Page 43 of Oath of Betrayal
It hadn’t bothered me before, but knowing what was required to create an Anchor bond, I felt conflicted. The Barrier was my duty, one I could not neglect, but did that mean I should give up the woman I’d begun developing feelings for?
Could Ani Anchor me in the same way she did Vahin?Was I ready to see her on the brink of death to avoid them being together?
‘Fuck!’ I grabbed the cup on the nearby table and hurled it across the room, watching it smash against the fireplace mantle before placing my hands firmly on the table, willing myself to calm down.
Annika was my doom. My darkness. The wild magic inside me, dormant and beaten down for years, had awakened under her touch, and it took a conscious effort to restrain my violent outbursts.
The gods must be laughing at my struggle. I had finally found a woman who was perfect for me, and I had to decide if I could let her fuck my best friend to save the kingdom.Therehasto be another way,I thought, analysing everything I knew so far.
Ari and I had talked about the Barrier so many times over a tankard or two that I even I knew more than most mages. If he was right, Annika had managed to kill the wlok and break the mountain because she had embraced the primal aether of the earth and it had accepted her touch. Unfortunately, he didn’t think she could safely do it again without being Anchored to another mage.
I knew Alaric would do what needed to be done. I had seen the determination in his gaze when we had searched for the elusive mage, but deep inside—gods forgive me—I didn’t want it to happen. Sharing her with Vahin wasn’t difficult as there was no physical bond between them, but Alaric …?
‘Orm, you’re thinking too loud. I need to hunt. Come and collect our sleeping treasure before I let her wander off and tempt all the men with her bare legs. I’m sure that will make the thoughts you are harbouring increase tenfold.’
‘Vahin, don’t. I’m not in the mood for your teasing, old friend … Gods, if anyone dares to leer at her, I’ll gouge their eyes out,’I snarled, pausing briefly when Vahin chuckled.‘Just give me a moment. I’ll gather some clothes and come down.’
I stretched again to relax my tense muscles, feeling my body protest. I needed a bed and a good night’s rest, and that meant I would have to move Ani to her new chambers soon. The thought of it felt wrong, but again, it was something that needed to be done.
The rumbling in my stomach reminded me of Vahin. With the dragon’s enhanced metabolism and his staying with me for the last few days, I knew he was starving, so I called for a maidservant, and Agnes appeared with a tray of food. The dainty canapés were more suitable as a lady’s morning snack than a warrior’s meal, but it would have to do for now.
‘Find some clothes for Ani.’
‘Where is my lady?’ she asked with a frown, eyeing the bed before turning her gaze downward when she caught my disapproving frown.
‘She went to visit Vahin. Unfortunately, her current attire isn’t appropriate for walking around during the day. Is that enough of an answer, or will you test my patience further?’ I snapped, pulling a change of clothes for myself from the wardrobe.
‘No, my lord. My apologies, I was simply worried.’
I sighed. I hadn’t meant to frighten the girl, but I felt every bone in my body, and hunger made me particularly short-tempered.
‘It’s all right, Agnes. I’m glad you take your duties seriously. Please ensure your lady’s room is ready and move Ani’s belongings there. If anything is lacking, ask the quartermaster to order it using my personal expenses. You must have learned what she likes by now, so make your lady as comfortable as possible.’ The maid smiled, nodding eagerly.
She was the child of a dragon rider whose mother had stayed in the fortress. Her daughter had followed her lead, choosing to work here instead of trying her luck outside these granitewalls. It pleased me immensely that she took to her new responsibilities with such enthusiasm.
‘Buy yourself something, too. I will tell your father how content I am with your service.’
After Agnes disappeared to find some clothing, I quickly changed from riding leathers to more comfortable black trousers, a matching shirt, and a belt with two daggers, adding high boots and vambraces to complete the outfit. There was no need to carry a weapon inside of the castle, but I felt naked without a blade or two.
That done, I was ready to face the day. After I retrieved Annika from Vahin’s cave, I’d have to talk to my officers about increasing patrols, but first, I needed to speak with Alaric. We’d made a worrying discovery during the battle with the Vel in the mines.
After fighting the nasty ant-like creatures in the tunnels closest to the Rift, we’d broken through into a vast cavern filled with luminescent mushrooms. As we stumbled through the entrance, our opponents fled, leaving us to catch our breaths in confusion.
What we had seen had everyone raising their swords in readiness—stood before us, was a vjesci.1 The demon had looked like the textbook illustrations of the Moroi nobility, and when confronted, he had displayed manners that reinforced that impression. The vjesci had surrendered without resistance, and my men looked at me with wariness and distrust.
Despite that, I had them secure the demon and bring him back to the stronghold. I needed Ari, with his necromancer magic, to question him and discover how big a pile of excrement we’d landed in.
I couldn’t remember the walk to Alaric’s chambers, but here I was, standing in front of his door feeling like a fool. I felt the distance between us, almost like a physical wall preventing me from knocking. It left me missing our easy camaraderie.
Something had fractured in our friendship since we’d encountered Annika; Alaric had withdrawn into his studies, and I didn’t know how to bridge the gap. He was still himself, a dangerous mage with a wicked sense of humour, but now it felt like a facade that hid some dark emotion I couldn’t identify; and every time I asked, he refused to talk about it.
‘Why didn’t you just enter?’ Alaric said. There was a hint of amusement in his voice. When I looked up, I saw the corner of my friend’s mouth twist into a smile that almost made me flinch.
‘I didn’t know if I still had an open invitation.’ I instantly regretted my words as his smile disappeared.
‘It is your castle, and you are always welcome in my quarters. How can I help you?’
I clenched my fists. I wanted to simultaneously grab him by his fancy kaftan and beat him to a pulp until he told me what was wrong while begging him to abandon his plans with Annika. To leave her to me. Instead, I tried to break through Ari’s silence.
