21. Chapter 21
I t had been a strange two weeks.
After returning from the capital, Ormond stopped going on patrol, leaving it to Tomma, and we spent a few days in each other’s company. He felt different—as intense as ever … but I kept catching him looking at me with a strange expression.
Today, for some reason, he asked me to help him manage the reports, and I quickly discovered that Ormond was a slave to routine and liked things done a certain way. Unfortunately, I only found this out after he’d taken the pile of documents I’d already spent hours organising and started putting them in their correct order. I couldn’t help rolling my eyes.
‘Why am I here? I mean, in your office. You don’t need my help, and your adjutant twitches every time I touch your letters,’ I enquired as politely as I could when Orm leant over me, pulling another parchment from my pile.
‘Maybe I’m teaching you how to manage the fortress, or maybe I just enjoy your company, Nivale.’ He played with my braid before I huffed and pulled it out of his hand.
‘My hair is not a toy,’ I said, and he narrowed his eyes as if pondering over something.
‘No, it isn’t, but I wish I could wrap it around my hand and pull you to my lips,’ he murmured before letting his breath trail over my ear as he moved away. ‘Just a thought, of course, to take your mind off this boring bureaucracy.’
We both turned at the sound of the adjutant’s gasp, finding him blushing and trying to melt into the shadows.
After the unexpected exchange, Orm acted his usual calm and stern self, strictly adhering to his office rituals until it was time to head down for a meal. It still amused me that he was friends with the chaotic Alaric who couldn’t follow a routine if he was bound hand and foot to it.
Later that evening, I found a strange package in my room. When I opened it, there were several dresses from my home and a falchion with a nivale flower on the pommel in a beautifully embossed scabbard. When I went to the dining area to ask about my unexpected gift, Ormond was particularly quiet; it was Alaric who spilled the beans.
The commander had commissioned the sword from Bryna before travelling to the capital. On his return, he’d picked it up, as well as clothes that the blacksmith thought I’d appreciate. As I stroked the beautifully patterned scabbard, a wave of homesickness and gratitude washed over me.
I approached him with falchion pressed to my chest, tiptoeing and placing a hand on his shoulder to support myself. ‘Thank you,’ I said, kissing his cheek, ‘It is beautiful. You really know how to make a woman happy.’ His eyes lit with joy before he schooled his expression into his usual stoic features.
‘I wanted to give you something almost as unique as you are.’ He said it so nonchalantly, as if a handcrafted sword was no big deal, before pulling my hand off his arm and kissing the palm. ‘I’m glad you like it, Nivale.’
His lips caressed my skin, sending goosebumps along my forearm. I felt warmth spreading in my chest, and only Alaric’s focused gaze stopped me from embracing the massive rider. Orm was playing a dangerous game, and I didn’t know where it was heading.
I noticed the fleeting grimace on Alaric’s face when Orm kissed my hand, but when I turned to him, he shook his head with an all-knowing smile. Unable to make them both happy, I went with my third option and excused myself, rushing to the dragon’s lair to show Vahin my newest possession.
I was lounging on the dragon’s arm, playing with my blade after Vahin had expressed sufficient elation over how beautiful it was when both men joined me. When I refused to move, they took it upon themselves to see who could make me laugh harder with ribald stories of their past adventures. It was a strange contest, but the joy was palpable, and I wished we could stay like that forever.
The next day, I woke up earlier than usual and went to the training grounds with the sword attached to my hip to find the commander shirtless and sparing with his men. When I taunted him for a match, Orm was initially eager and we spared for a good hour before our intricate motions began attracting attention. Then, many soldiers came over, asking to cross blades with me.
Orm didn’t protest when I agreed, but after I defeated several of them and the veterans flocked to ask me to show them my techniques, his expression became more and more thunderous as the number of men surrounding me increased. He didn’t intervene; he just observed my interactions with a grimace I struggled to decipher.
‘Why didn’t you tell me you are going on the patrol tomorrow? I can be ready by dawn. I’ll join the regular soldiers since we get along well,’ I said to him after overhearing a soldier boasting about it. His jaw clenched, and I faced a wall of stubborn refusal. I didn’t care.
‘I said nothing because I scheduled you to train new recruits with Alaric.’
‘Then you can reschedule me.’ The excitement from training still thrummed through my veins, so I grabbed Orm’s hand, pulling him towards the castle. ‘Come Ursus, I can see something is bothering you, and I think you will be more agreeable after a good breakfast. Sated bears are less likely to be obtrusive.’
The moment we entered the castle, Orm’s arms surrounded me, and he buried his face in my hair, inhaling deeply. ‘I’m not obtrusive, I just … I can’t … it’s too dangerous out there,’ he groaned before releasing me and striding away as if a ghoul were biting at his heels.
I stood watching him go. Something was very wrong if the man who had hired me to fight monsters would rather lock me in a tower than let me face a threat whilst surrounded by an army.
Alright, Commander, I’ll let you get away with this one, but if you stop me from going on the next one, I will find out what the hell is going on myself.
The opportunity to leave the fortress walls arrived sooner than I expected.
Two days later, I was training with the soldiers, cursing under my breath and trying to sweat out my frustrations. Orm and Ari had held a meeting with two other commanders, and after the Ihrain incident, both men had decided I should stay out of sight—at least until they knew where we stood with the rest of the dragon riders.
I was going through a complex attack sequence that involved both blade and a fire sigil when a messenger ran in shouting that a supply wagon was under attack on the road to the fortress. The Captain of the Guard was asking for assistance from anyone who could hold a sword or spear. I wasn’t sure what exactly had attacked the wagon, but my muscles were warmed up and we had several men there who’d just finished their own routines as well.
‘Gather your weapons! We are needed,’ I called out, grinning like a madwoman.
‘Under whose command?’ one of them asked, but I only looked at him, raising my eyebrow before he lowered his head, muttering, ‘Yes, Lady Mage, but we should inform the commander.’
‘The commander is in a meeting, and the merchants won’t mind who saves them as long as their skin is intact. I’m going, and you can shift your hairy arses and help me or explain to Ormond why you let me fight alone. Your choice. Whatever you decide, I won’t hold it against you.’
I made for the gates. As I began running, I saw one of the veterans whisper something to the messenger, but I didn’t turn to check as I rushed to the scene. I hadn’t even broken a sweat by the time we made it out of the stronghold, but as we reached the edge of the forest, I saw several guards fighting a pack of werewolves.
‘Vahin, there’s an attack near the gates. I can handle it, but if you could check the perimeter of the fortress, I’d appreciate it. A pack of werewolves coming so close to civilisation is unheard of, and there may be more …’ I said through the link we shared, smirking at the surprise in the dragon’s thoughts.
‘Do you need me there, Little Flame? ’ he asked. I could sense he was concerned, but he didn’t try spoiling my fun.
‘No, you are close enough if I need to access the aether. I’m more concerned about other travellers and can’t cover that much ground myself,’ I answered, wishing Orm and Ari were more like him. A dark chuckle rumbled through my thoughts when I failed to hide my last mental remark.
‘Oh, I can be possessive and overprotective too, Little Flame. I’ve just had millennia to learn that those feelings can ruin even true love. Orm’s barely tasted the dark edges of his soul. No one taught him how to deal with his wild magic; all they did was teach him to cage that part of him. Now it’s rattling the bars, and he doesn’t know how to handle it.’
I was too close to the skirmish for more conversation, especially when I saw one of the guards pushed to the ground as a rabid werewolf locked his jaws on his soft entrails. I grasped a stream of aether and shaped it with a quick incantation, pushing condensed energy into the beast’s head.
A pain-filled screech cut through the noise when the power of my spell threw the beast backwards, but now the attention of the rest of the pack was solely on me.
‘C’mon you sons of bitches, you know you want to,’ I taunted, laughing and feeling the familiar heat of battle rising in my veins.
‘My lady, you can’t fight them all—the commander will have our hides if anything happens to you,’ muttered one of the veterans while the others attempted to form a wall of shields around me.
‘Oh yes I can, and I will. Gather the wounded and guard the wagon. Don’t let the mutts bite the merchants. The rest of you ensure nothing jumps on my back. If the commander says anything about it, I’ll tell him to kiss my arse,’ I barked.
The men dispersed, but not before I heard one of them mutter. ‘Oh yeah, he would absolutely love that.’
It took effort to keep a straight face, but the attacking werewolves soon sobered me up, and before I knew it, my sword caught one in the chest. I felt at peace. The group was too small to be a serious threat but big enough to keep me interested, and I sank into a recognisable routine.
Aether tingled on my fingertips, and I wove it into spells. Cut, parry, combat sigil—a dance as familiar as my old boots. I ploughed through the pack, and the beasts that didn’t fall to my blade were swiftly dealt with by the rest of the soldiers.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed. I was so focused on my task that it took several moments for me to realise someone was roaring my name. Dark obsidian blood splashed across my face as my sword sliced my opponent’s body open before I turned, expecting to see someone needing my help, only to find Orm, unarmed, wearing only a shirt and a pair of bloody linen breeches.
I gaped, watching him plough through the fray, tearing apart anything that came close. The savagery was terrifying, but as I saw my bear of a man go berserk with my name on his lips, my body reacted, not with fear but with exhilarating desire.
I held my breath, grasping the aether when a beast pounced, but my magnificent warrior caught it midair, twisting its neck effortlessly. Orm roared as the body fell from his grip, but as he cast around for more enemies, I noticed the sudden silence surrounding us, our enemies dead or crippled on the ground. As I hastily cleaned my sword and sheathed it, I moved slowly towards the snarling warrior, watching him warily.
The moment I noted recognition in Orm’s eyes, I rushed forward, jumping into his arms and kissing him passionately. ‘Did you see? Did you see your men fight? After just a couple of days of training, they fought like veterans. We can do so much more if I keep training with them. For the victory!’ I rejoiced, and before I realised what I was doing, I kissed him again, just like I always did with Tal after we had won a battle.
Orm gasped, his arms tightening around me with enough force to lift me off the ground as he returned my kiss with wild abandon. My paladin mage had never kissed me that way. Tal’s kisses were always joyful and loving, leaving me laughing and happy, but Orm …?
Orm possessed me.
The world disappeared in a cloud of lust. His tongue pushing past my lips, Orm acted as if my kiss had opened the floodgates of desire and nothing mattered more than this moment. The cheering of the surrounding soldiers barely registered as my passion and magic thrummed through my body, the swirling energy sparking and biting at Orm’s chest.
In a swift jerking move, Orm swung me around, breaking the kiss before he groaned, his features distorted with pain. My confusion at his actions was quickly replaced by rage when I saw what had happened.
A surviving werewolf had scrambled up and dug his claws into Orm’s side.
Guilt that my inattention and arrogance had caused this burned inside my chest. My anguished scream lit the sky as the aether answered and lightning tore into the crippled beast, incinerating him before my eyes. My breath shuddered in my chest, and I turned back, looking into Orm’s eyes.
‘I’ll call Vahin and take you to the castle. Please don’t move. Alaric will fix it,’ I was frantic, embracing him to support him before he placed a hand on my cheek.
‘Shh … Ani, I’ll be alright. Dragon riders heal fast, and this was barely a scratch. Just another scar to add to the collection. I’ll look after it when we’re done here,’ he said, slipping from my arms. His calmness caught me off guard, and all I could manage to do was stare at him. ‘Fine, but are you sure everything’s alright?’
‘I am. Truth be told, I’m proud of what you’ve done, even if watching you fight was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. We need to talk—later, in private, because keeping you in the dark clearly isn’t working. For now, we need to look after our men.’ He pressed a hand to his bleeding side while he assumed command, directing soldiers and merchants alike.
More people poured from the castle, and in no time, the wagon was back on its wheels, the wounded taken care of, and we were walking back to the fortress.
‘Please say something,’ I begged when we were finally alone, walking through the empty corridors to my living quarters.
‘What I have to say won’t be pleasant to hear. But if you want to lead men, you have to think about them first. You are not fighting alone anymore. I know you thought you were doing the right thing, and yes, saving those people was right, but you didn’t know what you were facing and led your men into battle without even informing the garrison officer or me. What if you needed backup? What if Vahin hadn’t caught the group circling behind to ambush you?’
He turned to face me. ‘You are an amazing mage and an excellent fighter, but at the moment, you are not a leader. That, thankfully, we can rectify because you have good instincts and rallied those rookies without hesitation.’ I caught Orm’s grimace as he finished and the trembling of his hand as he opened the door to my quarters.
His words stung because he was right, and although we suffered few injuries today, it could have been much worse, and it would have been on my conscience.
‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered. Orm nodded, placing a hand on the small of my back and ushering me inside. ‘I know you well enough to realise that. Have I told you how awestruck I was when I saw you fighting those beasts?’ He reached out to stroke my cheek before cursing when he saw the blood covering us both and dropping his hand.
‘But you must be punished for your actions, and since Alaric is busy with the injured guards, you shall be required to tend to my battered body.’ Despite his teasing tone, I noticed the sigh of relief when the door closed behind us. For the first time that day, Orm let a hint of weakness show.
I bit my lip and led him to the chaise lounge, cutting away his bloody shirt once he sat down. Without a word, I kneeled next to him, cleaning and bandaging the wound. After a moment, Orm began smiling and I realised that I was humming an old folk tune from my youth. The blush that swept over my cheeks made the smug warrior smile even wider, so I tried to distract the annoying man.
‘What are you thinking about?’ I asked as I finished, and he sighed.
‘That I should have told you this earlier. Maybe then you would have been more careful.’
‘Tell me what?’
‘That my brother thinks the Lich King, or even someone in our court, is hunting down conduit mages. You’re the last we know of that’s alive, and I want it to stay that way.’ I frowned.
‘Alright, I will be extra careful, but I can take care of myself,’ I replied, tightening the knot harshly when he shook his head.
‘I know you can, but—fuck, that’s tight—but what if our enemy comes armed with your geas? How can I help if that happens?’
‘How can you help if that happens? No one can help if they use that damn phrase. Thankfully, there’s only one copy of the geas, and you have it.’
‘But what if, Annika? I can’t risk that. I can’t risk … you,’ he elaborated. His voice was filled with tension and need as he leaned forward, brushing my lip with his thumb. ‘Ani … that kiss,’ he started, frowning when I pulled away to busy my hands with packing the medical supplies.
I had to bite my lip because I still felt his touch and I wanted to feel it more, but not like this. Not when he was injured and I was angry about being blindsided by his secrecy. ‘I always kissed Tal after we won. It was just the heat of the moment, and I forgot myself. I’m sorry,’ I said, avoiding his eyes.
‘I’m not … but I understand.’
‘If you do, you’ll let me fight as I was trained to,’ I replied, and he sighed heavily.
‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Fine.’ I finished my work in silence, but when I went to help Orm back to his room, he stopped me. ‘Ani … allow me to stay, please,’ he mumbled, giving me a coy, almost embarrassed smile when I frowned.
‘I know you are angry, but … being near you helps me,’ he added when I continued to look at him, surprised by his words. He exhaled slowly. ‘No, I’m sorry, I know it’s an unreasonable request.’ Orm reached down to pick up the torn remains of his clothes from the seat, but I grasped his hand, stopping him.
‘No, if it helps you, it is the right thing to do. Stay Ormond, be my guest tonight.’
It was the first time I’d seen him so timid, vulnerable. As angry as I felt at the tight-lipped, overprotective bastard, something in Orm’s eyes had prompted me to agree. I helped him with supper when I saw him wince every time he moved his arm and even offered him my bed, willing to sleep on the couch, but he refused. At least I tried, I thought, as I slipped into bed.
‘Goodnight, my fearless mage.’
I was grateful for the pillow as my cheeks flushed red upon hearing his soft-spoken words. Despite Orm being the one injured, I fell asleep first, so I expected to be the first one up. However, when I awoke, the chaise lounge was empty, and the blankets I had given him were folded neatly on the seat, leaving me strangely disappointed.
It had happened three more times since. The days were silent, both of us too stubborn to talk first, but every evening, I waited for the knock on my door, followed by Orm looking at me with that silent question in his eyes, then him slipping inside when I moved back to let him in.
I didn’t know why Orm needed it, or what was disturbing him so much that he sought refuge in my presence, but from the hushed discussions he had with his men, I knew things weren’t looking good.
I saw him conversing quietly with Alaric, who soothed Orm’s headaches with his healing touch. But the damn man still wouldn’t talk to me, and that was why I was going to go with him on the next patrol. I was determined to help him with whatever problem he might have and fix it before our disagreement fractured these budding feelings I had for him.