Page 51 of Oath of Betrayal
That fear tore away the last vestiges of sleep, and I jolted up, fully awake. It was then that I noticed it, a shift in the aether’s flow that I couldn’t identify. I felt malicious intent in the air, and then I heard it—a quiet but unmistakable whimper. At first, I thought it was just the wind or my ears playing tricks on me, but it came again and again. Finally, I grabbed a lantern and went toinvestigate.
The sound was coming from Alaric’s bedroom. He and Orm were on the same floor as me, Alaric’s room in the far corner of the long hallway. I hesitated at his door, but when I heard the sound again, followed by words filled with such heart-wrenching emotion, I frantically banged on it.
The door was opened by the ragged shadow of the usually flawless dark fae: Alaric, hair matted and unbound, swayed before me, his eyes a blazing crimson and his face tightened in torment. He was wearing the torn remains of his shirt and sweat-stained breeches, and I frowned at the lines writhing across his chest.
‘What’s going on, Ari? What are those?’ I asked, feeling a creeping horror at the sight.
‘Nothing. Everything is fine. Go back to sleep.’ He tried closing the door on me, but I shoved my foot in the gap, hissing when the door slammed it, not letting him get away with his blatant evasion.
‘Yes, of course it is. Everything is fine. That’s why you look like something the dogs chewed up and spat out,’ I said, pushing inside, and Alaric shrugged before grabbing a blanket to wrap around his body.
‘It’s just some old scars that bother me sometimes. Nothing you should be concerned about.’ Alaric gritted his teeth, pulling away when I stepped towards him. That threw me off my stride—Alaric liked to touch me; throughout the time we’ve spent together, I’d become used to him taking my hand or placing his on the small of my back. For a moment, I just stared at him with a frown.
‘Did you do this to yourself? It looks like you’re bleeding. Let me get a proper look; maybe I can heal …’ As I reached out to brush away the blanket, he grabbed my wrist and threw me against the wall with a feral growl, pinning my body with his.
‘I’m not that stupid. Hrae! Why do you even care about me? Why do my feelings matter to you?’ he demanded, hammering his fist on the wall by my head. The anguish on Alaric’s face broke my heart. I had never seen him like this, so violent and unhinged, with no way to ease his own suffering.
‘Because you matter to me, Ari. Tell me what’s wrong. I can see you’re in pain. Please, let me help you.’ I placed a hand on his cheek, happy to see his body relax a little, as if my touch eased something deep inside him. His ragged breath brushed over my ear when his head rested against mine.
‘Nobody can help me. This pain will only stop if I bring my sister back from the Barren Lands,’ he ground out, his fingers tracing along the column of my neck, and I swallowed hard. ‘I’m a cursed man, Annika. Whatever I do, I’m damned, but you … you should ignore this, ignoremeand leave. Why couldn’t you have been just another arrogant mage I could hate?’
Despite his words, Ari pressed closer, his hand trailing lower, tracing my collarbone, drawing lines on my unblemished skin, his thigh wedged between my legs. I felt the hard length of his shaft pressing into me. ‘You shouldn’t have come here,’ he murmured as his hand slid over the side of my breast. His lips touched my skin, and I gasped when he slid the chemise from my shoulders. The world seemed to pause until Alaric faced me, his gaze finding mine before it slid away with a sardonic huff.
‘The dragon’s bond. I barely saved you that night.’ I looked at the stylised dragon on my chest, releasing a shuddering breath as Alaric’s fingers hesitantly caressed it. ‘One day, my mark will join the dragon’s, but not today. I don’t deserve you yet. Maybe I never will.’ I couldn’t decipher the emotion darkening Ari’s features, and he turned away before I could ask.
‘Go, Ani. You are not safe with me as I am now. I need to be alone.’
I reached out, determined to understand. ‘Why? Why are you speaking in riddles? Alaric, please, you are my friend. You know you can trust me.’
‘I trust no one, not anymore. Go, Annika. Before I do something we both regret.’ He exposed his sharp fangs and my breath hitched. Whatever was gnawing at him, Alaric was hell-bent on being alone, and I didn’t want to discover the damage those fangs could inflict.
I looked for Orm to talk about what happened the next morning, but when I went to his office, I was told he’d left—called in by his brother—and had used the occasion to escort Ihrain to the capital.
I was concerned about the summons and the increased frequency of the patrols. It felt as if we were heading into a storm but were still unsure of which direction it was coming from, and this visit to the capital suggested the first blow could very well come from within.
Another thing that will have to wait, I thought. Fighting my frustration, I returned to my room and sat in the large bay window. The view that had charmed me so much on my arrival had lost its glamour. A tall waterfall cascaded from a high pass on the cliff, carrying ice-cold water to a small lake below. A river bounced and frothed exuberantly from there over jutting rocks with mountain flowers peaking from the cracks, the beautiful scene surrounded by heather and grass that swayed in time to the sighing wind. Still, I longed to be outside the fortress walls.
Alaric was expecting me to attend his workshop, but I needed to think. He said he couldn’t trust me, and even if he’d said he couldn’t trustanyone, it still hurt. However, this wasn’t about my feelings but the pain I had heard in his voice. A pain I hadn’t been aware of. I thought we were friends, but last night made me realise I knew so little of him.
What haunts you, my dark fae? What torments you so much that it leaves you close to violence?The question troubled me. As the days passed, I’d come to care about him, and I wished I could help soothe whatever bothered him. He was at least kind of mine—my Ari, my always teasing fae.
The knock on my door startled me for a moment before I answered, allowing my visitor to enter.
‘Ani, why didn’t you come to our session?’
Alaric walked inside as if nothing had happened. I wanted to talk, but a silent instinct warned me not to say anything … He clearly wanted to play things that way, and I would let him—for now—until I had a plan for what to do about it. I smirked and waved him off.
‘Go away. I’m not in the mood for another attempt to use our synergy. And don’t bother with another lecture on high magic. If you want someone to mix potions, call for a servant.’ Alaric looked like he was about to argue, so I rolled my eyes.
‘No. Nagging won’t work either, I think we established that last night. Why don’t you show me some necromancer spells instead? We may need them when this place becomes overrun with monsters. High magic is so long-winded and boring that it’s mostly useless,’ I groused, unsuccessfully trying to hide my annoyance.
Alaric frowned. His pale, golden eyes narrowed, and a shiver ran down my spine. ‘I apologise for last night, but … boring? High magic isboring? Do you thinkI’mboring?’ he smirked, and the flow of aether around him turned purple with necromancy. Ishrugged, licking my lips and looking to the side. ‘I … No, you’re … I just need some time to think so … please go.’
He grinned at my flustered response, moving further into the room. ‘Oh, you need time to think when the mere thought of me makes your cheeks that pretty shade of rose?’ His tone was a mix of amusement and challenge. ‘Why would I ever leave you alone with those thoughts, my sweet lady? No … I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. You’re doomed to spend time in my company, so you might as well see just what my magic can do.’
‘Only if I’m willing to tie myself to a stubborn old mule who doesn’t know when to leave a woman’s room.’
‘Better than being the silly goose who sits morosely in her room while a five-hundred-year-old mage is trying to apologise and teach her.’
