Page 45 of Oaths & Vengeance
He worked his way down the steps toward me. “Yes. The destructive power is promising, but it is almost useless without control. Don’t show the Andalagar Chieftain this unless you become more proficient.”
“I’ve been practicing every day,” I said, hoping that counted for something.
He grimaced. “Then it will likely be a long time yet before you master it…if ever. I’m not sure you have the mental acuity for it.”
I gritted my teeth. It would likely kill my uncle to say something mildly encouraging, so I didn’t know why I expected anything less than a disparaging remark. He constantly complained about my portal abilities not progressing fast enough, though I was okay with that since he didn’t know I’d far exceeded his expectations.
This was different, though. I’d been incompetent at my light magic for years, aside from when I entwined it to channel portals, but singling it out was a mess. It was like how I was right-handed, so everything was smoother and more precise when I used that side. It represented my perfected skill with wind. As for my left, I could use it, but most things I did ended up sloppy and unrefined. That symbolized my light powers.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” I asked, deciding to change the subject.
He smiled like he knew exactly what I was doing. “We will raid Veronna tonight, an hour after sunset. You’ll be transporting the troops from here, so I thought I’d come to Tradain to inform you and see how you’re doing.”
How very thoughtful of him. He’d likely watch me the rest of the day, making me a nervous wreck, and then I’d have to help him attack my husband’s territory. There was no way to warn Darrow in time, though I wouldn’t anyway since that would result in us losing more of our forces. It was a no-win situation. If this went badly, my uncle would unknowingly violate my agreement with Darrow and force me to help Veronna retaliate against my people.
I painted a calm expression on my face. “I’m always at your service, my lord. It’s about lunchtime if you’d like to walk back with me to Tradain.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Let’s do that.”
Chapter 20
Aella
Anxiety filled me, and my stomach felt like it had twisted into knots. I sat astride Astra next to the ring as mounted troops disappeared through it. There were a lot of them—far more than usual.
While channeling wind and light to keep the massive portal open, I tried to keep count. Finally, those on horseback had all passed, with the centaurs and foot soldiers coming next. Lines of five or six at a time marched into the blue miasma with stoic expressions and weapons in hand. By the time the last disappeared, I estimated at least five hundred, almost double what we usually sent for a raid.
My gut churned with dread.
Taking a deep breath, I guided my horse through the portal. We zoomed through space in a whirl of colors. I arrived on the other side, approximately a mile from the village of Parvayn, situated on the southeastern edge of Veronna. Its population was just under nine hundred, with only a small contingent of soldiers to guard it. I knew because I’d researched all the border towns when my uncle started having me channel his troops there.
The last time we targeted this town was when our forces still physically traversed the mountain passes, as it sat near the southernmost crossing between our lands. The people here would be quickly overwhelmed, considering half of them were elderly, infirm, or children, and many others were either miners or sheep herders with limited fighting skills. The last time we came here was ten years ago when my uncle slaughtered dozens before I intervened. He'd promised he wouldn’t do it again.
I found myself surrounded by thick woods with a narrow dirt road running alongside the portal ring. It was dark since the moon was onlya sliver tonight, but most of our soldiers had powered their glow stones to see better. There were many soft lights, primarily in shades of blue or green, so that no one would see them from far away. Armed fae and horses were scattered everywhere. The captains called out orders and quickly reorganized them.
Tadeus joined me off to the side of the ring. “This is going to be a long night.”
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“My father hopes to steal a few crates of blue burst gems the Veronnians plan to ship to Juvarn tomorrow, and he’ll do anything to make certain he gets them instead,” he said, voice grim.
My eyes widened. Those gems were rare, with the mine near Parvayn producing over half the total for the realm. They amplified spells that could be protective or destructive. Once activated, the stones only worked once before becoming inert dust, so there was always a demand for more, making them quite valuable.
Therress didn’t have direct access to blue burst gems, but our northern neighbor, Raumandia, had a small mining operation. They gave us twenty percent of their output in exchange for taking some of their people because their land was suffering from large sections of dead zones—both in the sense that nothing grew there and the magic was fully depleted. Fae could die quickly on land devoid of life and energy.
Within our own land, we had spots that had either died or would soon, but nothing like Raumandia. Even the dead pocket near my sister’s village hadn’t lost all its magic yet, or else the portal wouldn’t work anymore. They would have to move it before long, though. I noted it was weakening during my last visit.
I gripped my reins. “You know Veronna is going to retaliate.”
“Father plans to triple the border guards for a while.”
Two soldiers, both strong elves, rode up to us as all the rest headed south toward Parvayn. The tallest one met my gaze. “Your uncle has asked that we guard you.”
Leaving one elf with me wasn't unusual, but two plus my cousin didn’t sit right with me. With some trepidation, I moved with them away fromthe ring to avoid the risk of someone coming through and noticing us. We stopped behind a grouping of trees and brush that provided ample cover for us and our mounts, especially in the darkness, but still offered a direct view of the ring. Should anyone use it, we’d ascertain their identity first. If they were innocent civilians, the guards would grab and hold them until we left. Threats would be dispatched right away.
My wedding ring had grown warm on my finger over the last few minutes. It was almost as if it could sense my guilt at being here and my part in the raid, reminding me that I was attacking my husband’s land. The four of us dismounted, tied off our horses, and found comfortable places to sit. My uncle, Ulmar, and the rest of the forces would be gone for at least another hour.
At first, it was dark and quiet as we sat silently, but after a while, I could have sworn I heard screams. My hearing was better than most. I stood and strained to listen closer, twitching my ears. A moment later, I heard the tortured cries of women and children.
