Page 79 of The Death King
“No, unfortunately.”
After a long pause, he turned back to me. “Black diamonds are powerful because they store…energy. Energy that I can access in battle when mine has been depleted. They’re the only gem in the known world with the unique properties to have capacity disproportionate to their size.”
My eyes raked over his body to see the different stones fused with his armor. “Are all of those full?”
“No. Only a few.”
“How do you fill them?”
“It’s complicated.”
“I’m a pretty smart girl, so…”
“If you were smart, you would know my answer was just a deflection.” His black eyes matched the stones, having the same shine, the same depth.
“So, you aren’t going to answer me.”
“I told you enough.”
“How much energy do you have?” I asked. “How does that work?”
“What does it matter?”
“You asked me to fight for you, didn’t you? You won’t share this ability with me?”
He watched me for a while before he answered. “It’s not as simple as it sounds. It’s not something I can just share.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t,” he said coldly. “But I’ll tell you how it works. When I’ve sustained injuries, I can use the energy in the diamonds to heal quickly. I can’t reverse damage completely, but I can keep myself alive. When I’m exhausted and my opponent is relentless, I can use the energy to continue the battle. Battles aren’t won in a single night. Sometimes they can outlast your strength.”
“That’s how you conquered our kingdoms.” He had the energy to continue an endless siege. He had an army of the dead.
“Not to be insulting, but your people were unprepared for the assault. That’s why I’ve taken defense far more seriously. The black diamonds weren’t necessary.”
“They weren’t necessary when you raised an army from the dead.”
He looked away, dismissing the question in my tone.
“Are the rumors true?”
He’d never confirmed it.
I’d never witnessed it, and I was grateful for that.
His eyes remained elsewhere.
“I don’t understand your hesitation.”
“Because I don’t want to discuss it—obviously.”
“So, it is true.” If it weren’t, then he would have no discomfort.
He looked at me again, his eyes hard.
“Why would you not want to talk about that? You have a power I’ve never even heard of?—”
“I command the dead. I disturb them from their eternal rest. Soldiers who have already served their kings are called to duty once again by a vile ruler who doesn’t hesitate to crack their holy tombs. It’s a crime against nature, a despicable act, heinous.” His angry eyes bored into mine. “And you ask why I wouldn’t want to talk about that?”