Oath of War (The Cursed Bonds #2)

27. Chapter 27

I stood on top of Varta’s high walls, watching the camp below as a sharp wind angrily whipped my dress against my legs. I could feel a hint of the first snow in its cold edge. The weather had changed drastically lately, cutting the days short and filling them with a gloomy greyness and wicked squalls that left one gasping.

Come to me before the first snow falls in Katrass.

The Lich King’s words haunted me, and I wrapped my cloak tighter around my shoulders, forlornly looking at the sky.

We were intending to march to the Rift tomorrow. The combined forces of the Lowland Kingdoms were heading into the Second Necromancer’s War, and I couldn’t stop feeling guilty, knowing so many of our warriors would soon face death if I couldn’t end this.

For the guests gathered in the castle and the soldiers in the camp, I presented a calm demeanour—a poised, confident battle mage, as if I knew exactly what I was doing. Here, alone, however, I could let the mask slip, and the wind steal away my woes. Here, and behind the closed doors of Orm’s bedroom.

He knew I wasn’t alright, that I hadn’t slept properly since Alaric’s departure. But Orm didn’t ask for an explanation, letting me pretend everything was perfectly normal. I was grateful for that little mercy.

‘I knew I’d find you here.’

I turned around, stretching my lips into a forced smile. Katja marched towards me, her gaze stern and locked onto my face with a harshness that only softened when she halted in front of me.

‘It’s just the wind,’ I said defensively, acutely aware she had noticed my red-rimmed eyes.

‘Yes, the wind is harsh this year ... harsher for some than others,’ she said and, much to my surprise, stepped forward to take my hand. ‘Will you tell me what’s going on, or should I drug you to get to the bottom of ... this?’ She waved her hands around me, sighing deeply. ‘I don’t want to see you broken again. I remember this haunted look from when you first came to Zalesie, it—’ She paused. ‘Please, talk to me.’

‘You don’t need to drug me,’ I said, looking back out at the camp. ‘... I’m afraid.’

‘I know. We all are. But you’re the only one acting like we’re going on a picnic. It’s fine to be scared, Ani,’ she said before asking, ‘Is that lumbering oaf of yours forcing you to pretend like this? Or does he not know how you feel?’

‘Orm? Oh, he knows, and he knows how to deal with it. A few rounds on his special rod, and all the nightmares go away’ I said. ‘Well, most of them. I can’t sleep, and I think I’m going insane. Last night, I swear I heard Alaric—he said he’d found his sister and that they were coming home. But it had to be wishful thinking. Even dragon thoughtspeech doesn’t work at such distances.’

‘But he’s your Anchor.’

‘So is Orm, and even though I can sometimes pick up his feelings, we are not in each other’s minds.’

Katja nodded, releasing me before turning to look at the army camp beside me.

‘I guess we’ll know if he suddenly appears,’ she said, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. ‘Have you seen the women who have volunteered to fight alongside the men?’

‘Yes, they practise daily,’ I said. ‘But a couple of days of swinging a sword don’t make you a warrior. We both know they are seeking revenge, yet most of them will only find death.’

She nodded. ‘I know, but if revenge is all they have left, I won’t deny them. I came to ask a favour. I want them to be your bodyguards,’ she said with all seriousness.

I laughed. ‘I don’t need bodyguards.’

‘I know, but they need you . Between the dragon, that oafish commander, and your magic, being near you will be the safest option on the battlefield. I don’t want them dying, but if I give them any other job, they’ll know I’m trying to protect them ...’ she said. ‘But with you? They look up to you, especially the young ones, so please ask the king to make them your bodyguards?’

I took a breath to answer, and we both jumped as the harsh sound of trumpets suddenly blared.

‘I’ll see what I can do,’ I responded, ‘but I need to go. The dragons are flying first to clear the sky.’

Katja smiled. ‘Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe we can steal some of Ian’s apple cider to share between the three of us.’

‘Ah, Bryna’s coming too?’ I asked.

‘Yes, she’ll be with the other artisans in the support train, and —brace yourself—she is training a special unit; a medley of females who already know how to fight: huntresses, town guards, veterans who’ve settled down. As she put it, Perun’s 1 left nut will drop off before she allows us to have fun without her,’ she answered.

I chuckled. ‘Bryna and her definition of fun never ceases to amaze me. I have to go. Be careful, lady herbalist, and try not to knock anyone out with your tinctures.’

‘See you later, dragon mage. Try not to burn any arses on your way.’

‘Dragon mage?’ I mused. ‘I like the sound of that.’ I gave her a quick peck on the cheek, grinning as she rolled her eyes. After our quick goodbye, I rushed towards the landing field, taking two steps at a time.

‘ Vahin? ’

‘ Waiting for you, Little Flame. Orm is still talking to Reynard, or I should say, arguing with him. He looks about two words away from punching our new king for putting you on the front line .’

‘ Fuck, can you calm him down? Is he losing control of his wild magic again? ’

‘ Calm him? Why would I do that? I’d enjoy watching these two trying to knock some sense into each other. If anyone could give Orm a run for his money, it would be his brother. ’

I sped up, running to the landing field as fast as my legs would carry me. The moment I saw them standing so close their breath mingled, I opened myself to the aether and channelled it into the air, sending it forcefully between them.

Both men were knocked back but stayed on their feet, still glaring at each other. As soon as I was close enough, I punched each one in the shoulder to make them look at me, giving them a glare of my own.

‘If you’ve both finished showing the world how mature you are, I’m ready to go,’ I said, reaching out and grabbing Orm’s breastplate to drag him away. He resisted at first, but after a moment, he gave in and followed me to Vahin, lifting me up onto the dragon’s back as though I were as light as a feather.

‘I’ll see you near the Rift, brother. The dragons will clear the area to make camp. I’m sure you’ll be able to find the large, flat, charred space. We’ll finish our conversation there,’ Orm said before the wind from Vahin’s powerful wings forced Reynard to shelter his eyes and turn away.

The swift, almost vertical rise left me gasping, and when I regained the ability to breathe, I looked down to see the massive army packing tents and loading wagons. I’d never seen so many people gathered in one place, and that wasn’t even all of them, as the light fae army was coming directly to the Rift once we’d established a portal.

Cooperation on such a scale was unheard of in recent times. Thankfully, as Reynard explained, once Valaram took charge of the mages, he’d manipulated and convinced Talena and the light fae’s prince, Iasno’ta, to work together.

‘Do you think it will be enough?’ I asked as Orm assumed his favourite position, his chin resting on my shoulder.

‘It must be, Nivale. It’s all we’ve got. Every soldier able to bear arms is down there. Even the dragon fortresses are being emptied to increase numbers. If we can destroy the sleeping army beneath the Barrier crystal, it should be enough.’

As long as we can destroy the sleeping army .

I knew Orm didn’t want to add to the burden already threatening to crush me, but his words reminded me that my role was no longer just destroying the spectrae. The mountain passage I’d created all those years ago when I buried the wlok now had to be widened to allow our army to pass. Other passages and roads had been purposefully blocked during the First Necromancer’s War, and none of them were wide enough for thousands of soldiers to march through, anyway.

Dagome’s elemental mages could do it, but they needed an incredible amount of power to perform such a feat. Normally, they would have three or four conduit mages to share the burden, but thanks to Ihrain and the chancellor, I was the only one left. The prospect of dying from magical burnout was a possibility I didn’t want to share with my Anchors.

‘I can do it. I have to,’ I said in such a quiet voice that I was sure Orm couldn’t hear me, but his arms tightened around my waist.

‘I’ve never felt so helpless, my love,’ he said after a moment. ‘I can fight, I can wage war and bear the pain of my wounds, but not knowing how to help you, how to ease the dark thoughts lurking inside your mind, is killing me.’

His words, raw and filled with concern, made me ache. We’d both held back, showing each other a brave face while knowing the situation was awful.

‘I’m not ...’ I said. ‘I’m sorry, Orm. I’ve been hiding from myself. So instead of the war, I think about the hot baths we’ve shared, and the field of nivale flowers. Or how the girls and I are going to get so drunk in Ian’s tavern, you’ll have to carry me home. It’s the only way I can deal with this fear paralysing me.’

I turned my head to kiss Ormond’s bearded cheek. In the last few weeks, he’d stopped shaving, and I found the new look very appealing.

He smiled, his eyes softening, and I felt a fraction of the tension leave his body.

‘If that’s what you need, I will make the baths big enough to fit a dragon and ask our farmers to plant nivale flowers throughout the entire fortress,’ he said with such fire in his voice that I chuckled.

‘Annika, if we survive this, I will throw the world at your feet. Nothing will be too much, too distant, or too extravagant.’

‘I’m so going to throw those words back in your face one day, but for now we have company,’ I said, seeing Tomma and his dragon drawing closer.

We were flying over the mountain, and it was enchanting to see the host of dragons gliding in formation between the clouds and snow-topped peaks. I had never seen so many, but with riders coming from every fortress, the sky was filled with colourful scales that gleamed in the early winter sun.

‘Lord Commander, the scouts have returned from their reconnaissance. There’s a small swarm of spectrae up ahead, nothing two units couldn’t fight by themselves, even without Lady Annika’s help. We can put practise to good use with our lady’s backup. With your permission, of course.’

‘Go ahead, but ensure the dragons contact Vahin if they need help. I don’t want to lose any men for no reason.’

Tomma nodded, his dragon effortlessly drifting away, following an unspoken command.

‘Since I have some free time now, what would you like to talk about?’ I asked, watching twenty-four dragons form two units before wheeling away to create a perimeter around the two strongest dragons. It looked like a courtly dance, and I couldn’t stop smiling. ‘You trained them so well, Orm. I don’t think they need me at all.’

‘They don’t need you now, but we must be ready. In the meantime, let’s burn some ground. After all, we can’t have the dark fae empress resting on gnarled tree roots.’

‘Finally,’ Vahin said, ‘and don’t even think about including me in those bath plans of yours. Some pleasures I vehemently refuse.’ His protest made me laugh, and I observed the ground as he slowly descended over a desolate field near the border.

Without the shimmering barrier, the land felt oddly quiet. When we’d been here to check on the strange energy signatures, we’d discovered a sleeping army of monsters. Today, the terrain had changed, apparently settled and calm, as if nothing untoward had ever happened, and my anxiety grew. Without the Barrier crystal, the stasis spell should have worn off. I expected to see the area swarming with monsters, yet I couldn’t sense any signs of life or life-giving spells.

‘I don’t like it. It feels as if the Lich King wants us here,’ I said.

Orm nodded. ‘I know, but this is the best spot to make camp this close to the border, and I’m hoping we won’t be staying here for more than a night or two. As soon as the mages widen the passage, we’ll be marching to the other side.’

I nodded, relaxing against Orm while Vahin and the other dragons seared the ground with short bursts of fire. Deadwood and debris burst into flames with a fountain of sparks, and the heat vaporised any moisture in the ground, solidifying the loose dirt.

When the Barrier still stood, we’d had time to discuss ways to protect our ground troops from the olgoi worms. Ormond told the story of how dragons helped build the fortresses, turning rock and sand into dragon glass so tough that only hitting it with large amounts of aether could break it. Now, I got to observe how they did that with my own eyes as the space slowly turned into an even, dry, comfortable plateau suitable for a camp.

Soon after we finished and settled onto the ground, the two dragon rider units returned, all slightly battered but without having lost anyone. The men clowned around while their dragons dropped carcasses of freshly hunted deer in front of those who’d served as bait.

At my request, we erected our tent next to a heather moor, far from the scorched ground. I walked through the sea of purple flowers that the magnificent beasts had also chosen for their beds.

I looked at Vahin when I noticed his kin looking at me with a strange kind of reverence before slowly inclining their heads.

‘ Vahin ... ’ I asked. ‘ What are they doing? ’

‘ They are recognising you as a last rider, ’ he said. The warmth of his mind instinctively made me smile.

‘ That sounds ominous. I’m not sure I like it? ’ I teased, determined to understand.

‘ I can’t help that, Little Flame. Dragons know when one of our own has selected their last rider, the ones who they’ll return to the aether with. You and Orm are mine, and my brethren are acknowledging your place in my life. ’

‘ I don’t know if I should be pleased or worried ,’ I responded. ‘ I’m not rushing behind the Veil, but if it happens, I want you to continue living. Memories are beautiful things, but they can’t replace a beating heart or warm dragon scales .’

A loud thump shook the ground behind me, and I turned to look at my black beast, whose scales gleamed with blue lightning as he curled around me.

‘Don’t talk about the Veil, Little Flame. There is no happiness without you. Nothing will take you away from me. Not gods, not monsters, not even death ... You are mine for as long as you wish to be mine, ’ he said, his hissing voice reverberating over the field. I stroked his eyelid, peppering it with little kisses until the coils of his body relaxed around me and the dark clouds lifted from his thoughts.

‘Shift your scaly arse and share, you dolt.’ The humour in Ormond’s voice made Vahin grumble, but he moved just enough for Orm to slide in to stand behind me. ‘May I ask what is going on here that you’re challenging the gods for my woman?’

‘ Our woman,’ Vahin rumbled, his tail smacking the ground, making him look like a pouty toddler. I inhaled his metallic scent, rubbing my hand down his sleek scales while pushing back against Orm to give me some breathing space. Neither budged and whatever silent conversation they were having, I could only roll my eyes and wait.

‘Yes, our woman. Now let our woman go. Can’t you hear the marching army? They will be here soon, and as annoying as I find it, we need to welcome Talena and Reynard and help them settle their troops,’ Orm said finally, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me away from the dragon, who reluctantly uncoiled, releasing us.

‘He’s on edge like we are,’ I said as we walked towards the old road. The stones were overgrown with moss and weed, but I could still see the outline of the old merchant path that the Lowland Kingdoms had used to trade with Ozar.

‘I know, sweetheart,’ Orm said. ‘But he is also the leader of his kind, and I don’t want his mood to affect the other dragons. The riders have reported that their beasts are already unsettled.’

We didn’t have time to discuss it further as the first line of troops emerged from the forest, marching towards us. Soon after, Reynard and Talena came to a stop beside us. They both looked dusty and tired, while the empress also looked annoyed. She ignored us and gestured for her guards to set up camp.

‘Any resistance?’ Reynard asked as soon as he dismounted.

‘No,’ Orm responded. ‘A small swarm of spectrae, though that doesn’t count. It’s worrying.’

He’d managed to verbalise exactly how I’d felt.

Reynard frowned. ‘I know it’s a bit late for this, but you know these mountains better than me. Is there any way the Lich King could flank us here?’ he asked.

Orm shook his head. ‘No. There are a few goat runs but nothing that would accommodate a larger force. That’s the only reason I stayed even when we hadn’t encountered any enemy forces.’

‘Okay, double the patrols and guards. Ensure nothing can sneak up on us,’ Reynard instructed before turning to me. ‘Ani, as soon as Valaram and his mages finish making the portal, I want you to see what the elemental mages can do about the passage. Their leader mentioned creating a slow chain reaction instead of raw magic blasts, but his explanation was so convoluted I’m not sure what he meant.’

Reynard was still talking, the soldiers around us bustling with activity, but I couldn’t pay attention as something suddenly reached into my chest and tried to tear the soul from my body.

‘Annika?’

Orm must have noticed my reaction because he grasped my shoulders, turning me to face him. His eyes scanned my face, but I couldn’t speak, trying to contain the vortex of energy growing inside me, all to no avail. Someone else was controlling my ability, and I felt helpless as the power ripped through me, stripping away the surrounding aether.

Orm gasped, catching me when my knees buckled. A metallic taste filled my mouth, and I coughed, splattering my Ursus with bright red blood.

‘Rey, get the healer. Go!’ he shouted, carrying me to the nearest tent. ‘Annika, what’s going on?’

I was panicking, unable to breathe, consumed by the maelstrom of magic tearing through me. Why is this happening? How was my magic raging out of control, and where was it going?

It took all my training to hold back the terror, to survive such immense energy. I felt Vahin’s presence in my mind as he sacrificed his life force to sustain my burning body. I screamed, my mind finally latching onto the spell disrupting my ability, its intent so heinous it chilled the blood in my veins.

The darkest of all arts, it was a forbidden parasitic spell that siphoned a mage’s power via their life force. The signature was so similar to Alaric’s that I knew one of his kin was stealing my magic, and whoever it was had such malicious intent and gleeful hatred that it shocked me to the core. Worse, because I knew Cahyon had imprisoned Ari’s father, I’m sure it had to be Rowena.

I was burning from the inside out, unable to resist. Suddenly, as if through a fog, I felt a cool hand touching my forehead and a stern voice commanding me as it chanted a healing spell.

‘ La sutera at eatheream dolorum lara’mei .’ 2

Valaram repeated the words again and again, infusing them with his power and constructing a shield around me. The torrent of magic slowed, allowing me to suck in a breath and utter a single sentence.

‘Alaric. She’s using Alaric’s Anchor ...’

‘Breath, Nivale. Breath for me.’ Orm’s voice was filled with pent-up fear. ‘Gods, why is there so much blood? Valaram, make it stop. Why is she bleeding? ’

I wanted to reassure him, but all I could do was squeeze his hand.

‘Annika, please. Whatever it is, you can fight it. Take what you need from me. Use our bond. I don’t care how much it hurts, but please fight for me, Nivale,’ Orm begged, pressing my hand to his lips. I wished I could tell him I was trying, but I wasn’t strong enough.

The painful howl of a soul ripped apart echoed through my mind as something else took its place. Darkness stared at me and my body seized with recognition.

‘ My dear Annika. I told you we’d meet again. You had a chance to come to me. Now, I’ll show you what my monsters can do to that rabble you call an army. My beautiful slave, I can’t wait to feel your power licking over my skin as you squirm under my touch. ’

His power slammed into me, and I heard a dragon roar in the distance as the blazing magic of Valaram’s shields shut down the connection, but not before I felt my heart stutter and halt.

1. Perun —god of sky and thunder.

2. Share your pain and let me protect you, my chosen.