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

T he moon had been up for hours when Vahin informed me that Ani had finally made camp. I felt guilty pushing my kirbai so hard. His fur was now matted with sweat, and his breathing laboured. My mount was one of a race of magical, catlike creatures created by Cahyon Abrasan before whatever madness led to his transformation into the Lich King.

The kirbai were his first creation. No one knew if he’d abandoned them or if they escaped captivity, but they’d lived and bred freely in the mountains for several centuries. Rumour had it they were created to shelter the souls of warriors, giving them another chance to live on within a new body. I didn’t know how true that was, but it took great patience and a gentle hand to tame the striking beasts.

They acted much like the cats they resembled, often using that strange sense their smaller cousins employed to select their riders. Once they made their decision, though, their loyalty was unquestioning, and it was well known that the kirbai fought to the death to protect their humans. They were also one of the most intelligent animals I knew, able to find their way home and understand complex commands. I often wondered if that was where the rumours came from.

Now, as the clouds drifted across the moon, my feline companion silently approached the small camp Ani had set up. The smile stretching my lips was predatory as we approached from the rear. I planned to surprise Ani and scold her for not being aware, but as I dismounted and took a few steps, my body froze, held in place despite my struggles to move forward.