Page 69 of Oath of Betrayal
I hadn’t heard Orm use my full name for … I don’t think I’d ever heard him use it, and that best expressed just how angry he was. My friend was right to question my actions but facing the possibility of losing them both had driven me insane.
The plans I’d carefully crafted fell to pieces when I had heard Vahin’s pained roar and saw him launch himself skywards, wrapped in flames. He projected his pain so strongly that even my weak psionic abilities caught the image of Annika dying, encased in ice.
I walked out from behind a large bookshelf, keeping my voiceas calm and casual as possible. ‘What brings you to the library, my lord?’ Orm’s eyes narrowed in annoyance before he covered the short distance that parted us in a few determined steps.
‘Take a guess,’ he said, taking the books I hadn’t realised I’d picked up and slamming them on the table.
‘There’s something upsetting you?’ I asked, looking at the priceless manuscripts whose spines had cracked from being manhandled.
‘Upsetting? You berated Ani in front of half the castle. I know she made a mistake, and I know it’s been difficult for you lately, but that’s no reason to humiliate her like that.’
‘You call that a mistake? You both nearly died from thatmistake. Vahin was terrified at the thought of losing the two most important people in his life—he projected his fear across the fortress. Everyone with even ahintof magic had that image burned into their minds. Hrae!Iwas terrified, and so bloody helpless. My friends were dying, and I could only pray that the Dark Mother would spare you.’
I grasped the edge of the table, my purple necromancer’s magic crackling under my fingertips. ‘My sister is lost. You and Ani are the only semblance of family I have left. Do you even know how it feels? To be a man who thought he had lost everything only to realise he still has so much to lose? Then you go and act like it was just a stroll in the woods,’ I snapped, unsuccessfully trying to rein in my temper.
My anguish seemed to take the wind out of Orm’s sails and he sat heavily on the sofa nearby. ‘It was a stroll in the forest for Ani. I thought I was protecting her against a potential assassin, but gods have mercy on the poor soul who tries to sneak up on her.’ Orm threw his head back and snapped out a bitter laugh.
‘She saved my arse. Again. Gods, that woman can fight. The way she dealt with the strigae … she’s perfect,’ he finished with manic glee. As he turned to me, my friend’s laughter died. ‘Anineeds another Anchor. She used her abilities without one and that’s why everything went to hell in a handbasket.’
‘We both know she is unwilling. But … I’ll ask, even if it earns me a slap to the face,’ I said, and Orm frowned.
‘What if it was me? Could I be her Anchor?’ he asked, and I approached him, looking at my friend in confusion.
‘In theory, yes, but what would be the point?’
Orm grimaced, his lips tightening in a narrow line, and shook his head. Whatever internal dialogue was going on in that head of his, I’d have to wait for my friend to share the details. I observed the light dimming his eyes and his face returning to a well-known emotionless mask and sighed as he spoke.
‘You’re right; there’s no point,’ he said, his voice devoid of the usual warmth. ‘I told Ani about her first night here—about the geas and your spell to suppress her grief. I want you to undo it.’
‘How did she take it?’ I asked, unable to believe he had actually done it. I warned him that a woman like Annika would not forgive him for taking her freedom. Yet, the way they had acted towards each other hadn’t looked hostile.
‘Better than I expected and certainly better than I deserved. Annikathankedme for saving her life. She’s more reasonable than we gave her credit for—that’s why you need to release her feelings. Ani is afraid that without them, she would subconsciously reject anyone who tried to bond with her.’
‘I’m not sure I agree. There’s a big difference between knowing what we did and having all that pain return,’ I said, but the stubborn set of Orm’s jaw told me he’d already decided. ‘Fine, I’ll do it, just not all at once. I will let them resurface slowly. That way, she will be able to cope with the strain.’
Orm smiled. I hadn’t seen him smile with genuine happiness towards me in ages, but he was now. Then, leaping off the sofa, he came to me and locked me in a hard embrace. ‘Thank you.Whatever troubles you, I will help you, brother. Now, go to Ani. I think she needs you.’
Calming down, I took a deep inhale. Orm smelled of leather, dragon skin, and verbena. The sharp metallic scent was masculine yet intoxicating when mixed with Annika’s favourite flower. Before I knew it, I had placed my hand on his cheek, pulling him towards me.
‘Ari?’ There was a flash of uncertainty in his voice, but he didn’t pull away. I promptly removed my hand.Hrae, I almost kissed him. I thought, as shocked as he looked.
‘I’m glad you survived, my friend,’ I blurted out, pretending that I hadn’t wanted to lean in or seen the question in Orm’s eyes. It wasn’t uncommon for males of my race to share not only their mate but also affection with each other, but Orm hadn’t seemed to have those inclinations. Until today, I hadn’t realisedIhad them, as my thoughts were constantly drifting towards Annika.
The discovery that I wanted them both shook me to the core.
Orm’s eyes widened. He studied me as if seeing me for the first time before his expression softened. ‘Talk to Annika, then come find me. I’d like my friend back, so we’ll talk about whatever it is that’s come between us.’ I nodded and turned to leave. I couldn’t tell him the cause of my staying away wasn’t the attraction I’d felt a moment ago, but the pressure I was under to kill the Lich King before he destroyed everything and everyone I loved.
I knocked on Ani’s door, preparing myself for her anger, but it was her softly muttered‘Enter’that made me flinch. I took a deep breath and entered the lion’s den.
Annika was sitting in front of a small vanity, her shoulders slumped as she listlessly brushed at the tangles in her hair. She turned towards me as I walked in. I bowed and she frowned, reaching for a shawl and wrapping the soft wool fabric around her shoulders.
What surprised me was the lack of anger; Ani looked tired and sad. I would have preferred a thrown brush and curses or even a fireball over seeing her like this. ‘I thought you were Agnes.’ She pointed towards a pair of armchairs. ‘How can I help you, Alaric? If you came here to scold me, it can wait till tomorrow.’
‘I came to apologise,’ I said, unable to drag my eyes away. Even exhausted and despondent, her beauty drew me in.
A white nightgown, the same one she’d worn on her adventure to Vahin’s cave, flowed over the curves of her body, caressing them in modest reverence. Annika’s hair, unkempt and wild, flowed down her back, but it was her eyes that captured my gaze. The vibrant green irises that now held a hint of wicked laughter at my mention of apologies made me wonder why I wasn’t already on my knees, grovelling for forgiveness, all in the hope that she would grace me with a smile.
‘Then apologise, fae mage. Let’s see if your apology can improve on Lord Ormond’s.’ My shocked double take would have been worthy of the best mummers’ play.
