Page 103 of Oaths & Vengeance
That was embarrassing. The lord of Veronna—who killed my father—met me in person for the first time while I was unconscious and helpless. I tried to wrap my head around the fact that both of Darrow’s parents knew about me, while none of my family had found out yet, aside from Rynn.
“How did he handle it?” I asked.
“He wasn’t pleased at first, but I helped him see the wisdom of our marriage,” Darrow said. Once again, he seemed so blasé about it while I felt panic rising in my throat. The more people who knew, the more likely it was that the word would get out.
I frowned at him. “How could he possibly be okay with you marrying an enemy of your family?”
“Because you, dear Aella, are the key to retrieving the Naforya Fountain, and he wants it restored as badly as we do,” he said.
As I tried to formulate a response, he headed toward a set of stairs with ornate wooden banisters. I watched his broad back disappear up the steps. Why was Darrow dropping all this news on me now? First, he told me the house I just entered for the first time was also mine. Then, he said his father had known about our marriage for months. Ultimately, I played a crucial role in recovering the most significant object in our world, which had been missing for over six centuries. The Andalagar chief had indicated as much, but hearing it from Darrow made it somehow more real.
I rubbed my head. “He’s going to drive me insane.”
A feminine laugh sounded from down the hall. “Welcome to my world.”
“Do you have wine?” I asked, heading toward Faina. “I really need wine.”
Darrow’s twin sister arched a dark brow. “Will it affect your ability to open a long-distance warded portal?”
She stood there in tight black pants and a matching long-sleeved tunic. It was still summer, yet she’d dressed for a fall weather outing. She also had herbrown-black hair pulled back in a braid the way most women did before a battle. It appeared there was a lot more to this visit than I anticipated.
“Um,” I stuttered at the random question. “Not if I keep it to only one glass. Why?”
“Because after dinner, we need you to open one.”
I drew in a deep breath. “I’m not going back to Alavaar tonight, am I?”
“Nope.”
“What’s for dinner?” I asked, realizing I’d skipped lunch for a dragon ride with my sister before I had to take the portal to Porrine. My stomach rumbled as I caught the scent of food and moved toward Faina.
“Almornut stew with chippan.”
Surprise filled me. “That’s my favorite.”
“We know, but luckily, everyone here loves it, too,” she replied, guiding me into a large sitting room.
Just beyond it was an open dining area with six place settings. Jax and Loden were already sitting at theirs, deep in conversation. Both wore garments similar to Faina's dark tunic and pants. They looked up at our approach and gave me a nod.
I frowned at Darrow’s sister. “How did you know what food I liked?”
She shrugged. “Don’t you think my brother questioned Cam extensively to learn everything he could about you?”
I stopped in my tracks. “Please tell me he didn’t.”
“Sorry, he did,” Faina said, gesturing toward a chair near the end for me to sit. “I was there, and it was most enlightening.”
My husband interrogating my former lover—who happened to be a spy—about me was more than I could handle. “Okay, I can’t do this.” I spun on my heels and headed back to the front entrance. “You all are too much for me.”
Having people who had been enemies for my entire life suddenly start dissecting everything about me was horrifying. I didn’t care about their supposed motives since they could have discovered things I’d rather keep private. Camden and I had been together for years, and I’d trusted him. He’d been a great confidant when things were especially difficult in mylife. While he didn’t know about my uncle’s harshest punishments, he did know many other things.
“Aella, please. We’re trying to be more upfront and honest with you,” she said, rushing to follow.
Was she serious? I glanced back at her as she tried to close the gap between us. “Disrespecting my privacy is not the way to go about it.”
Continuing forward, I ran straight into a large, male chest. Darrow had just come around the stairs into my path. I tried pushing past him, but he took hold of my shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
