Page 86 of Oath of War
‘He’s on edge like we are,’ I said as we walked towards the old road. The stones were overgrown with moss and weed, but I could still see the outline of the old merchant path that the Lowland Kingdoms had used to trade with Ozar.
‘I know, sweetheart,’ Orm said. ‘But he is also the leader of his kind, and I don’t want his mood to affect the other dragons. The riders have reported that their beasts are already unsettled.’
We didn’t have time to discuss it further as the first line of troops emerged from the forest, marching towards us. Soon after, Reynard and Talena came to a stop beside us. They both looked dusty and tired, while the empress also looked annoyed. She ignored us and gestured for her guards to set up camp.
‘Any resistance?’ Reynard asked as soon as he dismounted.
‘No,’ Orm responded. ‘A small swarm of spectrae, though that doesn’t count. It’s worrying.’
He’d managed to verbalise exactly how I’d felt.
Reynard frowned. ‘I know it’s a bit late for this, but you know these mountains better than me. Is there any way the Lich King could flank us here?’ he asked.
Orm shook his head. ‘No. There are a few goat runs but nothing that would accommodate a larger force. That’s the only reason I stayed even when we hadn’t encountered any enemy forces.’
‘Okay, double the patrols and guards. Ensure nothing can sneak up on us,’ Reynard instructed before turning to me. ‘Ani, as soon as Valaram and his mages finish making the portal, I want you to see what the elemental mages can do aboutthe passage. Their leader mentioned creating a slow chain reaction instead of raw magic blasts, but his explanation was so convoluted I’m not sure what he meant.’
Reynard was still talking, the soldiers around us bustling with activity, but I couldn’t pay attention as something suddenly reached into my chest and tried to tear the soul from my body.
‘Annika?’
Orm must have noticed my reaction because he grasped my shoulders, turning me to face him. His eyes scanned my face, but I couldn’t speak, trying to contain the vortex of energy growing inside me, all to no avail. Someone else was controlling my ability, and I felt helpless as the power ripped through me, stripping away the surrounding aether.
Orm gasped, catching me when my knees buckled. A metallic taste filled my mouth, and I coughed, splattering my Ursus with bright red blood.
‘Rey, get the healer. Go!’ he shouted, carrying me to the nearest tent. ‘Annika, what’s going on?’
I was panicking, unable to breathe, consumed by the maelstrom of magic tearing through me.Why is this happening?How was my magic raging out of control, and where was it going?
It took all my training to hold back the terror, to survive such immense energy. I felt Vahin’s presence in my mind as he sacrificed his life force to sustain my burning body. I screamed, my mind finally latching onto the spell disrupting my ability, its intent so heinous it chilled the blood in my veins.
The darkest of all arts, it was a forbidden parasitic spell that siphoned a mage’s power via their life force. The signature was so similar to Alaric’s that I knew one of his kin was stealing my magic, and whoever it was had such malicious intent and gleeful hatred that it shocked me to the core. Worse, because Iknew Cahyon had imprisoned Ari’s father, I’m sure it had to be Rowena.
I was burning from the inside out, unable to resist. Suddenly, as if through a fog, I felt a cool hand touching my forehead and a stern voice commanding me as it chanted a healing spell.
‘La sutera at eatheream dolorum lara’mei.’2
Valaram repeated the words again and again, infusing them with his power and constructing a shield around me. The torrent of magic slowed, allowing me to suck in a breath and utter a single sentence.
‘Alaric. She’s using Alaric’s Anchor ...’
‘Breath, Nivale. Breath for me.’ Orm’s voice was filled with pent-up fear. ‘Gods, why is there so much blood? Valaram, make it stop.Why is she bleeding?’
I wanted to reassure him, but all I could do was squeeze his hand.
‘Annika, please. Whatever it is, you can fight it. Take what you need from me. Use our bond. I don’t care how much it hurts, but please fight for me, Nivale,’ Orm begged, pressing my hand to his lips. I wished I could tell him I was trying, but I wasn’t strong enough.
The painful howl of a soul ripped apart echoed through my mind as something else took its place. Darkness stared at me and my body seized with recognition.
‘My dear Annika. I told you we’d meet again. You had a chance to come to me. Now, I’ll show you what my monsters can do to that rabble you call an army. My beautiful slave, I can’t wait to feel your power licking over my skin as you squirm under my touch.’
His power slammed into me, and I heard a dragon roar in the distance as the blazing magic of Valaram’s shields shut down the connection, but not before I felt my heart stutter and halt.
1.Perun—god of sky and thunder.
2.Share your pain and let me protect you, my chosen.
Ithought I’d already crossed the Veil but came back to reality thanks to the cold hand pressed to my forehead. I’d suffered a magical burnout once or twice in my life—every mage did, especially early on in our training when we overestimated our abilities—but it had never been this bad.
