Page 7 of Oath of Betrayal
‘It’s not every day that you get to see a lady stroking such an impressive beast, especially when surrounded by corpses,’ Ari said, offering one of his charming smiles. The woman in question turned with the grace of a dancer and pointed her sword in his direction.
‘Who the fuck are you?’
I could see her hand tremble and felt Vahin’s annoyance radiating through our bond. Even more surprising, however, was how she positioned herself between the dragon and Alaric.
Is she seriously trying to defend a dragon?
As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I felt Vahin’s amusement. My troublemaker of a beast wrapped his long neck around her, glaring at the dark fae as he released a soft growl. Seemingly unfazed, my friend only raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
‘My name is Alaric’va Shen’ra. I’m a mage, like you. I came here to investigate the legend of this mountain lake and the crystals that are said to grow within it. I’m not here to fight you, my lady. I’m simply curious as to your reason for being in such a remote setting without an escort?’
‘Do I look like I need an escort?’ she retorted, and my lips quirked as she straightened, flicking her hair back with casual arrogance. The smile she gave Ari was polite and confident, though not exactly friendly.
I watched my companion’s body tense as the woman took her time studying him, making no attempt to hide her feelings, her expression unimpressed at what she found. After a brief glance at the dragon, the mage inclined her head towards Ari.
‘Well, Alaric, my purpose here is to make the woods safe for travellers such as yourself. Did the council send you here to check on the Barrier? I’d thought they learned nothing from the last time.’
She grasped her kirtle and wiped her blade. ‘You shouldn’t journey alone. I suggest you bring an escort next time you come looking for pretty crystals. As for the lake, it is just a myth. If you’d attempted to dive in, you would have found the water freezing and the famous crystals nothing but pretty bits of ice crystallised on the lake bed.’
The woman didn’t offer her name, nor did she disclose much other than the surface reason for her presence. Still, she had politely provided information that would prevent an unnecessary death from someone foolishly swimming in the freezing waters.
Of course, she might be lying, but Vahin wouldn’t be so friendly to someone with malicious intentions. She was brave and secure in her skills, yet intelligent and evasive, which appealed to the soldier in me.
How would she react to me?came the thought, bringing with it a budding interest.I should recruit her,I told myself.I knew I was making things up to justify taking her back with me, but with a mage like her, our ground forces would likely suffer no losses. My internal strategist was already planning out how to incorporate the mysterious female into our army.
The stubborn expression she held as she looked at Alaric warned me that she was trouble, but trouble that would be worth keeping. I could appreciate such an attitude. If what Alaric had said was true, we needed to get her to the fortress.
I’d heard about conduit mages and their immense magic; after all, they were the power behind the mages that had initially raised the Barrier. At best, she could be the key to restoring the Barrier, but if not, I could still recruit her as a battle mage. She was clearly used to dealing with monsters and possessed fine combat skills.
Alaric seemed to be of the same mind as he continued to question her, his voice morphing into the sensual timbre that had seduced many women into his bed. ‘May ask your name, my lady?’
Unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears as the mage rolled her eyes. And, as irritating as the situation was, I had to restrain my laughter at the expression on Alaric’s face when he failed to impress her with his alluring charm.
‘No, you may not. I don’t know you. Your race isn’t often comfortable at such altitudes, and you appeared out of nowhereafterI finished fighting these creatures instead of helping me as a crown mage would do. So no, I won’t give you my name.Though Iwillgive you the benefit of the doubt and, with it, a little advice,’ she said.
The smile disappeared from his lips, his eyes narrowing at the challenge in her voice. Unaware of her effect on him, the woman’s gaze once again slid over his body, taking in his lithe masculine form, and sighed.
‘If you’re planning on further excursions, come better prepared. Bring a sword with you, and if you have magic as you claim, be ready to use it. This place is swarming with danger, from humans as well as monsters, and I don’t have time to dispatch every threat. When you’re done with whatever you’re here to do, take the leftmost path to the town. It is safe for now, but do not linger for too long.’
Remembering myself, I tried again.Vahin, get the fuck up!I commanded, this time strengthening my order with a harsh push. The dragon grew restless, expressing his anger at Alaric for upsetting the woman, and I’d never felt him so agitated. I didn’t want him to hurt either of them accidentally, though—much to my relief—he finally obeyed.
‘I appreciate your concern, my lady, but I’m not taking orders from some nameless mage, no matter how beautiful or skilled,’ Ari ground out through clenched teeth.
I couldn’t blame him. He could easily handle a small army with his spells, yet she had lectured him as if he were an ignorant child who’d come looking for adventure.
‘I also have a suggestion for you: with skills like yours, you should come to Varta Fortress. We could use a skilled mage to help defend the borders,’ he offered, and she laughed in his face.
‘If I wanted a man to tell me what to do, I’d take a husband. Goodbye, Alaric. I have enough on my plate without looking after clueless fools.’
I was right—the woman was trouble. Taunting a dark fae wasn’t a good idea at the best of times and disrespecting themwas even worse. Alaric was no exception. Before I could react, she turned away, sheathing her sword and walking back the same way she’d came.
When I finally joined him, Alaric’s face was unreadable. He quickly removed the illusion spell he’d placed over me, but I saw how tightly his jaw was clenched, muscles rigid with anger.
‘Ormond, she must live nearby, and she is unmated. During the next Maiden’s Day, you will take her to the fortress. She might be a shrew, but she is a conduit, and I would sooner kidnap her from her bed than let a conduit mage escape us.’
1. Oh, for fuck’s sake, woman!
‘No, please, Dark Mother, not again,’ I sobbed, thrashing in my bed and clawing at my chest, knowing it was all for nothing. The dream, the one that had tormented me for the past five hundred years, pulled me under.
