Oath of War (The Cursed Bonds #2)

15. Chapter 15

I thought we were safe, but as tears of relief streamed from my eyes, I was knocked to the floor.

My eyes finally adjusted, and I realised Ari had bowled me over and was covering me with his body. Still struggling to see beyond his concerned face, I gave him my trust, letting him protect me from whatever threat his heightened senses had detected.

The air had turned colder, thick with the scent of night-blooming flowers and an exotic incense I couldn’t place. A soft rustle echoed in the stillness, like silk brushing restlessly against itself. Magic hummed in the air, the aether prickling my skin, raising goosebumps like the moment before lightning strikes.

‘Ari? Can you see?’ I asked, placing my hand on his back, startled when I felt it tremble.

‘Not much, but there is a power in this room. Don’t move, Domina. Let me gauge the threat.’

‘You can barely stand,’ I protested, but my words died in my throat as the strange rustling sound intensified.

Then, a voice, soft and melodic, resonated from all directions, carried on waves of palpable power. It stole my breath, each word like a strike against my chest.

‘You succeeded, child,’ the voice said. ‘I was curious about how you’d react to the Grotto of Dreamers. Many perish there, but I would have been disappointed had you done so. I didn’t want to miss out on sampling your memories. Thankfully, you were perceptive enough to survive, and you didn’t attack my guardian—that makes you a rarity among your peers.’

Alaric dropped to his knees, bowing as the voice faded into silence. ‘I, Alaric’va Shen’ra, and Annika Diavellar greet your magnificence, Dark Mother, Goddess of Fate and all dark fae.’

The reverence in his voice sent a chill down my spine, but I forced myself to stand tall, swallowing my fear.

‘And you, Annika Diavellar?’ she purred, curious. ‘Do you greet me with reverence and awe? What can I do for the woman who, instead of brandishing a blade, talked to the monster?’

‘You are power beyond time, Dark Mother,’ I replied, my voice steady. ‘I acknowledge this, but I do not come before you in fear. I passed your trial. Please honour it and grant your mercy to my mate. I beg you—purge the poison from Alaric’s body.’

The voice chuckled, rich and unsettling. ‘Oh, child, you believe the trial is over?’ Shadows coalesced in front of me, and she emerged.

I gasped. The Dark Mother towered above me, terrifying and beautiful. Her youthful face radiated a cold, alien perfection, and her eight eyes held all of time in their faceted depths. Long, dark hair cascaded down over her body, but I could still see her slender shoulders; feminine, petite breasts; and delicate glowing skin. Below the waist, however, she had the abdomen of a spider, six spindly legs that carried her, and two smaller appendages that endlessly weaved thread.

The sheer weight of her presence pressed on my chest. Aether poured from her in a swirling vortex, pulling at the magic within me as though trying to forge a connection. I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms. The sharp pain grounded me, restoring my focus.

‘Only you can extract the icta poison from his body,’ I said, stepping closer. ‘If it’s not over, then please, tell me what more I must do.’

The Dark Mother tilted her head, a motion uncannily reminiscent of the spider we’d encountered outside. Her lips curled into a smile that revealed needle-sharp teeth.

‘You are brave, proud mage. That pleases me.’ Her voice softened, almost a croon. ‘You intrigue me. For his kind, the dark fae, I am the Dark Mother. Others have known me as Przadka, Uttu, Neith ... but you may call me Arachne. Speak my name, and I will listen. Icta, you see, is derived from my venom. It can bend time, a gift reserved for the royal fae line—though their priestesses haven’t come here for centuries. So, what did your man do to earn their ire?’

Her clawed fingers reached for my hand, but I instinctively flinched. She frowned. ‘Are you afraid of my touch, child? Then tell me, what are you willing to sacrifice for him?’

‘Anything,’ I said without hesitation, then added, ‘except my Anchors.’ I stepped forward, closing the distance between us, and reached for her hand, wanting to erase the mistake I’d made. ‘Please. Help him. He doesn’t have much time left.’

Her eyes narrowed, their glimmer hypnotic. Then her smile widened, her voice laced with cruel amusement. ‘Anything but your Anchors? Very well.’ She paused, turning away from me. ‘Come, child. Your man is safe here. I command the passage of time within these walls. He will not die until I permit it ... Let us see if your love is strong enough to save him.’

As she led me deeper into the temple, the blinding brightness that had initially overwhelmed me began to take shape. It radiated from countless tiny lights swaying gently on delicate threads near the ceiling.

Long-forgotten knowledge stirred at the edges of my mind . . . a goddess weaving threads, a web, the Weaver of Fate bound forever to the mortal realm, guarding the lives of all creation. A shuddering breath escaped me as I looked up at the ceiling—so full, so alive with blinking lights, pulsing with energy.

Could it be . . .?

‘Yes, mage, those are the lives of those on this side of the Veil. I weave their threads, and I cut them when the time is right,’ she said, even though I hadn’t asked my question aloud. We stopped before a stone altar, and Arachne raised her hand, summoning one of the lights to her.

‘Alaric’va Shen’ra . . . What an interesting specimen he is. Hated from birth, tainted by a curse, yet his light is so bright. I could give him the peace of a painless death, or let him go back to the world where his suffering will continue ... for the right price. Time for your decision, mage.’

Dread rose in my core. ‘What is it that you ask of me?’

‘You have earned him a peaceful death by making it to my sanctum. He will drift away, his light fading as he relives the happiest moments of his life,’ she said, pausing to observe my reaction before a smirk lifted the corner of her mouth. ‘But for his life, I want a place in your soul.’

‘What?’ I gaped at her as she approached, shuffling backwards until my body hit the edge of the altar.

‘I see their threads,’ she said, raising a clawed finger to stroke my face. ‘The man and the dragon bound to you, entwined in your soul, so different and yet so much a part of you. I can see where they end, and you begin. I’ve never seen such a rich tapestry.’

Where is she going with this?

‘I could cut those threads,’ she mused, ‘take them for myself, but no ... I want something more. I will make you my avatar. Through you, I will walk your world.’

Her focus bore into me with such hunger that I couldn’t stop trembling. My breath hitched and sweat slicked my palms as I gripped the cold stone altar behind me. Her power was suffocating, pressing down like the oppressive heat before a summer storm, growing heavier with every passing second as black threads seeped from her body to wrap around mine.

I knew it was no idle threat. She could force the spirit out of my body and take possession of my form. There was nothing I could do against a goddess, yet as quickly as it arose, her power receded, and Arachne smiled.

‘That is your decision to make,’ she said smoothly. ‘Let him die peacefully, or accept my darkness. Allow me to live through you so you both may survive.’

I couldn’t stop shaking, even less so when she raised a single claw and tore through the thin strap that bound my breasts. ‘I see your scars . . . but I want more. You will Anchor the fae. I want to feel his life, too. You came seeking a bargain with a goddess—that is my price.’

A cold shiver ran down my spine, Arachne’s beautiful, cruel smile sending chills through me as she watched me, waiting for my decision. I couldn’t bear the weight of her gaze any longer.

‘I can Anchor Alaric, yes, but I can’t fuck a corpse. I need him alive and ... erm ... ready to perform?’ I stumbled over the words, heat rushing to my face.

She threw her head back and laughed, the sound echoing around us like the chime of a death knell. ‘Oh, I will have so much fun with you,’ she purred. ‘So, you accept my bargain?’

I swallowed hard and nodded. The moment my assent was given, she snapped her fingers, and Alaric rose from his knees. His movements were stiff but purposeful, walking towards her like a puppet on invisible strings. He stopped before her, his posture rigid.

‘Alaric’va Shen’ra, give yourself to me,’ she commanded, and with a gentleness that surprised me, she wrapped her hand around his neck, tilting his head to the side before sinking her fangs into his throat.

The soft, sickening sounds of her feeding tore at my nerves, and I had to fight the overwhelming urge to drag her away from him. But as my eyes locked with Ari’s, I could see the tension easing from his face, the pain dissipating with each pull of her lips. Colour returned to his cheeks, and my heart clenched with relief. Whatever consequences awaited me, it was worth it.

When she finally withdrew, her lips slick with his blood, Arachne turned her gaze towards me, and I nodded in silent agreement. It was my turn now.

‘Kneel and wait for us to finish,’ Arachne ordered, but Alaric looked at me, his jaw bunching in defiance.

‘Please.’

It was one word, but the moment I spoke it, he knelt, his eyes refusing to look away from mine.

‘Delightfully obstinate. He was able to resist me because of you,’ Arachne remarked, licking her lips. ‘Are you ready, child?’

‘No,’ I replied honestly. ‘But what difference does it make?’

‘No difference at all, but I let you keep your life. Does that not warm your heart?’

Inhuman appendages grabbed me by the waist, drawing me closer to the ever-weaving arms of the goddess. I gasped as the silk strands twisted into darkness, and before I could flinch, a single thread was thrust into my chest, briefly eclipsing the sigils of my Anchors.

‘Yes ...’ Arachne’s voice dropped to a low murmur. ‘You feel so right, so beautiful with my web weaved around your heart.’ The darkness spread through me, the pulse of her power sending my heartbeat into a frantic race. I felt her presence nestle within me, like a shadow.

She placed me gently on the altar, her movements graceful as she dangled above me on a silver thread. ‘Calm, child. Let it settle,’ she whispered, her voice a caress as I lay there trembling, exposed and cold.

I forced a breath, summoning every ounce of my will to meet her eyes, pushing my fear aside.

‘Will you possess me now, or imprison my soul?’ I demanded, my voice stronger than I felt.

‘Neither.’ Arachne laughed, her voice dark and sweet. ‘You are already mine.’

Her laughter reverberated in my soul as the pressure around my essence tightened. She clenched her fist in front of my face, and I felt the connection between us solidify. ‘Only death can remove our bond. Now, Anchor your fae, child. I want to feel it, to experience it as it forms.’

I turned to Alaric, his body straining against some invisible force, but his eyes locked onto mine with unwavering intensity.

‘Ari,’ I said, my voice gentle. ‘It will be alright. We can do this.’

‘No, Annika.’ His voice cracked with pain. ‘I won’t force myself on you. Even the gods couldn’t make me.’

His eyes blazed with fury as he glared at his goddess. ‘I prayed to you, worshipped you, and you enslave the woman I love?’ Alaric was ready to fight his deity to protect me, but all our struggles would be in vain if he died angering her.

‘Alaric’va Shen’ra,’ I said, my voice sharp, commanding his attention. ‘Look at me.’

His eyes met mine, and I released the breath I’d been holding. ‘There are worse things in life than having sex on an altar with a voyeuristic goddess watching, but I’ll understand if this isn’t something you can do—’

‘What? No! Never. But Annika, not like this, not when this is precisely what the Lich King wants. Not when she is forcing you . . . I won’t be your weakness. I won’t be the cause of your misery.’

‘She is not forcing me, and I don’t care what Cahyon wants. I don’t even care if Arachne drools all over us making love. I want you as my Anchor.’

I didn’t know how else to convince him, so I reached out to my fae. ‘Ari, I love you. In every shade of time, with everything I am, I love you . It is not her decision, it’s mine. I’ve wanted you as my Anchor since our duel in the fortress. Please, all I ask is that you love me back.’

Unguarded emotions flickered across his face—love, anger, wonder, and resentment—until his shoulders sagged, and he exhaled, shaking his head.

‘This feels wrong, Domina,’ he murmured, his voice hoarse. ‘I should worship you on the finest silk, not take you on hard stone.’

Still, he stepped closer, the tension in his movements betraying his inner conflict. I moved to sit at the edge of the altar, spreading my knees as he stood between them, his hands grasping my thighs. When his forehead rested against mine, I felt his pulse thrum in tandem with my own. A vein stood out in his neck, and my chest ached with the urge to assure him that this was what I wanted. That I had wanted his Anchor for so long, I could do the deed in front of an army, not just one curious spider.

‘The circumstances and timing may be wrong but Anchoring you will always be right. What we feel is right . Touch me, Ari. We can pretend it is just us in a cosy candlelit cavern. Make us feel good before I speak the Anchoring Oath.’

I kissed him and eventually felt his resistance melt as my tongue parted his lips.

‘Annika,’ he groaned as I raked my nails over his skin. ‘That is an unreasonable, dangerous thing to do . . . yet I want it so much,’ he finished with a moan that only encouraged me to keep exploring. He grasped my arse, pulling me closer, and I placed a hand on his chest, feeling uneven skin where the curse marked his body. Alaric grunted, pressing his hips to my thigh, and I felt his length hardening in his trousers.

I noticed Arachne had withdrawn into the shadows but felt her presence when she reacted to Ari cupping my breast and stroking my sensitive nipple. As his hand continued its questing journey upwards, his thumb brushed across my lips, and I couldn’t resist biting it, making him jerk in surprise.

‘Fuck, Domina. What are you doing to me?’ he whispered, his husky voice sending shivers down my spine.

‘Whatever I want. You will give in to me and take me like the world depends on it because maybe, just this time, it does. Show me how much you want me, Alaric, and fuck me like you’ve never fucked anyone.’

I cried out, feeling his hand on my sex, fingers rubbing the sensitive spot, touching it with such mastery that my world swam out of focus. My back arched, legs falling open, inviting him in.

Passion flared in Alaric’s eyes, crimson fire eclipsing his pupils. The purple strands of his necromantic power appeared, pulsing as they wrapped around my wrist, pulling my arms above my head.

‘As you command, Domina.’

Alaric’s fingers slid inside me, curving gently as he moved them in and out while his thumb continued to press on just the right place, and its circular movements sent me into a frenzy. ‘Fuck me, Alaric!’ I commanded, and he laughed.

The deep, throaty timbre of his voice reverberated in my core, and nothing could have made me look away from my lover. He opened his trousers, and my hips involuntarily jerked forward to meet him, but again, he denied me. I was trembling with anticipation, whimpering quietly as he aligned himself to my entrance. He paused, his eyes locking with mine as his unspoken question lingered between us.

‘Please, don’t stop now,’ I pleaded, and a mischievous smile tugged at his lips. We were both dirty and tired, but Alaric was hard as a rock, and as a tremor ran through his body, he pushed forward.

‘I will never make you regret this, Annika. You are the light to my darkness, and I will be worthy of you.’

He sounded so sincere, my tormented fae whose spirit burned so bright it had surprised a goddess, but I didn’t need any reassurance. I was at peace. Darkness slowly seeped from my chest, a ring surrounding the sigils over my heart. The presence of a being so ancient and powerful merged with my soul as the goddess echoed my moans of pleasure at each thrust of Alaric’s hips.

I was drowning in ecstasy when her presence returned to my mind. I could feel her loneliness, her need to feel again. To remember how it felt to be a woman, and not simply enduring an eternity of guarding the fates of those who begged for help in their darkest hours.

I pitied her.

‘ I don’t want your pity, little mage, ’ whispered a voice in my head.

‘ But you want to feel the love of someone who would burn the world for a hint of your smile, don’t you? ’

My question was met with silence. I opened myself to her, welcoming not just the power of the goddess who ruled over the living but of the woman who deserved to experience life herself. I felt her surprise at my acceptance, her pleasure that mirrored mine, and the awe when we came close to cresting.

‘ Let me feel you both, ’ came the pleading whisper. Feeling my body tighten in anticipation, I grasped Ari’s arms and gazed into his beautiful, crimson eyes.

‘ Su aetheram, vede aligname faleter.

Me tuor, la’coren datro, sa fallorn. ’ 1

The Anchoring Oath slipped eagerly from my lips, and its magic tore away a shard of our souls, the pain triggering Alaric’s climax. My body jerked, and euphoria overwhelmed me as the darkness of Arachne’s magic and Ari’s spirit fused with my own.

I could feel them both: Alaric’s love filling my soul, and Arachne’s awe and burning desire to feel more, to be more, to live more. My fragile, mortal body had humbled the goddess, and for a moment, I sensed her fear of losing me and her access to the world she’d left behind.

‘ You will live and live well. I give you my blessing and will shelter your thread. Remember my name, child. You’ll need it. ’

The goddess shuddered, her spindly legs contracting, pulling her away. The wave of power subsided, but my soul was still struggling to accept the new bonds, and I slumped into Ari’s comforting embrace. As I sighed in contentment, the gentle caress of a hard claw on my cheek nearly made me scream, but as I turned, I saw Arachne’s tender expression and took a shuddering breath in relief.

‘Thank you, sweet child. You have found yourself a good man.’ Her syllabic voice was surprisingly comforting now that I could feel the emotion behind it. ‘And I certainly approve of our combined symbol on my avatar’s body.’

I pulled back slowly, looking down to see my Anchor mark enriched by a dark ring with thorny vines wrapping around the sword and the dragon. It was done, and I was exhausted.

I wrapped my arms around my chest, feeling vulnerable, and as if sensing my discomfort, Arachne laid a soft, grey robe over my shoulders. The fabric was warm and cosy, weighing almost nothing despite its thickness, and I quickly pulled it closed, revelling in the feel of it.

‘What now?’ I asked, studying the content expression of the goddess.

‘Now . . . I will look over you, Annika. You’ve given me more than I expected. I will visit every now and again, but you are free to live your life, even if that life belongs to me.’ She shifted her gaze to Alaric, and his magic responded, reaching towards her. ‘As you are mine.’

Her gaze flickered to his chest, and I gasped, seeing the curse transform to mimic the markings that covered her back.

‘What . . .?’

She smirked. ‘I can’t allow anyone to mark what is mine,’ she responded before turning to Ari, who patted his chest in awe. ‘You are free from your curse.’

I gaped at her in disbelief, grasping my throat when a string of darkness flew from the goddess to wrap itself around my and Alaric’s necks.

‘You will not speak of this day’s events. Some secrets must stay shrouded in mystery. Enjoy your life, little mage. I can’t wait to see what you do with your Anchors and my blessing.’

The world dimmed and faded away. The soft skitter of countless legs the last sound we heard as we fell back into our own world.

1. With aether aligned in this world and beyond. Forever united with our Anchoring bond.