15. Chapter 15
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.
I just needed to see her. I never thought I’d desire a companion. I’d thought my friendship with Alaric was all I needed but waking up next to Ani had changed my perspective completely. Now, I was paying for it, but I couldn’t bring myself to regret anything.
When I approached the bed, seeing Annika there—so peaceful as she slept—had eased the pain of my headache. A serene expression on her face, her chestnut hair was unbound and unruly, her skin blushed pink in the firelight. Before I knew it, I’d placed my hand on her cheek, unable to resist the urge to touch her.
She was an irresistible paradox, strength and bravery mixed with a vulnerable, caring nature. I’d brought her here because it was my duty, to help end the danger posed by the damaged Barrier, but now … now I wanted her for myself. I wanted to see the stubborn smile on her face and feel her sleep in my arms again.
This wasn’t how I usually felt, and with the firm boundaries Ani had set, I didn’t know what to do. My experience with women was limited to managing the servants, dealing with the few female soldiers the Crown sent us, or paying for a moment’s pleasure. None of that applied to her, and despite my boasting that I could seduce her if I wanted, I was lost.
I considered leaving and sleeping in another room but sneaking away like a thief in the night somehow felt wrong. That would imply I felt guilty for being here. So, I slept in the chair, waiting until she woke up and threw me out of my own bedroom.
The thought made me chuckle, and I slowly opened my eyes, letting them adjust to the light before I looked at the bed to see if Ani was awake.
Only to find it empty.
When I arrived—so late I’d expected to hear a cock’s crow—the woman had been sleeping peacefully, but now she was nowhere to be seen. I hadn’t heard her leave. If anything, that showed how exhausted I was.
Did she leave because I was here? I wondered, jerking upright and letting the warm quilt fall on the floor. Quilt? I didn’t remember grabbing that, yet the evidence that someone took care of my comfort was there, on the floor.
‘Calm down, Orm, she is with me,’ Vahin’s voice in my head rumbled in amusement. ‘When you come to collect Annika, bring her some clothes—unless you want her to parade around the stronghold in her nighty.’
‘What?!’ I said out loud, and Vahin’s laughter echoed in my head.
‘And make sure to tell your mage to check on my Little Flame’s health. She walked through the castle in the middle of the night wrapped only in a blanket, and she was freezing when she finally got here.’
‘Your Little Flame?’
I wondered what Ani would think of this new nickname, especially when Vahin used it with such a protective tone. Or maybe he reserved that tone for me? My dragon’s personality had blossomed since he’d Anchored Annika and I loved the change, loved working in concert as partners and not simply as rider and dragon.
‘Yes, mine. For me, Annika is my Little Flame; for you, she can be the mountain nivale. She is a woman of many facets, and I’m sure Alaric will also find something that appeals to his dark soul.’
I frowned because I hadn’t thought about them getting that close, and I had to admit it bothered me that my friend might want her affection. I knew Alaric planned to Anchor her. We’d discussed the idea in detail, and what we would do when we had both the conduit mage and the new keystone crystal. Once Annika arrived, he was going to convince her to perform the oath—and if that didn’t work, I always had the geas.
The plan that, at the time, sounded so reasonable now felt like an abhorrent violation.
While we were searching for Ani, I’d petitioned the king to reopen the old dwarven mines on the southern side of the Ridge and supply the workers. The mines were famous for their crystals, but as I recently found out, the words ‘ were famous’ were more accurate than I realised.
Dwarves didn’t abandon viable mines, and the one we had access to was empty—at least the part we could access. The time we were allowed in the mines was running short, much too short to explore the flooded portion, and the conditions set by the Crown made it obvious the mission was bound to fail.
My fists tightened at the thought that I’d have to beg the king and crown mages for their help. It felt like the dragon commanders were the only ones who still cared about the safety of the Kingdom of Dagome, but I knew my brethren were as tired as I was.
It’s time to revise and adapt our misbegotten plan , I thought, but somehow, that didn’t upset me as much as it should have. Not getting the crystal meant Ani wouldn’t have to Anchor Alaric, and a small, selfish part of me rejoiced at the thought.
It hadn’t bothered me before, but knowing what was required to create an Anchor bond, I felt conflicted. The Barrier was my duty, one I could not neglect, but did that mean I should give up the woman I’d begun developing feelings for?
Could Ani Anchor me in the same way she did Vahin? Was I ready to see her on the brink of death to avoid them being together?
‘Fuck!’ I grabbed the cup on the nearby table and hurled it across the room, watching it smash against the fireplace mantle before placing my hands firmly on the table, willing myself to calm down.
Annika was my doom. My darkness. The wild magic inside me, dormant and beaten down for years, had awakened under her touch, and it took a conscious effort to restrain my violent outbursts.
The gods must be laughing at my struggle. I had finally found a woman who was perfect for me, and I had to decide if I could let her fuck my best friend to save the kingdom. There has to be another way, I thought, analysing everything I knew so far.
Ari and I had talked about the Barrier so many times over a tankard or two that I even I knew more than most mages. If he was right, Annika had managed to kill the wlok and break the mountain because she had embraced the primal aether of the earth and it had accepted her touch. Unfortunately, he didn’t think she could safely do it again without being Anchored to another mage.
I knew Alaric would do what needed to be done. I had seen the determination in his gaze when we had searched for the elusive mage, but deep inside— gods forgive me —I didn’t want it to happen. Sharing her with Vahin wasn’t difficult as there was no physical bond between them, but Alaric …?
‘Orm, you’re thinking too loud. I need to hunt. Come and collect our sleeping treasure before I let her wander off and tempt all the men with her bare legs. I’m sure that will make the thoughts you are harbouring increase tenfold.’
‘Vahin, don’t. I’m not in the mood for your teasing, old friend … Gods, if anyone dares to leer at her, I’ll gouge their eyes out,’ I snarled, pausing briefly when Vahin chuckled. ‘Just give me a moment. I’ll gather some clothes and come down.’
I stretched again to relax my tense muscles, feeling my body protest. I needed a bed and a good night’s rest, and that meant I would have to move Ani to her new chambers soon. The thought of it felt wrong, but again, it was something that needed to be done.
The rumbling in my stomach reminded me of Vahin. With the dragon’s enhanced metabolism and his staying with me for the last few days, I knew he was starving, so I called for a maidservant, and Agnes appeared with a tray of food. The dainty canapés were more suitable as a lady’s morning snack than a warrior’s meal, but it would have to do for now.
‘Find some clothes for Ani.’
‘Where is my lady?’ she asked with a frown, eyeing the bed before turning her gaze downward when she caught my disapproving frown.
‘She went to visit Vahin. Unfortunately, her current attire isn’t appropriate for walking around during the day. Is that enough of an answer, or will you test my patience further?’ I snapped, pulling a change of clothes for myself from the wardrobe.
‘No, my lord. My apologies, I was simply worried.’
I sighed. I hadn’t meant to frighten the girl, but I felt every bone in my body, and hunger made me particularly short-tempered.
‘It’s all right, Agnes. I’m glad you take your duties seriously. Please ensure your lady’s room is ready and move Ani’s belongings there. If anything is lacking, ask the quartermaster to order it using my personal expenses. You must have learned what she likes by now, so make your lady as comfortable as possible.’ The maid smiled, nodding eagerly.
She was the child of a dragon rider whose mother had stayed in the fortress. Her daughter had followed her lead, choosing to work here instead of trying her luck outside these granite walls. It pleased me immensely that she took to her new responsibilities with such enthusiasm.
‘Buy yourself something, too. I will tell your father how content I am with your service.’
After Agnes disappeared to find some clothing, I quickly changed from riding leathers to more comfortable black trousers, a matching shirt, and a belt with two daggers, adding high boots and vambraces to complete the outfit. There was no need to carry a weapon inside of the castle, but I felt naked without a blade or two.
That done, I was ready to face the day. After I retrieved Annika from Vahin’s cave, I’d have to talk to my officers about increasing patrols, but first, I needed to speak with Alaric. We’d made a worrying discovery during the battle with the Vel in the mines.
After fighting the nasty ant-like creatures in the tunnels closest to the Rift, we’d broken through into a vast cavern filled with luminescent mushrooms. As we stumbled through the entrance, our opponents fled, leaving us to catch our breaths in confusion.
What we had seen had everyone raising their swords in readiness—stood before us, was a vjesci. 1 The demon had looked like the textbook illustrations of the Moroi nobility, and when confronted, he had displayed manners that reinforced that impression. The vjesci had surrendered without resistance, and my men looked at me with wariness and distrust.
Despite that, I had them secure the demon and bring him back to the stronghold. I needed Ari, with his necromancer magic, to question him and discover how big a pile of excrement we’d landed in.
I couldn’t remember the walk to Alaric’s chambers, but here I was, standing in front of his door feeling like a fool. I felt the distance between us, almost like a physical wall preventing me from knocking. It left me missing our easy camaraderie.
Something had fractured in our friendship since we’d encountered Annika; Alaric had withdrawn into his studies, and I didn’t know how to bridge the gap. He was still himself, a dangerous mage with a wicked sense of humour, but now it felt like a facade that hid some dark emotion I couldn’t identify; and every time I asked, he refused to talk about it.
‘Why didn’t you just enter?’ Alaric said. There was a hint of amusement in his voice. When I looked up, I saw the corner of my friend’s mouth twist into a smile that almost made me flinch.
‘I didn’t know if I still had an open invitation.’ I instantly regretted my words as his smile disappeared.
‘It is your castle, and you are always welcome in my quarters. How can I help you?’
I clenched my fists. I wanted to simultaneously grab him by his fancy kaftan and beat him to a pulp until he told me what was wrong while begging him to abandon his plans with Annika. To leave her to me. Instead, I tried to break through Ari’s silence.
‘Is there anything I can do to help? You can lock yourself up in the workshop, but you can’t hide from me. I know you too well,’ I said.
‘If you know me so well, you’d know you shouldn’t ask,’ Alaric answered calmly, and only years of conditioning helped me control my emotions before I reacted. I purposefully took a moment to relax my tense muscles before I nodded to him.
‘I came here because I wanted to ask about Ani and tell you about the gift I brought back from the mines. A vjesci—one that looks like the old paintings of the Moroi. It likely crawled here from the Barren Lands. Maybe you can find out why he’s here and how he escaped?’
Vjesci weren’t an aggressive type of Vel. They had a sharp intelligence that seemed to suppress the mindless hunger of their fellow demons. They appeared to those who were about to cross death’s veil, feeding on the fear their appearance awakened in their victims. That’s why people call them Messengers of Death .
‘Where is it?’ Alaric asked sharply.
‘Where else? In the dungeons, the cell closest to your workshop.’ I said, and he nodded and ran towards the stairs.
‘Should you not wait for Ani? She is a battle mage after all, and I’m sure her training included a few tricks we could use.’ I rushed to keep up.
‘No, I’ll tell her about it later,’ he answered. ‘Where is she, anyway? Does she know about the demon?’
‘She’s with Vahin in his lair. Don’t ask me why. She slept there for some reason,’ I groused, and he laughed without humour.
‘He is her Anchor. That is reason enough.’ I frowned at the tone of his voice. Alaric seemed on edge, and I wondered if it was the vjesci or something else that darkened his mood.
We reached the basement quickly. I nodded to the saluting soldiers before we entered the warded cell where I’d left him. The undead demon was still there, calmly sitting on the stone floor. He turned his head as we entered, and I could clearly see the bloodless face and unnaturally red lips that confirmed his origins.
Alaric’s eyes narrowed when he saw the creature, but before he moved forward, I touched his shoulder. ‘Should I stay?’ I knew he didn’t like people seeing him use necromancy, as if the lack of witnesses meant it didn’t exist. But I would stay if it would help, even if the stench of the undead could turn the strongest stomach.
‘No, this won’t take long. Go find Annika. I will join you shortly,’ he said. The smile returned to his face, but I could feel how tense his muscles were under my hand.
‘Fine, don’t take too long, and if you have any trouble, we can do it together later.’
Alaric surprised me when he tilted his head, and for a moment, I saw my old friend looking back at me with those mesmerising golden eyes. ‘Together? You volunteering to clean up the mess once I’m done?’ His gentle chuckle and dark humour instantly brightened my mood. ‘Go, Orm, I will be fine. Necromancy is my natural talent, after all.’
1. Vjesci — an undead demon that preserves the thoughts, personality, and body of the person it once was. After death, the body cools closely, and the limbs remain limber. The lips and cheeks remain red, and spots of blood often appear under the fingernails and on the face.