Page 33 of Fragile Oath

A single huff of air escaped him. “What, like you were?”

He didn’t give me a chance to respond before he walked away, leaving me wondering what the hell I had just set into motion.

ChapterSixteen

DAVIN

Sleep didn’t come easilythat night, or the night after.

As soon as I had left Galina’s rooms, I penned eleven letters for my contacts in Socair. I also sent one to Gwyn regarding the magistrate who had officiated their farce of a wedding.

Once she responded with his location, I sent a guard to take care of things.

His instructions were crystal clear: retrieve the marriage certificate and wrap up any loose ends. Given the magistrate's direct ties to the Viper, I felt no remorse in condemning him to death.

After that, there was nothing to do but wait.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was fraught with icy silence, further intensified by intermittent wintry weather outside. The wind howled and lashed against the carriage, compelling Galina to huddle even closer to Alexei for warmth.

I struggled to maintain my composure, resisting the urge to slit his throat as he wrapped his arm around her or tucked a blanket over her lap in some perverse display of affection. He truly did believe that she belonged to him, that she was his to hurt and protect as he saw fit.

Meanwhile, I could do nothing but sit quietly and count down the hours until I could end his life.

At the end of the second day, the innkeeper was certain to tell me that I would enjoy room number five, insisting that Gallagher and I would appreciate the view. Given my frequent stays at this particular inn, I knew this to be untrue, as the window overlooked the war-ravaged ruins. Still, my cousin and I accepted the key, drawing our swords as we entered the room – a move that left the waiting maid visibly shaken.

Gal shut the door, and we kept our weapons drawn as we made a rapid search of the room for any other guests who might have decided to visit. Once we were certain we were alone, I gestured for the maid to speak.

She timidly presented me with a small scroll, sealed and tied with a red ribbon. "This is for you, mi’laird," she said.

Her hand was trembling, even as I handed over a few coins as payment for her discretion. Gal apologized for the misunderstanding, seeing her out of the room while I focused on the scroll.

The ribbon dropped to the floor, and I used my dagger to cut the black wax from the scroll, slicing through the familiar image of a rowan tree to unfurl the letter.

Dearest Favorite Cousin,

It has come to my attention that the family of the person in question just so happens to be visiting their new in-laws. Supposedly, on purpose, despite being in such close proximity to the rather odious personality of someone I would just as soon have executed.

According to my husband, there is nothing we can do to step in, since, by all appearances, they are visiting of their own volition.

If your ladyfriend would like to speak on this matter when she returns home, we would be happy to greet her at the tunnels once she arrives.

My arse amI sending her all the way through the tunnels with Alexei.

Please write back soon and let me know how I should proceed.

All my love,

Row

P.S. Interestingly enough, Socairan law dictates that you are no longer considered married if your spouse dies.

P.P.S. I’m told that the elbow is one of the most painful places to be stabbed.

So that washow Alexei was doing it. Holding the Zhakarovs hostage in Wolf until he could force her to return. I considered what I knew of the intricacies of Socairan politics. The clans still retained a degree of autonomy from the throne, creating a substantial gray area when it came to inter-clan politics.

If the Zhakarovs were in Wolf willingly, or at least appeared to be, there wasn’t much Rowan could do. Galina's word would pale in comparison to the influence of the Duke of Wolf and potentially the Duke of Ram.

Frustrated, I sat down to pen another stack of letters with clear instructions and significant bribes. It was good that I had built up a solid reputation for paying my debts, if nothing else, since I couldn’t very well send a stack of coins with a tiny falcon.

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