Page 27 of The Diamond Dragon Prince
I laughed humorlessly. Emmerich was, perhaps, the most even-tempered and strategic of the six of us. He’d met Prince Rumi months ago, but instead of just stealing him away, he’d given him the marble that created a more lasting doorway between our worlds. He claimed that there was plenty of time and that many things had to come to pass in both worlds before it was their time to be together.
But seeing him now, as he stepped through the doorway he’d created and straight intoa wide, empty field just after dawn in the cruel world, you would think that he was as impulsive as Rufus.
I should have known that Emmerich would be able to take us straight to the work camp. Whether he was already aware of its potential location or whether he was following his sense of Prince Rumi I didn’t know, nor did I care. All that I cared about as we marched across the recently tilled fields around a set of several longhouses guarded by crude palisades were the shouts, cries, and clash of battle that came from within the compound.
“It looks like your omega prince has already started a revolution,” Azurus said as we picked up our pace.
It was difficult to tell what had happened at first. The morning light had only just reached the hovel-like longhouses. As we drew closer, it was obvious that a battle was taking place.
“For Eterra!” someone shouted.
His shout was followed by a chorus of other shouts, and as we reached the edge of the palisade, we saw a motley band of young beta and omega men in tattered work clothes charge at a cluster of guards.
The guards were half-dressed and only a few of them held weapons, as if they’d been awakened to the rebellion instead of diligently on guard against it.
“For Tunston!” another shout came from a different direction.
A second battalion of peasants ran forward to join the first group in bashing the guards with bits of broken furniture and tools.
“We’ve arrived in time for the rebellion,” Emmerich said, flexing his hands as they flashed into dragon claws.
“Don’t go giving all your secrets away yet, brother,”Azurus said as the three of us rushed to join the melee. “It looks as though this fight can be won without the help of dragons.”
Azurus was right. Whether it was because they were unprepared or simply second-rate guards and soldiers, instead of mounting any sort of organized defense, the alphas who had been put in charge of making the prisoners’ lives miserable cowered and fled. It was as likely as not that, as the worst sort of alphas, they hadn’t expected their prisoners to fight back at all.
“We have them on the run!” the leader of the first group shouted. “Let’s finish this!”
My dragon kin and I had arrived at the end of what must have been a clever and exciting fight. As we rushed in, ready to lend a hand, dozens of rough and dirty alphas poured out of the camp carrying whatever they could. The betas and omegas who were left behind at the edges of the palisades suddenly seemed more like victors defending their turf instead of prisoners held against their will.
I was half tempted to join in with their shouts of triumph as they celebrated but for one thing. I knew without seeing it that my Leo wasn’t among them.
“Hold!” a strong voice shouted. “Who are you?”
A beta with the mien of an alpha marched forward, flanked by a few others, to stop us from coming much closer.
“We mean you no harm,” I said, raising my hands to show them we weren’t armed. “Where is Prince Leo?” I blurted before I could stop myself.
The beta paused several yards away from me, letting out a breath like he was more exhausted than he wanted to let on. “Who asks?”
“I’m his fated mate,” I said.
Emmerich made a disapproving sound, reminding me that people in the cruel world didn’t have fated mates like we did in the magical realm. “We’re beloved of the princes,” he said instead. “We’ve come to help them.”
“Then you’ve come too late,” the beta said. He closed the distance between us and said, “I’m Milosh.”
“What do you mean we’re too late?” I demanded.
“It is an honor to meet you, Milosh,” Emmerich said, far more diplomatically, shaking the tired beta’s hand.
Milosh looked like he didn’t know whether to trust us or treat us as more enemies. “The princes are good men, unlike their father,” he said, then waited, as if testing to see how we would react to that statement.
“King Freslik is one of the most evil men this world has ever seen,” Azurus said, understanding the question and giving the answer that would let the growing group of villagers know we were on their side. “The things he has done to his sons and to you all are a disgrace.”
Milosh nodded as if we’d passed the test. “The princes were brought here last night. They were understanding and strong. They gave us hope and made us see that we can fight back, we do not have to accept this as our fate. They…they told us that you would be coming.”
“But?” Emmerich asked, sounding more worried than I’d ever heard him.
Milosh sighed, his shoulders dropping. “But Baylin, the former governor of this camp, came and took them away last night, after most of us had gone to bed.”
