A Bond of Blood and Fire

by Tomlinson, Karen

  Together, they had planned to tell Hugo of his claim to the throne, to show him the army that awaited his return. But when the prince had returned from the forest with the young, silver-haired woman from the north, his father had taken one look at her and known Lunaria’s blood ran in her veins. There were now two heirs, two distant halves of the same family tree in the very city they were entitled to rule. Elexon had wanted to get them both out of the city, but his father, more versed in the intricacies of the Queen’s actions, had made him stand down.

  Elexon growled with frustration. His father had thought Hugo the safer of the two—and the more difficult to liberate. After all, the Queen held his blood phial.

  When their bid for Diamond’s freedom failed, the Queen had begun searching in earnest for the rebels. And Fedron, gods damn his big mouth, had led her to Rose. Now none of them were safe. Elexon’s teeth ground together. He knew Rose would rather die than give up any of their secrets. But everyone had a breaking point. And Rose was a healer, not a warrior. He could not bear to think about what they were doing to her in the dungeons of that palace. His heart clenched, and he swallowed his nausea, looking down at the dead heir. Saving Rose from the hell she was in was all he had left to hold onto.

  Before him, Hugo lay unmoving, his face a pale death mask. It had been such an impossible task to keep safe those he served and loved. Now his promises, his failures, dragged against his heart. Clenching his jaw, Elexon straightened up. He was not a novice. He had been trained from the moment he could walk to become a warrior, to deal with death. Resolutely, he strode to look down where Diamond stood in a glowing storm of radiance. If he couldn’t save a descendant of the Arjuno family—if that dream was gone—then he would fight until he died for the people of Valentia.

  A second later, the air around Diamond exploded into a sphere of raging white light. Elexon’s ruby eyes widened in shock as that magical wave hit the wall, heating the air around him. It sucked the breath from his lungs and knocked the legs out from under him, throwing his considerable bulk violently to the ground.

  The wave passed over the red warrior and struck the corpse at his side. Elexon gave a cry of disbelief at what he saw. Hugo’s body jerked, his spine arching rigidly before falling limp once again at Elexon’s side.

  CHAPTER 57

  That first raging wave consumed hundreds of her enemy, disintegrating them into clouds of dust. Unleashing her wrath, Diamond allowed her magic to feed off her fury. Following the stink of rot and evil, her magic thrust through the forest into the darkness. No enemy soldier could hide. The shadow that had been their shelter was now their undoing as this fierce huntress became death and destruction.

  Diamond’s mind sent her mortal body onwards. She walked faster and faster, deeper and deeper into the darkness that shrouded the forest, shattering the bodies of rotting Dust Devils as they tried to use the burning embers and ash to change into columns of swirling dust. Laughing coldly at their pathetic efforts to thwart her, the huntress sent bright fingers of magic into the swirling clouds and ripped them apart. With swords of light, she cleaved Wolfmen and Battle Imps without a thought. Whips of crackling energy formed any weapon she desired: knives, spears, arrows. Vengeance consumed her. Stabbing and slicing, she shredded their flesh before she broke their bodies and turned them to dust.

  Time became irrelevant. It passed by her until she felt the immortal darkness of Ragor watching from behind a wall of rotting soldiers. Diamond shrieked, wild with fury. Feeding on his fear and confusion, she launched herself toward him. The turmoil in his thoughts reached her. He had not expected this amount of raw power directed against him. A cold delight rippled through Diamond’s heart.

  The immortal lord was scared.

  Diamond battled toward him, wanting to fight him, wanting to rip him apart for robbing her of Hugo.

  He recoiled from her light, dissolving into fingers of dark mist that curled upwards into the night sky.

  Diamond realised he was running toward the manifestation of wickedness that waited for a way into this world.

  “Coward!” Diamond screamed, her voice echoing out into the ravaged forest. Enraged by his spineless retreat, she hurled her magic skyward.

  “You cannot hurt me!” Ragor screamed, his voice tormenting her mortal mind. It was like hearing thousands of dying screams all at once. The Queen’s voice had once felt like this.

  Hurtling a dome of light to the stars, she caught the mist that was the Wraith Lord and slammed him down into the scorched earth. He bellowed with rage, unable to keep his ghostly form as her power enveloped him.

  An emaciated body flickered between mist and solid matter as Diamond crashed back into her physical body. With little effort, she kept them both shrouded in a shield of crackling energy.

  A mass of rotting soldiers pushed against the dome. Contemptuous of their weak efforts to rescue their master, Diamond ignored them. Her concentration stayed solely on the emaciated creature that had appeared in front of her. His face was skeletal. High cheekbones protruded from a layer of thin colourless skin. And his endless black eyes actually looked scared.

  A wicked grin spread over Diamond’s face. “Oh, I can hurt you, Wraith Lord, and I will. You have taken away the two people I love most. You threaten the lives of thousands more, and you have tried and failed to kill me. Now you are going to die. But there will be no afterlife for you. No Chaos realm. I will ensure your soul is obliterated from existence.” Her voice was hard, shaped from ice and hatred.

  “No! I can help you. If you kill me, she will set him free,” Ragor argued, his face desperate as he pushed himself up.

  “What do you mean?” Diamond asked stonily, only half listening as she studied the swirl of energy that enveloped her right hand, ready to be shaped to whatever weapon of death she chose. Maybe she would make him suffer for a while, carve away bits of his flesh, a bit at a time.

  Ragor sensed an opportunity, a weakness in her knowledge.

  “The Queen, Erebos’ lover. She plans to set him free. Together they will destroy this world now that they have the keys to Eternity.”

  Diamond realised what that terrifying darkness and malevolence swathing the Rift Valley was. She recoiled in shock.

  “She only has one key,” she stated flatly, even as dread filled her.

  The Wraith Lord chuckled. “So she does have your necklace.”

  Diamond kept her face blank, though his manipulation of her grated.

  “I sent my Seekers to Berriesford for it. But you already know that. What you don’t know is before I learned of the key you held, that lying bitch had already promised me part of the other.”

  Diamond almost stopped breathing. “Tell me,” she demanded. “Tell me where the other one is and I will let you live, I will let you go back to the Barren Lands and rule there in peace.”

  Something between a snarl and a smirk curled Ragor’s paper thin lips. It was then she felt this detestable creature probing her mind, stalking through her memories, violating her.

  “Get out of my head!” she screamed, slamming a fist of energy into his face.

  He grunted and fell to his knees. In a wheedling voice, he taunted, “She made you into a weapon to stop me. One of those dragon eyes is mine! She promised me! I want entry to Eternity, but all she wants is to give her lord physical form so they can destroy your world and take the land of the gods. Killing that warrior stopped her. If you kill me now, this world will be doomed. I can help you fight her—fight him—for one of the keys.” His misty limbs shifted, becoming shadow as he inched closer.

  Diamond could not think. Her thoughts were hampered and slow, like a veil of exhaustion was falling upon her.

  “Please child, I speak the truth,” his voice was simpering, creeping over her bones and making her shudder with disgust. Images of her father’s face, of Hugo’s face, flashed into her head. She didn’t understand why killing Hugo stopped the Queen’s plan to attack Eternity.

  Ragor was tugging at her
mind, confusing her. She could feel him stirring up thoughts and memories that were too painful. Grief slammed into her heart, causing her shield to wobble. Hugo had once told her not to let grief and sadness win on the battlefield. She had to fight it or those dark feelings would be the end of her, and Ragor would win the valley.

  “Get. Out. Of. My. Head!” she screeched.

  Heedless of her rising anger, the Wraith Lord grinned wickedly and continued. “Help me get the keys, and I will let you kill the Queen yourself. Give me what I want and I will give you your warrior back. She will never get him,” he vowed, a small smile of triumph curling his pale lips when her energy flickered uncertainly. “His soul is mine. I can make him live again. All you have to do is pledge yourself to serve me. It’s not too late. You can see him again,” he insisted.

  Diamond squashed the surge of hope that almost had her begging the Wraith Lord to make it happen. No, she would never join with an immortal who viewed the souls of others as his right, who could create such monsters as Ragor had done,

  “No! Stop. Stop talking. You can’t bring him back!” Diamond cried, not wanting to listen to his poisonous words. A bolt of energy flew from her hand to pierce his shoulder.

  Surprised by the swiftness and force of her resistance, Ragor could not dodge the strike. Flesh burned. His scream rent the air.

  “My Nexus, my blood-bound soulmate died fighting you. You killed him, just as you are trying to kill every living thing in this valley,” she spat.

  “No!” he raged. “Erebos would have taken the strength of your warrior and destroyed this world. With a guardian and a key, he would have turned his wrath on Eternity. I have saved you and the gods. All I ask in return are a few souls to feed me and a key. Then I will leave this world in peace. I simply wish to return home,” he cajoled.

  “Stop!” Diamond cried, her ears hurting from the sound of his voice.

  Sensing her weakness, the Wraith Lord writhed to get free.

  Diamond viciously twisted her lance of magic into his shoulder, so wrapped up in her anger and grief that she missed the coil of darkness sliding along the floor. It wrapped around her ankles and yanked her off her feet. The protective dome of light faltered as her head slammed into the ground.

  Hundreds of Dust Devils surged forward.

  Ragor screamed, “I told you I cannot die, you insolent child! You are too young and too stupid to kill someone as powerful as me!”

  Diamond felt the icy cold touch of the Dust Devils as they reached out, trying to push through her remaining magic. Gritting her teeth, she coiled her energy down inside her body, twisted it into a ball of power and threw it outwards in a violent explosion of heat and light.

  Ragor roared with disbelief as his soldiers disintegrated into dust.

  Diamond created swords of light, slashing at his shadowy defences. In turn he formed writhing, snake-like creatures that screeched as she beheaded them, always repairing themselves until Diamond thought there would be no end to his darkness. A snake struck at her throat, latching dark fangs onto her neck. Icy-pain shot down her spine and across her shoulders, burning deep into her muscle fibres. She screamed. Simultaneously, a spear of darkness pierced the soft skin of her upper thigh. Diamond fought, not losing her focus even as her leg gave way.

  This monster will die, she promised Hugo silently. He will not take any more souls from this world.

  Full of determination and purpose, Diamond formed shards of magic under her skin, hurling them from her body in splinters. She drove them forward, impaling the immortal flesh of the Wraith Lord. He yelled in disbelief as the glowing shards embedded themselves in him. His darkness receded from her skin. With an inhuman growl, the huntress looked upon her prey, her eyes narrowed. For a moment nothing happened—then the screams of agony began.

  Controlling the shards, Diamond drove them further inward, twisting them through to what remained of the Wraith Lord’s dark soul. Struggling now, he roared with anger and desperation, knowing his end was near.

  Another knife-like shadow slashed at Diamond’s face, but she ducked out of the way. Bit by bit, his emaciated body began to disintegrate. Diamond looked into his swirling, soul-filled eyes, trying not to recoil in horror at the writhing tiny faces that screamed back at her, fighting each other to get out.

  Set them free, Lunaria’s weak voice implored her.

  It had been too long since Diamond had heard that voice in her head. It gave her strength and purpose. With a screech, Diamond wrenched the shards from Ragor’s body, leaving him oozing black, stinking shadow. Swiftly she coiled magic around her hands. It was hard not to savour this moment.

  Revenge is sweet.

  She snarled at the mess that had once been the fearsome Wraith Lord. Using the magic her Nexus had helped her tame, she blasted Ragor into oblivion.

  Diamond held the dead soldiers at bay. Here, in the darkness, it gave her joy to see thousands of tiny spheres of light float skyward. The unbound souls rose towards the stars, free to seek out their ultimate fate. Breathtakingly beautiful, they flashed brightly before each one winked into Eternity.

  “May the goddess protect you and the guardians guide you,” she whispered, shedding a tear of happiness for them.

  CHAPTER 58

  Shadows and rotten corpses writhed around Diamond. The Dust Devils were too mindless to run. Merciless in her vengeance, Diamond struck, killing them in droves.

  Whilst her magic sought out her enemy, her mortal body walked swiftly through the forest, covering mile upon mile of ground. For hours she prowled through the devastation, wiping out any wickedness she sensed until the forest near Lord Stockbrook’s territory loomed around her. Her mind registered the pain of her blistered and bleeding feet, but she ignored it. Her mortal body would endure this—or it wouldn’t.

  She didn’t care, not at all.

  Diamond knew she could not stop killing, because when she did, she would have to face up to the emptiness of her life, a future devoid of anything except agonising loss. Instead of confronting her fear and grief, Diamond twisted it, turning it into more anger and hatred. Only when a blood-red dawn burned across the sky did Diamond feel her power dim. Gentle warmth from the rising sun caressed her skin, forcing her mind to become aware of her body once again, of sensations she did not want to feel.

  Weakness. Pain. Thirst. Raging loss.

  Fighting her physical failings, Diamond fixed Hugo’s eyes in her mind. Sobbing, she slaughtered more and more. She tried to stay in the shadows, but the sun caught her frail body in its growing rays. It gentled her rage, wrapping her in a soothing warmth, calming her until her exhausted mind tumbled into her body.

  The well of vengeance and anger inside her soul was empty, depriving her magic of sustenance. Sensing her vulnerability, the remaining monsters came, crashing through the surrounding forest. Curiously detached from her fate, Diamond watched them step out from the remaining shadows. She no longer cared. Ragor was dead, and Jack’s warriors would cut down any monsters that remained.

  Lifting her face to embrace the kiss of the sun, Diamond became aware of a tremble through the ground and the thudding of wings in the air. Her remaining energy floated from her grasp, like a spirit on the wind. She realised then how utterly close to death her body was, that her bloodthirsty quest for revenge had used her up entirely. Her knees buckled.

  At that moment, hundreds of horses thundered by, shaking the ground as she knelt.

  Battle cries and screams cleaved the air as savage fighting began around her. The ground tilted, and she fell sideways onto earth strewn with the black dust and bloody remains of her enemy.

  Only moments passed before strong arms pushed under her shoulders and behind her knees, scooping her off the ground. Then she was passed up to a hovering shadowy figure. A gentle hand brushed the hair back from her face and warm dry lips kissed her forehead.

  “Get the healers to her as soon as possible. Ragor has wounded her badly. His poison will kill her if you don’t hurr
y. My turret is closest.” The hand drifted to her cheek. “Elexon? Don’t let anyone stop you. Keep her safe. No one other than the healers is to be allowed near her until I have returned from this battle. Do you understand? And Elexon? Set your warriors to watch the valley. If the Queen sends her guards, you get her out. We all know you can,” Jack ordered tersely.

  Diamond felt Tallo’s deep voice rumble through her and she looked up to see his tough jaw above her face.

  “There is not a chance in hell of anyone stopping us, your highness. What she has just done…well, it’s beyond belief. She has saved so many lives; they both did. It is our honour to guard her,” he reassured Jack.

  “I will get our best healers to treat her,” reassured another voice. Elexon.

  There was a slight tug of gravity as Tallo lifted them into the air. She wondered vaguely what they had done with Hugo’s body, then her head rolled against Tallo’s big chest and she passed out.

  CHAPTER 59

  Diamond simultaneously became aware of the warm bed beneath her and a blinding headache. Her skull felt like it was about to split in two. A groan escaped her dry, cracked lips.

  “Urgh!”

  By the goddess, her mouth tasted foul. Like old blood and ash, her tongue felt so dry she could hardly swallow.

  Diamond’s mind felt fuzzy behind the throb of pain from her head, her thoughts fogged by the agony burning across her thigh and down her neck. Her body seemed in complete discord with her brain. For a moment she lay still, letting hazy memories float at the edge of her consciousness.

  Images of Hugo dropping her, of him smashing into the wall, of his dead face swamped her. The devastating reality of his loss hit her, squeezing her lungs until she couldn’t breathe. Screwing her eyes tightly shut, she heard a strange choking sound escape her lips. Grief ripped her heart asunder. Curling her knees up to her chest, she shoved her fist into her mouth, biting her skin to smother the sobs that racked her ravaged body. Shivering violently, her tears soaked the soft pillow. She wanted the image of his dead face to go, but it burned relentlessly behind her eyes. He would be cross with her for being so weak, for shedding tears for him. She pictured his rugged face snarling at her, ordering her to pull herself together, to get up and run from the city before the Queen could claim her.