Page 9 of Diamond Queen
Cracking open one eye, he peered down at the woman in his arms, “You’re awake…” He shifted his body, helping her sit up. “How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve been asleep for days. You look terrible.” Dimitra appraised his body, noting the cuts and dirt he was covered in from traipsing through the woods. “Have you slept at all?”
“No… I needed to make sure you were safe.”
Dimitra cupped his cheek, “You’ve done more than you should. Close your eyes, I’ll keep a lookout.”
Jason leaned into the flesh of her palm as he closed his eyes, “Maybe for just a minute.”
Dimitra crawled out of his lap and pressed a kiss to his forehead as she stood. Stretching her back, she leaned her head to the sky. She was finally free. The warmth of the sun beaming down on her skin sent waves of energy through her body. It was a feeling she almost lost. Taking a deep breath, she walked closer to the water. Her toes dipped into the tepid water. Much like her cousins, she felt connected with the earth. Being an elemental meant their bodies were at peace when connected to the elements.
Sitting down, she shivered as the water covered her legs. Dimitra wasn’t sure where they were, only that they’d traveled into the woods far enough away from Helix.
Dimitra’s head spun, thinking about her captor. He was Emersyn’s half-brother, which made him believe he was the rightful heir to the throne. She didn’t understand why he thought that, though. From an early age, Dimitra had been schooled on the history of her ancestors. The Elemental Queens came into power many generations ago, dividing the kingdom into six separate ones, after the great war.
The first Queen of the kingdom was also the first Elemental Witch to exist. She held all six powers, making her the most powerful person in the kingdom. Like many things, some saw her as evil. A revolution occurred, killing many people. When the Queen saw what had become of the people, she sacrificed herself to set them free. In sacrificing herself, her magic flowed into the six women who stood by her side until the end – thus creating the six kingdoms. Many things changed after the revolution. Cell phones were no longer available to the people, only a Royal possessed a device like that. Cars still existed, but there were fewer of them available. Many of the modern technologies were lost in the magical battle. The six Queens restored the kingdoms, dividing them into six nations – Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Onyx, Amethyst, and Diamond.
The Queens held the throne as men held no magic. Even if a boy were born first, the daughter of the Elemental Queen would take the throne on her twenty-first birthday. Most often, girls were born first, eliminating any fallout or issues. On her twenty-first birthday, the Queen’s daughter would ascend to the throne. Her magic would reveal itself during this transitional time – making her a powerful ruler. Besides, her mother’s magic would fade slightly to ensure the daughter's strength.
Dimitra flexed her hand, watching as the golden ball of magic formed in her palm. She twirled it through her fingers, letting the power dance across her knuckles. Maybe once Jason was awake, Dimitra could try and signal the others with her magic. She knew it would be a risk, but if they waited until dark, she could send a light flare into the sky, giving the others a signal of her existence.
Getting to her feet, Dimitra pulled the loose shirt overhead and tossed it to the ground. The water was calling out to her, urging her to sink herself beneath the rippling surface.
Chapter 15
Emersyn paced the ivy-covered ground. She was feeling defeated by the loss of life – a life she couldn’t save. Sarifena was seated at the edge of the pool, her feet sunken beneath the water's surface.
“Emersyn,” Sarifena turned her head towards her sister, “You’ve got to stop. It’s not your fault he’s dead.”
“I should have been able to save him, Sari. My magic is supposed to give life.”
“You know as well as I do, he had been gone too long. Helix is the only one to blame for this – not you.”
Emersyn plopped down in the foliage, “Deep down, I knew he was long gone…” she sighed, “I’m ready to end this. We need to go to the deadlands and bring Dimitra home.”
“Are you still out here, moping?” Onika stepped onto the brick patio. She kicked off her shoes and sat next to Emersyn. “We need to focus our rage on the right person. Blaming yourself isn’t going to help things.”
“What if that had been Dimitra?” Emersyn’s cheeks were stained with tears.
“Stop.” Onika grabbed her hand, “You mustn’t think like that – Dimitra is a strong Queen. She wouldn’t die so meaninglessly.”
“Guys,” Amalee was breathless as she called out to the three of them, “you need to come with me.”
“What is it? Did something happen to Rory?” Onika stood, tugging Emersyn to her feet.
“No… a package was found at the gate.”
Sarifena grabbed her shoes, “What kind of package?”
“I don’t know. It was addressed to the six kingdoms, Dante didn’t want to open it without our consent.”
“Fuck this,” Onika stormed past Amalee, “I’m betting it’s from Helix.”
The four of them gathered around the massive table in the dining room. Rory sat in a chair at the end, Anthony stood with his hands on her shoulders.
“Drake,” Emersyn gripped her husband’s hands, “does security show anything that might suggest who dropped it off?”
“No. It’s like the other letters - the camera’s blackout around the time it was dropped off.”
