Page 74 of Oaths & Vengeance (Realm of Zadrya #1)

Aella

W e arrived at Tradain minutes before sunset.

Over the last two hours since then, channelers from elsewhere in Therress had sent large groups of soldiers to us.

The total number of them now exceeded eight hundred, with more filing through as I watched.

If my uncle had been planning this for a while, why didn’t he have everyone he needed beforehand?

Ulmar grinned at my confused expression. “Surprised, little cousin?”

“Yes.”

“We didn’t want Veronna to see the attack coming, so all the soldiers arriving now have come from Reshirk. They’ve been camped there for the last two days. Even they thought we would invade through that mountain pass,” he said, delight in his voice.

Horror filled me, but I kept my expression calm. “You waited until Veronna moved many of its forces to the other side in anticipation of the attack before pulling them back here.”

“Yes, smart girl.” A pleased expression crossed his face. “I convinced my father of this plan, and he agreed it was a good one.”

“Where are we really attacking?” I asked.

“Radoumar.”

I stilled. “That’s on the west coast by Veronna’s gold mines. You think I can open and hold a portal long enough to get that many of our forces there?”

He took a menacing step toward me. “We hadn’t planned on that location since we thought you couldn’t do it.

Then we saw you made it to a heavily warded ring in Penoria a few days ago.

It’s been a long time since anyone could open it aside from the faeries, but then we realized you’ve been hiding your true strength from us. We altered our plans accordingly.”

The blood drained from my face. “But I…”

“Save it, cousin.” His expression turned menacing. “We both know you can’t lie your way around the fact you were there, probably looking at that broken ring. The question we can’t figure out is who went with you?”

There was only one way he’d know where I’d gone, but not the identity of my traveling companions.

They’d somehow been following my movements while I was away.

I hadn’t sensed any magical tracker on me except Darrow’s, but they might have hired someone with the power to do it from afar.

Though I’d never met anyone with the ability, I’d heard they existed.

I just never thought it would be used on me.

There were ways to counteract it, but they were temporary, so I would have needed to suspect they were necessary beforehand.

“I’ve been trying to find a way to get the Naforya Fountain back,” I said, finding words that would only ring as truth. He’d know if I told a single lie, so I had to be careful.

Ulmar narrowed his eyes. “That’s not your problem to fix.”

“The land is dying, and we can’t wait much longer,” I argued.

“If my father wanted you to handle it, he would have told you,” he said coldly. “I suggest you behave perfectly tonight, or else things won’t go well for you when we return. You’re already in enough trouble.”

His threat was so menacing that it left a chill in the air, making me shiver. Autumn might be only a few days away, but the cool weather coming had nothing on my cousin’s ability to drain warmth from his surroundings simply by standing nearby.

Neither of us spoke after that and stood silent as the captains of the various regiments prepared their soldiers.

Dread filled me with every moment that passed.

They were lining them up, and my final count revealed that there were now over a thousand, with a third of them on horseback.

That was a quarter of Radoumar’s population, which would be risky, but they’d have the element of surprise.

A lot of damage could be done when people were asleep in their beds .

The leadership was organizing the soldiers to ensure they’d get through the ring in the most efficient manner possible.

My uncle counted on the fact that I could open a distant warded portal and hold it for a long time to get that many into Veronna.

If I failed, he would make me pay in the worst way, but if I did as ordered, they’d lay waste to Radoumar and likely steal any gold stored there.

I’d be betraying my husband, even if I had little choice.

My uncle beckoned me forward. I hadn’t been allowed to take a horse this time, so I walked through the long lines of troops who stared at me with a varying mixture of stalwartness and anxiety.

It started with the foot soldiers, followed by centaurs and satyrs, and finally, the mounted fighters.

With trepidation, I reached Lord Morgunn’s side by the portal.

There was nothing warm or kind in his features.

Instead, his ice-blue eyes narrowed on me.

“Get on with it, Aella.”

I clenched my fists. “You can’t hurt civilians if I do this.”

He leaned forward, baring his teeth. “Open the portal, or I’ll have you whipped right here in front of my army, and then I’ll have Rynn punished next.”

My chest tightened because I knew that was no empty threat. How could he be so cruel?

“She has nothing to do with this,” I said, trying to hold on to my courage in the face of his malevolence. Of course, he’d back me into a corner.

Lord Morgunn pulled away a little, his features softening slightly. “No, she is innocent. Open the portal, and all will be well. I’ll even look the other way at your hiding your full abilities from me, especially since you’ve become more useful to my plans now than ever.”

I only had impossible choices before me.

The amount of trouble he’d gone through to set up this attack meant he’d show me no mercy if I refused to help him.

If I did what he asked, he’d attack Radoumar and kill innocent people, but their population was large enough to put up a better fight than the places my uncle usually targeted. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad .

Also, Veronna had been gathering its forces in one place in anticipation of Lord Morgunn assaulting the border.

Darrow would know we went elsewhere once I crossed onto his land, and he could have his channelers move his already-prepared force to the west to react quickly.

I would also do what I could to save his people until he arrived.

It was the only way I could see to survive this mess and prevent Rynn from being drawn into it. I’d do anything to protect her.

“Very well. I’ll open it,” I agreed, still hating myself that I gave in to his demands.

My uncle smiled. “Wise decision, Aella.”

I took the small bag of holmium he handed me and a small piece of parchment with the rune sequence drawn on it.

Somehow, he knew it. I only memorized the ones I visited often, so I’d hoped I could claim ignorance on how to get there.

One little paper destroyed that possibility, but I should have known my uncle would come prepared.

I had never volunteered a sequence and always made him provide them, which he did without fail.

Inwardly, I prayed that Darrow would forgive me for this as I began channeling.

It was almost as much of a struggle as it had been to reach Jolloure Island, likely to prevent dark elf infiltration, but it didn’t take as long as I anticipated.

Every time I pushed through a difficult ring, it seemed to get easier the next time as I learned the weave of the wards.

The first regiment of soldiers began moving the moment the air popped, and the blue light appeared, with the cavalry in the lead and followed by troops on foot.

I held out my hand, keeping my power flowing as they disappeared inside.

They moved so efficiently that the first regiment took just under ten minutes.

Directly after them, the second began filing through the ring.

It wasn’t until near the end of the fourth that I began to feel the drain on my powers.

By the time the fifth and last regiment disappeared, my hands shook.

Lord Morgunn grabbed my arm and guided me toward the portal with six soldiers escorting us. No doubt, he’d assign a few to guard me during the battle. I let my powers go two steps before we entered the murky blue. As usual, the portal stayed open long enough for us to enter .

An eternity seemed to pass before we reached the other side, or perhaps it felt like it because I really didn’t want to know what I would find once we arrived.

Finally, it pushed us out, and we stepped into total chaos.

The strikes of swords, wooshes of magic, and pained screams filled the air.

I’d never visited Radoumar before, but apparently, this was one of the few Veronnian rings positioned within the town.

That made it easier to attack quickly, but it also meant I would stand witness to the carnage.

My uncle couldn’t hide me far away like usual.

Hopefully, Darrow would pick up on my arrival quickly, and he’d bring a large force with him, but that would take time. Lord Morgunn’s army could do a lot of damage before my husband arrived.

Furious thoughts raced through my mind. Radoumar appeared to have fought back, based on the dozen dead Therressians I counted on the ground nearby, but the Veronnians must have already been overwhelmed near the ring.

Our first soldiers who’d come nearly an hour ago had destroyed everything nearby, and mangled bodies lay everywhere—killed by magic, sword, or fire.

My stomach threatened to revolt at the sight.

I took note of my uncle and his two soldiers, including the one who powered an impenetrable shield for him, heading northwest before they disappeared from view.

Next, I tried to locate Ulmar but couldn’t see him through the dense smoke and blazing buildings.

He could have gone anywhere. The four guards my uncle left behind circled me, acting as my wardens and protectors.