Page 4 of Diamond Queen
The rage of being treated like trash and ignored had festered over the years, making Helix a bitter man. Watching women ascend to the throne made his guts boil with disdain. A man should rule, not those useless women. Their magic made them weak, not strong. Helix planned to exploit them, proving someone could take what they had regardless of their powers.
Studying black magic, Helix stumbled upon a spell that would strip them of their abilities. He’d succeeded in taking away the Diamond Queen’s elemental magic. The bracelet she wore was spelled with the power of darkness – halting all magic from flowing through her. When he made his next move, all the Queens would be relieved of their duty and power.
Even if his plans had been thwarted up until now…
Helix wasn’t going to stop. His next move would be bold – sending the five remaining Queens over the edge. He hoped it was enough to force them into submission, giving him the power to rule the six kingdoms.
Chapter 7
Jason rubbed his head as he watched Dimitra scuttle around the musty room. She’d found an old t-shirt and slipped it on, covering her bare skin from his probing eyes. Since their shared kiss, Dimitra hadn’t said much.
“Look,” Jason eased his dirty pants on, “we need to figure out a way to get out of here. Have you tried to use your magic since getting the metal cuff off?” He jerked his head toward her wrist.
Dimitra rubbed the flesh beneath her fingertips. The skin was still puckered from where the metal bit as she forced it off. She was scared to try her magic only to learn it might be pointless.
“No…I,” she closed her eyes, “What if it doesn’t work?”
Jason saddled up behind her. His chest pressed against her backside. Slipping his hand around her dainty wrist, he pulled it to his mouth.
“Don’t let this damage be for nothing. You marred your beautiful flesh to try and save us.” He released her hand, “Now, see if getting that damn thing off did anything.”
He took a step back and waved his hand, signaling her to give her magic a try. Jason watched as Dimitra closed her eyes to center herself. He’d never seen any of the Queens use their magic. Until six months ago, there’d been no reason.
Dimitra curled her fingers into her palm and inhaled. She could feel the simmering of power just beneath the surface of her skin. Unfurling her hand, she faced her palm up toward the ceiling. Her fingers tingled, the prickly sensation dancing it’s way down her forearm as she tried to push the energy out.
“Dimitra,” Jason’s voice cut through her concentration, causing her magic to falter.
“Fuck.” She slapped her palm against her leg.
“You managed to make a ball of light, but it didn’t do anything but sit there in your hand.”
“Maybe if you hadn’t interrupted me, it would have worked.” Dimitra cut her eyes at him, her annoyance spilling out between them.
“Dimitra,” Jason reached out to grab her arm, “You looked like you were close to passing out. I want it to work just as badly as you… but not at the expense of hurting you.”
“I need to get this one-off.” Pulling her arm out of his, she fingered the remaining metal cuff on her opposite hand. “Will you help me?”
Jason stared into her eyes. There was a look of fear and worry buried beneath the unspent tears… But beneath that, there was something more – something that looked like longing.
Brushing her hair from her face, “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Please… it may be the only way we get out of here. Helix hasn’t been back since he tried to kill you… what if he comes back to finish the job?”
Jason mulled over her words. He knew she was right, but a part of him struggled with inflicting any pain on her just to get the bracelet off. He pulled her hand to his face, his eyes inspecting the metal cuff binding them to the room. It fit snug against her tiny wrist, leaving little room to move it around without damaging her flesh.
“I’ll help you… but, we have to do this without causing your wrist to look like ground hamburger.”
“Fine.”
Jason’s fingers continued to caress her wrist where the pulse beat beneath the skin. Her breath hitched as he traced the metal. She held her breath as his fingers danced across her forearm, trailing a blazing heat as he did.
“Jason,” her words coming out breathless, “How’s your side?”
He snorted, “Really… my side? I don’t give a fuck about my side.”
Jason leaned in and captured her mouth. His lips demanded attention, moving against hers as he plundered her warm cavern. Dimitra moaned, her mouth opening for him. His tongue snaked between her lips, meeting hers in a tangle of lust. She gripped his shoulder, pressing herself against him. Her brain told her she should pull away, but every fiber in her body was begging her not to stop.
Chapter 8
