Page 57 of Oath of War
A shrill shriek interrupted him, making us both wince.
‘My lady! Oh, my poor lady! What have they done to you?’ Agnes was running down the stairs, wailing like a vjesci.
‘I’m fine.’ Annika jerked awake in my hold, sending me a pleading look, but I knew better than to get between my woman and her maid. From the moment I had chosen Agnes to serve Ani, the girl had surprised me with how protective she was of my Nivale.
‘Agnes is right, my love,’ I said softly. ‘You’re exhausted. Let her look after you while Ari and I deal with our unwanted guest.’
Alaric looked at me questioningly. ‘Ihrain,’ I clarified. ‘We need to secure him, and I’ll need to read this bloody letter.’ I exhaled sharply. ‘Then we’ll all get some rest. Please, both of you, listen to me for a change.’
Annika moved closer, concern etched on her beautiful face, but I stepped back. Something about coming home had loosened the emotions I’d wrapped into a tight knot deep in my core. My family was safe, but for how long?
The memory of the massacre at Roan Fortress surged unbidden, and it took every ounce of restraint not to let it show when I looked at her. To me, she was a woman burdened with too many scars. To the rest of the world, she was a weapon—a tool to win not just battles, but wars. Few cared how that role weighed on her.
‘Something’s wrong, isn’t it?’ she asked, her hand resting gently on my cheek. ‘Don’t lie to me. I know that look. Something’s bothering you.’ Her concern bled into our bond, filling the cracks I was desperate to keep sealed.
‘Roan Fortress was attacked. It was a massacre,’ I admitted, pressing a kiss to her palm before pulling away. The pain of losing so many souls was finally catching up with me. I needed space—distance—to keep from unravelling in front of her.‘Please, let me take care of things, then I will join you. It’s better that way.’
My throat was too tight to say more, but I knew she could feel the maelstrom of emotions burning inside me. Sadness filled Annika’s eyes; my rejection must have hurt her, but she straightened her back and forced a tight smile. ‘I understand. Take your time, but promise me you won’t be alone. Maybe you can spend some time with Ari?’
‘I will, sweetheart,’ I said, managing a faint smile. ‘And I’ll make sure he rests, too. Don’t worry about me—I’m just an old soldier who has seen too much. I’ll be fine. Go find that grumpy dragon. He misses you. He flew faster than the northern winds to reach you.’
She hesitated, her worry lingering, so I teased her, ‘I expect to see you on the training grounds tomorrow. You were injured, and I suspect my battle mage has gotten a little sloppy lately.’
Annika huffed, feigning annoyance. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll show you I can still beat your arse.’
As she walked away with Agnes, Vahin’s voice rumbled through my weary mind. ‘Thank you, Ormond.I need her more than I could ever explain.’
Gesturing for the guards to take Ihrain, Alaric turned to follow them.
‘Not yet,’ I said, stopping him. ‘Take the piece of trash to the cells, then bathe and wait for me in our bedroom.’ He turned back, raising his eyebrow as if my commanding tone were the last thing he expected. ‘Please, just do it.’
I turned away, unwilling to face having to make another decision, yet heading straight to the war room to do so anyway. That damned letter was burning a hole in my psyche, and the sooner I knew what my brother wanted, the sooner I could report on my findings at Roan Fortress. Once that was done, I could take the time to face my own emotions.
An hour later, I was done. The missive was nothing urgent—simply Reynard sending his regards and informing me of the war council the next day. I quickly wrote a response, attaching the report on Roan, the details of our latest misadventure, and the location of Ihrain’s portal. It was crucial Rey had this information before facing the other leaders—better to prepare him than let him be blindsided later by my revelations.
With the task complete, I made my way to the bath, eager to wash away the grime and tension of the day. Afterwards, I headed to the bedroom, hoping Alaric was already there.
By the time I opened the door, my mind was a mess of tangled emotions, all held together by uncertainty about our future. There was so much I needed to get off my chest, but could our newly blossoming relationship survive me sharing it all?
Inside, the unflappable bastard stood by the table, pouring a glass of wine. The sight of him stopped me in my tracks. He looked so much better. A bath and a change of clothes seemed to have restored the silver glow of his skin, but the most significant change was his eyes, gleaming with a golden light. There wasn’t a single hint of the pain that so often hid there. I stopped to study him, dressed only in spider silk, his shirt unbuttoned, openly showing the curse’s silver marks he’d been ashamed of for years, but even those had changed.
‘Wine?’ he asked. ‘Have a drink and tell me why I had to postpone the interrogation. You know my hands are itching to show Ihrain what “filth” can really do.’ He smirked, but his expression faltered when I crossed the room in two strides, slamming him against the wall.
My hand locked onto his throat, but he didn’t flinch, just calmly placed the goblet back on the table. ‘You spilt the wine,’he whispered, the tease in his voice almost maddening. His body relaxed in my grasp—a show of trust that stole my breath. I needed him, and as his throat bobbed beneath my hand, I crushed my lips to his in a punishing kiss.
‘Next time you jump in to shield me, I’ll kill you myself,’ I growled, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze as my thumb traced the bruise on his cheek. ‘How dare you endanger yourself? I can’t fucking lose you, you stubborn bastard.’
Ari inhaled sharply, crimson light beginning to swirl in the depths of his eyes as he slowly licked his lips. ‘Dare?’ he asked. ‘You’re asking me how I dare to love you? How I dare protect the man who sees me for what I truly am and still accepts me? For all these years, you’ve meant more to me than anyone ever before. I’d die a thousand times for you, Ormond Erenhart. Idareyou to question that.’
Alaric’s voice was hoarse with emotion as he swallowed. When he turned his head to catch my thumb between his teeth, I groaned, forgetting my dark thoughts.Gods, I want him so fucking much. I pressed myself against him, pinning his body to the wall.
‘I thought I’d lost you. I thought we’d returned too late, and in a way, it brought clarity to my mind. I can’t deny us, so if you have any doubts, stop me,’ I murmured, breathing in his crisp, masculine scent. ‘Stop me, because if you don’t, I will make you mine, Ari, and when I take you, your body and soul will never be free of me.’
‘No,’ he whispered, his body trembling under my touch. ‘I know what I want, Ormond; I was just waiting for you to want this, too. Do your worst. I can take it. I can take ... you.’
‘Fuck,’ I muttered as the last barrier between us crumbled. I leaned in for a kiss, and its searing heat reforged years of friendship into something more. Something so profound that it changed who I was. I didn’t have the words to describe it.
My hands shook with uncharacteristic vulnerability as I pulled back. ‘I don’t know what to do,’ I confessed, a quiet laugh escaping me. ‘I’ve never been with a man.’
