Page 71 of Oaths & Vengeance (Realm of Zadrya #1)

Aella

T he six of us went through the portal in pairs, with Darrow and I going last. It took a dizzying twenty seconds to reach the other end. We stepped into the barren woods, and I noted the deterioration had spread more. I couldn’t see any signs of life.

The trees looked like dejected skeletons, no birds chirped, and the magic was down to a tiny trickle that would be gone soon. My body wouldn’t be able to recharge until I reached a more fertile area. They would need to relocate the ring soon, or it wouldn’t work much longer.

Faina put her hands on her hips. “I didn’t realize Alavaar had it this bad.”

“The land sickness has been spreading in many places, but this is the worst spot near a portal ring,” I said, gesturing for us to begin the trek west along the narrow trail.

It barely stood out against the decayed land. I had to fight the horrible, depressing feeling that threatened to overcome me. By the looks on everyone’s faces, they did as well.

Darrow gave me a grim look. “We have eight places in Veronna similar to this.”

“At last count, we have four in Therress,” I said, sighing. “But we’re almost half the size of you all.”

We crunched our way over the remnants of dead plant matter for more than ten minutes before crossing into a verdant area with thriving vegetation near the village.

A couple of thatched roofs appeared through the tall, grassy pillar trees in the distance.

This time last year, I wouldn’t have been able to spot homes this far away, which told me the dying forest continued to edge closer despite the druids' best efforts .

As we entered Fionbar, the inhabitants gave us curious glances.

I waved at a few of them, and they returned the gesture with hesitant nods.

They’d recognize me, but they likely wondered about the rest of my group.

We made it to the town center and took the road north.

My sister lived at the edge, nearest the path to the dragon hunting grounds.

It was almost lunchtime, so I knew she should be home.

With less than six hundred inhabitants in the village—many of them families who lived together—it didn’t take long to reach Priyya’s two-story thatched cottage.

It had a heavy wooden door at the center, single windows on either side, and a covered porch with a swing.

In the evenings, we often sat together on it after dinner to enjoy the nature around us.

The next nearest neighbor was a few hundred feet away, with numerous mistarr trees in between to lend some privacy.

Drawing a deep breath, I knocked on the door while everyone else hovered behind me.

I would have normally walked right inside, but this felt more appropriate considering my company.

Priyya appeared a few moments later, frowning at me.

She’d pulled her dark-blonde hair into a messy bun, and she wore a loose green tunic with matching pants that almost swallowed her slender frame.

Berry stains covered the edge of her right sleeve cuff, probably from mashing poultices for the dragons.

“Why are you knocking? Aella, I was…” she trailed off as she took in the five people behind me.

I cleared my throat. “I didn’t think you’d want me barging inside under the circumstances.”

As soon as her gaze fell on Darrow and Faina, she stiffened. Most of the realm knew what they looked like with their unique brown-black hair, so it never took long for anyone to identify them. Priyya stepped back before catching herself and pinning me with a horrified look.

“Why do you have Veronnians with you?” she asked in a high-pitched whisper. “Are they holding you hostage? This is the worst place to come because you know I have no money or power to fight them off.”

“It’s not like that,” I said, shaking my head.

Darrow stepped right behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, causing me to stiffen before I made myself relax. She was going to find out about my marriage soon enough. It would make matters worse if she thought I wasn’t a willing participant.

“Your sister and I have been married for over four months, so I assure you, we have not taken her hostage,” my husband said in a smooth, compelling voice.

Priyya slammed the door on us.

“That went well,” I said wryly, pulling away from him.

Darrow snorted. “She likely needs a few minutes, but I’m sure she’ll come around momentarily.”

He had more faith in her than I did.

“Did you have to blurt out the news like that?” I asked, turning to look up at him. “Or put your arm around me?”

He arched a brow. “I thought it was best to get the nature of our relationship out of the way, and holding you without any resistance on your part emphasized my point. It was also worth seeing the look on her face before she shut the door.”

“I’m going to be lucky if she ever speaks to me again.” I sighed. “Do you have a subtle bone in your body, or are you always so domineering?”

Darrow gave me an amused look. “I am not without finesse when the situation calls for it, but you’re the one who has demanded the rougher side of me.”

“Seriously?” I threw up my hands. “You know she can probably hear us since her windows are open, right?”

“Why do you think I said it?” he asked, wickedness dancing in his gray eyes.

I smacked him in the arm. “Do not make me regret last night.”

“Or this morning,” Jax said dryly. “We all heard how things went after your argument. No one was the least bit surprised you both came out with big smiles on your faces afterward.”

Faina snickered. “It’s a wonder Aella is walking normally.”

“I think I liked it better when you all were unfriendly,” I said, shaking my head at them.

The door suddenly opened, drawing our attention back to the house .

Priyya ran her gaze over everyone else before letting it fall on me. “Have none of you any shame?”

I shrugged. The others answered with various versions of “no” that sounded more proud than embarrassed. I couldn’t believe how much things had changed between me and them since yesterday, yet I felt much more comfortable with them than before.

“They’re here with me for a good reason, Priyya. We have some information about the Naforya Fountain, but we need your help to follow up on it,” I said, knowing that much would trigger her curiosity. After our mother died, she tried to resume the search for a while but didn’t get far.

Her gaze sharpened. “Really?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “If you’ll let us inside, I’ll explain everything.”

She hesitated. “Are you sure they’ll behave?”

“Aella can’t give that guarantee,” Jax said from near the steps. “But we promise to try.”

Darrow put a hand on my shoulder. “I promise if anyone gets out of line, I will send them back outside.”

Priyya scrutinized him. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“As you should.”

She chewed her lip for a minute, which I understood since we were throwing a lot at her without time to work through it all. “Alright, you all can come inside, but take your dirty boots off at the door.”

No one argued.

By the time we explained everything to Priyya and had lunch with her, I’d recharged enough for us to return to the portal gate.

She’d agreed to accompany us to the capital city, Tuireen, where the realm had the most comprehensive library.

My sister was still unhappy and more than a little skeptical about my secret alliance with the Veronnians, but the importance of the Naforya Fountain helped her put aside her distrust for the moment.

We’d made a strong case, though it helped that she trusted my judgment .

It had been years since I’d visited the large druid city, which had over two hundred thousand residents.

It sprawled for miles and miles. Some homes and shops were constructed near ground level, although the base floor began six feet above ground level with support beams underneath.

They built most structures along the large doak trees that grew everywhere in northern Alavaar.

Since they reached two hundred feet in height and up to fifteen feet in diameter, they could easily hold the weight of the houses.

Spring flooding had necessitated their style of living, although much of the area consisted of swamps, which also discouraged living near the ground.

The scent of sulfur and decay from the sitting water nearby would have been overwhelming if not for the judicious planting of garsennia flowers.

Their stalks rose several feet high, with multiple soft, white blooms sprouting from each plant.

They produced a sweet scent popular for making perfume and excellent at covering foul smells.

Priyya led the way through the third-level walkway between trees, guiding us toward the library that rose like a floating edifice ahead due to its massive size.

She glanced back at me. “The decay is encroaching near Tuireen as well. It would have already overtaken the city if the residents weren’t taking turns daily restoring the afflicted land, but we still lose some ground every month.

They estimate we have less than a year before it will reach the outskirts. ”

“We will do everything we can to retrieve the fountain,” Darrow promised.

My sister met his gaze. “If you do that and treat Aella well, you’ll have no further problem with me.”

“Of course,” he said, dipping his chin.

“But…” she paused, stopping and spinning around to face us along the wooden bridge. “If you hurt her in any way, I will bring the wrath of the dragons upon you. I might not be much of a warrior, but they won’t hesitate to attack on my behalf.”

Darrow gave her an amused look. “Your threat is noted.”