Page 28 of Oath of Betrayal
‘Spectrae? That’s not possible! Spectrae can’t cross the Barrier. No greater Vella can. Are they … oh gods, are theyswarming?’
Ani’s voice shook with fear and disbelief.
My reaction, however, was filled with the anger I’d assured Ani was under firm control. It didn’t help that she’d pointed out something genuinely terrifying.
How the fuck could a swarm of spectrae have crossed the Barrier without being noticed?
I knew the Rift was growing, the keystone’s magic fading little by little, and we’d encountered more Vel demons sneaking through. It wasn’t even a matter of numbers now, though; their magic was stronger, too.
Ghouls and strigae were physical beings almost mindless in their hunger with little magic of their own, and were surprisingly adept at slipping through the Barrier. Spectrae, however, didn’t have physical bodies. The foul magic that fuelled them hadalways been successfully blocked by the Barrier … until now.
Does this mean that Alaric can join our patrols?I wondered, dreading a repeat of our first experience.
We weren’t equipped for this kind of attack. Our unit was carrying civilians with a small protection detail, so we couldn’t perform the evasive manoeuvres required to escape a spectrae swarm. The hard truth was that people, and likely dragons, were going to die today—and there was almost nothing I could do about it.
Still, if there was someone I could save, it would be the mage who’d give us a chance to restore the Barrier and prevent full-scale war with the undead.
‘It’s not the best time to discover they can cross to our side. We haven’t had a single spectra in the kingdom since the end of the war. We’ve only ever fought them during patrols on the other side, but it appears our time of peace is over.’
‘The baskets?’ she asked, and her gaze instantly followed a crimson dragon, which I’d learned earlier sheltered the female who had drugged her.
Can I tell Ani the truth and risk her panicking?
The wind wrapped Ani’s braid across her neck with a powerful gust. I took the silken chestnut hair in my hand, unwrapping it gently, and was surprised to find that she didn’t pull away from my touch.
She trusts me,I realised.
It was time I earned that trust, especially since she was a trained mage who might know how to help with our situation. ‘Most of us will probably die here. This swarm, its size, is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It will be an impossible fight. If you have any spells that can help, I will be eternally grateful. And if we survive, I swear to treat you like royalty and kiss the ground you walk on.’
I clenched my teeth as I watched my squadron move into formation, assessing the size of the swarm as they approached. I’d faced smaller groups during patrols beyond the Barrier.
We patrolled regularly, even more so in the last three months, both to train the riders and to monitor events in the Barren Lands. When we’d encountered the spectrae, I’d taken the opportunity to train the men in the ancient technique used to handle the creatures I’d found in an old manuscript from the Necromancer’s War.
It was simple, yet deadly.
Vahin took on the role of bait, luring the spectrae to feed off his life force. At the same time, the other riders would use their dragons to destroy the monsters. Still, looking at the swarm before me, I doubted if even Vahin could withstand their devastating touch.
The spectrae were the Lich King’s answer to dragon riders.
They were a malicious creation formed using foul magic that ripped out the spirits of living creatures, using their suffering to fuel a ravenous hunger. Mad souls locked between life and death forever cursed to swim in the streams of the aether, they were incomplete and therefore unable to cross the Veil to eternal peace.
Their semitranslucent bodies had no solid shape and drifted like clouds until they found a host to feed on. They fed in order to regain corporeal form and finally find peace, but there was nothing, no amount of life essence, that could make them fully whole again.
There was only one way to destroy the spectrae, and it was only possible while they fed. Once the spectrae had stolen enough life essence, they would become solid enough to be vulnerable to spells, enchanted weapons, and dragon fire.
Any living being could be a victim, but a dragon’s life force drew them like moths to a flame. If not eliminated, after themalicious spirits had tethered themselves to a dragon, they would siphon its essence until the dragon fell from the sky. That’s why Vahin was always the bait. He was the strongest dragon at Varta Fortress, but I always felt the echo of his torment as the spectrae latched onto him.
I looked around at my comrades-in-arms, seeing their trust in my leadership whilst knowing I was about to send many of them to their deaths. This battle would not be about victory but about limiting our losses and keeping one person safe.
I sent Vahin a mental command to hold back and I heard the question in his mind, but what stunned me were the actual words that came from him.
Why, Orm? I can hold on the longest.
I knew dragons could communicate viathoughtspeech,a manifestation of wild magic that allowed them to speak into their rider’s mind if they were close enough. I’d read in the old volumes that they could even talk naturally, although their words always had modulated hissing sounds. Vahin had never spoken to me before, though—only used feelings and images to communicate. Having my dragon speak in my mind had startled me, and it took a while to compose myself enough to answer.
Because of Ani. Alaric is confident her magic is the key to restoring the Barrier. I can’t risk her life if there’s a chance to fix it,I answered. Our bond deepened, revealing Vahin’s disapproval of my reasoning, but he understood. I didn’t mind risking our lives, but not when he carried such precious cargo.
I will have to withdraw my protection of her mind to focus on the others. She will be terrified,Vahin said.
