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

"I even get to wear a sword," her dad
blurted, as though he were getting his first toy gun for
Christmas.

Faedra turned to face Henry. His expression
fell when he saw a tear slide down his daughter's cheek. Deflated,
he whispered. "You don't like it."

Faedra swallowed before throwing her arms
around her dad.

Henry hugged his daughter with his free arm
and patted her gently on the back. "There, there. Don't worry,
darling. I'm sure I can come up with something else to wear," he
said.

Faedra pulled away and looked into her dad's
disappointed eyes. "These aren't tears of sadness, Dad. They're
tears of happiness. You'll see why on the day. I love it! It's
gorgeous. You are going to look absolutely out of this
world...literally."

Henry's face lit up at Faedra's words.
"Phew," he said. "I was beginning to think I might look a bit odd
in a tux."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, Dad. You
should see what some of the other realms wear...or don't, as the
case may be." Faedra chuckled, thinking back to one of her lessons
on the various fashions throughout the realms. That was an
eye-opener. But then, she guessed if you were made of ice or water,
the need for clothing was kind of irrelevant. She was quite
intrigued to see how they were going to 'dress' for her wedding.
The ambassador for Alsius certainly wasn't big on clothes, but, at
least, he formed some breeches to cover himself. Apparently, the
two species could shape whatever form they liked around themselves
when they were visiting other realms. They did, at least,
understand social decorum. Faedra sighed in relief.

CHAPTER FOUR

"Jocelyn!" Faedra squealed when she spied her
friend across the lawn of the Guardian academy.

Jocelyn turned her head. Her face lit up when
she saw her friend. She turned back to the group she was standing
with and excused herself. The others in her group nodded. Jocelyn
made her way through the throng of people milling about on the lawn
that lay in the shadow of the stately academy building. It was
graduation day. Faedra was there with Faen and his parents Janessa
and Rowan. Faedra decided she needed to come to an event like this
more often. The energy blanketing the entire area was so uplifting.
Nothing but positive energy everywhere she turned. Pride mingled
with joy and excitement.

Faedra could hardly contain herself as she
watched her young fae friend thread her way through the gathering
and finally make it to where she and Jocelyn's family were
patiently waiting. Faedra threw her arms around her friend the
second she was within reach.

"It's so good to see you," Faedra said,
releasing her after giving Jocelyn a big squeeze. "I've missed you
so much."

"Me, too," Jocelyn said.

"And just look at you. I don't think I've
ever seen you in anything but a dress. You look pretty formidable
in that get up. You're not turning into a tom-boy on me, are
you?"

Jocelyn looked down at herself and smiled.
The Guardian uniform she had to wear at the academy consisted of
dark brown leather boots that came just below her knee, light tan
suede leggings, a leather vest the same color as her boots, and a
cream-colored, long sleeved tunic tucked in at the waist. The
uniform was completed by the obligatory sword, which hung from a
belt slung around her hips.

"Do not worry, Faedra. I still like to wear
dresses," the young fairy said just before she was swooped upon by
her mother.

"We are so proud of you, darling," Janessa
cooed as she broke from their hug. "I think I may be the only
person in Azran to have three Guardians in the family." She dabbed
at her eye with a handkerchief.

"Mother, there is no need to cry," Jocelyn
said, placing a consoling hand on her mother's arm.

"Your mother always cries at weddings and
graduations, Jocelyn. You know that." Rowan stated with a wry
smile. He wrapped a supportive arm around his wife's shoulders,
then turned to Faen and Faedra. "Just wait until next week," he
said giving them a wink.

Janessa doffed her husband playfully on the
arm. "Oh, Rowan. I am not as bad as you make me out to be."

"Really? And how many handkerchiefs did you
go through at Faen's graduation?" He leaned over and wrapped his
arms around his daughter. "It is good to see you, darling.
Congratulations."

Janessa blushed. "Let's change the subject,
shall we? Jocelyn, do you know who you have been assigned to
yet?"

Faedra turned her attention to her young
friend. She was eager to find out where Jocelyn would be going. She
prayed that it wouldn't be too far. Faen was away from his home for
twelve years before he went back. It would be very hard for Faedra
if her only real friend in Azran had to leave, as she hardly ever
saw her.

"I do," Jocelyn whispered, shooting Faedra a
surreptitious glance, "but it is top secret at the moment. Only the
king and I know. I am sworn to secrecy until the king announces
it."

"Oh, goodness." Janessa clasped her
handkerchief to her chest. "It must be someone of utmost
importance."

"Yes, it is."

"'Allo gorgeous," a raspy voice whispered in
Faedra's ear.

Faedra tensed a split second before she spun
around… no one was there. She switched her vision to detect
energies. "Etyran," she whispered, before throwing her arms around
him.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked,
sounding deflated.

"Well, for one, it's your signature move,
trying to creep up on me and get yourself killed. And two, I can
see your energy."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that nifty little
trick."

Faedra felt a shift in the atmosphere around
them and scanned the crowd. She was getting a few odd glances from
others in the assemblage. She couldn't blame them, she looked like
she was hugging the air. They probably thought their future queen
was losing her marbles.

"Oh, for goodness sakes! Show yourself so I
don't look like a complete Looney Tunes."

Etyran
unwrapped
the light around
himself. A six foot wall of muscle and brawn now blocked out the
concerned faces. She looked up and soaked in his angular features
that were framed by a mop of shaggy brown hair. He smiled, and it
reached all the way up to his warm green eyes. The energy around
her went back to its previous state.

"Thank you," Faedra said, a wry smile
quirking her lip. "Although, I should probably have you thrown in
the dungeon. I'm sure there's some kind of law against creeping up
on members of the royal family in a vain attempt to scare them to
death."

Etyran's eyes widened just a hint. "You
wouldn't..." his voice went up an octave, "...would you?"

Faedra giggled. She gave him a playful shove
with her shoulder. "No, of course not, you big goof. What do you
take me for? I'd be hard pressed to put my worst enemy down in the
dungeons with my darling sister. I certainly wouldn't subject that
kind of torture on one of my best friends."

The Lightbender's shoulders relaxed, and a
smile lit up his face.

"Etyran, my friend." Faen stepped forward and
threw his arm around his friend's shoulder. "Good to see you again.
It has been a while."

"You look well, Etyran," Janessa said,
stepping forward and offering her hand.

"And you look radiant, Lady Janessa," Etyran
said, bending to graze her knuckles with his lips.

Faedra's eyebrows shot up into her forehead.
Wow, the rough-around-the-edges Lightbender had proper manners. Who
knew?

Janessa stepped back allowing her husband to
make his greeting. Rowan extended his hand. When Etyran took it,
Faen's father pulled him forward and slapped him on the back.

"It has been a long time, young man. I am
glad to see you are doing well."

"Yes, sir. I have no complaints."

Rowan stepped back leaving just one more
person to welcome Etyran into the group. Faedra drew in a breath as
the energy shifted around her. She looked from Etyran to Jocelyn
and back to Etyran. Both sets of her friend's eyes locked on each
other. Their expressions were unreadable to the naked eye, but
their energies were almost up in flames.

"Jocelyn," Etyran said with an incline of his
head.

"Etyran," Jocelyn responded with a subtle
nod.

Faedra's lips curved into a knowing
smile.

"Something you would like to share with me?"
Faen whispered in Faedra's ear.

"Nothing to report, as yet."

"Hmm," Faen mumbled, casting a curious glance
to his sister then over to his best friend.

That's a point, Faedra thought. Where was
Alyssa? She did a quick scan around her, but the other Lightbender
was nowhere to be seen. Surely, she wouldn't hide herself; Faedra
switched to energy vision again just to be sure. Nope. No other
energy sources that weren't showing themselves.

"Where's Alyssa?" Faedra asked and almost
immediately regretted it. Jocelyn's energy plummeted. Faedra looked
at her young friend, but her expression was stoic, unreadable. She
looked up at Etyran, his eyes were cast to the floor and a flush
colored his cheeks. "She doesn't like crowds," was all he said.

Faedra shook out her hands. Standing in such
close proximity to such heated emotions wasn't helping her control
either. She was saved by a bell.

"Shall we?" Rowan said, ushering their group
towards the expansive entryway into the academy. "I believe the
ceremony is about to begin."

Faedra shuffled her way along with everyone
else as they made their way into a great hall.

"See you a bit later," Jocelyn said as she
left the group and headed towards the other graduates to the front
of the hall.

Rowan and Janessa inched their way down a row
of seats.

"You go first," Faedra said, as Faen gestured
for her to follow Janessa down the row. He gave her a quizzical
look to which she responded with a surreptitious glance in the
direction of a particular Lightbender.

Faen gave her a nod of comprehension before
making his way down the row of seats. Faedra seated herself next to
her Guardian and was joined on her other side by the remaining
person in their party.

"You still have feelings for Jocelyn, don't
you?" Faedra whispered to Etyran as soon as he was seated.

"What? No!" Etyran spluttered. His expression
became hard, defiant.

Faedra raised a brow. "Ty, it's me you're
talking to. Your energy went off the charts when you laid eyes on
her. So did hers, I might add."

Etyran's features softened. "It did?" he
whispered, sounding hopeful.

Faedra rolled her eyes at her friend who was
now looking like a lovesick puppy.

"So what's going on with Alyssa?" Faedra
continued.

Etyran dropped his gaze to study his hands
that lay in his lap. He started twiddling his thumbs around each
other, and released a heavyhearted sigh. "I love Alyssa. She's one
of my kind, but I'm still
in
love with Jocelyn." He turned
his eyes, fraught with worry and confusion, and stared at the
Custodian. "What do I do, Fae?"

Faedra clasped her hands together and rested
her chin on them. She turned her head to the side and gave her
friend a long considering look. Did she have an answer for him? Her
only experience with love was with the extraordinary fae sitting to
her other side. She didn't think she was qualified to give an
answer. She cared about Alyssa, but Jocelyn was her best friend
whom she loved like a sister. What would her dad tell her to do in
a situation like this? She drew in a breath and smiled. She knew
exactly what her dad would say.

"You have to follow your heart, Etyran," she
whispered. "Just because Alyssa is one of your kind doesn't mean
you are bound by any laws to love her. It wouldn't be fair to
either of you...or Jocelyn, for that matter."

"But what do I do?" Etyran said, his voice
small and meek. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

Faedra drew her lips into a grim line.
"Sorry, big man, but that's the name of the game," she said,
placing a comforting hand on his forearm. "You'll figure it
out."

"But what if Jocelyn doesn't want me back and
I lose Alyssa, too?" Etyran hung his head and closed his eyes for a
long moment.

Faedra's heart went out to her friend and
thought the situation somewhat ironic. Here she was trying to give
love advice to, A) a man, and B) someone who was probably ten times
her age. Surely, he had more experience with this than she did.

"Keeping Alyssa hanging just because Jocelyn
may not come back to you isn't right, either," Faedra whispered.
"If you don't have feelings for her that way, you have to tell her.
It's the right thing to do. Yes, she may be hurt to start with, but
she'll find someone else."

Etyran sighed again. Faedra was relieved she
wasn't in his shoes. She smiled. "Oh, and by the by," she said
quirking her mouth to one side. "I wouldn't worry too much about
Jocelyn. Your two energies will not stay separated for long."

Etyran brought his melancholy gaze up to meet
Faedra's bright, sparkling eyes. His lips twitched, an attempt at a
smile that touched his warm eyes.

"You'll make a great mum, you know," Etyran
said.

Faedra's jaw dropped. The Lightbender's
unexpected statement startled her. A nervous knot tied itself deep
in her stomach.

Etyran turned to face the front where the
ceremony was starting to kick off. "I wish I had a mother like you
when I was growing up," he murmured barely audible. But Faedra
heard him and a sadness washed over her; it was Etyran's energy. At
that moment, Faedra realized she had no idea about Etyran's
upbringing or even if he had a family. He'd never mentioned one,
and she'd never thought to ask. Was he an orphan? At what age did
he lose his mother? She felt her heart ache. He may be rough and
tough on the outside, but, on the inside, he just wanted to love
and be loved. Sometimes, having a power like hers could answer a
lot of questions without ever needing to ask them.