Page 67 of Oath of Betrayal
‘Ani!’
‘S-s-t … s-stay a … w …way,’ I bit out through clattering teeth, trying to protect him from the deadly cold. This was the fate of an unanchored conduit mage, and I knew it. My kind could cast spells at any time, but using our conduit abilities to channel the raw power of the aether without an Anchor nearby was almost always catastrophic.
Wisps of fog gathered around me, freezing the air in my lungs as I fought to detach myself from the wild magic. The air turned opaque, then utterly white, as it froze around me, encasing me in ice. Orm struck it with his sword, but I was too far gone to tell him to let me die before the spell I’d used turned into a never-ending winter.
I felt the ice shudder under his relentless attacks, but somehow, Orm’s proximity helped. I gathered what strength I had left to end the disastrous situation. With my fingers shaking violently, I traced a sigil, redirecting a single thread of aether into heat, hoping I wouldn’t create something worse than the blizzard that was killing me.
A deafening crack rang out as fire erupted from my chest, an agonised scream following straight after as I collapsed into unconsciousness. The shiver that awoke me shook me to the core, but the warm, muscular arms that held me tight drove it away, and I smiled, enjoying the wonderful dream.
‘Stay with me, Nivale. Please. Open your eyes. You said we’d do this together, remember? You said it yourself, so don’t you dare die now.’ The insistence in the voice persuaded me to pry my eyelids open.
I was plastered against Orm’s bare chest. My hands tucked firmly under his arms while the rest of his clothes were wrapped around us like a protective cocoon.
‘There you are, that’s my brave girl. Stay awake for me, Ani,’ he murmured, rubbing my back as he held me. Despite my sluggish thoughts, being called a brave girl by Orm amused me. I wished I had the strength for a witty retort, but he was warm, and I could forgive him any ridiculous thing he wanted to say in the moment. I tried to tell him that, but my head felt too heavy, and I lolled, my cold nose bumping against his hairy chest.
‘Warmmm,’ I slurred, and his eyes lit up as if my words were a wonderful gift.
‘And you are ice cold. Even your lips are blue. You should have run, Nivale,’ he grumbled, and I tried to shake my head.
‘No, you didn’t use it … m-my hero. My Ursus,’ I stuttered, my teeth chattering.
‘I will use it next time if you don’t listen. Never hurt or sacrifice yourself for me again. When I tell you to run, run.’
Each moment in his embrace strengthened me, almost as if Orm was pushing his warmth into my frozen flesh. I squirmed a little, and he looked down at me with such tenderness that I blurted out the only thought I had in my head. ‘If I’m hurt, you should kiss it better.’
Orm’s pupils widened, but before I could retract my foolish statement, he bent down.
His lips touched mine in a featherlight caress, testing my resolve, and when I didn’t push him away, Orm deepened the kiss. His lips were soft, and his tongue darted out, asking to be let in. With a soft moan, I responded. Warmth spread through me faster than a forest fire.
I knew I should stop, but after nearly dying, I felt alive and wanted to revel in the emotions the experience had awakened. I felt the magic in my soul reaching out, surrounding Orm’s spirit,caressing it while I kissed him, too, knowing I had sealed my fate.
He would rather die than put me in danger—would rather sacrifice himself to protect my freedom. He was perfect, and I wanted him. The shadow of an old, half-remembered emotion surfaced, a brief glimpse of a man flickering in my mind—Talmund, my paladin mage.
If he had known the words to my geas, there would have been no hesitation. Tal would have shouted them to the heavens to save my life, even knowing it would break my heart. But Orm had learned that I would always choose freedom.
‘Thank you,’ I whispered between kisses.
Orm wasn’t a mage, though he possessed what we called theseed of darkness, a potent kernel of wild magic that allowed him to connect with his dragon. The speed of my recovery told me that my magic, with its unique quest to be joined, recognised it and wanted to complete the bond.
It would be all too easy to whisper the Anchoring Oath, let the tendrils of aether dive into his chest and make him mine, but I wouldn’t endanger his life by taking such a reckless step. Until I could feel my past, I would not take another Anchor.
Before I irrevocably entwined my spirit and Orm’s, I pulled away, panting heavily, my lips still tingling from the kiss. I liked the taste of him on my tongue, and I had to fight not to lean forward and kiss him again. Orm must have taken my internal struggle as a sign of regret because he stiffened and tried pulling back further.
‘If I crossed a line, I apologise. I thought you …’ He stopped, shaking his head. ‘I could muddy the waters with excuses, but the raw truth is, I wanted to kiss you too much to hear the voice of reason. I understand if you …’ Orm had saved my life, yet he looked so remorseful for kissing me. I would have laughed if he hadn’t been deadly serious.
‘Does that mean you don’t want to do it again?’ I teased when he paused. When his brows drew together in confusion, I reached towards his face and smoothed his frown with my thumb. ‘I knew what I was asking for. My magic recognised you as a potential Anchor, and that saved my life even if it took me a moment to stabilise it.’ His eyes widened, something akin to hope flashing in them.
‘You don’t regret it?’
‘You kept me from freezing to death. I’m warm now, or rather, I’m warm enough not to die, and I enjoyed the experience. Don’t apologise for following my wishes. Next time I try to turn myself into an icicle, you are welcome to kiss me to your heart’s content,’ I offered, trying to relieve the tension.
The intensity of his gaze became almost frightening. ‘I didn’t kiss you to warm you up. I did it because I want you so fucking much that I can’t think of anything else. Don’t give me permission because I will use it, and one day, you may find me throwing you naked into an icy stream just so that I can kiss you again.’
‘Orm … you don’t need a stream.’
‘Fuck! Don’t tempt me, Nivale. Just don’t. You need a proper mage, not a dragon rider who can offer nothing in exchange. I was close to begging to Anchor you, but with the greater Vella breaking through the Barrier—first the spectrae, now an olgoi worm—I can’t allow my selfishness to damn this kingdom.’
A sudden roar from above made us both look up. ‘I think Vahin is pissed at finding we were in trouble,’ I mused because the feelings his words awakened were too raw to think about right now.
