The Ice Diamond Cuff (Custodian Novel #4) (19 page)

Faen took hold of Faedra's face in his hands
and looked deep into her. His eyes glistened, mirroring his wife's
pain. "I will help you. You are not alone, Adkara. You will never
be alone." A single tear broke free and slid down Faen's cheek.

Leo's incredulous look morphed into an angry
glare. "What the....?"

"Let's go and have that cuppa now, shall we?"
Henry interrupted, virtually shoving his brother down the stairs.
"Come along, girls," he held his arm up and ushered the bridesmaids
to go along, too. They gave their friend one last forlorn look
before filing past Henry down the stairs to the kitchen.

***

A while later, Faedra was sitting on the top
step of the staircase. She could hear anxious chattering wafting up
from the kitchen below. The kettle whistled. Her father was doing
what every other Brit would do in this situation...make a pot of
tea.

Faedra knew she would have to face the
occupants in the kitchen, eventually, but right at that moment, she
couldn't move. Every time she closed her eyes, the horrific scene
from her bedroom looped over and over in full HD behind her
eyelids. She looked down at her hands. They were clean now, all
evidence of her father's blood washed away in the shower. The
diluted watery color of red had swirled around the plug hole at her
feet until the water ran clear.

Her gaze diverted to the ice diamond cuff.
The gems were twinkling in the light that hung from the ceiling
above. As beautiful as it was, it may as well be a handcuff. In
fact, that's exactly what it had turned out to be. Faedra was now
shackled. No amount of tugging, pulling, or using soap to make it
slippery had loosened the cuff from her wrist. It was part of her
now, until she could find someone with strong enough magic to
extricate her from it. She had an uneasy feeling that the reason
she could not take it off had everything to do with the fact that
it was now connected to her life energy. Oh, yes, Zaven had been
very clever. Faedra cursed herself for being taken in by a pretty
trinket. She glared at the elegant piece of jewelry with a hatred
like no other. But hatred wasn't going to solve her dilemma. She
chewed on her thumbnail. How was she going to tell everyone who was
depending on her that she was now about as powerful as a newborn
lamb?

"So, you three can turn into dragons?"

Faedra's head turned, and she looked through
the balusters towards the kitchen at the sound of her uncle's
bewildered voice. She could see the bottom of the kitchen door from
where she sat. It was open.

"Yes," answered Draconis.

"And you two can turn invisible?"

Faedra heard Etyran clear his throat. "In a
manner of speaking, yes."

"And the rest of you are - are...fairies?"
Leo's voice got a little higher pitched with each question.

"We are fae, yes," Faen replied.

"And... Faedra?" Amy asked, the trepidation
obvious in her hesitant query.

"Her real father was our king," Faen
continued.

Faedra closed her eyes, as tears threatened
upon hearing his words.

"His eldest daughter was renounced of any
inheritance, the reason of which I will not go into now. But
suffice to say, that now leaves Faedra as the only rightful heir to
the throne of Azran."

Faedra hung her head and blew out a long,
shaky, heavyhearted breath. Resting her forehead in her hand, she
stared at the fluffy pink slippers on her feet. The ones her dad
had bought her the previous Christmas. To her surprise, her lips
curved at the irony. She couldn't look less like a queen at that
moment. Maybe she should go and change them. She reached up to the
banister and pulled herself up. Just as she was about to turn and
head for her room, she changed her mind. Right now she needed
comfort, and, at that moment, those slippers gave her comfort. She
really didn't care what anyone else thought. Those slippers were
staying on her feet.

Hand on the banister, she let it glide over
the smooth wood as she descended the stairs one at a time.

When she arrived at the kitchen door, the
sight that greeted her stopped her in her tracks. The kitchen table
was surrounded by a huddle of humans, fae and dragons, all
discussing the situation that had been thrust upon them. It was a
sight she never in her wildest dreams would imagine witnessing. So
much for keeping her friends out of her other world.

Alyssa and Jocelyn each had a reassuring arm
around Amy and Zoe. Etyran was sitting next to Leo and was gently
patting her uncle on the back in an attempt to calm him. Her uncle
had his head in both hands, his elbows resting on the table.
Bedowen was speaking softly to Nicki, who was staring at the floor.
Alaris and Ignis were washing and drying cups ready for another
round of tea that her dad and Faen were preparing over by the
stove. The Messengers were chatting with the vicar and Draconis at
one end of the dining table, making plans for something, but Faedra
couldn't hear any detail in their deep murmurs.

Leo sat up and drew in a slow, deep breath.
"This is all too much to take in," he said to Etyran, dragging a
hand through already disheveled dark blond hair. "And this army you
say has taken over your world...?"

"They are from a realm called Alsius," Faen
answered, carrying the pot of tea and placing it in the middle of
the table. "It is the ice realm. Everything and everyone in it is
constructed of ice. Their power is destructive and lethal. They
have the power to freeze anything they touch, turning it to ice if
they so desire. Though, why they would strike now is a mystery to
me. The king and queen of Alsius are peaceful. I know they have
been feuding with Umor, but they have never made a physical threat
against another realm. There is something more going on than meets
the eye."

"But you say that Faedra is the most powerful
being in all of these...how many realms?" Zoe asked.

"Seven," Alyssa answered.

"So, can't she just go in there and blast
them all back to wherever they came from?" Nicki looked up and
responded to Zoe's question.

"No, she can't," Faedra said, stepping into
the room.

All heads turned towards her. If she could
feel their energy, she would guess a mixture of sadness, anxiety
and confusion would be slamming into her. But, as was her current
state, she could feel nothing.

"It's gone," Faedra said numbly. "All of
it...gone."

Murmurs echoed around the table as Faen
hastened towards his wife.

Faedra looked up into her husband's worried
eyes. "He took it, Faen. All of it. He's destroying our world as we
speak, and I can do nothing to stop it." Tears welled anew in
Faedra's eyes.

Faen wiped away a tear with his thumb. "We
will find a way," he whispered.

"Come and have a cup of tea, love," Henry
said. "Everyone always feels better after a cup of tea."

Faedra offered Faen a weak smile at her dad's
optimism. He took her hand and led her over to the table. Without
hesitation, Etyran got up from his seat and offered her his
chair.

"We will find a way, Your Majesty," Etyran
said, bowing his head as she approached.

Faedra leveled a considering stare at him.
"Oh, no, you don't," she said.

Etyran looked perplexed.

"I want to make one thing clear before we go
any further, and I don't want any arguments..." She threw a pointed
look at her husband and then cast it around the table. "...from any
of you."

Curious glances swept about the room between
the occupants filling the kitchen.

"I'm still Faedra, okay?" Faedra continued.
She barked out a humorless laugh and shook her head at the irony.
"Even more so now." She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips and
cast her eyes around the room. Straightening up, she carried on.
"Everyone in this room is to continue calling me by my name."

There was instant muttering around the table
from everyone other than her uncle, Nicki, Amy and Zoe, who just
looked at her with numbed expressions.

"Is that understood?" Faedra asked.

"But, Your Majesty..." the vicar started.

Faedra put her hand up and made a sharp noise
to stop him.

Alaris crossed his arms over his chest,
raised a sleek eyebrow and shrugged. "I can live with that," he
said.

The otherworlders turned incredulous looks on
the blue dragon.

"Why are you looking at me like that? If the
girl wants to be called by her real name, that's her decision,
don't you think?"

"Thank you, Alaris," Faedra said. She never
thought she'd see the day when the grouchy dragon would actually
stand up for her.

The dragon inclined his head.

"Okay, so now that we have that cleared up,"
Draconis said, stepping forward. "What say you all that we focus on
getting Azran back?"

Faedra's eyes widened. "You'll help us?"

Draconis looked affronted for a split second.
"Of course, we'll help you. Why would you think otherwise?"

Faedra hung her head. "I don't know. It's not
your realm under attack. I just assumed you would want to stay out
of it."

Draconis moved over to Faedra and lowered
himself to a crouch before her. "Well, usually we would. But, I've
become quite fond of the new queen, and it seems to me, she could
use a little help right about now."

Faedra looked down into the dragon's eyes
that shone with sincerity. "Thank you," she whispered.

A moment of silence hung between them before
Draconis pushed himself up and addressed the Messengers.

"You were the last to see Azran. What was the
state of things just before you made your escape with the
king?"

Everyone huddled closer to the table as one
of the Messengers cleared his throat. He nodded towards Draconis
acknowledging the questions, but he addressed his new queen with
his answer.

"Your Highness," he started.

Faedra didn't question his formal address. At
the end of the day, she was only bothered by her close friends
addressing her differently. She knew the rest of the realm would
feel uncomfortable if they did not call her by her title.

"The situation is desperate," the Messenger
continued. "Zaven had taken much of the castle by the time we got
your father out. It was swarming with an army of Alsians, we were
lucky to escape when we did. Everything they touched turned to ice
before our very eyes. I would imagine he has turned most of the
city by now..." He looked down at his hands that were clasped
together in front of him. "...including her residents."

Faedra clenched her hands together, her
knuckles turning white under the pressure. She had to stay strong,
these people were looking to her for answers. The fact that she
didn't have any could be hidden for a little while. "And you are
sure the king locked down all of the portals?" Faedra asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the second Messengers
answered. "He said that Azran was the only thing standing between
Zaven and the World of Men."

"Why did you not escape with the ruby
staff?"

"We could not get to it, Your Highness,"
Messenger one said.

"But if Zaven gets his hands on it, we're
doomed here, too. He can go anywhere with that thing."

"We do not believe he has found it within the
castle yet, Your Majesty," Messenger two said. "We have not seen
any evidence that he has made his way into the World of Men."

"Thank you, Messengers."

The Messengers bowed and took a step back
from the table.

She looked over to Henry. "Dad. I think I'll
have that cup of tea now, please."

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Hands cupped around a hot mug of tea, Faedra
relished the warmth that soaked into her skin. Adrenaline and
delayed shock was settling into her soul, and it was taking
everything she had to keep from shaking like a leaf. She never
thought she would miss the internal furnace that used to roar
within her, but she couldn't remember ever feeling this cold
before. She drew the blanket that Faen had draped around her
shoulders closer to her.

The entire group had migrated to the dining
room and seated themselves around the much larger table. Faedra and
Faen were seated at one end, flanked by Etyran, Jocelyn, and Henry
to either side. Draconis sat at the other end, flanked by Alaris
and Ignis. The rest of the group squeezed themselves around the
table, some sitting on chairs they had brought in from the kitchen,
others scavenged from various rooms within the cottage. All eyes
were on Faedra, as though she were an old hand at plotting battles
and saving realms.

Faedra mentally ran through her 'to-do
list':

Retrieve ruby staff

Rescue half-sister who hates me and probably
is the cause of all this

Take back Azran

Do away with Zaven...All while having no
powers, so I'm a sitting duck who is next to useless. Yep, things
are looking good so far.

She took a long look around the table at the
expectant faces and said the only sensible thing that came into her
head.

"We need to get the ruby staff. If Zaven gets
his hands on it, we are all in big trouble." Faedra looked down the
table at Draconis. "May we borrow the emerald staff?"

Without hesitation, Draconis lay the emerald
staff on the table and pushed it towards her. The emeralds twinkled
under the dining room lights. Amy let out a mewl of appreciation as
the staff slid past her along the shiny mahogany surface of the
table.

"You may," Draconis said.

Faedra reached out and cupped her hand over
the head of the staff. Its large emerald hummed under her skin.
"Thank you," she said, sliding it off the table and leaning it
against her leg.

Faen and Jocelyn eyed Faedra's hand that was
tightly gripped around the emerald staff and shot each other a
nervous look. They both put a hand on each of Faedra's
shoulders.