Page 67 of Oaths & Vengeance (Realm of Zadrya #1)

Aella

W hen we stepped through the primary portal for Porrine, mud covered us.

It was caked up to our knees and splattered everywhere else.

I wished I could have brought us directly to Darrow’s house, but temporary rings lacked a unique rune sequence and only worked one way.

That left us with no choice except to trudge through the capital city as our boots squished with every step.

Darrow held my hand as we walked past the palace's rear, choosing to cut through the poor section of the city rather than the statelier front.

It was nearly ten at night, but people still meandered the streets as they left parties or taverns.

We preferred to avoid seeing anyone who might recognize us.

“When the time is right, I could set up a permanent ring at the townhouse if you want,” I said, looking up at him.

He lifted his dark brows, mocking amusement in his gaze. “You only saw our home for the first time today, and you’re already planning changes?”

I rolled my eyes. “Do you have any idea how much it would cost to hire someone to do it?”

“No. How much?” Darrow asked.

“For a small one that will only allow two people to enter at a time, you can expect to pay at least twenty thousand gold coins,” I replied.

Everyone turned to look at me with surprise.

Darrow cleared his throat. “And how much would you charge me?”

“Only the cost of materials, which was about sixteen hundred when I built the one in my garden. Of course, I took my time finding the best deals and had to do it in stages since it was a pain sneaking everything to its final location. I made one for a village in Alavaar that was large enough for four to pass at a time, and I charged them seven thousand since that was all they could afford. The supplies for that one ran me nearly three thousand.”

That had been one of the rare times I could earn significant funds for myself without my uncle knowing about it.

The village had a portal channeler who could transport them within their kingdom, but he wasn’t strong enough to infuse the ring with the power needed to become permanently active.

That was how it would naturally generate its unique rune sequence.

The moment the magic fused into it, the algodonite stones would flash in the correct order ten times, so one could ensure they recorded it correctly.

The people in the area were so excited that they wouldn’t have to travel for two hours on foot to the next closest ring anymore, and I became an honorary member of the town for my efforts.

Only seven channelers between the four realms on Paxia could set up a new portal, so we could charge a premium for our work and get away with it.

The quote the village received from the only person who could perform the service in Alavaar was for twenty-five thousand gold coins.

They were very grateful that I had been willing to settle for less than a third of that.

“Why wouldn’t you ask for more?” Darrow asked, curiosity in his gaze.

I gave him an affronted look. “You’re my husband, and you said it’s our home, so that would be ridiculous. Also, I’m probably the only one who will use it. I’d be doing myself a favor.”

“Hmm. Good point.”

We fell silent for the last few minutes of our squishy trudge through the city that drew a few pairs of eyes.

Since we were coming from the north, we had to pass ten townhouses before we reached ours.

Everyone pulled off their boots when they reached the door.

As soon as I set mine down, Darrow took my hand and pulled me toward the stairs.

“Goodnight, everyone,” he said, rushing me away so fast I couldn’t even protest before we were on the second floor.

His bedroom was at the front end of the hall, with a view of the royal gardens across the street.

I barely had a moment to look around before he shut the door and pressed me against the wall.

As I started to say something, his mouth came down on mine.

I resisted at first since all I’d thought of after the rain on Penoria began was a hot bath.

His fiery kiss made me forget everything except his heat pressed against me.

It wasn’t until he withdrew his mouth to rain kisses down my neck that I regained some of my senses. “Darrow, we need to talk about this first.”

I’d had time to think about our relationship and how to handle him. No matter how much I tried, I knew I didn’t have the strength to resist him, but I could set boundaries. If he respected me, he’d follow them.

He pulled back to look me in the eyes. “What do you wish to discuss?”

“I’m not going to pretend at this point that I don’t want you because we both know that would be a lie, but I need to set limits.

We can have all the hot sex you want tonight and whenever the opportunity arises, if you promise to stop trying to make me feel things for you.

I don’t want to fall in love when you can’t, and you should respect that,” I said, giving him a defiant look.

Darrow ran a hand through his loose, wet hair. “I admit something drives me to want every part of you, including your heart.”

“If you care about me at all and want to protect me, like you’ve insisted, you will keep your distance outside of bed.

No more holding me or giving me sweet kisses.

” Those would be my undoing if he kept them up.

I had to make this clear, and to emphasize my point, I dropped my glamour so he had to look at the real me.

He studied my face. “What if I told you that finding the Naforya Fountain is the key to ending my family’s curse? Once it’s returned to its rightful place, we’re free from it.”

Shock filled me. It was no wonder they appeared to be pushing harder than anyone to find it, but I didn’t understand how the two matters were related. “How is that possible?”

“Because it was two men from my family who were on the guardian rotation when it was taken.” He shook his head, sighing.

“Whoever stole it rendered them unconscious with no memory of what occurred. Apparently, there was a curse enacted long ago to punish anyone who failed in their duty to protect the fountain and didn’t die defending it.

The Andalagar and druids told them about it after the fact, but somehow, those details were lost over the centuries, so the current generation of fae didn’t know the consequences.

I doubt it would have made a difference anyway since both men were honorable and would have stopped it if they could. ”

“That certainly gives your family line the most incentive to retrieve it,” I said, swallowing. I’d wondered what could have been dire and powerful enough to curse them for such a long time.

“Yes,” Darrow agreed. “But it means we have a chance to rectify the problem, and then I will be able to feel more deeply for you.”

My chest tightened. “You mean it’s possible, Dare, but you can’t promise it will change anything.”

The look he gave me was so intense I could barely hold his gaze. “You’re my true mate, Aella. It’s why I’m driven by an obsessive need to protect you and keep you to myself. I only learned it after I took you to Darynia for those three days you slept.”

“What? How?” He couldn’t be serious. Except, some part of me knew it had to be true because it explained the strong connection between us that seemed nearly impossible to resist.

“My father has the ability to sense true mates when they’re together. While I held you in my arms to bring you into the castle, he discerned the truth,” Darrow said.

I drew in a deep breath. True mates? It was so rare that I’d believed I’d never find mine, let alone it be someone who I’d long considered an enemy until recently.

It explained the instant connection I’d felt across the battlefield the first time I saw him and the powerful attraction I felt for my husband every time we were close that I couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard I tried.

When we were together, and anger wasn’t blinding me, it was like I was whole…

complete. His kisses and touches always drove me to want more.

If I hadn’t spent so much time trying not to develop feelings for him, I might have realized it for myself.

True mates always had an overwhelming urge to bond and complete their union, so I’d been fighting an impulse that was never meant to be resisted.

Unfortunately, that made matters more difficult. I wished it could have been wonderful news because it had once been my dream, but now it terrified me. My heart was in more danger now than ever. Why did fate have to play with our lives this way by cursing him?

“Okay, fine.” My chest tightened. “We’re true mates, and there is a chance we can lift your curse, but until that happens, I still need to keep some emotional distance. There is no guarantee we will reach the fountain and bring it back.”

“Aella, I…” he began.

I pressed a finger to his lips. “No arguments. That’s the deal—take it or leave it.”

He looked away, working his jaw, before returning his gaze. “Very well. I’ll take what you’re willing to give.”

“That also means no sweet, tender sex or anything that resembles making love. If we’re true mates, that could be risky as well,” I said, blushing.

I’d never demanded such a thing from a man before, but I needed to be as careful as possible with him, especially in bed.

If he went slow, I’d fall hard, and I knew it.

Darrow’s lips quirked, and his gray eyes took on a roguish glint. “That is one point of this bargain where I won’t argue. If you want it rough, I’ll give you exactly what you’re looking for and more. I only hope you can handle it because that will draw out the darker side of me.”

“I can handle it.” My stomach tightened at the thought. “But first, a bath. We’re filthy, wet, and dripping all over your wood floor.”

The scent of mud and rain covered us.