Page 98 of Oaths & Vengeance
I laughed. That was the term I’d been using for years to avoid using actual curse words in front of her. I’d been so distracted lately that I hadn’t used it in a while.
“Absolutely.” I pulled us both to a stand. “Let’s go home and report the Cù Sìth so they can deal with the body.”
No point in some hapless person coming along to find the split carcass.
“Okay,” she said.
I took one last look at the creature I’d killed and vowed to research their kind when I had the time. Something told me there was more to the story than anyone knew. Or possibly, no one had cared, but I felt like it should matter.
As I mounted my horse, a sebeska squawked from high above in the flat foliage of a burchar tree. It flew down toward me. I held out my arm to let it land, wondering how long it had perched there. If it had shown up during the Cù Sìth attack, it would have waited until it was safe before revealing its presence. The fact that it had been hanging out somewherehigh lent credibility to that theory. They usually flew straight toward their target recipient without delay.
It wrapped its claws around my forearm, surprisingly careful of my bare skin. With my free hand, I took the rolled missive from the bird as it settled its wings. Tension filled me when I recognized Darrow’s familiar handwriting. It had been a week and a half since his birthday, but I was still angry with him.
In the note, he gave a succinct apology for our last meeting. It hardly made me feel any better. After that, it requested that I meet him in three days in Porrine at a park using glamour to hide my identity. He knew I was due to visit my sister soon and wanted the use of my skills during the day when I usually couldn’t join him. How he’d learned my schedule, I couldn’t say. It varied some months, depending on my uncle and training. At the end of the note, he promised it would be worth my while to sacrifice the time.
I looked the bird in the eyes. “He has a lot of nerve asking anything of me right now.”
A tilt of its head and a squawk was its only response.
“You can go back to him without a reply,” I said in a clipped tone. “He can wait and wonder if I feel like showing up.”
Then I lifted my arm, and the sebeska took off in flight. This day just worsened by the hour between my uncle, the Cù Sìth, and then Darrow’s message. Did I really want to give up part of my much-needed visit with my sister for my cold, uncaring husband?
Chapter 42
Darrow
Janaseed Park was the largest and most popular park in Porrine, situated west of the royal palace. It was as crowded as I expected during mid-afternoon. Fae of all types strolled along the paths, and vendors were stationed throughout to serve drinks and snacks. Children played games on the blue-green grass in the central open area, kicking balls or chasing each other. Their laughter filled the air. I tried to remember a time when I’d ever been that carefree, but nothing came to mind.
Above me, crabarry trees remained in full bloom under the late summer sun. They regularly shed their numerous dark-red flower petals across the ground and pathways, adding pops of color to the greenery. They would die back in a couple of weeks when autumn arrived, as the thinner and shorter mistarr trees took over with their violet flowers.
The park only had four types. They were equally spread throughout the grounds, each blooming in different seasons. The spring and summer trees lost their mint-green leaves during the colder months, but the fall and winter ones retained their dark green foliage year-round.
A buffryfly fluttered around me and the bench where I sat, waiting for Aella. They were a cousin of the butterfly. Its body was round and small, no bigger than a fingertip, but its wings were large enough to cover my hand. They had a wide variety of colorful designs. This one was bedecked in swirls of blue and red, along with two black antennas that helped guide it toward the sweetest flowers. It wasn’t interested in anything other than me right now since it had stayed here the entire time I waited—which was nearly an hour.
Aella was undoubtedly punishing me for the way our last visit went, but I had no doubt she would come despite what she told my sebeska. For now, I waited in one of the lesser-used paths at the rear of the park where foot traffic was light and tree foliage was dense. No one would be able to recognize me at the moment. I’d added glamour to conceal my identity because I didn’t want anyone to recognize us together.
Zadrya’s capital city was rife with spies. If my plans had any chance of success, we couldn’t be recognized together. I emphasized that in the note I sent her. She was wise enough that she’d surely listen to my instructions no matter her resentment.
My wedding ring suddenly warmed as it sensed its mate nearby. Aella must have just stepped through a portal and begun heading my way. I took out a worn sheet of yellowed parchment containing a map of the kingdom. A green dot on it showed her location, which was Porrine now. I folded it back up, relying on my ring to grow hotter as she came closer. It shouldn’t take her more than ten minutes to reach me.
An elf couple, walking arm in arm, passed by the bench. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t look my way, where I continued to sit with the buffryfly. It now rested on the seat next to me, crawling on tiny legs as it inspected the wooden slats.
Almost exactly ten minutes passed when a woman at Aella’s height came around the bend in the path. She had golden-red hair, pale skin, and freckles across her cheeks. Her look was certainly different, with nearly all her features altered except her eyes. Their light-green depths fell on me with unrestrained irritation. Despite my disguise, she recognized me as well.
At her approach, the buffryfly flew into the air to sit on her shoulder. She gave it a brief smile before taking a seat at the opposite end of the bench. I said nothing as she smoothed her lavender skirt and avoided my gaze. At least glamour didn’t hide her intoxicating floral scent, which I relished.
“What was so important that you needed to interrupt my time with my sister?” she asked, every part of her body tense.
“It’s lovely to see you as well, dear wife.” I stared at her rigid profile. “As for why you’re here…we’ll discuss that somewhere more private.”
“Then why meet here?”
I turned my gaze toward the place where I suspected Jax now stood. My close friend had the ability to become invisible, but now, he revealed himself and gave me a nod. It had been his job to follow Aella from the portal and ensure her trip here was uneventful. His gesture let me know all was well.
“I had to make certain no one followed you,” I replied.
She cast me a furtive glance. “Why would anyone do that?”
