Page 35 of Oath of War
His second kiss stopped me before I could say anything more.
1.Lara mei /pron:Lara-may/— My chosen. Endearment used by dark fae males for the women they consider suitable mates—a signal of intention used in courting rituals.
Isank neck-deep in the verbena-scented bath Agnes had ordered me to take. I was beginning to think that sweet, innocent girl had been possessed by the soul of some ancient warrior queen. One unflinching look from her, and I’d meekly undressed and climbed in without argument.
I couldn’t deny it was exactly what I needed. The tension of the day slowly melted into the steaming water, but just as my muscles began to unwind, a glowing portal shimmered into existence above me. A letter materialised and floated before my eyes, demanding my attention.
The moment I read it an icy chill settled over me. I tossed the letter and it landed on the floor, pristine despite my rough handling—yet another silent testament to the empress’ power. As if creating a portal to send it through wasn’t enough.
The message contained my instructions for the trial. No weapons. No armour. Only the ‘clothes of the penitent,’ which would be delivered later. I snorted at the absurdity.Someoneclearly enjoys dressing up her playthings.
Ever since I’d agreed to the trial, I’d kept myself busy, trying to avoid thinking about it. But now, alone in the bath, intrusive thoughts threatened to choke me.
I should be preparing. But preparing forwhat?
I knew how to fight the dark fae, and entering a portal didn’t take much unless I somehow forgot how to walk, but Alaric didn’t know what awaited me in the Dark Mother’s Temple, and I didn’t trust Valaram enough to ask.
‘Vahin?’ I tried to reach out to my dragon, desperate to feel his reassuring presence. But he was still too far away. While Orm had promised they would be back by tomorrow, flying day and night without rest would be arduous.
I had very little hope they would return in time. The journey to the borderlands took a full day under perfect conditions—clear skies, steady winds, and a direct path—and I doubted Orm and Vahin would be so fortunate. So, I tried to mentally prepare myself to face the trial alone.
If I could create a portal and bring them back ...I thought. But that was fae magic, instinctual to them and maddeningly complex for human mages.
My mind began to drift, thinking about it and mulling over the distinctive magical traits of the various races. Conduits were born almost exclusively to humans, and every dark fae seemed to be born with some form of necromancy, while mentalism was the domain of the light fae. All races had developed some form of combat magic, but humans excelled in it, and we had several bloodlines that produced primal-order paladins of legendary power. Then there was wild magic, which no one seemed to understand, except maybe the dragons and monsters, but none of them were sharing anything about the ferocious power.
My distraction lasted for a few minutes, but I’d never been interested in the academic side of magic and soon gave up. Ileft the bath before Agnes came back, knowing she would be displeased by my show of independence. Mypersonalmaid took her responsibility seriously. I indulged her because, for some inexplicable reason, it gave her so much pride and joy to wait on me that I didn’t have the heart to tell her I was perfectly capable of looking after myself.
Water dripped onto the stone floor as I stood before the mirror. I looked at my body, the muscles and scars from years of fighting monsters a reminder that I’d never shied away from a challenge. Despite that, when I looked at the emblem of my Anchor bonds, I felt my heart beat harder.
Come on, Ani. You’ve survived so much. You’ll survive this, too. Youhaveto.
I repeated the words like a prayer, but the doubts I’d pushed away returned with a vengeance. How couldoneperson stand against a power that predated humanity? Against politics that turned allies into foes, that stripped Dagome of all support, and threatened to kill my fae?
The room darkened as a draft from the open window snuffed out most of the candles. Wrapping a towel around myself, I abandoned the idea of finding a nightdress and crawled into bed, curling around the pillow that still smelled of musk and cloves.
‘My Ursus,’ I whispered, burying my face in the softness. ‘I need you so much.’
The tears came then, silent and bitter. For the world, for Alaric, even for Vahin, I was strong. But with Orm, I could just ... be. His love was an unyielding fortress, and as the fear of not being good enough—strong enough—choked me, I wished he was there to hold me.
A soft knock broke through my quiet sobs, and I hurriedly sat up, wiping my face. With a flick of my fingers, I coaxed the aether to extinguish the remaining candles, cloaking the room in shadow. I didn’t need Agnes to see me like this.
‘Enter.’
The door opened, and Alaric walked in carrying a tray that smelled of fish stew and freshly baked bread. It was my favourite comfort food. But tonight, the smell turned my stomach. Moonlight spilled through the window, highlighting the furrow in his brow as he scanned the room.
‘Why are you sitting in the dark?’
‘I’m tired and wanted to rest early. After all, I’ll need to be in top form tomorrow,’ I answered, injecting as much cheer into my voice as I could muster.
Alaric placed the tray on the nightstand, his expression unreadable as he stepped closer. Conjuring a soft light above us, he tilted my face to look up at him.
‘You lied to me,’ he said, his fingers brushing over the streaks my tears had left.
‘It’s nothing,’ I muttered, turning my head.
He sat next to me, pulling me close. ‘And now you’re lying to me again. What is it, Ani? Don’t hide from me, my love. If you’re trying to protect me, don’t. It will only make me worry more.’
‘I’m afraid. That’s it, I promise. I’m just afraid of tomorrow.’
