Page 38 of Oaths & Vengeance
If we’d wished to survive, we had no choice except to come here with only what we could carry. Some speculated that the Unseelie didn’t completely eradicate us because they had taken heavy losses as well and couldn’t afford to chase us here. Who knew what the truth was since I’d never met one to ask?
I looked at the ring, frowning. “Does anyone ever come through?”
“Now and then.” Bogdan worked his jaw. “It’s my job to live here and monitor it, but most are too powerful to stop. I report what I see to Karganoth and Darrow.”
“How often exactly?”
He gave me a rueful smile. “I’ve already said too much, and your husband should answer that—should you earn his trust.”
The dark elf implied Darrow knew a lot more. I could not figure out why he’d had me bring him and the others here tonight, but I doubted I’d get any satisfying replies on that matter. Why was everyone around me keeping secrets, and why did I get the feeling they would affect me, whether I knew about them or not?
“Aella!” Koen came stomping out of the woods with a furious look on his face. “I would have thought you knew better than to wander off this far alone.”
I gave him an annoyed look. “What do you care? And anyway, I assure you I can defend myself if necessary.”
“Doubtful.” He snorted, then looked at Bogdan. “Did she give you any trouble?”
“None. She’s certainly more tolerable than you.”
Koen glared at him. “I have no idea why Darrow trusts you so much, but I never will.”
“No, I suppose you won’t,” Bogdan said, stepping back and slowly fading into the woods. It was like he had natural camouflage because I could see a faint outline until he moved too far away.
A shiver ran through me. Aside from my initial reaction to him, I hadn’t felt in danger while in the dark elf’s presence. I didn’t know what to think about that, but I hated being left alone with the other prickly light elf.
Koen grabbed my arm and began hauling me away. “The others will be back soon, and we must be there waiting for them.”
We entered the near-pitch black woods. I swore he made a point of dragging me through the thickest brush and giving me no time to avoid the sharp vegetation. Soon, I had scratches littering the exposed skin on my hands, face, and neck. I tried to jerk from his hold more than once, but he had an iron grip.
“Let go of me!” I shouted.
He shot me a dark look. “No. I know you’re just a tool for him, but he can’t possibly care about a piece of Therressian trash.”
I tripped over a fallen log. Koen yanked me over it, nearly dislocating my shoulder in the process. After another minute of stumbling to keep up, I’d had enough. While I couldn’t use wind power while he held me, I could use a regular weapon. With my free hand, I managed to pull the blade sheathed at my belt. I slashed at his forearm, cutting deep.
Koen immediately let go, and I fell, losing grip on my knife.
“You bitch!” he said, backhanding me in the face.
My head swung to the side, and pain exploded in my cheek. He didn’t break anything, but it was a brutal hit that left my mouth filling with blood from my teeth cutting me. I kicked him in the leg, sending him stumbling backward. The next thing I knew, he was on me and pulling my arms above my head as I struggled to knock him off.
“You asshole!” I screamed. “Get off me.”
His face was red with rage. “Not when you’re the one trying to spy on the island and attacking me with a knife.”
“Because you were hurting me and wouldn’t let go,” I said heatedly, struggling against his hold. “I wasn’t spying.”
“Darrow doesn’t like or trust you. He never will, and neither will the rest of us,” he said, angrily staring down at me. “You’re just a tool to use.”
“Get off…” I began, but then he suddenly flew backward.
I watched in shock as he landed hard on the ground ten feet away, barely missing a tree. Turning my gaze, I found Darrow dismounting from his horse. He stalked toward Koen, picked him up with one hand, and began punching him with his other hand. Over and over, he hit him in the face with brutal force.
Scrambling up, I moved toward them.
Faina ran up and stopped me from getting closer. “Let me see where you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine,” I said.
