Page 46 of Oath of Betrayal
‘I wish I’d never been born,’ I said to the remains of the vjesci.
At least he could escape to the afterlife and join his kin. I had no one, and the only person I could call a friend I’d pushed away, knowing Orm’s conditioning would prevent him from reaching out. Now, he was obsessed with his Nivale, and with his previous reluctance to let her go to the Barren Lands, I knew what his answer would be if I revealed what I’d learned today. I knew himwell enough to realise he was falling for our conduit mage, even if he and the object of his interest were blissfully oblivious.
I recalled that first meeting by the lake and smiled bitterly. Annika Diavellar was the only person who’d quietened my curse, allowing me to breathe easier, whose magic was in perfect synergy with my own, even if she didn’t know it yet. After that day, I thought Annika would treat me with scorn, like the rest of her brethren, but after a few days in her company, I knew I’d found a kindred spirit.
I sought her company not only because she eased the pain but because she let me hold her hand. I felt good about myself whenever I was near her, and for the first time since my father’s betrayal, I felt a hint of pride at being a dark fae necromancer. And now the Lich King wanted to take even that from me.
I hammered my fist into the harsh stone again and again until I bled, but the vision of that demonic smirk demanding I bring Annika to his court refused to fade away. The dark cell began glowing eerily as my magic moved with a mind of its own, seeping into the bedrock surrounding me as I raged and mourned.
Not for my mother. She loved me; I know it, but how could she do such a thing to her own flesh and blood? Not for the bastard that sired me. The worst was the fact that I didn’t even mourn my sister’s fate.
I mourned for the waste that my life had become. All those years I’d lost, searching for a way to save my sister, to take some form of revenge. I’d learned to hide every emotion, painting a false smile on my lips when I was scorned by humans, just to gather knowledge or resources.
When the looks of disgust from mages for the upstart necromancer prevented me from gaining access to ancient texts, I’d learned high magic, hiding away yet another part of my blackened soul. I mourned the boy I was and the man he hadturned into—the sad husk who craved pain because pain was the only thing he had left.
And I raged because, through all of that, I’d found a home. I found someone who had become my brother and a woman who gave me hope, but now the fates demanded that I destroy it all.
‘No, I refuse to allow it. The only one destroyed will be you, Cahyon Abrasa. I will dismantle the immortality my father gave you and force you down Veles’1 throat if I must. Even if it means I die alongside you. That is my oath. I swear to the gods, above and below, I swear on the Dark Mother’s tears. If I have to lose it all, I will take you with me.’
The Lich King was right about the Barrier, however. The keystone’s magic was fading, and no magic could fix it. I had given Orm false hope because I knew the plan that I had formed in my head since meeting Ani was too reckless for him to ever agree to.
The only way to save the Lowland Kingdoms was to kill the Lich King. I needed Annika because, before the Barrier failed completely, I was positive it would be possible for me to force a way through despite the foul magic in my blood. I would fulfil the Lich King’s wishes and bring him the conduit mage, but she would arrive Anchored and ready for battle.
She might, if we survived, even forgive my subterfuge that put her in danger. The bitter laugh that escaped at that thought forced a last, lonely tear from my eye, and I felt it slide over my cheek to fall silently to the floor.
For so many years, I lived hoping to remove the curse, but now … Now, I would live for revenge. With one deep, slow breath, I centred myself, forcing a peaceful smile onto my lips. My heart and mind were in turmoil, but that was not for the world to see. I needed to play my part. I needed to be the Alaric they wanted to see: the charming man, the healer, and the high mage who had promised a solution to the swarming monsters.
When Annika finally trusted me enough to Anchor me, I would take her to the Lich King … and her heart-shaped face will be the last thing he sees before I destroy him. I was not born a monster, but the Dark Mother willed it so. And I was done fighting my fate.
1.Veles— a god of darkness and the ruler of the Underworld.
After leaving Alaric in the cell, I went to my office to wait for Agnes to bring Annika’s clothes. That was soon forgotten when I saw a letter from the royal mage on my desk. After reading it, I struggled to rein in my temper, which had become a recurring issue this past week.
The bastard was sending one of his lackeys to ensure I’d Anchored Ani and had her under control, just as I had promised.
I wished I could throw the poisoned missive into the fire. Instead, I folded it carefully, intending to show it to Alaric later. My friend would take some time with his interrogation of the prisoner, and I knew better than to disturb him while he was using his …uniqueskills.
When Agnes arrived with Ani’s clothes, I was in such a daze that I didn’t even acknowledge her presence, gathering up the dress and heading down to Vahin’s lair, wondering how a half-asleep woman could have found her way to such a remote part of the castle.
As I neared the dragon’s lair public entrance, I paused before snorting with laughter, realising I wasn’t only carrying a woman’s dress. On top of the bundle was a set of undergarments, and as much as I didn’t care, the soldiers might get interesting ideas if they saw their commander parading around with female underclothes.
There was an alternative route, a hidden passage—or, more accurately, a hidden staircase—that led down to Vahin’s quarters. I could only hope Ani hadn’t used it; the injuries she could have incurred on the slippery stone didn’t bear thinking about.
The view that greeted my arrival rendered me speechless. The fearsome dragon of Varta Fortress was curled up on the ground like a giant cat, his front paw held in front of him. In the crook of his elbow slept Ani, covered by an inky black wing, her creamy skin a stark contrast to the dragon’s scales. I looked on, charmed by the enchanting and innocent tableau. In her white nightgown, Ani looked like a virgin bride sacrificed to the beast.
‘Beautiful, isn’t she?’Vahin’s voice was full of pride, pleased with his prized possession. I watched as his head moved closer to her. His forked tongue slowly trailed over the sleeping woman’s cheek before she swatted him away.
‘Wake up, Little Flame.’
But instead of opening her eyes, Ani grumbled and pulled the membrane of Vahin’s wing over her head, muttering, ‘I don’t want to. Let me sleep a little longer.’ I coughed to cover my laughter, causing Annika to look over the edge of Vahin’s wing. ‘Orm? What are you doing here? How did you find me?’ I smirked at her attempt to finger-brush her tussled hair.
‘That overgrown bedspread you’re sitting on told me. Shouldn’t I be the one asking whyyou’rehere? If you intended to sleep on the dragon, you could have at least woken me so thatI could have slept in my own bed. I assume you saw me, since I found myself covered with a blanket.’
I reached over to pass Ani the clothes. ‘Please put those on before we return upstairs. The soldiers here don’t usually see women running around half naked, and that translucent muslin might actually be worse. I don’t want them getting any ideas.’
Ani scowled at me but snatched the clothes away before turning towards Vahin. ‘Can you spread your wings, please? I need some privacy since the men here aresoooprone to gettingideas,’ she huffed, and Vahin’s laugh rumbled throughout the cavern.
‘Of course, Little Flame. I will always protect you, though Orm is the last person I would suspect of having ideas. I’m afraid he is a man of stone, and even such a beautiful creature as yourself couldn’t tempt him. Alaric, on the other hand …’
