Page 38 of Vows of Sacrifice

“What do you want to know?” I began.

“A question torments me. Are you against learning to defend yourself?” he asked as he rubbed his arms with a bar of soap.

“I know how to use a bow.”

He gave me a brief look, as serious as death.

“Yes, and you do it better than some archers I know, no doubt about it. However, if it’s the ideal weapon over long distances, in close combat, it’s worthless. What do you say about the dagger? Osacanians have small curved daggers that are easy to use. We could have one forged for you. Or better still, I could give you one of my own. I will help you learn how to use it.”

I hadn’t expected such a request from him. In general, men didn’t like the idea of a woman fighting on an equal footing with them.

“I have no objection, and to tell the truth, I think it is useful for a woman to know how to defend herself.”

He nodded, satisfied with my answer.

“I also sense magic in you, but in this area, I’m not the most gifted of my brothers. Paivrin is far more suitable.”

“Paivrin is your brother? I thought he was just your friend.”

“More than a friend, no less than a brother. Don’t look for a physical similarity, neither of us resembles the other. It’s only our aura that gives the impression of déjà-vu.”

“How many brothers do you have?”

“Three. Paivrin, Kynnen, and Tylbis. Paivrin is blind, but ‘sees’ in another way. His magic is linked to the earth, to nature; he commands the little people. Tylbis is perhaps the calmest of the three, unlike Paivrin, who more so gives off the appearance of a cool-headed person. And he’s phenomenally powerful. Not as much as me in terms of destruction, of course, but he’s the one who could stand up to me, even defeat me if he wanted to. Only, he prefers to read and live alone in a cave, far from the world and its troubles. Kynnen, on the other hand, masters air magic, among others; he’s the youngest. A real brat. The one who gets on my nerves with disconcerting ease. He has a scar that crosses his face from forehead to jaw, on the right side. I gave it to him.”

I immediately raised a hand to my mouth.

“It must be terrible to be responsible for this injury, especially to a family member. You must blame yourself a lot.”

Dovah stopped rubbing himself with the soap to look hard at it.

“Yes. If I could go back, I’d do things differently. For a lot of things. I’m a violent being, Ashana. This is my reason for existing.”

How could he be so hard on himself? Nobody was born just to destroy the world, people, or cause pain . . .

“That’s why you consume these cigars.”

I was stating a simple fact and we both knew it. His dark gaze locked on mine.

“Without them, my hands would be continuously covered in blood. This is Paivrin’s creation. I owe it to him to have a relatively normal life.”

With that, he handed me his bar of soap.

“Rub my back, woman!” he ordered, grinning with all his teeth.

I raised an eyebrow.

“I beg your pardon?”

Dovah burst out laughing.

“Please. Take care of me. I’m all yours.”

He knew how to be charming. This man was truly dangerous on so many levels. I agreed to his request with a sigh, defeated in advance, then positioned myself behind him. Even on his shoulder blades, there were a multitude of tattoos! Fascinating.

I dipped the soap in the water a little before gently rubbing his skin. I saw him shiver, and it troubled me. My heart beat a little too fast for my liking.

“If I ask you to tell me about your family, will you be angry with me?” he asked in a sober tone.

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