Page 54 of Oaths & Vengeance
A wave of dizziness swept over me as we walked toward the tavern door. My cousin took my arm to steady me. We entered the dimly lit establishment, which was relatively empty mid-afternoon, and sat at a table near the side wall.
A full-sized pixie whose head would almost reach me mid-chest if I were standing came to take our orders. She had a riot of curly blue hair and freckles on her pale skin. Her purple blouse was conservative, but her short skirt left most of her legs bare. She gave us impatient looks.
“What’ll ya have?” Her voice was high-pitched with an accent.
“Two meads and a bowl of gruel for Aella,” Tadeus said.
I scowled at him. “Gruel? Are you serious?”
“Briauna’s orders. She said you’ve gone too long without eating and shouldn’t have solid food right away, so take it up with her if you don’t like it. I just don’t want to see you throw up the first meal you’ve had in days,” he said, giving me a pointed look.
“Welcome back,” the server said, giving me a sympathetic look now that she knew my identity. I didn’t often visit this area of our land. “We worried ‘bout what they might do to ya overthere, considerin’…”
“I was unconscious, but it’s scary to think I was at their mercy the whole time.” I shuddered a little because until I saw Darrow again, I wouldn’t even know what he did with my body while I was there, except change my clothes. “But my uncle managed to exchange me back.”
An amused smile pulled at her lips. “Bet it nearly killed the big lord to hand over his would-be assassins and holmium for you.”
This woman was more forthright than most, but I liked that about her. Most people would only sing my uncle’s praises. He didn’t try to be too scary to anyone beyond the castle, but those who spoke too loudly tended to have bad things happen to them. Either they disappeared, or they acquired a nasty curse. I wasn’t sure which was worse.
“Yes, I’m sure I’ll hear all about it for at least a week,” I agreed.
She patted my shoulder. “I’ll pray to the nameless ones for you.”
The server walked away with a sway in her step. I turned my attention to Tadeus because I preferred to know now how bad it would be when we returned home. “Tell me what to expect.”
“You’ll spend the next few days at the castle to recuperate. But in the morning, after breakfast, you will meet him in the office, where he’ll basically lecture you on how you failed him, even though we all know there isn’t a thing you could have done differently that night.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “That’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Yes,” he said.
The server returned a few minutes later with our drinks and a bowl of gruel that looked like they’d added a bit more sweet spice to it just for me. It was usually plain and one of the cheapest menu items aside from a chunk of bread, which she also brought with a wink. Nameless ones bless her.
I began eating right away.
“Take it slow,” my cousin cautioned.
I forced myself to do as he suggested, though it was hard with an empty pit for a stomach. “Any other news?”
A twinkle lit his blue eyes. “You won’t have to return to Tradain until after the summer solstice celebration in four days. I expect it will be as wild as ever.”
“That is something I can look forward to,” I said, grinning. It was my favorite holiday because it was one of the few times I could completely let go of my worries and enjoy myself. Plus, I loved the dancing.
“You and me both,” he replied with a grin.
Chapter 25
Aella
With the sun low in the sky, I stepped out of the castle gates with my friend, Sariyah, and cousin, Rynn, by my side. Our feet were bare, grounding us as the magic thrummed in the air and the earth. Solstice was always when it was most potent, but fae enjoyed the burgeoning life around them even more with summer.
Torches lit the way to the open south field where the celebration occurred. Sariyah had donned a lavender dress with thin straps over her shoulders and a bottom hem that only reached her knees. Rynn wore a pale pink halter dress that left much of her back bare, but the skirt fell to mid-calf. She’d be allowed to stay until midnight when we sent away the adolescents and the adults allowed their passions to take over.
As for me, I’d chosen to wear an ice-blue strapless dress that fell to mid-thigh. The material was thin, so a hint of my nipples showed through the fabric. It was a daring ensemble compared to my usual attire, but perfectly normal for this night. Some fae went so far as to harken back to the old days when we only used leaves strung together to hide our intimate parts. I saw several men and women adorned that way as we hurried toward the field. Tonight was about releasing inhibitions and becoming one with nature.
We reached the end of the torches and stepped onto the crowded field full of merriment. All day, we’d fasted without food or drink. My greedy gaze fell on the handsome centaurs walking around on four legs with platters of food and mugs of spiced wine. Their bottom half resembled a horse, but the upper half was all beautiful and muscular man.
Rynn gaped at the server’s very exposed genitalia, much larger than most other types of male fae, that protruded between his legs. I laughed. It was her first solstice that we allowed her to come to the field, and likely her first glimpse of a centaur up close. They never wore clothes, but she hadn’t visited where their herds lived. I remembered the same shock when I joined the celebration for the first time. Fae couldn’t attend until they gained their magic, but we wouldn’t shield her from most things anymore.
