Page 76 of Oath of Betrayal
‘No, I’ve caused you nothing but anguish. You’re shaking, Ani. I should have—’ he started, but I placed a finger on his lips. ‘Trying to decide for me again, Commander?’ I teased.
He frowned. ‘No, I just hate seeing you in such pain. All my life I’ve trained to protect my people, but when it matters most, I can’t even protect the woman I lov … care for. How could I ask you to be with me, to choose me, if my weakness caused all this? I’m sorry, Annika. I was a fool—an arrogant, thoughtless fool.’
‘Yet you came through the fire to help me,’ I murmured, before placing a hand on the dragon’s neck. ‘I’m so sorry, Vahin. It was my pain to bear. I shouldn’t have dragged you into my bottomless pit of grief.’ I felt the dragon move, and when I looked to the side, Vahin was directly above me. I could feel the sharp focus of his intense blue eyes.
‘I waited for you to come to me through the streams of time, and I won’t lose you to grief and sorrow. It was my honour to be with you when you said goodbye, and it is my privilege to offer my strength in your service. Never apologise for what you take from me because I’m yours, Little Flame. Everything I am is yours to take.’
Vahin meant every word; I felt it deep within my soul. I placed my hand above the symbol of our connection and bowed to the proud dragon who had chosen me before I ever knew I needed him.
With my spirit at peace, I finally noticed our surroundings. Of all the worst places it could have happened, I had to have my meltdown in the middle of the landing field, and now a crowd had gathered to observe the spectacle from a safe distance.
The tempest of flame and aether had dispersed with my last goodbye, but the damage remained. I heard raised voices gossiping, whispers of‘the mage woman went mad’and‘the dragon almost killed the commander’the most prevalent in the crowd. I bit my lip. I’d wanted to start a new life here; I hoped that after today, both my pride and my reputation weren’t damaged beyond repair.
Vahin must have sensed my discomfort because he raised his head, wrapping his wings around me before he roared a warning, silencing the crowd.
‘Get back to your lives. There is nothing to see here!’ Alaric’s voice carried such authority and threat that it made me swallow hard and tighten my grip on the dragon’s body. He approachedslowly, but as he came close, Vahin hissed viciously, and Ari halted, frowning before he cautiously came closer.
‘Annika, are you all right?’ he asked, and I exhaled slowly. Orm helped me stand, covering me with a cloak, and I turned towards the approaching dark fae mage. ‘Yes. Your spell is completely gone. There will be no more burning beds,’ I jested, trying to smile.
‘What burning beds?’ Orm’s confused question made my lips twitch, but I didn’t answer the question. I focused entirely on Alaric, whose haunted expression showed me how guilty he felt.
‘Ari, it’s not your fault. I’m grateful for everything you did,’ I told him, opening my arms.
He fell into them, wrapping me in a tight embrace. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have known when I saw the linen. I should have stayed,’ he whispered, but I shook my head.
‘No, you’re not a mind reader. Nobody could have predicted this. I’m just glad Vahin was close enough to help.’
All of a sudden, I was pulled back against Orm’s massive body. ‘What are you talking about? Why wasn’t I told you were having difficulties?’ he asked in a low voice that sounded more like a growl, and I tilted my head to look up at him.
‘Seriously? You weren’t here.’
I pulled away from both Alaric and Ormond. ‘I need some time to recover, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to my room.’ I wrapped Orm’s riding cloak tighter around my body.
‘Please talk to me when you’re ready,’ the commander grumbled, hand tightening on the fabric before he reluctantly let go. ‘I’ll be in my office or my chambers. Ani … I’m sorry.’
I nodded, but before I could take a step, a loud voice rumbled across the plain. ‘Annika, what the fuck did you do now?’
I would recognise that voice in the afterlife. I turned around to see Bryna, hammer in hand, and Katja, glowering next to her, holding bottles of what I strongly suspected was her specialsleeping draught. The cavalry of Zalesie had arrived to save the day. The determination on their faces broke me, and I burst into cathartic laughter as I ran into their welcoming arms.
The half-orc blacksmith and the herbalist gathered Ani into their embrace. How they could be so affectionate while still staring daggers in our direction was a mystery to me. I hesitated, feeling the urge to intervene. We’d come so close to losing her, and I was still processing my feelings. However, I couldn’t interrupt seeing how happy Ani was in their company.
‘She isn’t physically injured; her magic is calm now, and she wants to be with them,’ Vahin rumbled in my mind. I turned around to look at the two who’d hidden the fact that Annika had been struggling from me. Vahin hadn’t been surprised by my reaction, but Alaric’s entire posture radiated hostility and challenge.
‘Is there a reason neither of you mentioned this?’ I asked as calmly as I could. Annika had been whisked away by her friends, but the bravest of Varta’s citizens and those too stupid to fear Vahin or Alaric’s threats were still here, watching the spectacle.
‘I only realised what was happening today. You took me toofar away, and there was only one moment I sensed something was amiss.’ Vahin’s narrowing pupils focused on me in anger. ‘Should I be asking you why you were so determined to postpone our return? Why you performed a task that could easily have been assigned to a low-ranking officer?’
I swallowed hard, but they both glared at me, and I felt as if someone had stripped me naked in the middle of the town square.
‘Ani wanted me to leave, so I left.’
‘Did she really?’ Alaric huffed. ‘You are such an idiot!’ I looked at the dark fae, at his haughty expression, and my fist tightened.
‘You think you have the right to berate me? You, of all people? Where wereyouwhen all this was happening? You knew she was struggling! And what the fuck did you mean by her setting the bed on fire?’
‘I was in my workshop, pining after the woman I’ve been wanting to hold in my arms for ages while she spent every waking moment yearning foryou. I only heard of Annika’s firestorm when the steward alerted me. I came here that very moment, but you and Vahin already had the situation under control.’
I looked at the charred grass and melted cobblestones that had resulted from Annika’s headlong rush to meet Vahin. He’d been so afraid for her. The terror overwhelming his thoughts had distracted me as we landed, and I’d been catapulted off his back, my bones rattling as I hit the ground.
