Page 16 of Oaths & Vengeance
“Indeed.” Darrow took my hood and pulled it up. “Now, I’m going to escort you out of here, hopefully without anyone recognizing you.”
“I can walk back to the portal by myself,” I argued.
He grasped my upper arm. “Allow me the illusion that you can’t run around my land without an escort, would you? I’d like to make certain you don’t kill anyone on your way back.”
“I may have done some damage to two ogres and a rubbish bin on the way here,” I admitted.
Amusement danced in his gray eyes. “That was likely a favor to us all, except the rubbish bin. Point that out on the way back so I can see it repaired.”
“Replaced.”
Darrow shot me an amused look. “Fine. Replaced.”
He rushed me through the tavern's main room, moving so quickly people would hardly have a chance to see me, especially with the hood and my head ducked low. Only once we entered the darkness outside did I lift my gaze a little, and he let go of my arm.
We walked side by side at a swift pace. The streets weren’t as crowded as before since it was getting even later, but there were still fae milling around and some stumbling drunkenly. Everyone recognized Darrow. They swiftly moved out of his way as we headed toward the portal ring.
Partway there, I spotted the alley I’d passed before, though the ogres were long gone. I pointed at them. “There are the destroyed rubbish bins.”
“Hmm.” Darrow frowned at the debris. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to switch sides in the conflict between our lands, would you?”
I snorted. “No.”
He sighed. “It was worth a try. I suppose I should be grateful your uncle doesn’t allow you to participate in most battles, or else our side would face real trouble.”
Did he just compliment me? “He wasn’t happy I attacked you last week despite how it helped our side. I got a stern lecture for it.”
“That is one more difference between him and me because I wouldn’t hold you back in a battle,” Darrow said, completely serious.
I averted my gaze, unsure of what to say to that. We walked the rest of the way in silence. Once the ring’s shiny metal and glinting stones came into view, I found the area was as empty as before. He guided me to a post office outside the courtyard and pressed me against the side wall. The mixed scent of sandalwood and leather coming from him nearly overwhelmed me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, glancing between his hands that laid flat against the bricks on either side of my head.
His gaze was intense. “My sister isn’t here, so I can speak more freely.”
“Okay, but does it have to be this close?”
Darrow kept his face inches from mine, breath fanning my cheeks. “You might be my enemy, but if you think there’s a chance you can get out of the marriage to Elgord, I won’t push for our wedding. That isn’t part of the deal to help your cousin.”
Maybe Briauna was right, and there was a good side to him. “I spent the last two days trying to think of a way out, but there isn’t one.”
“You can’t run away?” he asked.
I sighed, deciding he should know the truth. “No. Look at the back of my neck.”
He hesitated a moment, then spun me around, lowering my hood and lifting my hair. “A curse mark?”
It was a simple red circle with a black dot in the middle—my uncle’s signature design. “It’s Lord Morgunn’s specialty.” I turned around to face him. “He put it on me a few days after my father died, making sure I’d never be able to escape him. If I'm careful, I can make brief trips wherever I want, but if I ever think of getting away from him permanently, he’ll know right away, and I’ll fall unconscious. Trust me when I say I tested it once. It works.”
Darrow swore. “The only way to break that is with your death or his.”
“Elgord said my uncle plans to transfer the curse mark to him, but I haven’t had a chance to confirm it,” I said.
There was almost pity in the elf’s eyes. “That explains the cliff comment earlier.”
“I’m not sure if I could jump, but it gives me some consolation to think there is a way out—even a bad one,” I admitted.
Darrow stared deeply into my eyes with such intensity I had to fight squirming. My breath stuck in my throat as he lowered his head and pressed his lips to mine gently. I didn’t move for a moment, but then he began kissing me in earnest.
