Page 56 of Oaths & Vengeance (Realm of Zadrya #1)

Darrow

S unlight filtered through a break in my curtains directly on my face.

I groaned as I rolled over to avoid it, head pounding.

Last night, I’d drank far too much. Most of it was a blur, but I was still fairly lucid when my wife arrived in Siggaya.

Fear for her had hit me immediately. The risks were greater now than they had been four months ago when she first visited the city, and we made our deal.

Dark forces were plotting and maneuvering, and every side had spies watching locations like city portal rings. I didn’t find anyone after she’d left last night, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t been there at some point, or they may have had very effective concealment spells.

Forcing my eyes open, I stared at my nightstand where I’d set the wrapped gifts Aella had brought with her. She hardly knew me or my sister, so I couldn’t help but wonder what she’d given us.

I found the one with my name labeled with beautifully written script.

Unwrapping it, I sat up quickly when I saw what the package contained—a white clarity stone.

They were extremely rare and valuable. My father had one that he let me borrow once, but that was under exceptional circumstances.

He usually kept it hidden away, using it only for himself.

Holding the stone in your hand would allow you to see through any glamour.

Aella must have held onto it from her mother’s collection.

Only druids had access to the difficult-to-reach location where they could be found, and precious few of them could perform the enchantment successfully.

They were also reluctant to sell or trade them to fae.

Yet my wife had come to Siggaya at great personal risk to give me a near-priceless gift, and I’d admonished her and attempted to give it back.

She’d had to shove it at me. Then, I upset her so much that she drained herself of her powers to escape. I let out a stream of curses.

A knock sounded at the door.

“What?” I barked.

Faina opened it, sticking her head inside. She must have just risen because her long, brown-black hair was loose and wild around her face. “What are you cursing about?”

I grabbed her gift and tossed the package at her. She caught it easily.

“Oh, brother, you needn’t give me anything other than your charming personality,” she said, stepping further into the room.

I was thankful that she wore a black robe covering most of her body.

Sometimes, when hungover, she strutted around in nothing more than underwear, giving me nightmares for days.

I might have shared a womb with her, but thankfully, I had no memory of that.

“It’s from Aella,” I growled, still holding my gift. “She brought them here last night.”

She grinned and quickly unwrapped hers. When she pulled out an iridescent gold stone, she squealed. “Oh, I’ve always wanted one of these, but they’re out of my price range unless I want to sacrifice buying anything else for two years.”

It was an amplifier that could make a spell twice as powerful.

They were similar to blue burst gems, except stronger, and they could be reused with a twenty-four-hour break between.

The basic stone could be found on Alavaar and the Isles of Mannoth, where most gnomes, goblins, and gremlins lived in the far south.

Druid enchanters were the only ones who could spell them to work, though.

Since they were somewhat more plentiful, there were more in circulation, but they were still expensive and uncommon to find.

Aella had gifted a woman she hardly knew with something precious because Faina was my sister.

I rubbed my face. “She arrived last night, wishing me a happy birthday and bringing these gifts, and I yelled at her for coming.”

“Well,” Faina said, still gazing at her stone. “It’s far better than what you did for her on her birthday. ”

“What do you mean?” I asked, not realizing I’d done anything for Aella on her birthday or which day it was since I hadn’t thought it relevant at this point in our marriage.

My sister gave me a pointed look. “You forced her to open a portal to Therress so you could attack her people.”

I closed my eyes, regret pulling at my chest. “I had no idea.”

“Clearly. Even I hadn’t thought you could be so cruel, but how could I know you didn’t bother to learn your wife’s birthday? I figured that curse of yours must have made you not care, which is why I told Aella as much while we waited for the attack to begin.”

I narrowed my eyes. “So, you’re the one who told her?”

“It was my gift to her since I thought you might not have said anything, and she had a right to be aware of it, especially when you pretty much ruined her birthday,” she said smugly, pocketing her stone.

For a moment, I was quiet as I considered everything.

Some people took their revenge using violence or destruction.

Aella took hers by making a person feel like shit about themselves while she came out looking sweet and benevolent.

That was certainly her druid side since elves didn’t plot quiet and thoughtful strategies—light or dark.

How well played, and yet, it didn’t make me feel any better about what I’d done to her.

I lifted my stone. “She gave me this as a gift.”

“You cannot be serious.” Faina moved closer with shock in her gaze. “I’m half tempted to kill you for that.”

“You could try,” I said, pulling my hand away before she tried to snatch my gift from me.

My sister made a tsking sound. “As much as I want to hate Aella, I have to say you don’t deserve her. She’s far too good for you.”

I grimaced. “I’ve begun to realize that.”

There was no way I’d mention to my sister that my wife had even planned to seduce me last night, so we could finally consummate our marriage.

That was a subject I certainly didn’t want to discuss with a sibling.

A part of me wondered if I shouldn’t have brought her to my loft.

She was already in Siggaya at the time, so the damage was mostly done, but I’d worried my oldest brother might have been watching the loft.

Who knew what the Unseelie was doing right now?

“Maybe you should start thinking of a way to make it up to her before she decides to hate you forever,” Faina said, expression thoughtful. “We need her on our side, and you’re ruining it, Dare.”

She wasn’t wrong.

A loud pounding on the door sounded before I could respond. I hurriedly grabbed a clean tunic, glad I’d passed out in my pants, and rushed to the sitting room. Only one person ever came to my home and knocked like that. My sister had vanished, aware of who the visitor must be as well.

I opened the door to my father, who appeared irritated. He barged inside and took a good look around my place. “Who else is here?”

“Only Faina.”

“Good.” He swung around. “What was Lord Morgunn’s daughter doing in Siggaya last night?”

That explained the extra-fierce pounding and my father’s mood. “Apparently, surprising me for my birthday.”

“Does she actually like you that much?” he asked, skepticism in his voice.

I sighed. “She did until I lectured her on the dangers of coming here. How did you know it was her?”

“My spy told me she was the only one who came through the portal, and she re-opened it less than forty minutes later, which should have been impossible.” Lord Gannon glared at me. “I had to kill him to keep that secret from spreading further.”

Lovely, someone had died so Aella could wish me a happy birthday.

I really should have kept her here for longer, but I didn’t believe she’d be able to open the portal successfully until it was too late.

At the time, I’d figured she’d fail, and then I’d figure out what to do with her until she regained her strength.

When she succeeded, I was too stunned to stop her.

“I told you she was powerful, but she surprised me as well,” I said, gesturing at my father to take a seat. “She was so weak by the end that she crawled through the ring to leave.”

If not for the fact that it would have landed me in the heart of enemy territory, I would have carried her.

The problem was she’d burned herself out, and when one did that, it took at least a day to recover.

She wouldn’t have been able to send me home for some time.

As a result, I had no choice except to stand there helplessly as she left on her hands and knees.

“The only reason I’m not angrier with you is because last night proved she’s the answer to getting the Naforya Fountain back.

” He reclined and rested an arm on the back of the couch.

“My spy didn’t get a good look at her or know who she was, so anyone else watching wouldn’t have either, but you’re going to need to be extra cautious because if anyone else saw, they’ll come to the same conclusion as us. ”

“I’m rather certain she’s furious with me,” I said, pulling out the clarity stone. “This was the gift she brought me, and I sent her away crying.”

My father’s eyes rounded. “That must have been left over from her mother’s collection.”

“Yes.” I went on to explain some of the other details from Aella’s visit and what Faina had told me.

Lord Gannon turned contemplative. “Your sister is right, as much as I hate to admit it. You need to make amends with your wife and start using her resources to help us find the fountain. It isn’t only her portal skills that are an asset, but also her access to Alavaar.”

“What’s there that we need?” I asked, frowning. My father could be the worst of us all when it came to doling out information like breadcrumbs.

“Libraries,” he said with a smug smile. “I’ve exhausted nearly all the other ones where we have access, but I suspect at least some of the answers we seek must be in Tuireen.”

I hadn’t considered that before—to my annoyance—but he was right. “Aella is due to visit her sister in about ten days.”

Assuming she stayed on schedule. It varied sometimes, but I didn’t see any reason the timing of her next trip would change. My spies were quite effective in their roles and would have reported otherwise.

Lord Gannon nodded. “Do it then, so you’ll have more time to accomplish what you need—and make amends with her.”

“Of course,” I agreed.

Now, how to regain Aella’s good graces? I’d need all the time I could get to plan for that.