Page 58 of Oath of Betrayal
‘Oh yes I can, and I will. Gather the wounded and guard the wagon. Don’t let the mutts bite the merchants. The rest of you ensure nothing jumps on my back. If the commander says anything about it, I’ll tell him to kiss my arse,’ I barked.
The men dispersed, but not before I heard one of them mutter.‘Oh yeah, he would absolutely love that.’
It took effort to keep a straight face, but the attacking werewolves soon sobered me up, and before I knew it, my sword caught one in the chest. I felt at peace. The group was too small to be a serious threat but big enough to keep me interested, and I sank into a recognisable routine.
Aether tingled on my fingertips, and I wove it into spells. Cut, parry, combat sigil—a dance as familiar as my old boots. I ploughed through the pack, and the beasts that didn’t fall to my blade were swiftly dealt with by the rest of the soldiers.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed. I was so focused on my task that it took several moments for me to realise someone was roaring my name. Dark obsidian blood splashed across my face as my sword sliced my opponent’s body open before I turned, expecting to see someone needing my help, only to find Orm, unarmed, wearing only a shirt and a pair of bloody linen breeches.
I gaped, watching him plough through the fray, tearing apart anything that came close. The savagery was terrifying, but as I saw my bear of a man go berserk with my name on his lips, my body reacted, not with fear but with exhilarating desire.
I held my breath, grasping the aether when a beast pounced, but my magnificent warrior caught it midair, twisting its neck effortlessly. Orm roared as the body fell from his grip, but as he cast around for more enemies, I noticed the sudden silence surrounding us, our enemies dead or crippled on the ground. As I hastily cleaned my sword and sheathed it, I moved slowly towards the snarling warrior, watching him warily.
The moment I noted recognition in Orm’s eyes, I rushed forward, jumping into his arms and kissing him passionately. ‘Did you see? Did you see your men fight? After just a couple of days of training, they fought like veterans. We can do so much more if I keep training with them. For the victory!’ I rejoiced, and before I realised what I was doing, I kissed him again, just like I always did with Tal after we had won a battle.
Orm gasped, his arms tightening around me with enough force to lift me off the ground as he returned my kiss with wild abandon. My paladin mage had never kissed me that way. Tal’s kisses were always joyful and loving, leaving me laughing and happy, but Orm …?
Orm possessed me.
The world disappeared in a cloud of lust. His tongue pushing past my lips, Orm acted as if my kiss had opened the floodgates of desire and nothing mattered more than this moment. The cheering of the surrounding soldiers barely registered as my passion and magic thrummed through my body, the swirling energy sparking and biting at Orm’s chest.
In a swift jerking move, Orm swung me around, breaking the kiss before he groaned, his features distorted with pain. My confusion at his actions was quickly replaced by rage when I saw what had happened.
A surviving werewolf had scrambled up and dug his claws into Orm’s side.
Guilt that my inattention and arrogance had caused this burned inside my chest. My anguished scream lit the sky as the aether answered and lightning tore into the crippled beast, incinerating him before my eyes. My breath shuddered in my chest, and I turned back, looking into Orm’s eyes.
‘I’ll call Vahin and take you to the castle. Please don’t move. Alaric will fix it,’ I was frantic, embracing him to support him before he placed a hand on my cheek.
‘Shh … Ani, I’ll be alright. Dragon riders heal fast, and this was barely a scratch. Just another scar to add to the collection. I’ll look after it when we’re done here,’ he said, slipping from my arms. His calmness caught me off guard, and all I could manage to do was stare at him. ‘Fine, but are you sure everything’s alright?’
‘I am. Truth be told, I’m proud of what you’ve done, even if watching you fight was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. We need to talk—later, in private, because keeping you in the dark clearly isn’t working. For now, we need to look after our men.’ He pressed a hand to his bleeding side while he assumed command, directing soldiers and merchants alike.
More people poured from the castle, and in no time, the wagon was back on its wheels, the wounded taken care of, and we were walking back to the fortress.
‘Please say something,’ I begged when we were finally alone, walking through the empty corridors to my living quarters.
‘What I have to say won’t be pleasant to hear. But if you want to lead men, you have to think about them first. You are not fighting alone anymore. I know you thought you were doing the right thing, and yes, saving those people was right, but you didn’t know what you were facing and led your men into battle without even informing the garrison officer or me. What if you needed backup? What if Vahin hadn’t caught the group circling behind to ambush you?’
He turned to face me. ‘You are an amazing mage and an excellent fighter, but at the moment, you are not a leader. That, thankfully, we can rectify because you have good instincts and rallied those rookies without hesitation.’ I caught Orm’s grimace as he finished and the trembling of his hand as he opened the door to my quarters.
His words stung because he was right, and although we suffered few injuries today, it could have been much worse, and it would have been on my conscience.
‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered. Orm nodded, placing a hand on the small of my back and ushering me inside. ‘I know you well enough to realise that. Have I told you how awestruck I was when I saw you fighting those beasts?’ He reached out to stroke my cheek before cursing when he saw the blood covering us both and dropping his hand.
‘But you must be punished for your actions, and since Alaric is busy with the injured guards, you shall be required to tend to my battered body.’ Despite his teasing tone, I noticed the sigh of relief when the door closed behind us. For the first time that day, Orm let a hint of weakness show.
I bit my lip and led him to the chaise lounge, cutting away his bloody shirt once he sat down. Without a word, I kneeled next to him, cleaning and bandaging the wound. After a moment, Orm began smiling and I realised that I was humming an old folk tune from my youth. The blush that swept over my cheeks made the smug warrior smile even wider, so I tried to distract the annoying man.
‘What are you thinking about?’ I asked as I finished, and he sighed.
‘That I should have told you this earlier. Maybe then you would have been more careful.’
‘Tell me what?’
‘That my brother thinks the Lich King, or even someone in our court, is hunting down conduit mages. You’re the last we know of that’s alive, and I want it to stay that way.’ I frowned.
‘Alright, I will be extra careful, but I can take care of myself,’ I replied, tightening the knot harshly when he shook his head.
