Oath of Betrayal (The Broken Bonds: Slavic Fantasy #1)

I woke slowly to the gentle caress of Talmund’s fingers tracing patterns on my back. I cherished these lazy mornings, waking up sprawled across his chest, even if we were in a cramped tent with rough bedding and a pungent smell on this particular morning, the result of our long and arduous journey.

From where he lay on my other side, Arno’s whispers interrupted my examination of Tal’s chest and I frowned. ‘We shouldn’t be here, Tal. If my calculations are correct, the number of demon attacks here is abnormal, even for the Lost Ridge. Sending a rookie mage unit on their final year of training would be a joke if the situation wasn’t so dire.’

Tal’s sigh was so deep I felt my head move.

‘You know it is our job, right? To deal with the Vel. You worry for no reason. They might be natural occurrences; wild magic is stronger near the Barrier, so it isn’t surprising that they multiply here. We won’t encounter the greater Vella on our side, so let’s just try to enjoy using our magic together,’ he said. When Arno didn’t answer, Tal sighed again. ‘You are such a ray of sunshine.’