Page 48 of Oath of Betrayal
‘It slipped my mind,’ he quipped with a roguish smile.
‘Alaric!’
‘I didn’t want to pressure you. Trust is hard to earn, especially if one is dark fae.’ He wouldn’t look at her, and Ani reached out. I clenched my teeth but didn’t move when her hand cradled his cheek, stroking him gently with her thumb until his gaze returned to hers.
‘Stop beating yourself up with that chip on your shoulder. How many times do I have to tell you? You are who you are, that will never be a problem. I don’t care what other mages think, and I’m not refusing because of who you are but because of what happened before.’
I felt excluded from the conversation. I’d heard of magical synergy: a rare occurrence when the power of two or more mages aligned so perfectly that they could connect and enhance each other’s spells. Yet, both Ani and Alaric seemed to think there was more to it, and I had no idea what they meant.
It took all of my willpower to hide how uneasy I felt at seeing them so connected. That would always be something I couldn’t give her. I didn’t possess the kind of magic that could link us—yet another reason to let them find some happiness together, but even thinking about it stirred a wild inferno in my core.
‘We should go upstairs. Alaric, I want to see you once I return from the barracks. We have much to discuss,’ I said as calmly as I could. I was better than this, better than the mindless beast trashing in my core. I coughed, pretending not to notice Annika’s questioning frown.
Annoyed by my lack of reaction, she wiggled in my arms. ‘I’m all right now, so please put me down. I prefer people see me walking than once again being carried by the commander like some damsel in distress.’ I shook my head, nodding towards her bare feet. ‘You forget you’re still barefoot, Nivale. How about we compromise? I will carry you upstairs, but as soon as we reach a level with clean and polished floors, you can walk to your heart’s content.’
‘You know, I could make you put me down,’ she stated, tightening her lips to hide the smile I had still caught sight of.
‘That is true, but then Alaric would be forced to avenge me, and we’d end up with a mage battle in the dragon’s lair,’ I said, feeling amused by her snarkiness.
She responded, ‘And I could call a dragon for help.’ Vahin chuckled in the background.
‘Keep me out of this, Little Flame. Just let him do it. Let him experience carrying a human around like I’ve done for him for years.’
‘Aha … yes. Let me ride on your back.’ The mischief flashing in Ani’s eyes didn’t bode well for me. Still, I tried to look as offended as possible when, with a deep sigh, she wiggled, wrapping her hands around my neck. Before I could protest, she scrambled over me to sit on my back in a truly uncomfortable position. It looked like I was going to be giving the stubborn mage a piggyback ride upstairs.
‘Mush, mush, my noble stead, stretch out those oversized muscles of yours,’ she said, patting my shoulder. Both Alaric and Vahin roared with laughter. ‘How does it feel to be mounted like a dragon?’ Vahin’s voice reverberated in the air, and both Ani and Alaric snorted at his remark.
‘You are much more comfortable, Vahin,’ she called out, and I sighed, feeling utterly disarmed. ‘Besides, he is not a dragon but a bear—a big and grumpy bear. Maybe I should start calling him Ursus, like the biggest bear in the stars?’
‘You will be the death of me, Nivale. Bloody “mush”—as if I were a damn sledge dog. Even “giddy up” would have been better than that. Oh, and for the record: I hear onewordof this from the servants, and my revenge will be swift and painful,’ I threatened, a smile slipping from my control as I spoke. The woman who loved the stars had just named me after the biggest constellation in the northern sky. It felt as if the fates smiled at me.
Ani’s defiant laughter told me how comfortable she was, and having her body pressed against me chased the rest of my worries away. My life was not a bed of roses. I ate when I needed to, worked until my eyesight blurred, and almost forgot howto smile. Yet here I was, laughing and carefree—all because my Nivale called me a bear and rode me like a horse.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, placing her chin on my shoulder. ‘For your help … and the compromise, my Ursus.’ I acknowledged her words, gently squeezing her thigh and followed Alaric as he created a light to ease the way.
I knew I needed to talk to Ari. About their magic, the synergy, and the Anchoring—because forcing Ani was no longer an option. Vahin was right. She was becoming important to us. I had to find out what my friend thought because, seeing the change in his behaviour, I suspected something was going on … and as willing as I was to wreck the world for him, I wouldn’t let Ani be put in harm’s way.
1.Heal the flesh.
Istared at the report on my desk as if I could erase the words by sheer strength of will.
The mine was a bust. I’d need to clear the Vel from its depths or send a request to the other leaders of the Lowland Kingdoms to see if they had a crystal in their vaults. That would mean working behind my own king’s back, which wouldn’t end well—if at all—as my brother told me the king had called a meeting with the foreign ambassadors, reassuring them that the situation with the Barrier was under control.
My word against the king’s. What were the odds?
‘Fuck it all,’ I growled at my thoughts as I hammered my fist on the desk, sighing when my knuckle left blood on the hard oak wood. I needed my control back; even my usually pristine and organised office was a mess now, with letters and orders cluttering every flat surface.
I felt like I was fighting this battle alone—well, almost alone. My brother was helping, and Alaric … but my friend hadn’tbeen himself lately. I knew he had nightmares and that they’d worsened. The only thing that seemed to make him smile these days was his time with Ani, and despite my own need to see her, I pulled away to give him the time he needed with her in his workshop or the library.
She was the only one who could make him smile. In her company, he became relaxed, and the mischievous, deadly man showed his gentler side. Still, we needed to talk, as the soldiers refused to train with him any longer. He fought so ferociously that they were being wounded far too often.
The problem was that I hadn’t had a spare moment free to do it.
The other commanders reported that the Vel were raiding the villages closest to the Barrier. They called for a war meeting despite having no authorisation from the Crown, and I had to agree with them.
Even here, the attacks were growing more frequent, especially by the strigae and wind demons amassing near the roads. They were making travel in the region close to impossible without a heavy escort. I’d had to reorganise the entire patrol schedule, leaving soldiers to guard the roads and riders to assist them from above to deal with any casualties.
With everything going on, there weren’t enough hours in the day to spend with Annika, and the nights … the dreams that made me wake up hard as a rock wondering what she’d do if I knocked on her door …Would she let me in?The image of her body wrapped in that damned white nightdress assaulted my senses, and I had to close my eyes, exhaling slowly, willing it to go away.I should go to the brothel before I lose my last semblance of control.
