Page 40 of Oath of Betrayal
Here we go again,I thought. During these few days in his company, I had learned that Alaric’s mood was often unpredictable—fluctuating from serious to mischievous, from brooding to outright seductive. I never knew where I stood, but I could say I’d never been bored.
Alaric knew that the library had become my favourite place. If I’d known Varta Fortress held such a wealth of knowledge and ancient texts, I would have hiked up here years ago. That was why he proposed it now, while we stood overlooking the breathtaking landscape. Of course, I couldn’t let his teasing go unanswered.
‘Recreate …really?’ I rolled my eyes. ‘Unless you mean the scenes where the hero dies a tragic death and the heroine becomes the sole queen of the kingdom?’
My companion threw his head back and laughed. ‘Well, I would prefer scenes where the hero loses himself between her thighs, but I can play an incredibly good-looking corpse if you desire.’ I sighed, pretending to be offended by the suggestion.
‘I don’t want to go to the library, but if you are up for a walk, we can go to town,’ I suggested, and he nodded, extending his arm. I rested my hand on it, and as we strolled down the weathered steps, I asked the question that had plagued me the last few days. ‘I know it’s not my place to ask, but the servants’ gossip, and with me still sleeping in Orm’s bedroom, I just have to know for sure.’
‘Let me guess. Someone told you I’m Orm’s lover.’
‘Well, yes. So … are you?’
‘No. I’m his friend, and we are close, but notthatclose; and even if we were, it wouldn’t cause any issues. What do you know about the dark fae?’ he probed, and I shrugged.
‘Next to nothing. Your race isn’t exactly open to sharing knowledge or welcoming visitors, and since the Necromancer’s War, diplomatic relations between our kingdom and yours have been … well, strained would be underplaying the situation.’
‘Indeed. Then let me tell you why I’d be comfortable sharing a woman with him if we were together. Dark fae women—ourdominae, as we call them—are rare and precious, and they rule our society. They choose who they mate with, and that includes how many at any given time. Dark fae males like to serve their lady, and the more powerful the woman is, the more elevated the status of the male; but just as the king in your country needs more than one guard or advisor, dark fae females need more consorts. We like to share, and sometimes bond not only with our females but with each other.’
‘You mean, like … intimately?’ I asked, trying to calm my racing heart and the unexpected flood of yearning.
‘Yes, although it doesn’t happen often; but the households in which that harmony is achieved are envied by the rest of dark fae society. My father couldn’t stand the power women have, so he chose a human mage for himself—and was considered an abomination for it.’
I felt my cheeks warm as I recalled my past and how I had chosen my Anchors. Cautiously, I broached the subject that had caused Tal and Arno no end of difficulty. ‘But Orm isn’t a woman or a dark fae.’ Alaric laughed.
‘He certainly isn’t, but one day, he will choose his mate; and if we were together, I would most likely share him with her—well, if they didn’t mind. I would enjoy it, Annika, having a family like that, having people I could trust.’ The last words were said quietly and with strange vulnerability.
The moment passed, his usual mask slipping back on, and a casual mischief replaced the longing I had glimpsed in his eyes.‘Still, if you’re worried, why not move to my room?’ he added, biting his lip when my eyes widened at such innuendo.
‘Will you stop this endless flirting? All you’d get from me visiting your room is a critique of the décor,’ I said, because we’d entered the town square. ‘It will be better for everyone if you don’t see me as a woman you could both enjoy.’
‘I know, but you are mistaken. I see you as a woman who could enjoyusboth … not the other way around,’ he asserted before placing his hand on mine.
‘Ani, when—or rather, if—our miners find a replacement for the keystone, I will ask you once again to consider Anchoring me. Even if we succeed with the glyph, it may still be needed in order to draw enough power for the spell to work. I know you’re drawn to Orm. I just want you to know that bonding with me doesn’t mean you would need to choose.’ Alaric didn’t bother to lower his voice, and I saw the curious stares of the citizens as we passed, noting the gleeful look in his eyes as he tested my patience.
‘But it would be …’
‘A sacrifice, I know. I’m dark fae, after all. Mages wouldn’t want the taint of my power touching them.’ His tight, crooked smile exposed his feelings. I saw the flicker of pain that flashed in his eyes before he smirked. ‘Still, I can guarantee our intimacy would leave you asking for more. My kind know all the sweet and perverted ways to please their women.’
‘What? Gods! You are a menace, a bloody menace,’ I snapped, and he laughed. ‘You asked about dark fae customs. I just wanted you to know about our hidden skills. It is your decision what you do with that knowledge.’ He said.
‘Oh, really? I’ll tell you what I’m going to do: I’m going to go to the tavern and drink enough mead to scrub what you just said from my mind. How does that sound? Yeah, you know what?That’s the best idea I’ve had all day.’ I headed for the second-best place in the fortress as Alaric strolled behind me.
‘Splendid, give me a tankard of wine, and I will tell you about our mating. It is quite spectacular, unless you’re repulsed by blood,’ Ari teased, and I shook my head in disbelief.
I’ll give him a tankard, or even several, just to shut him up.
He enjoyed goading me far too much.
We returned to the castle late; at least,Idid—Alaric had to be carried back by two soldiers. Much to my amusement, his capacity for holding his liquor didn’t match his boastful attitude. However, the dark fae was interesting and entertaining while drunk, even if I occasionally caught him looking at me as if he saw something precious but out of his reach.
I couldn’t remember a time I’d laughed so much. My good mood, though, was washed away when an irate Agnes complained about my unladylike manners as I headed straight to bed. It seemed I would never be able to live up to my maid’s expectations.
I hoped the copious amount of alcohol I had ingested would bring me some peace and not another unsettling night. I still didn’t know how Vahin had been affected by our rushed and traumatic bonding, and I desperately wanted to talk to him.
All I knew was that the pain of losing my Anchors had eased, and I guiltily realised that for the past few days, I’d barely thought about Tal and Arno. Their marks had disappeared from my chest, replaced by a striking dragon.
That itself didn’t bother me, but their faces fading from my memories and our love fading into a bittersweet ache did. I didn’t want to lose them to the distance of time, yet those overwhelming emotions I’d held close all these years now seemed to be replaced by a welcoming, diffuse sadness. Like time had finally healed my festering wound.
