Page 12 of Oath of Betrayal
Dragons are immortal and almost impossible to kill,whispered the voice in my mind, awakening hope that would never come true.
It didn’t bother me that he was a beast. I could always find a lover. I already took care of that basic need when required, the occasional tumble with a stable hand or local hunk to ease the tension just a bandage for a broken soul that didn’t want to mend. A safe outlet that calmed my body but didn’t touch my heart.
I bit my lip, the familiar sting of pain startling me from such dark reminiscence and impossible thoughts. I sat up. If I couldn’t find the dragon, I couldn’t Anchor him, so there was no sense in thinking about it.
And who said the dragon would even let me do it?Forcing the bond never ended well, and my life might have been different if the council hadn’t tried to do just that so soon after I’d recovered and they’d ceased questioning me.
My annoyed huff echoed in the cottage as I recalled their words.
‘You did the impossible, Lady Annika. Now it’s time for you to take another Anchor. The royal mage’s apprentice is the best prospect.’
Take another Anchor.I snorted at the thought. It had been the darkest time of my life. I couldn’t sleep, and I couldn’t eat. I woke up every single night calling for my lovers unless I drank myself into black oblivion.
To the council members, however, taking a new Anchor was like buying a new dress when your old one had torn. To make matters worse, they had pushed me towards Ihrain—an arrogant mage with an unhealthy obsession with conduits. I’d been at my breaking point when he tried to force himself on me, and I almost burned the bastard.I should have.
A day later, I found the missive—just a scrap of paper shoved under my door—warning me that the council might consider using my geas to tether me to him. I knew I had to escape.
It took me a week to stage my death, to burn everything I owned along with a body that a well-bribed undertaker had provided me from the city morgue. I let everyone believe my magic had gotten out of control and killed me.
That’s how I ended up in Zalesie, forging my credentials and installing myself as their local mage, much to the displeasure of the resident hedge witch. The town couldn’t afford a university-trained professional, but I didn’t want their money, willing to work for food and board, preferably served late with plenty of alcohol.
I’d been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food, and the work had been diverse and interesting. The local population had soon warmed up to me, and with that rapport came respect—as well as demands for love potions, then evenmoredemands to cure their scabies and less noble ailments.
I fulfilled my duties, indulging in the occasional monster hunt when the ache for my past life became too much and, little by little, life became more than just surviving until the next day.
I needed very little magic to cull the Vel creatures, and even less to cure the diseases of the local humans and their animals. None of those spells required my conduit abilities. As I settled into this ordinary existence, I had slowly forgotten that I could rain fire from the heavens and shatter the earth beneath my enemies. This was what I had chosen. My Anchors died so that I may live, and I lived this life to honour their sacrifice.
Annika Diavellar, the rare and precious conduit mage, had died from unrestrained magic and a broken heart. In her place, there was now only Ani Jaksa, town mage and the woman who sorted shit out when and how she saw fit. As long as Tal’s familylived safely in this region and Arno’s surname was spoken in the same breath as my name, I could live on.
‘I wish I’d never met you, my beautiful dream. I was content here. Now I ache for more than I could ever have,’ I whispered, getting ready for my daily duties.
I had to focus on my work. Tal’s family thought that the pension that came from the magistrate was a crown pension for their dead son. However, the government had long forgotten the fallen hero, so it was my duty to provide for them. They had moved two years ago to seek a better life in the city, and I was happy to see them begin to enjoy their lives again.
Nevertheless, even in their absence, there was certainly plenty to do—far too much for a single battle mage, but I knew I’d do it, whatever happened. As long as the town council was content, they wouldn’t send a request for support, and I wouldn’t have to worry that the Council of Mages would send a mage who might recognise me.
My reminiscence was interrupted by someone hammering their fist against my front door, using so much force that my entire cottage rattled. I frowned, ignoring it as I laced my kirtle, only to blink in surprise when the pounding resumed, shaking the door of my humble abode so much that the dust was knocked from the ceiling beams.
‘I’m coming! I’m coming! Just stop the incessant banging or your guts will end up the strings of a minstrel’s lute. What’s so bloody urgent that you’d risk pissing off the local mage?’ I shouted, adding nastier curses under my breath.
Although the surrounding mountains could be dangerous, the town itself was peaceful. I made sure of it, so what could have happened that they needed to drag me out of bed so early in the morning? Especially after I’d enjoyed several well-deserved drinks in the local tavern the night before.
I hope it’s not that stupid woman and her prized chicken.
The mayor’s wife owned a cockerel that she treated better than the fruit of her own loins, but the damn feathered hooligan spent its life trying to escape her loving embrace. Invariably, I was the one cajoled, bribed, and threatened with being shunned to return it to captivity.
I swore, promising that if that was the reason for the disturbance, I’d roast it and serve its carcass at the village tavern.The joys of small-town life,I guess. Sometimes you fight monsters, sometimes you hex a chicken…Smile and nod, smile and nod, Ani. I thought before opening the door.
A flowery wreath woven from willow and the bedraggled remnants of the local wildflowers landed on my head as I opened the door. Startled, I instinctively swung my fist, punching the nose of my smiling assailant. ‘Fuck!’ he grunted, taking a step back and wiping his bloodied nose before he looked at me.
‘Are you tired of living, you damned fool?’ I snapped, fighting with the twigs and leaves that tangled in my hair. ‘What in Veles’ pit is this?’
The stubborn thing didn’t want to come off. I pulled so hard that it ripped out a strand of my hair, but the monstrosity they’d put on my head didn’t budge. I strongly considered hexing the lot of them just to show the visiting committee how much I appreciated such gifts.
‘Ani, you’ve been chosen to stand with the maidens of our town to welcome the dragon riders. Please follow us,’ the magistrate announced. The insufferable man stood there, blood trickling from his nose, smiling like he’d just offered me the greatest gift ever, and I wondered whether I was still sleeping or if he’d lost his mind completely.
Then I remembered.
Today was Maiden’s Day, but what it had to do with me remained a mystery. Mages were exempt from bondage contracts.
