Page 37 of The Diamond Dragon Prince
A swelling cry that was intended to intimidate us sounded from the soldiers on the other side as we all raced toward the work camp.
“Be ready,” Emmerich warned us all, which was as close as he was going to come to admitting that we might not be as prepared as we’d thought.
“We need to find and rescue the prisoners first and foremost,” Leo called out by my side. “They’re innocent and shouldn’t be caught in the battle.”
“Let that be your mission,” Osric shouted his order from one side, where his most trusted men surrounded him, ready to fight. “We came here to free the villagers first. Defeating Freslik must be secondary.”
I felt a surge of approval from Leo right as we reached the palisades surrounding the work camp.
That was when the battle began in earnest. Though most of King Freslik’s soldiers were still on the far side of the camp, there were enough of the old guards and mercenaries manning the palisades to put up a fight.
“This way!” Leo called out, drawing the sword he’d been given to fight with and pointing it at a gap in the defenses.
I followed him, my own sword drawn. The thrill that swirled through both of us was intoxicating. I’d always thought good food, fine wine, andthe best omega entertainment were the greatest joys of life, but racing with my mate through the palisade and into a skirmish as we worked for a just and noble cause topped any of that.
Emmerich had insisted we couldn’t use magic to bring a swift and miraculous end to the conflict, but no one had said anything about using it to shield myself and my omega as we smashed into our first, strong resistance. Making the space around us impervious and the guards we battled too clumsy to let their blows land anywhere near Leo’s person was easy. We did clash with a few men, but each time, they dropped their swords without explanation or stumbled as they attempted to slash at Leo.
“You’re helping me,” Leo said, smirking beautifully as we left one group of guards to round the corner of one of the longhouses where we could see prisoners were trapped.
“Of course, my love,” I replied with a wink.
Leo laughed and shook his head, but he didn’t protest the help.
It was hard to see what was happening with the battle overall as we dashed from longhouse to longhouse, smashing open doors and helping the captive villagers inside to safety. We met resistance along the way, but nothing we couldn’t overcome.
It was a little too easy.
“Don’t bother with us,” one of the prisoners we’d just freed warned us in a terrified voice. “King Freslik’s men are all over the camp. They’re lying in wait to capture you all.”
Leo and I both grew serious, glancing at each other and then back the way we’d come, to the center of the camp.
Sure enough, a sudden, swelling cry, like a hundred men or more leaping out of hiding at once echoed across the chaotic space.
“We need to go back,” Leo said.
I nodded, and the two of us ran toward the noise. My dragon kin and the other omega princes saw us running and joined us. We formed a single group as we hurried towards the center of the conflict.
We arrived just in time to see a fierce battle between two sets of trained, hardened men. Neither side appeared to have the upper hand. Osric fought in the middle of his men, but he didn’t appear to be gaining any advantage.
And then the worst possible thing happened.
No sooner had our group run out to the central yard of the camp where the fiercest fighting was taking place than we were surrounded by at least two dozen men, some of them on horseback.
“Hold!” one of the mounted soldiers who had captured us called out. “We have the princes!”
The battle wasn’t quick to end, but the fighting gradually stopped.
“I knew this would happen,” Prince Misha wept as our group was herded straight into the middle of the battleground. “I knew he would capture us. He’ll kill us now for certain. We betrayed him.”
“Nothing will happen to you,” Azurus tried to console him.
“Are you willing to let me use magic now?” I asked Emmerich, sick with bitterness that we’d let ourselves be caught so quickly.
“Not yet,” Emmerich said, as if we were on a walk through the park instead of at the endpoint of a battle, one we’d very likely just lost. “Wait and see what happens.”
I huffed impatiently and could feel Leo’s incredulity, too. Prince Rumi still gazed at Emmerich with trust, but I could see uneasiness in him.
“Father’s coming,” Prince Obi gasped as we were all pushed to a stop in the center of the battleground.
