Oath of War (The Cursed Bonds #2)

28. Chapter 28

I thought I’d already crossed the Veil but came back to reality thanks to the cold hand pressed to my forehead. I’d suffered a magical burnout once or twice in my life—every mage did, especially early on in our training when we overestimated our abilities—but it had never been this bad.

‘Get her in the water,’ someone commanded, and soon, I was neck-deep in a horse trough, overwhelmed by the smell of Katja’s herbal concoction.

‘No ... too cold,’ I tried to protest, but calloused hands pushed me deeper while the water steamed and bubbled around me. A melodic voice chanted a cantrip, helping my body dissipate the magical energy.

‘Will she survive? Can you use Vahin and me? We can take it.’ Orm’s voice was devoid of emotion, but his hands were shaking as he kept me submerged in the water.

‘She will, but you can’t help. She wasn’t the one using her magic, and it caused an inversion of the flow, creating all these problems. In fact, you’re making it worse, Commander. Take your dragon and find yourself something useful to do far away from her tent. Her magic is reaching for you, amplifying the problem.’

I tried to protest, but I could still feel the hostile mind attached to my core. As I gained some strength, I tried to rip it out, a jolt of power racing through me instead, sending me into convulsions.

‘Fuck, fine, I’ll go on patrol, but if she doesn’t make it, I’ll have your head.’

The sound of heavy stomping and a chill breeze told me Ormond had left. I called for him to come back, but what left my lips was a pained, keening screech.

‘Don’t give up, lara’mei,’ Valaram whispered, gently stroking my hair as he sent another pulse of healing magic through my veins.

The magic prickled, but the sensation quickly subsided. I felt my power settle under the dark mage’s touch. Tiredness replaced the intense burning, and I drifted into a shallow, exhausted slumber.

I didn’t know how long I rested in the tepid water, but I was awoken by the rustle of a tent flap, the cold draft—and something else—making me shiver. An aura of power filled the tent as someone entered, and even with my eyes closed, I recognised Talena’s signature.

‘You can’t spend the entire campaign in her tent, brother. Even her rider was present during the war council meeting.’ Her tone was filled with disappointment.

‘I will do what I consider necessary,’ Valaram answered. ‘And Ormond was only there because I sent him away. I will stay at least until I’m sure she’s recovered. Play the war queen with my blessing. You don’t need me for that.’

‘What if I require your opinion?’

‘Then you can always come here to ask, but we both know you don’t listen to my advice, just as you didn’t when I told you using icta poison on Alaric was a mistake.’

‘He killed my blood-bonded mate and his mentor!’

‘He was fighting his curse, ’ Valaram said. ‘We’ve already had this argument, so tell me, what do you want? If there’s nothing, let me return to my patient.’

I’d almost stopped breathing, hoping to not miss a word of the confidential conversation. Valaram might bow to the empress’ will in public, but it was clear he was stronger in the privacy of some tent walls.

‘Your fascination with this human is truly ridiculous. She’s mated, for the gods’ sakes! Stop fawning over her and leave her to that obnoxious herbalist.’

Talena’s irritation made me snort with laughter. However, my throat was so dry that it sounded more like a choking cough. Valaram immediately lifted me from the trough, wrapping towels and furs around me until I was half-seated, leaning on his body.

‘Take a drink, lara’mei,’ he said. ‘You’ve had a difficult night.’ He pressed a cup to my lips, and I gulped its contents greedily.

‘Ridiculous! Now you’re acting like her bloody nursemaid?!’ Talena rolled her eyes, storming out of the tent.

‘Yes, fuck you, too,’ I muttered.

The fae behind me shook with silent laughter before he bent to my ear, chastising me. ‘She is still my empress. Don’t make me punish you for insolence. Now, let’s get you in bed.’

There was no real threat in Valaram’s tone, and he carried me to bed, settling me against his body. I let him do it, still too weak to object, but it felt too intimate, and I was uncomfortable. As soon as I could, I gently pushed him away, determined to keep some distance between us.

‘Thank you for your help, but your sister is right. It’s no longer needed. I’m well enough for you to leave.’

‘Are you in a rush to get rid of me, lara’mei?’ he asked softly, and I saw the longing in his eyes.

‘It’s complicated. I am grateful, but ... I feel you want more than I’m willing to give,’ I started.

He smiled knowingly. ‘You feel uncomfortable knowing that if you agreed, I would gladly abandon the dark fae court and join your household,’ he said, taking me aback with such a straightforward answer.

‘Yes,’ I responded. ‘I don’t understand that. Why me? Whatever you want, courting me won’t give you power. I’m not a dark fae female who enjoys adding men to my collection, if that’s what you’re after, either.’

‘No, Annika. Power has never been my goal. But I envy Alaric,’ he said, placing his hand on mine. ‘I have lived for so long, but not once have I met a woman I wanted to submit to ...’

I wished I could stop him, but he continued. ‘When I saw you in the throne room, weak yet so powerful, defending your fae ... I’m sorry lara’mei, I know you can’t understand it. Some things even I can’t explain,’ he said with a tired smile before inching closer.

‘I keep asking myself if there is anything I could do to sway you, to make you give me a chance to earn everything he has—a domina who would fight for me against the odds. You can’t blame me for wanting to be a part of that.’

‘I don’t blame you,’ I muttered, flinching away when Valaram reached out to stroke my hair. ‘But you don’t know me.’

‘I want to know you,’ he said softly.

I sighed. ‘But you don’t know me. You see me as I am because I’m healed, at the peak of my power, bound to a dragon and two exceptional men, but would you be interested in the drunkard who slept in the gutter and trusted no one?’ I asked.

Valaram had helped me so many times, but what he wanted was impossible.

‘You are a decent man, Val. I would like to be your friend, but my heart is taken, and nothing will sway me. That is my final answer.’

The tent flap opened to reveal Ormond’s massive figure blocking the weak sunlight.

‘Annika, I’m glad you’re awake,’ he said. ‘Ambassador, your empress is requesting your presence.’ The deep frown on his face left no doubts that he’d heard at least part of the conversation and expected Valaram to leave the tent immediately.

‘You will always have a friend in me, lara’mei,’ Valaram said, bending and kissing my knuckles before standing up and addressing Orm. ‘Ensure Lady Annika drinks plenty of water, Lord Commander. I will check on her later.’

The moment my tent’s rough fabric dropped behind Valaram, Orm was beside me, pressing my head to his chest.

‘I know he saved you, but the audacity of that fae ...’ he said, shaking his head. ‘What happened when you collapsed?’

Orm wasn’t jealous, and although I was glad, I didn’t know how to take it.

‘That’s all you have to say after a stranger declares his intentions?’

‘And you declared yours. What else is there to say? I trust you, Annika. Yes, his actions angered me, but it is how you respond that matters, and you said all the right things.’

‘I’m being childish, aren’t I? Caring for such things when the world is burning around us,’ I said with a sigh. Before I knew it, I was sitting on Ormond’s lap while he towelled my wet hair.

‘No, love. Sometimes, our minds wander to insignificant things when reality is too hard to bear. Will you tell me what happened?’

‘The Lich King has his new body, and they used my Anchor bond with Alaric to achieve it,’ I said, biting my lip while Orm cursed behind me.

‘How is that even possible?’

‘I think Rowena did it,’ I said. ‘The other day, I think Alaric connected with me. I didn’t tell you because it didn’t feel real. I remember Ari telling me his sister was a dreamwalker—that must be how he managed it. His message, I think he said they were coming home ...’

I swallowed hard, my next words not wanting to pass through my parched throat. ‘I’m betting she tricked him into connecting to me, that ... Gods, what have they done to him?’

Orm gently sat me back on the cot before standing up. I watched his muscles bunch as he clenched his fists and took slow, measured breaths. I’d rarely seen him so unhinged, but the silent fury that radiated from his every movement was more worrying than if he’d trashed the tent in rage. When he finally turned to me, the golden rim of his irises had overtaken his eyes.

‘Is he alive . . .?’

‘I think so. I can still feel the shard of his soul.’

He was silent for a moment, his breath slowly calming down as he regained control.

‘As long as he’s alive, we can fix it. Stay here, Nivale. I will send someone to guard you. I need to tell Reynard. If the ritual is complete, an attack is imminent,’ he said, taking my hand and placing a soft kiss on the palm. ‘I’ll be back shortly, so try not to die in the meantime. I don’t think I’m strong enough to let Valaram touch you again.’

He left the tent, and I struggled over to the table where the pitcher of water promised to quench my thirst.

‘There you are.’ Katja’s voice interrupted my chaotic thoughts, and I coughed, choking on the water. ‘The commander said you were too weak to stand. What are you doing at the table?’

‘Trying to drink, but clearly, I can’t even manage that right,’ I said when I could finally speak. ‘Do you know where my dress is? I need to meet the mages.’

‘Your dress is nothing but rags. It burned off of your smoking hot body—pun intended. If you pull such a trick again, I swear I’ll keep you sedated until the end of this war. What the fuck happened, Annika? I’ve seen you in horrible shape, but that was a whole new level of awful.’

‘Too much power—and no, it wasn’t my fault this time,’ I said, looking around in disbelief. ‘I guess I’ll have to wage war in a towel.’

‘As if,’ she said, passing me a vial. ‘Your colleagues sent a battle mage uniform, but you only get it after you drink that.’ I sniffed it suspiciously.

‘I sedate you one time, and now you’re going to sniff everything I give you?’ she huffed, passing me a kirtle.

I chuckled, gulping the contents of the small bottle. ‘But you did sedate me, so more fool me if I let you do it again, yes?’ I said, waiting for the effects to hit me.

Katja smirked, unpacking the rest of the dress, and I felt warmth spread through my body, chasing away the weakness.

‘This is good,’ I said, noticing a faint blush tinting my friend’s cheeks. ‘Better than anything we used in university.’ Katja was proud of her skills, and everybody who knew her said she was one mean herbalist.

‘Good. Now, let’s get you dressed. The riders are waiting to see their conduit.’

I was fastening the last button when a commotion outside caught my attention right before one of Orm’s riders rushed inside.

‘My lady, orders from the lord commander. The Lich King has made a move, and he said ... he said ...’ the man stuttered under my inspective stare. ‘He said, “tell my lady to stay sitting on her arse; I will handle this.”’

The rider bowed, bristling as I glared at him. Before I could answer, the tent flap opened, and Bryna, dressed in full black armour, walked inside.

‘Famous last words. What else did our illustrious commander say? “Hold my mead” maybe?’ she said, and I gestured to the rider to go away before my friend made any more snippy comments.

‘What’s going on?’ I asked when he disappeared.

Bryna shrugged. ‘The ground shifted, and all three rulers are blowing their trumpets, gathering their men. Something is crawling up from the devil’s bottom, and I’m sure we will soon see what,’ she said before raising an eyebrow. ‘I wasn’t sure what I would find here, so I came to stand by you. I’ve brought your little army.’

She opened the tent entrance, revealing a group of women. Some of the faces were familiar, acquaintances from Zalesie, while others were new, but all had the same stern expression on their faces.

‘Lady Annika, what can we do?’ asked one of the oldest.

I stood up, straightening my shoulders as I walked out of the tent.

‘I don’t know yet but let me find out. Did the commander send you here?’ I asked, suspecting Orm of trying to assign them to the rear, away from the fighting.

‘No, they came here for you,’ Katja answered, the rest of the women nodding their agreement. ‘Your dragon is in the air, and someone has to ensure you don’t do anything reckless ... my lady.’ She bowed, and I wanted to smack her upside the head for it.

‘All right, let me ask—’

The sounds of battle erupted in the distance, and dragon fire set the sky ablaze. ‘Fuck, he started without me,’ I muttered, grinding my teeth.

When I’d discussed our strategy with Orm, we both agreed I should sit on Vahin’s back, taking on the spectrae. I wasn’t sure how I could manage it now, on the ground with my invisible leech still attached to the source of my power.

Suddenly, a familiar pain shot through my chest.

‘ Vahin, are you fighting the spectrae? ’ I asked when the ghastly echo of another spear made me wince.

‘ Yes, they are swarming, and we both know you can’t help right now. ’

‘ I bloody well can, ’ I said . ‘ Why didn’t Orm bother to ask? Land and let me help .’

‘ No, Little Flame, don’t forget that I can sense how you feel. You’re weak, and your magic is unstable. I can’t fight if I’m worrying about you; neither can Orm .’

Vahin’s thoughts were laced with pain, and I knew better than to argue with my dragon at a time like this. ‘ At least tell me what’s happening on the ground? ’

‘ Reynard is leading the army. Dark fae mages, as well as your human kin, are preparing to open the passage through the mountains. Orm says that Talena’s mages can sense a significant source of death magic there, as well as traces of the magic used to create a portal. It could be the Lich King. If we can get there and kill whoever’s leading the monsters, we might have a chance. ’

A roar shattered the sky, and the next time he spoke, he sounded utterly exhausted.

‘ There are so many of them, Little Flame, so much more than we expected. We are outnumbered on the ground and in the air ... Take the females and find a place to hide. I’ll find you, but if I fall, don’t mourn me. My time with you was worth a thousand lives. ’

‘ Vahin! No, take me across the mountain. Let me help! ’ I shouted down our bond, but he didn’t listen, focusing on staying airborne.

‘ Annika! Don’t you dare faint on me.’ Katja slapped me with a force that made my head bounce, and only then did I realise I was swaying.

Vahin was right. I was as weak as a kitten. My conduit abilities had been tampered with, but I knew what to expect. If I could ward myself against the attack and get to the sigil the mages had drawn to open the Rift, I still could create the passage and give Reynard and Talena a chance to kill the Lich King ...

‘Stay here. I need to go , ’ I said, explaining further when Katja gave me a sharp look, ‘Vahin said Cahyon may be on the other side of the mountain. I have to open the pass and let Reynard’s army through ...’

My friend stood silent, so I continued, ‘I can use primal fire to kill some fuckers on the way and use blood magic to access my conduit power. That should be enough to open the passage. The primal-order mages should have already drawn the sigil, so—’

‘Annika Diavellar. You’re standing there swaying like a newborn lamb and you’re seriously telling me you’re going to use blood magic?’ Katja interrupted, shaking her head. ‘You’re asking me to escort you to your death.’

‘I’m not asking you to do anything. I’m just explaining what’s going to happen. I know I’m a mess, but you can sort that out, yes? Just give me something. I’ll drink anything if it gets me over there,’ I said, conveniently omitting she wouldn’t need to worry about my return journey.

She placed her hands on her hips, rolling her eyes.

‘Katja, please. Power me up, sister, because I need to run there, not waddle like a drunken duck. I can’t sit on my arse while my Anchors are fighting, and I promise you this—I’m not going to outlive my Anchors again.’

At my pleading, one of the women stepped forward. ‘I can help if she won’t,’ the grizzled matron said. I frowned as I studied her wrinkled face. I didn’t recognise her, and a woman of her age shouldn’t even be on a battlefield, but as hunched over as she was, the eyes staring at me in the challenge were clear.

‘I’m a hedge witch from Vodianka. You mages look at us with disdain, but I can help you in a way they wouldn’t dare. I’ll give you my life, Lady Mage. My life, for revenge,’ she said.

I blinked, shocked by her offer.

‘Take mine too ... For my child ... Kill the bastard so my family can rest in peace ...’ A few other women stepped forward and volunteered, too.

‘I can’t ... What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t sacrifice your lives so I can walk into battle. That’s insane!’ I stepped back, sitting heavily on the ground, all of a sudden feeling like I was trapped in a maw of madness. But no, nineteen women stood before me with grim expressions, asking me to take their lives to strengthen my own.

‘I know you think I’m old and crazy, but hear me out, Lady Mage,’ said the old hedge witch. ‘We came here with only one purpose, but we have no strength, no power. So here we are, following you around like stray dogs, hoping for a chance to sink a dagger in just one ...’

She stopped, swallowing hard, while her eyes radiated such hatred I flinched. ‘You said you could kill the Lich King. My life is a small price to pay to ensure that bastard dies.’

The others nodded their approval as she moved closer, placing her withered hand on my cheek. ‘I’m already dead, child. My husband and son were killed in Vodianka. I have no one else left. My house collapsed during the attack. I live on the charity of the dragon riders, but I’m dead inside. I don’t want to be here anymore, and I’m too old to start anew.’

I had to turn away, but I couldn’t stop seeing the determination in her eyes.

‘You can give me the chance to make my death to mean something,’ she said. ‘Please, take it, and use it well. When you sink your sword into that fucker’s heart, look him in the eye and tell him old Martha says hello.’

A chorus of voices joined the old woman, each telling a similar story, stripping me of the chance to refuse because, in the end, if I didn’t do something, we all would die anyway.

‘I will carve your name on his withered heart,’ I stuttered, barely comprehending what was happening. ‘Thank you.’

She nodded before unsheathing a dagger and pricking her finger. I didn’t recognise the symbol she drew on my forearm, but every time she copied it onto the skin of the others, I felt a rush of strength and a prickle of magic that raised goosebumps on my skin. My breathing became deeper, and my heart stopped beating erratically.

I watched in stunned silence as each elder slipped bonelessly to the floor, their expressions so peaceful and satisfied, as if I had devoured not just their lives but the pain and hatred they harboured inside. Tears filled my eyes, but I didn’t allow myself the luxury of crying.

When the old hedge witch joined her compatriots in death, I felt stronger and more broken than I ever had before.

‘Gather them, gently, and lay them in my tent, then go to the moors and try to hide until this is all over,’ I said to the younger women left behind.

‘Brace yourselves,’ Bryna shouted. ‘Conduit is ready, we’re going in.’

She wielded her hammer, and the women I’d told to escape rallied around her, creating a shield wall between us and the battlefield.

I cursed the stubbornness of mountain women, nearly sobbing when several turned to me and winked. Bryna’s special unit, her She-Wolves of Varta, were determined to stay by my side. That determination humbled me, and added one more brick to my heavy conscience with the need to prove worthy of such loyalty. As I dashed the tears from my eyes, I saw Katya grabbing several vials from her bag and pinning them onto her belt.

‘Katja?’ I asked, frowning as she drew a small paring knife from her pocket.

‘Don’t blame yourself, Ani. If anything, blame me. I knew they came here to die, and I let them because ... Because sometimes, death is not the worst thing that can happen to someone,’ she said, avoiding my eyes as she handed me a vial. ‘One last thing, dragon mage. Drink this before we go. It will speed up your healing ... and give you the mother of all hangovers, but you need all the help you can get—’

‘Wait. You’re not planning on coming, are you? No, I’m not fucking sacrificing you too, Katja. Gods be damned. No .’

‘Really? Try and stop me,’ she challenged. ‘I know you, Annika Diavellar. You don’t think you’re coming back. You wouldn’t accept those women’s sacrifice if, for even a moment, you thought you’d live to see another day. I won’t let you throw your life away. I will fucking revive your corpse if I have to, or keep you here long enough for that fae mage to do it. Where you go, I go, and the longer we argue, the more soldiers will die.’

I knew I had lost.

‘Fine! But you’d better stay behind me,’ I said.

As the sounds of fighting announced that the monsters had reached us, I exhaled slowly, feeling the aether build around me, and walked straight out into the carnage.