Page 42 of Oath of Betrayal
‘No, all I know is that I was exhausted after the spectrae attack—so much so I couldn’t communicate with you, even when I felt some part of you rejecting my presence,’ he offered with a quiet rumble. ‘I felt my fire burning through your body, and I could do nothing to help. I was afraid, Little Flame. I was afraid for us both.’
‘I’m sorry.’ I whispered.
‘It’s all in the past now. I have you, and you will never lose me. I will give you my all—my fire, my magic, and my life. Just stay with me. I don’t want to dwell in the dark again.’
I had so many questions, but more importantly, I just wanted to be with him. Even if I had Anchored him in an unorthodox way, I felt like he was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Conduit mages choose their Anchors carefully, knowing that they would possess a part of their soul. One touch of Vahin’s spirit, and I knew I’d happily give him it all.
He was mine, and I belonged to him: my mighty, scaled guardian, the one who called to me in his dreams.
Iam never, under any circumstances, going to the mines again,I decided.
The pain of every joint creaking as I stretched felt like my body screaming in agreement. Dwarven mines weren’t built for men over five feet, and as I was closer to seven feet tall, I’d spent the entire time bent in two. I would definitely be forgetting how many times I’d had to catch my balance only to put my hand into something slimy and foul-smelling. A week’s worth of baths couldn’t rid me of the smell.
That our search yielded nothing made me wonder why we fought for so long or as hard. The mines we could access were empty of even the tiniest shards. The one tunnel with even the slightest hint of crystal resonance was swarming with Vel and flooded. I’d returned to the fortress tired and angry. Even having Ani here wouldn’t help restore the Barrier if we couldn’t replace the damaged crystal.
The headache I’d gained from smacking my head on countlessstalactites must have left me unable to think because, right after I took a bath, I had walked up here instead of falling into the nearest unoccupied bed.
I just needed to see her. I never thought I’d desire a companion. I’d thought my friendship with Alaric was all I needed but waking up next to Ani had changed my perspective completely. Now, I was paying for it, but I couldn’t bring myself to regret anything.
When I approached the bed, seeing Annika there—so peaceful as she slept—had eased the pain of my headache. A serene expression on her face, her chestnut hair was unbound and unruly, her skin blushed pink in the firelight. Before I knew it, I’d placed my hand on her cheek, unable to resist the urge to touch her.
She was an irresistible paradox, strength and bravery mixed with a vulnerable, caring nature. I’d brought her here because it was my duty, to help end the danger posed by the damaged Barrier, but now … now I wanted her for myself. I wanted to see the stubborn smile on her face and feel her sleep in my arms again.
This wasn’t how I usually felt, and with the firm boundaries Ani had set, I didn’t know what to do. My experience with women was limited to managing the servants, dealing with the few female soldiers the Crown sent us, or paying for a moment’s pleasure. None of that applied to her, and despite my boasting that I could seduce her if I wanted, I was lost.
I considered leaving and sleeping in another room but sneaking away like a thief in the night somehow felt wrong. That would imply I felt guilty for being here. So, I slept in the chair, waiting until she woke up and threw me out of my own bedroom.
The thought made me chuckle, and I slowly opened my eyes, letting them adjust to the light before I looked at the bed to see if Ani was awake.
Only to find it empty.
When I arrived—so late I’d expected to hear a cock’s crow—the woman had been sleeping peacefully, but now she was nowhere to be seen. I hadn’t heard her leave. If anything, that showed how exhausted I was.
Did she leave because I was here?I wondered, jerking upright and letting the warm quilt fall on the floor.Quilt?I didn’t remember grabbing that, yet the evidence that someone took care of my comfort was there, on the floor.
‘Calm down, Orm, she is with me,’Vahin’s voice in my head rumbled in amusement.‘When you come to collect Annika, bring her some clothes—unless you want her to parade around the stronghold in her nighty.’
‘What?!’ I said out loud, and Vahin’s laughter echoed in my head.
‘And make sure to tell your mage to check on my Little Flame’s health. She walked through the castle in the middle of the night wrapped only in a blanket, and she was freezing when she finally got here.’
‘Your Little Flame?’
I wondered what Ani would think of this new nickname, especially when Vahin used it with such a protective tone. Or maybe he reserved that tone for me? My dragon’s personality had blossomed since he’d Anchored Annika and I loved the change, loved working in concert as partners and not simply as rider and dragon.
‘Yes, mine. For me, Annika is my Little Flame; for you, she can be the mountain nivale. She is a woman of many facets, and I’m sure Alaric will also find something that appeals to his dark soul.’
I frowned because I hadn’t thought about them getting that close, and I had to admit it bothered me that my friend might want her affection. I knew Alaric planned to Anchor her. We’ddiscussed the idea in detail, and what we would do when we had both the conduit mage and the new keystone crystal. Once Annika arrived, he was going to convince her to perform the oath—and if that didn’t work, I always had the geas.
The plan that, at the time, sounded so reasonable now felt like an abhorrent violation.
While we were searching for Ani, I’d petitioned the king to reopen the old dwarven mines on the southern side of the Ridge and supply the workers. The mines were famous for their crystals, but as I recently found out, the words ‘werefamous’ were more accurate than I realised.
Dwarves didn’t abandon viable mines, and the one we had access to was empty—at least the part we could access. The time we were allowed in the mines was running short, much too short to explore the flooded portion, and the conditions set by the Crown made it obvious the mission was bound to fail.
My fists tightened at the thought that I’d have to beg the king and crown mages for their help. It felt like the dragon commanders were the only ones who still cared about the safety of the Kingdom of Dagome, but I knew my brethren were as tired as I was.
It’s time to revise and adapt our misbegotten plan, I thought, but somehow, that didn’t upset me as much as it should have. Not getting the crystal meant Ani wouldn’t have to Anchor Alaric, and a small, selfish part of me rejoiced at the thought.
