Page 119 of Oath of War
The day of the winter solstice dawned beautiful, with the sun shining brightly over a cloudless blue sky. After the snowfall last night, the skies had cleared to reveal a fresh layer of shimmering white covering the world, hiding the battle’s aftermath that we had to finish clearing.
‘Vahin, will you take me to the sea?’ I asked, focusing on his black silhouette as it swooped down to the ground.
‘Right now, Little Flame?’ he asked. ‘I thought you had to get ready for the Solstice Ball.’
‘Not now. But maybe later? Before we leave for home? I want to fly so close to the sea that I can touch the waves.’
‘I think I can manage that after my wing has fully recovered.I wouldn’t want to risk giving you an icy bath ...’ Amusement flashed in his thoughts. ‘On second thought, that would be quite entertaining.’
I rolled my eyes at the mental image he sent of us plunging into the freezing sea as I screamed, clinging to his neck.
Not funny, I thought back, observing him as he flew up before performing a challenging spiral ascent. ‘Should you be trying that manoeuvre already? What if your wing gives out?’
I hadn’t realised how badly injured he was when I had woken up in the courtyard. I’d learned my dragon had given up his future to save my life, but the shock of returning from beyond the Veil meant I had missed seeing the full extent of his injuries.
His wing had been broken whilst fighting the Zmij, and after binding his life force to my mortal life, his ability to create a storm and heal using the primal power of nature was severely limited.
‘I am well, Little Flame. This doesn’t even tire me,’ he said, and I watched in awe as he twisted in mid-air and swooped down towards the palace. ‘I like it here. This land calls to me. When I soar between the land and the sea, with nothing but the horizon before me, it feels like home.’
Our bond filled with a feeling of freedom and happiness, making me smile.
‘Orm likes it here, too. He likes to ... sort things out.’
I couldn’t help but chuckle. My Ursus had a meticulous, methodical nature that made him perfect for managing the chaos that followed a battle. Barely had he sheathed his sword than he was already issuing orders—organising supplies, overseeing repairs, and ensuring the injured were cared for. That whirlwind of activity, though necessary, often had me volunteering to hunt down any surviving monsters. It was far more appealing than putting up tents or clearing the wreckage of war.
And there was certainly no shortage of monsters to kill. Cahyon and Rowena’s demise had freed the creatures summoned from the Void.
We couldn’t send them back, for no one truly understood what the Void was—only that it was a realm entirely separate from ours, and that the tear they had created in reality had let loose beings no one wished to meet. Some even theorised that the monsters in our world had once came here from the Void and evolved, influenced by the aether in our realm.
Still, we had to deal with the horde of intruders. Their freedom may have shortened the battle when they had taken the opportunity to run away, but now they’d spread over Katrass like a plague.
As soon as we were able, Alaric and I had organised hundreds of soldiers into hunting parties. They went out every single day, and apart from when Talena arrived to collect her brother’s body, I made sure to join and do my part.
A shudder ran through me as my thoughts returned to the day Talena had stormed into the throne room where I kept vigil. I wasn’t able to do it for Katja, but Valaram had loved me in his own peculiar way, and even though I didn’t reciprocate his feelings, he had become my friend.
Talena, of course, saw things differently. I couldn’t blame her. The slap she’d delivered had sent me flying across the room, but I didn’t raise a hand in retaliation.
‘At least you could’ve loved him,’ she said with tears in her eyes.
I dropped to my knees. ‘If I could have, I would. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t want any of this to happen,’ I said, humbling myself to the woman who hated me with every fibre of her being. I knew that in her eyes, I was guilty of his death, and maybe she was right.
Vahin’s anger broke through my reminiscence.
‘You weren’t,’ he said firmly.‘The fae mage chose his path. He knew you couldn’t love him, but he followed you anyway. He chased a dream and stood by his choices to the very end.’
I thought of Valaram, remembering the many times his subtle interventions had helped me out of trouble. ‘He was a good man,’ I responded, a pang of regret twisting in my chest.
Vahin’s tone softened. ‘No, he wasn’t. He was a cunning, ruthless fae lord, known for centuries to be the power behind Talena’s throne. But for you, he was a good man. And for that, I will always hold him in my memories.’
‘You seem deep in thought, Domina,’ Alaric said, kissing the top of my head. ‘Let me guess, a certain dragon is entertaining you while he soars the skies?’ He chuckled, kissing his way down to the shell of my ear, making me squirm. ‘Are you ready? People are waiting.’
I hadn’t heard him coming, but I wasn’t surprised.
Free from the curse and burden of his family, Alaric was a new man. Today, he looked every bit the dark fae lord—dashing in a black kaftan embroidered with silver runes, his necromantic power subtly woven into the fabric. His hair, braided back from his temples, left his upswept ears exposed. As I turned to scold the mischievous fae, my eyes caught the many earrings decorating his ears and the silver beads nestled in his braids. He had the polished look of a noble, but beneath that, he was a predator—one who had spent the last month either decimating the rest of an undead army or bending them to his will.
The success of the cleanup was largely due to his power to control the remaining undead, using them for the heavy lifting that needed to be done.
They worked day and night to clear the palace and city from corpses and rubble, which were later incinerated by our dragons in massive pits away from the city walls.
