Page 83 of Oaths & Vengeance
“My men will take him to the village where he may eat and rest until we arrive,” the Andalagar chief said, taking my hand.
He guided me toward a wide path in the nearby woods. I suspected this would be my next test, and I widened my senses to prepare myself. No way would it be a simple stroll, especially when an ominous feeling overtook me as the tall, thick trees enveloped us. It was almost like nighttime, with little sunlight reaching the ground.
Orran didn’t let go of my left hand, keeping a tight grip on it. A thrum of magic ran between our palms, but I had no idea what sort of spell he used. It didn’t seem to affect me in any way I could discern.
“Are you an obedient woman, Aella?” he asked, voice breaking the silence of the still woods. No birds sang, and I couldn’t make out any sounds from insects or small animals.
I knitted my brows. “Obedient?”
“Yes.” He squeezed my palm. “And tell me truthfully.”
This had to be some sort of test, and since I had little to lose, I chose to be forthright. “I straddle a line. In front of my uncle, I’m as obedient as possible, but I admit to doing things he would disapprove of when he isn’t watching.”
“Hmm.” Orran’s expression was neutral, giving nothing away.
“Is that what you’re looking for?” I asked, unnerved at how hot his hand had become. “An obedient wife?”
Mirth transformed his features, and he let out a deep chuckle. “I doubt there is such a thing—at least not among women worth having.”
Well, that was a refreshing answer.
“Glad to hear that,” I said, but then something dark and sinister crept at the edges of my senses. My stomach turned at its malevolence. I pulled on his hand, bringing us to a stop. “Wait.”
Orran gave me an amused look. “What is it?”
“Something is out there.”
He still wouldn’t let go of me, so I needed to choose between using wind power or a blade as a weapon. It would help if I knew what I was facing, but it hadn’t shown itself yet. I kept my free hand next to my sheathed knife. If necessary, I could pull it fast.
Movement darted between the trees to my right, roaming swiftly. It was barely visible as a grayish figure floating off the ground. It came closer, perhaps fifty feet away now. I squinted, and when it shifted again, I realized I could see through the creature. It was a wisp.
Most were green or blue and harmless as long as you didn’t follow them. There were some, though, that came from evil spirits. They were either gray or red. The fact that this one was gray meant that it hadn’t fed from anyone’s energy in a long time and must be ravenous. If it touched either of us, it would devour our magic and then our life force until we died.
Physical weapons were useless against them. Most of the time, when one saw a wisp, the best thing to do was run or start a fire because they hated flames. I had another option—my light power. While I still hadn’t mastered using it with pinpoint focus, that wasn’t necessary in this case.
The hungry creature darted straight for us—now only twenty feet away. I drew on my light magic as I did every time I opened a portal, except I didn’t funnel my wind powers with it. As I lifted my hand, bright illumination spread from my palm, and the wisp ran straight into it. A loud, screeching wail sounded before it faded to nothing. Most likely, it wouldn’t be able to regenerate for weeks.
I dropped my hand and let go of my magic with a sigh of relief.
“Impressive,” Orran said, looking down at me with surprise. “I expected you to drag me into a run.”
This was all a game to him, of course. He hadn’t seemed worried for a moment.
“Could you have taken care of it yourself?” I asked.
The corner of his lips lifted. “You’ll never know now, will you?”
He gestured forward, and we resumed our walk through the woods. I kept my eyes open for anything amiss. It wasn’t long before another creature came along—a leprechaun with bloody teeth and a deer haunch he threw at me. Orran and I dodged it. As he came closer, I used my wind power to slam him into a tree.
The Prime Chief still wouldn’t let go of my hand, so I had to pull him along as I dashed for the snarling creature. I stabbed the leprechaun in the throat and didn’t pull my blade out until he breathed his last breath.This one must have had a gold stash somewhere nearby because they didn’t attack so viciously without cause. I had a feeling that despite the clear trail, few ever entered these treacherous woods. Perhaps they only used it for tests like mine.
For the next hour, I ran into several more attackers of various types as we covered at least a mile. Then, we stepped into a sunlit clearing. The blue-green grass was soft as we walked through it. I sensed no danger, relieved to leave the oppressive darkness of the woods.
“Few make it through that walk without my assistance,” Orran said, finally letting go of my hand.
I rubbed my palm, attempting to wipe away whatever magic he’d used on me. “Has anyone ever died during your test?”
“Yes,” he admitted, regret in his golden gaze. “About one in four. It is not only used for potential chief brides but also for those who wish to be elite warriors. With them, they must travel alone to this point.”
