Page 12 of Oath of War
‘Talk to me, Ari. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it.’
‘My sister pulled me into a dream,’ I began, my voice heavy. ‘I saw the Lich King ... and my father. I know now why theywant me—and Annika. The curse ... it was meant to awaken my psychic potential and tie me to the lich. Hrae! I’ve been their puppet the entire time, groomed to command that monster’s army.’
I shook my head but couldn’t dispel the feeling of hopelessness that settled over me.
Orm’s grip tightened as his golden eyes burned with fierce determination. ‘Forget him. His curse lay dormant when Annika was around, and I’ll never let him have you.’
‘We need to find her,’ I said, recalling Cahyon’s words. ‘He claimed he almost had her yesterday, but he didn’t say how.’
Orm nodded, his gaze shifting to the window, where dawn painted the sky. ‘The day is breaking anyway. Come, let’s warm up before the fight, and you can tell me everything.’
‘Why not here?’
‘Because I’d rather not face armed guards with stiff muscles,’ he replied with a smirk. ‘And you look like you need to stab something.’
I watched as he dressed and then rose from the bed myself. ‘Me? Warm up? Unlike some decrepit, overgrown rider, I’m always ready,’ I teased.
Orm’s smile turned predatory. ‘Fine. Come because I want to beat the living daylights out of someone who won’t faint at the sight of my fury. So, are you up to the task, or should I wake my brother? He won’t be happy, but he’ll understand.’
‘Oh no,’ I said, matching his grin. ‘The privilege of drawing your blood is all mine.’
The golden light in Orm’s eyes flared. ‘Don’t tease the beast, reckless fae,’ he said with a vicious grin.
I let my own dark aura swirl around me. ‘Tease? I thought I was taming it.’
He laughed, the sound rich and unrestrained—a spark of life I hadn’t seen in him since Annika vanished. Thrusting his hand towards me, he grinned again.
‘Yes, maybe you are, in a way. More than I ever thought possible. Let’s go, we have a fight to win and not much time to prepare.’
I was already out of bed, tugging on a shirt, when an idea struck me. ‘How about a wager? The winner gets the first night with Ani once we get her back,’ I said with a smirk.
Orm shook his head, his response so nonchalant it nearly made me drop my daggers. ‘No need. This bed is big enough for the three of us, and I don’t think I ever want to sleep alone again.’
For a moment, I just stared at him. ‘Hrae, why wait for your brother? Let’s go and get her now. For that, I’d die happy.’
Orm rolled his eyes, already moving towards the door. ‘Trust the necromancer to find joy in flirting with death,’ he muttered, and we set off towards the training grounds.
Abone-deep chill woke me, followed by a shiver that shook my entire body, chasing sleep from my mind. I didn’t know how long I’d been lying there after the Lich King’s assault, but the next item on my newly formed escape plan was a weapon.
I spent what felt like hours crawling in the dark, running my hands over the filthy floor. But besides the skeletal remains of my predecessor, its hollow sockets glaring at me in silent accusation, the place was empty.
Determined to avoid more magical surprises and paranoid Cahyon might return, I had checked every inch of the cell for hidden sigils. It took far too long, but when I finally came up empty, a sliver of relief steadied my nerves. As for a weapon, the best I could do was the femur of my unfortunate cellmate.
Whispering an apology to their restless soul, I got to work, grinding the bone against the rough stone wall until it formed a crude spike. When it was done, I raised it to the faint, grimy light filtering through the window. Primitive, yes, but I prayed itwould be enough to find its way to Ihrain’s black heart.
I allowed myself a brief, savage grin, shaking the weapon in defiance, feeling like a barbarian ready to destroy my enemies. The moment shattered as the sound of shuffling feet echoed from the hallway. My muscles tensed as I spun to face the latest threat, the bone spike steady in my grip.
‘Annika Diavellar?’ a voice asked quietly. The hooded and masked speaker stepped into view, their features obscured and their tone neutral.
‘Who’s asking?’ I countered, not confirming my identity. ‘If Ihrain sent you, why ask? Afraid you chose the wrong cell?’
‘Oh, ye’r be ’er. Th’ dark fae said that ye’r be shrewish when angry.’
After deciphering the mangled words, I lowered the bone slightly and asked, ‘Alaric is here?’
The figure shook their head. ‘No, but ’e sent me to lead y’er out of th’ palace when th’ fighting’ starts.’
‘Fight? What? Now? Open the cell—I need to join them.’
