Page 5 of Oath of War
‘She’s being blocked,’ he said firmly, his gaze steady. The truth in his eyes was an anchor of its own, keeping my wild magic at bay.
‘During the four days you’ve been here, chained and half-mad, I searched the castle,’ he continued. ‘I found evidence in the guest rooms that someone had made lanara poison. Its ingredients were blatantly scattered on a table, as if whoever used them didn’t care if they were discovered. It had to be the chancellor; no mage would handle those toxins. That shit would suppress even the strongest magical abilities.’
I felt a strange calm wash over me. ‘The chancellor suppressed her magic?’
‘Yes, that’s why you can’t feel her.’ Alaric’s voice softened, but his gaze sharpened, his tone tinged with unease. ‘Orm ... your eyes.’
‘Ari, I don’t give a sh—get these damned chains off me! I need to find our woman and kill the bloody toad; and fuck, is he going tosuffer.’
Alaric moved cautiously, his hands steady as he gripped the chains.
‘I understand. We really need to talk about your eyes, though,’ he said, his tone calm but pointed. ‘That golden halo around your irises? It’s otherworldly, Orm. It screams wild magic to anyone who sees it.’
He worked the shackles loose, his cool magic flowing over my raw wrists and bruised skin, soothing away the damage.
‘But don’t think for a second I’m letting him off lightly. A single death is not enough for the man who dared to touch her. Only you can—’ Ari’s words faltered as his thumb brushed the old scar on my wrist. His breath hitched, and when his eyes met mine, the deep hatred in his voice clashed with the raw yearning in his gaze.
‘I thought I’d lost you,’ he said quietly, his voice trembling. ‘Some warriors never come back from a berserker’s rage. I thought ... I thought I’d lost you both to his schemes. Orm, I want to kill him so fucking much.’
He pulled his hands back, his touch lingering like an unspoken plea.
I stared at the fae who understood me better than anyone. I would have been halfway to the capital if not for my madness, but he had stayed by my side, ensuring no one slaughtered me like a rabid cur. Despite everything, he hadstayed.
As the broken chains fell away, I reached for him, pulling him into an embrace he clearly hadn’t expected. Alaric gasped, leaning his head on my chest as his arms circled me without hesitation.
‘Orm . . .?’ he murmured, his voice tinged with shock and hope.
I couldn’t meet his eyes, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions that threatened to drown me. My hand found his back, stroking gently, but the weight of everything—of Annika still in danger—was too much. I couldn’t let myself think about it now.
Still, I needed this.I needed him. Just for a moment, I allowed myself the comfort.
‘It’s time we lived by our own rules,’ I said finally, releasing him. ‘We’ll talk—properly—after we find Annika.’
Ari sighed, his fingers brushing against his temple as he gave me a wry look.
‘Just be careful with throwing out the old rules,’ he warned. ‘Last time, it took Bryna’s hammer to stop you from going on a murderous rampage. I’d rather not have to chain you to the garrison forge again.’
As we walked towards the castle, Alaric briefed me on the situation. What he recounted was a blur, fragments slipping through my mind like sand. At least I understood now what had happened when I’d lost control. But going berserk? I hadn’t expected that.
As soon as Ari finished updating me, I asked Vahin to fly him to the capital. Alaric had contacts deep in the city’s underbelly, and I gave him enough gold to secure the services of the DarkBrotherhood for a year. It wasn’t cheap, but the network of spies and assassins was our best chance of infiltrating the palace. My gut told me that unless the chancellor had hidden Annika in the Barren Lands, she was somewhere in Truso—and if anyone could find my lost Nivale, it was the group even the king feared.
I left Tomma and Katja in charge of the fortress. Tomma had proven himself during the latawce attack, and Katja, our new apothecary-turned-spokeswoman, had stepped up as a leader. After the chaos I’d caused, the woman had even organised an impromptu town council, and it was clear why Ani’s friend was respected by so many. With her caring for the town and Tomma leading the soldiers, I knew the fortress would be in good hands. It had to be; I wasn’t in a fit state to lead.
Once Vahin returned, about a week after Annika’s disappearance, I quickly transferred command and climbed onto his back. As we soared towards the capital, Ari’s warning before he’d left echoed in my mind: my green irises were now permanently rimmed with golden halos, a mark of my wild magic that unsettled even my most loyal retainers.
I didn’t care. I dismissed his concerns—those with me had no reason to fear. As for my enemies, my berserker’s eyes would serve as their only warning.
Two days later, I strode through the halls of my ancestral home. As I passed, servants pressed themselves against the walls, heads bowed low. I didn’t blame them. News of what had happened at the fortress had spread quickly, and no one wanted to risk drawing my ire.
To my relief, my spies had confirmed that the chancellor had gone straight to Truso and entered the palace, where he had remained ever since. Annika was there—I was sure of it. Iplanned to attack tomorrow, hopefully giving Alaric’s spies time to secure her safety.
‘Can you feel her?’ I asked Vahin for what felt like the hundredth time. I already knew the answer, but it was reassuring to hear his voice in my head. He had become so reticent that it was hard to remember the hours I’d spent arguing with him or listening to his tales of ancient times.
‘No, Orm, I cannot sense or hear her,’ he answered, his worry a constant presence through our bond. ‘All I know is that she’s still alive.’
‘We’ll find her,’ I promised, anger simmering beneath the surface. ‘Even if I have to burn this shithole to the ground.’
His response carried a rare flicker of amusement. ‘Burn it, hmm?’ He projected an image of me at the palace gates, struggling to light a torch while he poured liquid fire from above.
