Page 93 of Oaths & Vengeance
“You’d be surprised how often nothing is something. Our people have excellent instincts, and you likely inherited some of that gift,” he said, giving her a generous smile.
“Well.” She swallowed. “I’ve just noticed certain officers at Tradain sometimes leave with no notice for days and then come back without reasonable explanations on where they’ve been or what they were doing. It’s always struck me as strange.”
“How long has this been happening?” Orran asked, cocking his head.
“For several of them, as long as I’ve been paying attention—so over a decade—but a few more have joined in recent years, and they’re disappearing more frequently. For example, it’s almost once a month over the last year. Before, it was maybe every six months.”
“That is suspicious,” he agreed, brows drawing together. “Perhaps you should begin visiting me more often and providing details on such matters. Names and their magic specialties would be particularly useful.”
Part of me wondered if we should be this forthcoming with Orran, considering we hardly knew him. I couldn’t say what made him feel more trustworthy than most, except this had always been his homeland, as it had for part of my and Sariyah’s family lines. The Andalagar would have a vested interest in protecting this world more than most. Maybe that was why it felt natural to speak openly about matters we might have otherwise kept quiet.
Sariyah blushed. “Are you asking me to be your spy?”
“Only if it might coincide with courtship,” he replied, turning to face her and grasping her hands. “But first, you would have to pass the trial.”
She glanced at me, and I nodded approvingly.
“Fine, I will consider it, but you’ll have to prove worthy for me as well,” she said, lifting her chin.
Orran laughed. “Pass the same initial trial as Aella, and I’ll be happy to see what challenge you give me.”
I wished I was allowed to watch, but they had to take that journey alone. It was why only the chief and I walked through the woods during our first meeting.
“Should I leave the two of you alone?” I asked, grinning.
“No,” Sariyah said quickly, blushing.
Orran shook his head with amusement in his expression. “Not now, but I am grateful this meeting proved more productive than anticipated. Perhaps we can all find a way to work together toward a common goal. While Andalagar tribal lands will always be my priority, the fate of Zadrya certainly affects us. If we wish to keep peace, we must rely on assisting each other.”
“Why are so many of you covered in scars?” I asked. The question had been niggling at me since we last saw each other.
The chieftain gestured for us to turn around so we could begin the journey back. “That is complicated. Some are from challenges among each other, many are from fighting dangerous beasts, but others occurred in service to a greater cause. Talk to your husband and get answers, Aella.”
I nodded. “I am planning on it.”
“Good. Let’s discuss the feast we are about to enjoy,” Orran said, positioning himself between me and Sariyah.
I listened quietly as he detailed the meal, where we would sit, and what behavior to expect. It sounded as if it wouldn’t be one of the sedate dinners at the castle for sure. There’d even be fire and a lot of dancing. The trip here would be worth it for that alone if it got my mind off other troubles.
Chapter 40
Darrow
The sun shone down on us with a vengeance as we crossed the Oarwar desert. It was a barren wasteland with only the occasional rocky outcropping and dry shrubs to break the blindingly bright terrain. I spotted a pile of bleached bones ahead, many broken into jagged pieces, and amended that thought. Those were frequent features as well.
Death stalked this place, breathing dark promises of a terrible fate if we didn’t turn back. Those relentless whispers on the wind weren’t wrong. Only the strongest survived this hostile desert. Even then, there were no guarantees.
Threats were numerous and varied, including massive stinger bugs that flew in swarms, scorpions the size of wolves, and a scorching sun that grilled the inhabitants so intensely even the native animals needed frequent breaks during the day.
The first time I’d come here, I’d only been eighteen years old. King Worden had held a contest for those coming of age, awarding a hefty sack of gold for whoever first reached an ancient black obelisk that stood a hundred feet high in the middle of the desert. It’d hummed with powerful magic.
No one knew for sure how it had gotten there, but stories aboundedthat the nameless ones may have erected it. All I knew was that, when I’d touched it, I’d gained the power to mind meld with sebeskas and control them. It had shown me a vision, so I’d know what to do. Not everyone who encountered the square, onyx pillar received a gift. It was unpredictable. Sometimes, it extinguished their life, so they fell dead on the ground, or even made them vanish entirely, but it was part of the requirement to complete the contest.
To reach it, I’d spent three days crossing the unforgiving terrain on foot, fighting off attacks from vicious creatures and fellow contestants. In the end, I’d won the five thousand gold coins in the heavy sack and gained a clandestine job with the king, but over half of those who started the journey had perished.
Of those who survived and made it to the end after me, most chose not to touch the obelisk after seeing what it did to the first who died, but Worden waited there and watched. He gave smaller rewards to those who proved brave.
We never found the bodies of several who disappeared during the race. I’d brought back the head of a satyr to make a point. He’d set up a trap mid-journey, using his earth powers to move sand and bury me. The fool hadn’t considered that, with my telekinesis, I could lift the mound off. I’d left the rest of his body for the circling vultures to devour.
