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

I am never, under any circumstances, going to the mines again, I decided.

The pain of every joint creaking as I stretched felt like my body screaming in agreement. Dwarven mines weren’t built for men over five feet, and as I was closer to seven feet tall, I’d spent the entire time bent in two. I would definitely be forgetting how many times I’d had to catch my balance only to put my hand into something slimy and foul-smelling. A week’s worth of baths couldn’t rid me of the smell.

That our search yielded nothing made me wonder why we fought for so long or as hard. The mines we could access were empty of even the tiniest shards. The one tunnel with even the slightest hint of crystal resonance was swarming with Vel and flooded. I’d returned to the fortress tired and angry. Even having Ani here wouldn’t help restore the Barrier if we couldn’t replace the damaged crystal.

The headache I’d gained from smacking my head on countless stalactites must have left me unable to think because, right after I took a bath, I had walked up here instead of falling into the nearest unoccupied bed.