Page 24 of Oaths & Vengeance (Realm of Zadrya #1)

“Darrow doesn’t like or trust you. He never will, and neither will the rest of us,” he said, angrily staring down at me. “You’re just a tool to use.”

“Get off…” I began, but then he suddenly flew backward.

I watched in shock as he landed hard on the ground ten feet away, barely missing a tree.

Turning my gaze, I found Darrow dismounting from his horse.

He stalked toward Koen, picked him up with one hand, and began punching him with his other hand.

Over and over, he hit him in the face with brutal force.

Scrambling up, I moved toward them.

Faina ran up and stopped me from getting closer. “Let me see where you’re hurt.”

“I’m fine,” I said.

She lifted a mocking brow. “You don’t look fine. Your cheek is swelling, and there are cuts all over you.”

“What does it matter?” I asked, angry they’d put me in this situation.

“Koen was supposed to guard you, not hurt you. We would never allow that.”

Darrow finished punching the soldier and hovered over him. “Do not ever lay a hand on Aella again. She is my wife, and you will treat her accordingly.”

“She’s the damn enemy,” he said, cupping his nose where it bled profusely. “I caught her checking out the Unseelie ring and talking to Bogdan.”

Darrow bared his teeth. “That doesn’t give you the right to hurt her.”

“She cut me with a knife, so of course I defended myself.”

“No.” I shook my head. I might take a lot of abuse from my family, but I refused to take it from anyone here.

“You were dragging me through the woods into the brush and over fallen logs, not caring that you were hurting me, and refusing to let go when I asked. I had no choice except to fight back. ”

“It’s not my fault you were too weak to keep up,” he said, glaring at me through two swollen eyes. “But what should I expect from a Therressian whore!”

Darrow let out a growl. In the next instant, a blade glinted in his hand. He stabbed Koen straight into the heart, burying the knife to the hilt. The soldier slumped to the ground as all the color drained from his face. Everyone exchanged shocked looks.

He was…dead.

Did my enemy husband kill one of his own men because of me? I stared at the scene with incomprehension. Sure, the asshole had said some horrible things and hurt me, but I didn’t think he’d get punished for it when they were probably all thinking the same way as him.

“Leave Koen here. The forest animals can consume his body for all I care,” Darrow said, cold fury all over his face. “If anyone else hurts Aella or speaks about her the way he did, they die. Understood?”

The rest of the group nodded their head, gazes still stunned.

Then, he moved toward me with a determined stride, stopping less than two feet away as he ran his gaze up and down my body. “Are you okay?”

I stared at him, noting the anger still lining his features. “I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry he hurt you.” He brushed his fingers across my swollen cheek, and I flinched.

“Here,” Faina said, handing him a clean cloth.

Darrow accepted it, gaze softening as he began dabbing at my cuts.

He was gentle, but I was at my wits’ end with all that had happened.

The pure hatred I’d seen in Koen’s eyes haunted me.

My uncle and Ulmar might be vicious and cruel, but even they didn’t look at me with such revulsion and venom.

I hadn’t even met that elf before tonight.

“What does it matter?” I asked, shaking as I tried to hold myself together.

He dabbed at a deeper cut on my neck. “I vow none of my people will lay a hand on you again.”

“Please don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I said, pulling away.

He sighed. “Koen should have known better than to do what he did, but it was my fault for not making your status with me clearer. ”

“Then make sure the others understand because that…” I pointed at the dead soldier’s body, “…was not part of our deal.” I spun away from him, unwilling to hear his reply.

Where was my knife? I was not leaving it in this gods’ forsaken place.

My gaze ran over the tousled brush and broken branches, searching frantically.

A glint caught my eye. I snatched it up and quickly sheathed it.

Everyone was watching me as I marched toward the portal.

I ignored the pain in my cheek, the sting of my cuts, and my sore shoulder as I began channeling.

This time, it wasn’t as hard since the island’s protections didn’t stop people from leaving. I had it open in seconds.

Standing aside, I waved my arm for the group to enter. Though I felt their gazes linger on me, I refused to look at any of them. One by one, they passed until I was the last one left—not counting the dead elf.

With one last look at the gloomy island, I walked through the portal, allowing it to close behind me.

Twenty seconds later, I stepped out the other side.

Most of the others were already riding away.

Only Darrow remained, dismounting from his horse.

He pulled a wrapped bundle from his saddlebag and opened it.

Inside, there was a metal container with bread, cheese, and dried meat.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

He must have anticipated the massive amount of power I would use tonight would draw out my appetite, but it also felt like a peace offering. “I’ll take some bread.”

“You should eat more than that,” he said, frowning.

I rubbed my cheek. “Not really up for eating much.”

Darrow nodded in understanding, handed me the bread, and dug out a water container from his saddlebag. “Here.”

“Thank you,” I said, taking hold of them.

“How quickly do you usually heal?” he asked, gaze roving over my numerous wounds.

I took a swig of water first, not realizing how thirsty I’d become during my travels. “It will all be gone by morning.”

Perhaps he wondered because of my druid side, but they healed as fast as high fae .

“Are you certain?” he asked, no doubt worried someone would see me and ask questions. We wouldn’t want anyone to figure out I’m helping the enemy after all and ruin his plans—whatever those were.

“Yes, I’m sure.” I had enough experience to know.

I sat down to finish my bread as he silently ate the rest of the food.

A part of me wished he’d left with his friends, but he wouldn’t dare leave me alone in his territory.

At least the trip here hadn’t drawn as much power, so I probably only needed another hour before I’d become strong enough again.

Pushing my skills seemed to enhance them.

Despite the fight beforehand, I didn’t feel quite as drained as I expected.

Darrow set aside the food container. “I have heard that your uncle didn’t handle it well when the king refused your betrothal to Elgord.”

“No, it hasn’t been pleasant to be around him. Now, he is trying to find someone else suitable for me, so we’ll see how that goes,” I said, taking another drink of water.

Being alone with him was strange when he wasn’t baiting or teasing me, yet the tension between us was taut.

I was angry about the fight with Koen, and maybe he felt guilty about putting me in that situation.

Before tonight, I wouldn’t have guessed it might bother him, but to kill one of his soldiers and abandon him like that revealed—at the very least—that he didn’t want to see me hurt.

I couldn’t decide how I felt about that.

The scene continuously replayed in my head from when his rage became so great that he stabbed the elf.

“Perhaps it will take your uncle a long time to find anyone willing and worthy,” Darrow said, staring at me in a way I couldn’t read.

I shrugged. “It’s my problem, not yours.”

“It’s both of ours now.”

Oh, sure. He’d choose which things we handled as a married couple and which we didn’t. I refused to dignify that with a response and stared into the woods instead. Physically, I was exhausted and couldn’t wait to go home and sleep for a few hours.

I checked my pockets and was grateful the flowers I’d stuffed in them were still there. The rest I’d held in my hands were lost during my struggle with Koen, which frustrated me almost more than my wounds. Those buds could have done so much good for the dragons.

“Will we be returning to Jolloure in the future?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Can I ask why?”

Darrow stared at me for a moment. “No. At least, not yet.”

His answer didn’t surprise me. Then again, with all the bad blood between our lands, did I want his trust?

This marriage had nothing to do with that.

It was simply business to get what we both needed, and I didn’t have to know what he did as long as it didn’t hurt my people. Only one thing continued to bother me.

I sat up straighter and cocked my head. “Why didn’t you kill me that day on the battlefield?”

A smile stretched his lips. “I probably would have if not for you blowing a kiss. It was a challenge I couldn’t resist, so I retaliated in kind.”

How ironic. I never did things like that, but doing it that one day likely saved my life.

“You could have removed the one person capable of transferring Lord Morgunn’s forces across your border without warning.” I shook my head. “It seems short-sighted.”

His expression turned thoughtful. “Believe me when I say I questioned my choice afterward, and when you showed up almost a week later, I thought I had my second chance at finishing you. Then, you gave me an opportunity I couldn’t resist.”

“To use my portal opening abilities for yourself?”

Darrow nodded. “And to see how you responded to a real kiss.”

I sighed and looked away. His light chuckle filled my ears, but I refused to look at him again.

We spent the rest of our time sitting in the woods in silence.

To my relief, nothing came out of the night to bother us.

As soon as I felt myself regain enough power, I stood.

Darrow watched me open the portal home but blocked me before I could go through it.

He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, surprising me. “I’ll contact you when I need you again, Aella. ”

Then, he stepped away and nudged me toward the portal. I didn’t bother looking back.