Page 15 of Oath of Betrayal
Then I realised he had given me the name of the dragon.
Vahin. That fits him perfectly.
‘Nice to meet you, Vahin. I’m glad I finally know your name,’ I whispered, and the beast opened his muzzle ever so slightly. A long, forked tongue slipped out to lick my cheek. I felt the dragon’s saliva left behind, but the strange gesture didn’t repulse me; it called to something deep inside my chest. My magicresponded as if awakened from a long dream, but it didn’t reach for Vahin. Instead, it stretched towards the man who held my hand.
I froze.
What the hell-what’s going on?! Why him? Why now?
My heart hammered so hard that I felt it in my throat as I snuck a glance at the stranger’s face and hesitantly resumed my movements. Aether poured through me, wrapping around him like an ivy, craving to take him.
I felt as if everything I had known about being a conduit, about Anchoring other mages, was pure nonsense. Nothing I’d read or learned had ever mentioned the possibility of bonding with a non-mage, yet his touch had awakened my conduit abilities.
I have to stop it before it goes too far.
I jerked my hand from the rider’s grasp, avoiding his eyes as he looked at me with confusion, unaware of my internal struggle. ‘I think Vahin has had enough of me petting him like a stray cat,’ I commented, trying to deflect attention from my awkward reaction.
‘That’s not what he’s telling me. In fact, he’s been enjoying it so much that if I did what Vahin wants, I’d already be throwing you onto his back to fly us straight to the fortress. I must admit his suggestion has merit,’ the rider answered with a playful smile.
He spoke about kidnapping me so casually, but the implications of his words hit me like a hammer. I wasn’t ready for this. I had barelythoughtabout it and it was suddenly here, smacking me in the face.
Feeling a connection to the beautiful Vahin was one thing—feeling tiny prickles of magic teasing my skin as I stroked his scales was so very appealing—but this man … he was dangerous. The scars covering those unyielding muscles told the story of a warrior ready to fight at the slightest provocation, willing and able to take what he wanted.
Unfortunately, it appeared what he wanted right now wasme.
Though my blood ran cold at the discovery that my magic responded to him, I could not blame him for my reaction. I couldn’t fault him at all. Even his last remark was clearly meant to be teasing. He was friendly, and while he had certainly misunderstood the cosy little moment, he didn’t make me feel threatened. The rider didn’t even react when I pulled away without explanation.
‘I have to go,’ I said, calming my thoughts.
I took a step back, distancing myself from the man and his dragon. I had somewhere to be, and I didn’t want to disappoint the magistrate with my late arrival. The only thing left to do here was to apologise for the misunderstanding and ensure that he knew I didn’t want to be chosen. He seemed nice, and I wanted to spare us both any embarrassment if he planned to ask for me in front of the townsfolk.
‘Would you grace me with the pleasure of your company tonight, my lady?’ he proposed before I could speak. I took a further step back, and the dragon growled his displeasure, tail thrashing, ripping up clumps of grass from the soft soil until the rider laid a hand on his snout. The man kept looking at me, and his eyes narrowed when I shook my head.
‘I understand the magistrate told you that you cannot refuse, my lady.’
The change of attitude was the perfect antidote for my unwillingness to hurt his feelings. He was no longer the gentle giant who looked at me with kindness but just another man who had tried to force my hand. Luckily, I’d had a lifetime of practice dealing with arrogant pri… men.
‘Yes, he told me, but I doubt you will have any pleasure forcing yourself on an unwilling woman. Let’s just keep pretending you are nice and can take “no” for an answer while I remember theenjoyable time I had with Vahin. Anything else will make the situation awkward.’
I turned towards the dragon and moved close enough to press my cheek to his snout. He was warm, and I wished I could embrace him because something in the enormous beast spoke to my soul, releasing feelings I’d buried ten years ago under the rocks of the Lost Ridge.
‘I hope I’ll get to see you again, Vahin,’ I said, inhaling deeply before turning towards the rider. ‘Good luck with finding a maiden to take home,’ I offered, noticing his smile widen as he rubbed his hand down the dragon’s side, inclining his head politely.
‘We look forward to seeing you again, my lady. Would you tell me your name? I feel I’ve earned that privilege, at least. Or should I convince Vahin to roll over so you can rub his belly to be granted the honour?’ He pressed, quirking an eyebrow.
‘You don’t need my name,’ I answered, but the image he planted in my mind made it a struggle not to chuckle. I’d expected anger and petulance, but not humour. I had to give it to him. The man had charm.
‘Clever. Men normally use cats or dogs to get my attention. By using Vahin, you certainly have an unfair advantage, but this is my final warning. You are kind and handsome. Don’t waste your time on me when the town square is full of eager women who are much younger and easier to charm. I don’t think you’d need to show them your … dragon to get their attention.’
It was my turn to jest, but still, I gasped when my words were answered with a plume of smoke and a deep rumble that I could only interpret as the dragon’s laughter. I didn’t want to wait for the rider’s answer, rushing towards the town square as if a horde of ghouls chased me, but I still heard the words that sounded like the peal of fate’s bell.
‘You can run away from me all you like, my stubborn mage, but I promise I’ll always find you.’
Iwasn’t ready to join the welcoming committee just yet.
I needed to erase the vivid thoughts of the dragon rider still swirling through my mind, so I walked around town, enjoying the sunny day. I strolled for a while, smiling at the children playing in the streets while I tried to centre myself. I had to get him out of my head, especially after how my magic had reacted to his touch.
I couldn’t deny that I had enjoyed his calm presence, the way he looked,and how good his calloused hands felt on my skin.I was so lost in my thoughts that I stumbled over a rock, hissing as I grabbed a painfully pulsing toe, noticing how close I was to smack my face on the gravel road.
