Page 39 of Fragile Oath

Forcibly wrenching my attention away, I turned to Fia and Aengus, broaching the subject I would have been happy to never think about again.

“Have either of you heard anything?” I asked.

I didn’t need to clarify. They were just as plagued by the Viper’s reach as we were, though they were a little more protected by their hidden camp and the safety of the forest.

Fia raised an eyebrow, and it tugged at the scar that sliced through her blue eye. “Not since last time you wrote.”

I looked at Aengus, who shook his head. “I’d tell ye if we had, lad.”

“And the poison?” I asked.

Fia let out a low whistle. “It’s like nothing I have ever seen, which is saying something.”

I opened my mouth to ask another question, but she shook her head, nudging me with her shoulder. “There’s nothing else. Take the night to rest.”

I ran a hand through my hair, thinking how unlikely that felt when there was so much left to take care of.

“I will, after I get Galina settled and figure out what the hell we’re doing tomorrow.” We had left the carriage in the clearing, but it was a slow way back, anyway.

Gal and I had brought our horses, and there were the extras from the Socairan guards for whatever Galina decided to do…

“And I need to write Row,” I added as an afterthought, running a hand through my hair.

Fia studied me before exchanging a look with Aengus that I was too tired to read. She got to her feet with the lethal grace of a predator, disappearing before returning with a quill, parchment, and a cup of warm mead.

“I’ll take care of the girl,” she said. “We can figure out the rest tomorrow.”

“Galina–”

“Will be fine tonight,” she said, all but shoving the cup and the left-handed quill into my hand. “We’ll get her wherever she needs to go tomorrow.”

“All right,” I agreed reluctantly, taking the parchment and focusing on what I would say to my cousin rather than all the conversations I wasn’t ready to have with Galina.

Fatigue weighed heavy on my bones, but Rowan deserved to know what had happened. I couldn't very well go announcing all the details in the event the bird was intercepted, so I settled on something short.

Dear Favorite Cousin,

I was moved to take your advice on the matter of Socairan law, and it has thusly become a nonissue. Unrelated, I took a trip to see our uncles. We built a bonfire – a cleansing ritual, if you will — purging ourselves of all the demons of our past.

I, for one, feel much invigorated, though I wish you had been here to enjoy it.

Stars,but I did. With a bottle of vodka and a plate of pastries and a ridiculous story about the last time she stuck her foot in her mouth in the stuffy Socairan Court.

In other news, apparently visiting one’s new in-laws isn’t all the fun it’s cracked up to be, since the family in question is, at present, on their way home. They may stop in to say hello.

All my love,

Dav

P.S. I’ll be sending a case of whiskey as soon as I get home. You know, as a thank you for whatever headache this may or may not cause you, or your husband, or likely, both.

P.P.S. Please assure him of my deepest devotion. I feel like it’s been a while, and he’s probably worried my affections have waned.

That wasanother thing I needed to follow up on. It had taken a great deal of gold and not a few threats to get Galina’s parents out of Nils’ estate in a way that wouldn’t give the bastard cause for retaliation. At least, not by law.

He was hardly going to miss the fact that his hostages had left just as his nephew stopped checking in. By all accounts, Galina’s father was smart. Once he knew she was safe, he would likely be taking measures to keep himself and his wife safe.

It wasn’t something I wanted to leave to chance, though, so I sat down to pen a few more letters, just to be cautious.

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