Page 121 of Oathborn
Daeden tensed, before taking a matching step forward. His blue eyes glowed, unearthly and bright, in the dim light. His fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword. A pained, half-gasp noise slipped from Tivre, revealing that concern Zari was sure he’d been masking.
“Something the matter?” Syonia asked, tilting her head so her white hair tumbled over her shoulder. “You seem a little upset, dear Tivre.”
“It’s nothing,” he muttered, eyes downcast. “Nothing at all.”
Once more, that purple magic danced over Syonia’s fingertips, and now Zari was sure of it. She was the one behind all those attacks. Perhaps she was Blood Ember’s master now, commanding the beast with a snap of her fingers.
If Zari refused to obey her, she would be outed as a false Oathborn. Not only that, but Daeden would be in trouble as well. “It is the Queen’s wish that I journey there and retrieve the sword?” Zari asked, trying her best to sound calm.
“Indeed it is. So,” Syonia smiled, “will you risk displeasing the Queen, little Oathborn?”
No. No, she could not risk that at all. Not when her father had given so much for the Accords. She would go, and hope to all the stars that she might succeed in the impossible.
What hope did a mere mortal woman have of claiming the most magical of fae blades?
As they sat in the boat, Zari stared out across the churning gray waves, blinking away a mixture of salty air and tears. The Queen’s royal isle grew smaller with each passing moment. Every moment that passed took her further awayfrom her father.To have come so far, and yet, not succeed.The thought burned in her mind.
Daeden rowed the boat with steady calm, despite the waves. A dark outcropping shaped like a hand stretched into the water in front of them. If he was upset at Syonia’s treatment of him, he hid it well. “The stars must have been bright indeed upon your day of birth,” he murmured. “For you to be given such a quest.”
His voice startled her. “You can talk now?”
“Her Oath to me was to remain silent until we left shore.”
Zari sighed. “Daeden—”
“You can call me Dae,” he offered. “My friends do.”
The implication made her smile and feel guilty in equal measure. “Can… can’t we go back?”
“Back?” A flicker of brighter blue light burned in his eyes. “Zari, to consider that—it—” his voice cracked and broke off, as if he was choking. Daeden’s perfect rowing faltered, making the boat tilt to one side. “To go… go back?”
He took a deep, steadying breath. Zari found herself doing the same. Was that how swiftly an Oath could be broken? “No, I didn’t mean what I said.”
“Do not take Oathbreaking so lightly, even in jest. The anguish is worse than any other. Liyale’s screams still haunt me, even now.”
Liyale? Hazelle had spoken so fondly of Liyale and never breathed a word of her sister breaking an Oath.
Again, the boat leaned in the water, and again, Daeden fought to control it. “At least her death was swift. Liyale did not suffer long. Her lover, Ishni, was another Oathborn and struck her down within moments of her breaking.”
What terrible magic, to be killed by one you loved, simply because you broke a vow. She could not imagine living in a place where free will was so limited. How had Daeden retained such a kind heart when he’d been through so much? “What is an Oathborn’s life like?” she asked him.
Daeden smiled, clearly glad for a distraction. “As small children, Oathborn live with their families but practice daily. My mother was the Trainer-Adept for young Oathborn, so I started sooner than most. Once an Oathbornchild reached the age of reason, they’d stay in the Tower to study with their cohort. But… all of that is gone. There is no more Tower, nor Training-Adept. The Tower fell to Rhydonian bombs before the shield was created.”
The pit in her stomach grew. Toward the end of the war, newspapers boasted that the first bombs were dropped over the isles. Her countrymen had destroyed that tower, and all the lives of the innocent children within.
She’d tried to keep the conversation lighthearted and failed. So, rallying herself, she tried again. “Did you have a mentor?”
“I did. He was a strong warrior. Talented, but I cannot…” he faltered. “I should remember more, but I do not. Forgive me, little cousin.”
“There’s nothing to forgive.” Zari’s heart softened at how he referred to her as family. It was not the first time he’d offered her a kinship she didn’t deserve.
“Is there anything else you would ask of me? We draw close to the shore.”
Zari peered ahead to see the dark landmass. The thick mist obscured all but a few small boulders in the distance. “How can I find this shrine with the sword?”
“Journey southeast. There will be no path, for it is a place few fae travel.” The boat’s hull crunched against stone. Setting the paddles aside, Daeden leapt out of the boat and pulled it the rest of the way inland without balking at Zari’s additional weight. “Even I have not returned here since I was a boy. There are stories of—” His words cut off as if shut behind a door, and his eyes flashed brighter with that telltale magic. “I cannot say more.”
Another Oath, then. One that must involve some danger found here. “Is it Blood Ember?” Perhaps if he was able to nod…
