Page 2 of Oath of War
The first was the seat of the Court of Aether, a structure nestled between the university and the king’s court. It housed the Council of Mages, the chamber where geasa were extracted during the Blood Rite, and the geas vault. It also contained a prison designed for magically gifted criminals, fortified with wards and sigils to suppress their powers. However, it lacked a tower, making it an unlikely candidate.
The second possibility was the magistrate’s prison in the merchant’s quarter. Its dungeon was small, with only a few basement cells where criminals were held before being sentenced. While plausible, it didn’t seem to match the depths I found myself in.
That left the royal palace. Though court life now revolved around the sprawling audience chambers, the ancient fort that predated the palace still stood within the edifice. Mostly abandoned due to its crumbling state and lack of light, its dungeons dated back to the Necromancer’s War.
I knew of the fort because I’d studied it in detail before using an old, hidden tunnel that spanned the area to slip away without being seen when I faked my death. Its narrow corridors were infamous, with barely-there windows and thick shadows where unruly nobles used to vanish without a trace. If I was right,that was where I was now—a place where uncomfortable secrets disappeared.
‘I am one secret thatwon’tvanish without a trace,’ I said with gritted teeth, picking up one of the discarded chains and jamming it into the gap between the door lock and the wall. I couldn’t see much, but I’d felt the rust on the metal, and it gave me hope of forcing open the mechanism.
Escape might be next to impossible, but I had to dosomething. Sitting in the darkness, waiting for my enemies to come, was not an option.
‘Gods, I have to find a way out, not just for me but for my men,’ I whispered, trying not to think of the turmoil my disappearance had caused those who cared for me.
My one-sided conversation became my refuge against the silence. The true cruelty of dungeons lay in their isolation and the disorienting absence of time, designed to unravel the mind. I understood this all too well, yet knowledge offered no immunity to the slow creep of those tormenting thoughts.
‘I would sooner drown this place in blood than give up,’ I said out loud. Hatred was a bad advisor, but it was the strongest motivator for staying alive, and I had plenty to go around.
‘I’m glad to hear that, my lady,’ whispered a voice behind me.
Screaming bloody murder, I spun around, brandishing the battered chain like a weapon. A faint purple glow emanated from the wall, illuminating in eerie detail the skeletal remains of the cell’s previous occupant. Before my eyes, the bones began to shift, snapping together with uncanny precision until they formed the twisted shape of a person.
The skeleton rose to its feet, only to lurch backwards as the chain, still locked around its wrist, pulled taut. For a moment, I could have sworn its hollow skull tilted to stare at the shackle in surprise, and I whispered a prayer of thanks to Svarog, god of fire and smithing, for that small protection.
I had no fear of corpses—far from it. I’d faced my share of monsters and studied even more of their victims than I cared to count. But corpses didn’t usuallytalkto me. And those that did weren’t tied to the intricate glyphs now blazing on the wall. And in the middle of it, as if the situation wasn’t horrifying enough, loomed a portal.A fucking portal.
I backed away as far as I could. If I hadn’t been stripped of my magic, I would have sensed it. Instead, I only noticed it now because the damn thing was glowing like a carnival attraction.
‘Who did this?’ I wondered out loud, and the corpse must have heard because it turned back towards me.
‘You did. Only your touch could activate the sigil,’ it said.
I scowled down at my hands, battered with scrapes and bruises from feeling my way along the rough wall. Fresh cuts still trickled blood, evidence of my blind exploration. I must have smeared some on the bones—but had I also touched the glyph?
Someone . . . No, not someone. Fucking Ihrain.That bastard had locked me in a cell with a portal glyph and a host, knowing I’d eventually touch it. Now, a shadow from beyond the Veil had crossed into my cell.
‘Who were you?’ I asked. The skeleton’s head slanted slightly, as if pausing to consider its response.
‘Were? There is no “were.” I am, and always will be, immortal and waiting for you. Don’t be afraid of the darkness, little mage. You are safe in my presence. My servants brought you here because I wanted to see you with my own eyes.’
The response came from everywhere and nowhere at once, and immediately I suspected I knew exactly who was speaking to me.
‘Your eyes rotted away long ago, remnant,’ I stated, and the shadowy voice laughed.
‘Such fire for someone helpless and imprisoned, but what else should I expect from the mage who tethered a dragon’s heart and broke the compulsion on my fae slave?’
‘I’m not helpless.’
‘Oh yes, you are, at least for the moment. But it won’t last forever, and I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do. From what I can detect with my abilities, you are a sight to behold, Annika. I could even forgive you for taking Alaric away from me.’
‘I know it’s you, Cahyon,’ I spat. A hollow laugh echoed within the cell as the skeleton bowed its head.
‘At your service ... Nivale. You know, I have to praise the commander for such an insightful name; a more apt comparison could not be made. Such rare beauty should always be difficult to acquire. Yet here you are, tight in my grasp.’
‘What do you want? And don’t insult my intelligence by attempting to flatter me. We both know that’s never going to work.’
‘Today? I simply wanted to meet you and perhaps convince you to join my cause. I may be the Lich King, but I’m bored and tired of being limited to Ozar, my lady.’
‘Maybe you shouldn’t have fucking murdered and corrupted everyone, then. That way, you’d still have plenty to keep you amused. I’ve heard it was a beautiful and lively kingdom before you destroyed it.’
