Page 53 of Oaths & Vengeance
“What?” I asked, still confused.
“We just got you back from Lord Gannon and his son after you got yourself captured, foolish girl.” He took a step closer to Tadeus and me. “I’m letting this slide because witnesses corroborate that you couldn’t have escaped under the circumstances, but next time, put yourself before my soldiers if you can’t hold a portal open long enough. They won’t cost me the way you have.”
I flinched. “I’m sorry.”
“Sure you are,” he said, turning away.
Next thing I knew, he was on his stallion with a retinue of soldiers riding behind him.
Rubbing my head at my fuzzy memories, I looked up at Tadeus. “The last thing I remember is trying to hold the portal open when Darrow used his powers to stop me. He forced me to it again after they retrieved our dead, but once they were gone, he said he wasn’t letting me go. Then I blacked out.”
My cousin carried me to a waiting horse. “Can you ride on your own?”
“I think so.” Everything was so disorienting that I could barely make sense of it all as he helped me mount Astra. “How long have I been gone?”
He knew how my curse worked, so he didn’t ask any questions I couldn’t possibly answer about my time away. I couldn’t be sure of anything except that at least a day had passed, considering I was very thirsty and hungry. Also, someone had changed my clothes. A chill ran through me, considering I now wore a dress that was my favorite color—a detail my husband knew from our wedding night. Had Darrow seen my nude body while putting it on me? The thought horrified and angered me, yet I couldn’t complain because he had the legal right.
Tadeus handed me a water flask. “Almost three days. It took some negotiating to get you back, and Father wasn’t happy with what he had to trade.”
I made myself drink slowly so I wouldn’t get sick. “What did Lord Morgunn give up?”
My cousin mounted the horse beside mine. “Two Veronnian prisoners we’ve been holding in the dungeons who attempted to kill him a year ago and two barrels of holmium powder.”
“He gave up that much for me?” I asked, shocked.
“You’re valuable, Aella. We also didn’t have the luxury of time, considering you’d die in a week or so without food and water.” He sighed and shook his head. “Father made certain you couldn’t even accept sustenance while knocked out from that curse.”
That was something I knew very well.
He gestured, and we began riding toward the village. “How did the exchange go?”
I could only guess Tadeus handled it at the mountain border because my uncle wouldn’t dare get too close to the Veronnians at a planned meeting.It had been just over a year, but I remembered the two assassins who worked together to attempt killing him at the dinner table with all of us present.
They nearly succeeded. I’d had no idea they were still alive, but if Lord Morgunn kept them in the dungeons all that time, they must have been in terrible shape. He would have made certain their fate was worse than death.
“It went smoothly enough, though I swear Gannon’s son, Darrow, was reluctant to hand you over.” Tadeus shook his head as he led the way into the village. “He gave me the strangest look before releasing you to me.”
I twisted in the saddle, pretending surprise. “Really?”
“Yes. Then, he took charge of the holmium and rode off, leaving the rest of us to finish the exchange,” he said, frowning. “I can’t say I wasn’t glad to see him go, considering he scares me with those cold eyes of his and all that power he inherited. We were terrified of what he might do to you if we didn’t make the exchange quickly.”
I wanted to laugh at the irony of what Darrow must have made them think but managed to hold a straight face. “As far as I can tell, I’m fine other than hungry and thirsty. I’m more worried about what Lord Morgunn will do to me for getting caught. He isn’t really going to let it slide, is he?”
“Father is furious, but I argued it was hardly your fault since you had to get as many of our soldiers home as possible. He shouldn’t be angry at you for doing the job he tasked you with and saving lives. None of us could have predicted Darrow would show up that quickly with a large force.” He stopped his stallion in front of a local pub with the tantalizing scent of cooking food wafting from it. “We’re all trying to figure out how he knew we were there.”
I glanced down at the ring on my finger that no one else could see except those who knew about the marriage. Magic throbbed within the metal. I’d assumed it was only the concealment spell, but now I wondered if it didn’t have a way to track me, too. How else could my husband have responded that fast?
Regardless, I found the idea didn’t bother me. If Darrow hadn’t shown up when he did, more innocent people in the village would have died. Ididn’t mind him knowing my whereabouts—at least for now—since I had no plans I needed to hide from him. Additionally, his having my current location when sending messages would reduce the chances of them getting intercepted. I wouldn’t let him know I’d figured it out, though.
“Please tell me you brought me here to eat, Tad,” I said.
“Yes.” He dismounted and came over to give me a hand. “After what I did with the iron cuff, I wanted to make it up to you. If I hadn’t restricted your magic, maybe you would have had the strength to escape in time.”
It was tough to stay mad at Tadeus when he showed true remorse. If I were honest, he tried to protect me from my uncle’s wrath that night. I only knew then that I couldn’t hide away and do nothing, no matter how illogical it was to try stopping my uncle’s forces.
“Thanks,” I said, giving him a look that hopefully conveyed my appreciation.
He nodded. “Of course.”
