Page 8 of Oath of War
I stepped closer, my voice quiet but firm. ‘Ari, stop hiding your pain from me. If I can’t help, let me at least be here for you. How many times have you done the same for me? Even before Annika, we were close. Why should it be any different now? If anything, I feel . . .’ I trailed off, the words slipping away, unnamed.
I’d always felt at ease with Alaric, even more when Annika was with us. Her presence balanced the bond between us. But here, now, alone with him? It felt different—more intimate in away that unsettled me. I couldn’t pretend this moment was only about her. Being alone with him made me question everything.
Could what we shared be more than brotherhood?
‘Whatever it is, I’ll accept it,’ Ari said, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it. ‘I don’t want your pity, Orm. I am who I am. Somewhere along the way, I started feeling . . . something for you. I know you’ve noticed. You can’t hide the questions in your eyes when you look at me.’ He offered me a brief smile as he covered my hand with his. ‘But I won’t let it ruin what we have. Our friendship means too much to me.’
He exhaled sharply, lowering his head. ‘And I don’t want you to do anything just to please Annika. My feelings for you are foryoualone, and if you never feel the same, that’s alright. Truly. I just needed you to know.’
Ari’s words hit me like a blow, raw and unguarded. He looked so lost as he stood before me, stripped of his usual sharp wit and aloofness, exposing a heart I never realised he’d kept hidden. It was a side of him I hadn’t seen before, and a strange emotion swelled in my chest—warm, curious, and terrifying all at once. My gaze lingered on him longer than it should have as a thousand questions swirled in my mind.
I’d grown up surrounded by the roughest and crudest soldiers in the kingdom, and even though relations between men were not only common but often encouraged as a way for warriors to bond, I’d felt no desire to join in.
So what is it about Alaric that stirs something within me, something no man has before? And why does this moment feel so different?
A crooked smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it, an instinctive reaction to the flutter of intrigue. But with the intrigue and burgeoning attraction came uncertainty. Could I untangle my feelings for him from those I had for Ani? And if I could, was I ready to face what that might mean for us? For me?
‘I don’t know . . .’ My voice came out hoarse, hesitant. ‘All I know is that I need you. Will you let me stay the night?’
He blinked, surprised, before quirking a brow. ‘I only have one bed,’ he said, a familiar mischievous glint breaking through his sombre expression.
‘Then let’s hope you don’t snore, or I’ll go sleep with Vahin,’ I shot back, surprised when he laughed.
‘I’m a fae of the noblest of houses,’ he replied, his grin faint but real. ‘We are above such things, unlike a certain brutish rider who snores louder than a forge fire.’
Just like that, the tension cracked—not enough to dissipate entirely, but enough to remind me of who we were. The change between the fae who had opened the door and the one who was now teasing me was astonishing.
Thiswas Ari, the man I’d known and trusted for years. Recognising that made the uncertainty just a little easier to bear. Even more, it seemed as though my touch eased his torment, and there was no way in hell I would leave him alone to deal with that.
‘Still better than a drunk fae too stubborn to admit he’s suffering,’ I countered, gesturing to the bed. ‘Grab the wine; I’ll get the glasses. Tomorrow’s going to be a godsdamned awful day, and I need to discuss our next steps with you.’
I kept my hand pressed to his chest, unwilling to break the fragile connection that seemed to shield him from the Lich King’s assault. With Annika, her proximity seemed to be enough, but with only a small shard of her soul inside me, I was certain his pain would return the moment I broke contact.
Alaric nodded, and we sat on the bed with a bottle balanced precariously between us. I kicked off my boots and shrugged out of my shirt before stretching to lean against the pillow. Unfortunately, as soon as I stopped touching him, I saw thetension return to his face, the faint lines of pain creeping back in. That wouldn’t do.
I patted the pillows beside me while reaching for the wine. ‘Come on, come closer. Don’t just sit there like you have board shoved up your arse.’
Ari hesitated but eventually settled beside me, rescuing the wine glasses before I could knock them over. I placed my hand back on his chest, but the position felt awkward, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep like that. If it were Annika, she’d already have her head on my chest, climbing me like a bloody tree. The thought gave me an idea.
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, come here,’ I said, laughing nervously as I slid my arm around his shoulders and tugged him closer. Ari gasped but didn’t resist, allowing me to shift him until he was half lying on me, his back to my chest. It felt oddly natural.
‘Orm, what . . .?’
I shrugged, my voice light. ‘It feels right. And I like to have both hands free.’
Ari huffed a laugh. ‘If you say so.’
We lay there, sipping wine, and for the first time in what felt like ages, the world seemed to quiet. His hair tickled my skin, and on impulse, I caught a strand, giving it a gentle tug. Alaric chuckled, pulling it from my fingers. I felt like a thief caught red-handed but seeing him smile again was worth it.
‘We’re going to commit treason tomorrow,’ I said to cover my embarrassment. ‘I thought we’d only be slipping in with the Dark Brotherhood, but Reynard wants to use this to start his rebellion.’
Ari’s head shot up, his golden eyes sharp with alarm. ‘So, what’s the plan? Because if we attack openly, won’t they just slit Ani’s throat? If we’re going to rebel, let me go in before dawn. I’ll take a few assassins with me and find her before you and your brother storm the front gates.’
He sat up straighter, hands curling into fists. ‘Hrae! The pain made me forget—Valaram is planning something. I found out he’s requested an audience with the king, and tomorrow morning the Crown Office is issuing an edict calling for the heads of all noble families to attend.’
‘Valaram?’ I repeated, leaning forward. ‘As in the dark fae ambassador Valaram?’
Alaric had managed to surprise me. I knew he had access to Truso’s underground, but getting information from the dark fae embassy was the achievement of a spymaster, especially since their mages closely monitored the place.
