Page 57 of Oaths & Vengeance
Our next stop would put us at a thirty-minute walk from our destination. I’d never been to Ivory Castle because the risk was too significant, and there were wards on the lord’s keep to prevent teleportation there. That didn’t mean I couldn’t get close, though.
Long ago, when I developed my spy network, I’d snuck into Therress with Jax. He’d used his invisibility to hide us whenever we came near guards. We’d traveled to a forest between Maradeyn and Lord Morgunn’s home so that I’d have a private place to meet with my contacts. While my friends didn’t know about my specific dealings with the king, they assisted with my information gathering within the realm.
Jax had helped me obtain several other points throughout the land for the same purpose, and I’d been using them ever since. Teleporting did have a downside aside from the power drain, though. I couldn’t see if anyone was there before I arrived. More than once, I’d had to draw my sword right away and kill the witness so they couldn’t alert anyone.
As I gathered my powers once more, I hoped I wouldn’t have to do that tonight. As long as my sister had time to put them to sleep, it shouldn’t become necessary. That was my other reason for bringing her.
We touched solid ground in another dark forest with slightly shorter trees than the previous one, but the brush was much thicker. The place I’d selected was a small clearing, nowhere near any homes or even a stream that might attract animals and fishermen. I’d never seen anyone other than my spies at this location, making it one of the safest to use.
Once more, we sat down to rest. I didn’t dare begin the journey to find Aella until I regenerated most of my power so I could leave quickly afterward. In the meantime, my sister and I shared the cheese and rolls I had brought, with me taking the larger portions due to my increasing hunger. I would have to consume a whole feast once we got home and then sleep for at least twelve hours, if not more.
The solstice magic began pumping through my veins soon after eating, turning me hard and frustrated. We’d taken an herbal concoction at my aunt’s home to dull the effect, but my heavy use of power was causing it to wear off more quickly than usual. My skin itched with the need to find my wife and have my way with her, but I knew that wouldn’t be happening tonight. I began to wonder if it had been a good idea to see her after all, but it was too late to turn back now.
After fifteen more minutes had passed, I stood. “Let’s go.”
“Finally. I’m ready to get this over with and go home,” Faina said, rising and brushing off her pants.
I checked the map to locate Aella’s general direction and then headed that way. We moved carefully, winding our way through brush as we tried to find animal trails to follow. Once we came closer to the celebration, we slowed further to scan our surroundings.
Some fae were so busy they never looked our way. Faina left them alone since it hardly seemed fair to put them to sleep while they were in the middle of their pleasure. Only when they weren’t busy or looked directly at us did she knock them out. Two men and a woman were going to wake up in a very awkward situation, all because one of them faced us as we passed. It would only last for half an hour without my sister maintaining a magical hold on them, but that would be more than long enough.
My ring grew warmer as we drew closer to Aella. “She’s just up ahead.”
“I’ll stay back and make sure you’re not disturbed,” Faina said, stopping by a tree.
She had a look of concentration as she touched the minds of everyone within a hundred feet of her. This part of the journey would push my sister to her limits, but she needed a good challenge now and then to keep her skills sharp. Of course, she’d leave Aella and Camden alone, as we’d previously discussed. Since she knew both of them, she could recognize them, though I had no idea how that worked for her.
I rushed forward, finding my wife sleeping tangled in her lover’s arms. Soft moonlight glinted on her creamy skin. I couldn’t help admiring her full breasts, the curves of her hips, or her beautiful, long legs. She was absolutely stunning and perfect for me—except that another man held her.
An unfamiliar feeling of jealous rage swept over me. Though I knew very well I’d encouraged this, seeing it up close sent me into an angry spiral. Camden had clearly enjoyed Aella all night long while I wore myself out reaching this place to see her. She likely hadn’t thought of me once while she allowed a man who wasn’t her husband inside her again and again. He’d had liberties with her I’d never had, even though we were married.
I forced myself to take a deep breath and calm myself. This was neither the time nor the place to pick a fight with someone who had no idea his lover was married to another. Still, it was all I could do to resist the urge to snap his neck. I had enough power at the moment to do it easily and still teleport a healthy distance away.
“Aella,” I said from where I stood ten feet from her.
She moaned but didn’t respond, nuzzling her face into Camden’s bare chest.
I clenched my fists. “Aella!”
She jerked her head up to look in my direction, eyes widening when she saw me standing close and staring at her. I almost felt amusement as she jerked out of her lover’s arms and pulled her knees to her chest. Now, she wanted to be shy?
Likely, everyone nearby had seen her nude, and she had to realize I’d looked my fill before waking her. No one out here tonight expected any sense of privacy, so even if we weren’t married, I’d done nothing wrong by appreciating her body. She’d chosen to expose herself.
“What…what are you doing here?” she asked in a shaky voice.
I didn’t hide the cold possessiveness in my voice. “Looking for my wife.”
Aella scrambled toward her dress that lay just out of reach. I felt like a wolf that had sighted its prey. Her body was mine, even if she didn’t recognize it yet. As she crawled for the thin piece of cloth, Camden stirred and sat up.
His gaze found mine, and then he began frantically searching for his clothes, finding his pants within arm’s reach. I let him draw those on while grabbing Aella with my power and dragging her squealing form across the ground toward a tree. Holding the pressure, I secured her bare back and arms against the rough bark before she could pull the cloth over her head. She wouldn’t be able to move much, but I gave her enough freedom to breathe and turn her head. It was the best I could do with the irrational jealousy fueling my fury.
She would not hide that luscious body from me just yet. “You stay right there,wife.”
“Wife?” Camden asked, shocked gaze darting between us.
I gave him a hard look. “Yes, as of a month ago.”
“Don’t act like you didn’t specifically give me permission to keep sleeping with him,” Aella said with a glare. Her embarrassment had transformed into outrage on her lover’s behalf. Did she worry I’d kill him? Ironically, I was tempted despite knowing it wouldn’t be fair under the circumstances.
