Page 11 of Oaths & Vengeance
I narrowed my eyes. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“It’s the only reason I haven’t broken your slender neck already. What are you doing here?” Darrow asked, arching a dark brow.
I swallowed. He had me plastered against the wall so I couldn’t move, but he’d applied just the right amount of pressure so I could still breathe and speak. It wasn’t as bad as him gagging me with my hair the other day. That was at least something. Maybe he was going to do me the courtesy of asking questions first, as I’d hoped.
“I need to request a favor from you,” I said, keeping my gaze on his.
Laughter burst from everyone at the table.
Darrow’s eyes danced with merriment. “Did I rattle your brain a little too much?”
Wonderful. The half-dark elf had a sense of humor.
“Would I come into your territory alone at night and announce myself to a room full of enemies if I didn’t have an extremely good reason?” I asked, surprising myself with my courage to speak to him in such a way. Why couldn’t I be that bold with anyone else?
He appeared to mull that over momentarily and then gestured at several elves across the table. “Go outside and make sure she didn’t bring company. Considering her special talent, it’s possible. If there’s no one suspicious out there, stay on guard for now.”
Four elves rushed from the room, each glaring at me as they passed. I’d ruined their fun night. Darrow ordered the others to leave, except one female sitting at the table's far end. Based on her matching hair, skin, and eyes, I assumed the woman was his twin sister, Faina. She was rumored to be a formidable warrior and close to her brother, but that was all I knew about her.
“I didn’t come here to fight you,” I said, annoyed by my awkward position. “Or become a wall ornament.”
Darrow rose from the table and sauntered toward me with lethal grace. I was tall at five feet, ten inches, but he had to be half a foot taller. He stopped just before me. It was all I could do to keep my breath steady as his close presence threatened to overwhelm my senses. I had to remind myself of all my family members that his side had killed—their faces swimming before my mind’s eyes. We were enemies, and that would never change.
He brushed a stray hair from my face, almost like a lover would do, but I knew he was playing with me. “Imagine the notoriety I could claim if I made you a permanent fixture on this wall. Your head would look lovely here.”
“Don’t touch me,” I warned.
He grinned but took a step back. “Your uncle often uses you to transport his army, but never this far. Did you have to portal hop?”
That was what most people with my gift did if they needed to travel far. It required channeling to a nearby ring, waiting a few hours for one’s powers to recharge, and then opening another in a series until finally reaching their ultimate destination. It was a giant pain and something I only did in those first few years while training andexpanding my powers.
“No.” I rolled my eyes. “Getting here was easy and direct.”
Sure, I’d struggled a little to get past his wards, but I refused to tell him that.
Darrow crossed his arms. “Easy?Where else can you go?”
It was a valid question. The only other fae who could open a portal at this distance through wards was in the king’s court. She used to be stronger than me, but I was reasonably certain I’d surpassed her in power by the time I reached my mid-twenties. Since she was well over a hundred, she wouldn’t be getting any stronger.
“Hear me out for why I came here, and I’ll tell you.”
Faina shook her head. “Why bother? Go ahead and kill her, and we will have far fewer problems. Her uncle won’t be able to sneak into our territory and raze our villages as easily anymore.”
I stiffened. Lord Morgunn had sworn he’d never do that again, and as far as I knew, he hadn’t.
Darrow narrowed his eyes, studying me. “How do you get through our wards? Every time you come here, we strengthen them more, yet you still make it through.”
Of course, I was well aware of that. “It just takes more power and concentration.”
Irritation twisted his features, and the pressure on me tightened until I could barely breathe. I needed to speak fast if I wanted to live. “I came here…to ask for help…but I’m offering my…portal services in return. You know…you don’t have anyone…as strong as me.”
His hold eased a fraction as he gave me an incredulous look. “What could you want so badly that you’d offer a deal like that? And does your uncle know you’re here?”
“Lord Morgunn…doesn’t know…and will punish me…if he ever finds out,” I admitted, hoping they wouldn’t use that as blackmail against me as I sucked in shallow breaths. “The reason I came…is for my cousin, Rynn. She’s had the faebor fever…for five days now. Our healer…Briauna…told me her sister could save her…but you’re the only one…who knows how to…contact Durelle.”
Darrow turned toward his sister. The expressions on their faces changed over the next couple of minutes, but they didn’t speak aloud. Some fae twins could communicate telepathically, and I guessed that was the case here. My discomfort at being pinned against the wall and barely able to breathe grew. They took their time arguing whatever points they made to each other while I had an itch on my arm that I couldn’t scratch and grew lightheaded.
“Um…hello? Still here,” I said, drawing their attention back to me.
