilter. Quickly dropping her head, she stormed past him.
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nbsp; “Diamond!” he uttered sharply, grabbing at her upper arm so hard she couldn’t go another step.
“Ow!” she exclaimed. “Let go of me!”
“No,” he said firmly, but his fingers loosened as his eyelids closed.
Diamond glared up at him, about to yank her arm away, but when he opened his eyes she stilled, caught in the thrall of sapphire and silver.
His fingers released her, and his expression softened. “I do believe you,” he whispered. “But regardless of what I—or anyone else—thinks, if you really want to be Jack’s lover, that is what you should do. I will not stand in your way.” His jaw clenched and it was clear he forced those words out.
Without thinking, Diamond reached up and placed her gloved hand on his cheek. “I don’t want to be with Jack. I want to be with—”
Someone coughed, cutting off her last word. Her hand dropped like a heavy weight to her side.
A man in a sergeant’s uniform stood behind Hugo. His face was carefully blank, but his eyes appraised Diamond as he informed them Jack wished to see them in the council room. “It’s in the same building as his chambers. I am to escort you there. If you can’t remember the way, that is,” he smirked.
Bristling, Diamond decided she would like the opportunity to wipe that smile off the sergeant’s face. But I suppose the whole camp knows I spent the night in Jack’s bed, she reflected. I only have myself to blame.
“Thank you, sergeant. I can remember the way. You may leave us,” Diamond informed him, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.
The sergeant raised his brows. “But the prince has ordered me to fetch you.”
“Well, the prince can wait,” Diamond bit out, instantly annoyed with Jack. He need not start ordering her about.
The sergeant made to step forward.
“Listen to her,” growled Hugo, standing at her back.
The sergeant jumped, having forgotten Hugo’s presence. He swallowed as the weight of Hugo’s icy cold eyes rested on him. Threat radiated from the huge Queen’s guard, and his wings shifted dangerously, the rivulets of silver sparking. The sergeant sputtered and coughed, staring up at Hugo’s scarred features.
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