Page 26 of Diamond Queen
“Fuck… we can’t storm in there without being able to see.”
“If I pull back my magic, we will be sitting ducks. Hold on to me, I can see and will lead us inside.” Onika held her hand out, grasping Sarifena’s in hers. Emersyn held tight to Drake and Dimitra, who was holding Jason’s hand. He was holding Sarifena’s as they edged their way closer.
Onika pushed the door open, stepping through the threshold. Just as she made it inside, something heavy knocked her into Jason. He clutched her to his chest, stopping her from knocking them all back down the front steps.
“Onika!” Jason checked her pulse, she was only unconscious. Her magic began to fade, exposing them in the open.
“Shit!” Dimitra threw out her hand, halting time. Everyone was frozen in place, peering on like a statue garden. Placing her hand on Jason, she called back some of the power.
“What the fuck,” Jason staggered.
“Hurry, I don’t know how long I can hold it… let’s get her somewhere safe.” She helped Jason move her into another unoccupied room. “Alright. I’m going to go back and move the others. Stay here.”
“Dimitra…”
“Please trust me, Jason.”
She kissed his lips before removing her hand from his, leaving him frozen. She closed the door and rushed back to the others, who were exactly as she left them. It was like looking at 3-d images of her friends. One by one, she walked them away from the door. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if this was her chance to stop Helix herself. She could find and kill him without him even knowing what hit him. Staring at the steps to the second floor, she paused. What if he’d found a way to block her magic from affecting him? He’d suppressed hers in the cave.
Worried about the repercussions if she went alone, she called her magic to her. The others rushed to her side, scanning the room for enemies.
“Where is Onika?” Emersyn asked.
“Jason has her in the bathroom. She was knocked out by something as we entered.”
As she spoke, Jason escorted Onika towards them. She still looked dazed, but beyond that, her rage was apparent.
“It’s time to find him. I’m done playing nice.” She grabbed the railing to the stairs.
“Your Majesty,” Commander Critcher approached them from the back hallway. “We’ve subdued eight men who were trying to escape out the backdoor. Captain Brady is guarding them.”
“Which means there are still two or three men left. One of them being Helix.” Sarifena glanced up the stairs, “They have to be up there.”
Emersyn pushed past the men and bolted up the steps.
“EMERSYN!” Drake ran after her. The others hurried behind him, worried that Emersyn was running into a trap.
Drake wrapped his fingers around her arm, stopping her before she burst into a room, “Wait… please. You have to use caution.” Drake wrapped her in his arms just as a man broke through a closed door. He ran right at everyone wielding a sword. Sarifena tossed her hand, pooling water below his feet. The man slipped, losing his balance, and tumbled to the ground. Several guards rushed around the Queens and wrestled the weapon from his hands.
“Well… that’s one down.” Dimitra chuckled.
Each room was cleared, leaving the one at the very back of the house. They gathered around the closed door.
“Back up,” Drake commanded, “I’m going to kick it in, Commander Critcher will go in first. Please wait out here.” He looked at Emersyn and the other Queens.
“One, two, three,” he kicked with all his might, blowing the door in. Commander Critcher rushed inside, the other men hot on his tail. Dimitra watched, her stomach coiled with apprehension. They were preoccupied with what was happening in the room, that they never saw Helix.
“You make this so easy.”
Chapter 34
A muscular arm wrapped around her neck, yanking her backward. Dimitra stumbled, gasping for breath as his hold tightened around her throat.
“Dimitra!” Onika screamed, rushing toward her.
“STOP… or I’ll cut her head off for real this time.” Helix pushed a blade to her windpipe, the metal biting her flesh.
“You’re going to regret this, Helix. Let her go. It’s over now.” Emersyn stepped toward him, Sarifena gripping her hand.
