Page 86 of Oaths & Vengeance (Realm of Zadrya #1)

Aella

W e’d packed our bags and stood ready to go when Darrow met us in the great hall. Jax and Loden were joining us, while Hagon would stay behind with the Veronnian troops to finish the treaty negotiations.

I’d spent nearly nineteen years living here, but I didn’t feel the least bit nostalgic about leaving.

Most of my time had been spent trying to avoid trouble and keeping my head down.

I was tired of playing that game. Nothing held me back anymore, so I could find myself and do what was right for me.

Either Darrow would appreciate that, or he wouldn’t, but that was my plan.

I was sorry I couldn’t say goodbye to Sariyah before I left.

There was no way we could go to Tradain right now under the circumstances, but I planned to send her a note with a sebeska soon and see if she’d meet me on the Andalagar Tribal land.

We’d be safe to talk there. Plus, it would give me a chance to see how things were going between her and Orran.

Kailin wandered into the room and made her way straight toward Rynn and me. For the first time in many years, there was a soft smile on my aunt’s face. Her shoulders were straight instead of hunched, and she’d styled her strawberry-blonde hair into ringlets that fell down her back.

Tadeus and Ulmar’s mother had even put on a green dress with floral lace that hugged her slender figure, bringing some color to her ivory skin. I was so glad to see her coming out of her shell and choosing a color that didn’t indicate mourning despite her husband dying last night.

She took my hands. “Be well, Aella. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you as much as I should have, but I wish you happiness and a bright future. ”

“Thank you,” I said, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I want the same for you, too. Don’t let Ulmar push you around, and keep Tadeus close.”

“Oh, I will.” Kailin pulled back with misty brown eyes. “It will be much better now.”

She hugged Rynn next, wishing her well, too.

Darrow was the last to draw her attention.

She gave him an enthusiastic hug that shocked all of us, considering he was her husband’s killer.

He stood stiffly for a moment before gently patting her back.

There was a “help me” look on his face when his gaze met mine. I pretended to cough to cover my laugh.

My aunt drew away and smiled at him. “Thank you for freeing me and these two ladies,” she said, nodding toward us. “If I can ever be of assistance, let me know.”

It was then that I considered Kailin had been born over a century ago in Raumandia—the land north of Therress.

Her father had been lord there when he negotiated a treaty with us, marrying his daughter to Morgunn as part of the deal.

Prior to that, relations between the two lands had been tense, with many cross-border skirmishes.

A new family ruled now after ousting Kailin’s parents over four decades ago, leaving many of her relatives dead from the coup, but Raumandia remained an ally to Therress.

I could only guess that she didn’t feel much loyalty to either land after all that had happened in her life.

Even with her eldest son now in power, she didn’t have much of a relationship with him.

Ulmar was too much like his father. If she supported him at all, it would likely be for her own ends.

“I appreciate your offer,” Darrow answered, amusement in his gaze now. Perhaps he’d come to the same conclusions as me about Kailin.

Rynn and I said goodbye to Briauna next, hating to leave her. The healer insisted this was where she needed to be, especially with so many wounded left to tend after the Veronnians attacked last night. She’d focused most of her energy on me but had to divert it back to the others now.

“Promise to come visit,” I said after hugging her.

She winked. “Oh, I will. The men in Veronna have always been kinder on the eyes, in my opinion. ”

Darrow let out a snort, but I had to agree with her from what I’d seen so far.

Finally, we headed outside. Jax and Loden had our horses waiting. As we mounted, they insisted on taking mine and Rynn’s bags, which was good since I needed my hands free to channel. I only kept my holmium vase with me.

As we passed the training area, I noticed it was empty and silent. Usually, soldiers were always out in the late afternoon practicing, but with Veronnian troops still occupying the keep, I supposed they were probably confined to their quarters for now.

When we reached the ring, I pulled the stopper from the cream vase with silver vines that Darrow had gifted me.

I’d deactivated the enchantment that hid it while we were riding so that no one was surprised when I took a pinch of holmium from the receptacle.

As I began to channel, Darrow took it from me and handed it over to Loden to place in my bag.

Moments later, the air popped, and a blue glow appeared. Since the ring was designed to funnel an army, we had no trouble riding through it together. My last thought was that I would never have to take my uncle’s troops through there again, and how much relief I felt with that realization.

Those happy feelings didn’t last.

When our horses stepped out the other side of the portal, we found Porrine in chaos.

Warning bells rang loudly all around us.

Fae of all types were running and shouting, fear written on all their faces.

The elf woman who usually manned the capital city ring was nowhere in sight, while she usually stood right by it during the day.

Darrow dismounted and grabbed the first person who came close. “What happened?”

The male goblin’s short body shook with terror. “The king and queen are dead, and dark elves invaded the palace! We’re afraid they’re going to take the rest of Porrine next.”

Shocked, we all exchanged horrified looks.

How could the king and queen be dead? And how in Paxia did soldiers from Karganoth manage to get here with a force large enough to overtake the royal army?

I was glad my husband wore his hair down today, covering his black-tipped ears. Otherwise, he would have stood out.

“I advise you to get inside your home,” Darrow said, letting the goblin go.

The fae didn’t hesitate to take off running once more.

Jax pulled his sword. “Let’s get the ladies to the townhouse, and then we can see about the palace.”

“Agreed.” Darrow turned to me. “As much as I’d love to keep you with us, you’ve already drained too much power getting us here, and what you have left should be for defense only. If things are as bad as they look, Rynn will need you to watch over her.”

“Isn’t the townhouse warded?” I asked, recalling that I’d felt the defenses on the place the last time I’d visited.

“Yes, but we both know those could be broken if someone is determined enough,” he said, mounting his horse before giving me a meaningful look. “Protect yourself, Rynn, and our home until I get back. I have complete faith you can do that.”

I appreciated his confidence, but it was hard to feel it amid the fear that tainted the air.

“Okay,” I agreed.

We urged our horses into a gallop, taking the northern route behind the palace.

Our watchful gazes searched for any danger that might lurk along the way as we passed the lower-class tenement housing.

It was quieter now that we were away from the shops and other bustling areas.

People here had already shut themselves inside, judging by the faces poking around curtains in the windows.

We eventually passed them and headed south past a park and small pond, then the royal servants’ living quarters.

Finally, we reached the row of townhouses designated only for the highborn fae to reside.

There were still people running frantically in this area, some calling for loved ones.

Through all this, Rynn was quiet and wide-eyed, taking in her surroundings.

I wished her first trip to Porrine could have been under better circumstances, especially since she’d been excited to come here .

Darrow led us to the back area of the townhouse, where we quickly removed saddles and settled the horses into stable stalls.

After that, my husband checked the wards before unlocking the back door.

I could feel his magic thrumming strongly and planned to add to his protective layers once he left.

As husband and wife, our magic would work together.

Rynn, being wise for her age, had a strand of her hair ready when she reached the entrance, handing it over to Darrow.

He dissolved it into the magical wall so that she’d be allowed inside without getting burned by the defenses.

She was only beginning to learn about wards in her lessons when we left since it wasn’t covered until after a fae attained their magic, but I was glad she’d learned that detail already.

She and I entered the kitchen area and turned to face the doorway where Darrow, Jax, and Loden stood. They planned to leave immediately, not wanting to waste time. I worried for the three of them and hoped everything wasn’t as bad as it looked. They handed over our bags, which I set on the floor.

“Be careful,” I said to Darrow.

He nodded. “I will. You should do the same and trust no one you don’t know. We’ll return as soon as we can.”

With those words, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and then they left. I shut the door firmly behind them and fixed the multiple locks on it. Turning around, I faced Rynn. “How about you go explore while I see what there is to make dinner?”

Darrow had mentioned back in Therress that he’d sent word to the maid yesterday morning to have food delivered to the townhouse in anticipation of bringing me here.

There was a cold storage unit in the kitchen powered by magic that would have kept everything fresh.

I rarely cooked while at Ivory Castle unless I wanted to bake something special, but I often used the communal kitchen at Tradain.

Most meals served by the central dining room left something to be desired.

I was halfway through starting a simple stew when a knock sounded at the front door.

Trepidation filled me. Darrow and his friends would have come straight inside since his powers could have undone all the locks.

I made my way past the dining area and living room before stopping in the foyer, unsure whether to answer it.

A loud sigh came from the other side. “I know you’re in there.”

“Who is it?” I asked, vaguely recognizing the voice.

“Vas—your husband’s older, better-looking brother,” he replied with a hint of amusement in his voice.

I crossed my arms despite the fact he couldn’t see me. “That only makes me think I should definitely keep the door shut.”

“We could be allies, you know.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Not in this lifetime, Unseelie.”

“Either you open this door and speak to me face-to-face, or I’ll destroy your wards, which will leave you vulnerable after I depart. Believe it or not, I don’t wish harm to befall you.”

I hesitated, but I didn’t doubt the Unseelie prince could take down the wards eventually, and I didn’t want to test my powers against him. It would end in destruction no matter which of us won.

“Fine,” I said, undoing the locks and pulling the door open to find the tall, silver-haired man standing a few feet away. “What do you want?”

He took me in, likely noting my appearance now that I didn’t have glamour covering me. “You’ve been hurt recently.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise. “How do you know?”

“Your skin lacks its full color, and your footsteps when you came to the door were uneven.” He clucked his tongue. “What happened?”

“What do you care?” I asked, surprised he’d noticed my unsteady gait. Briauna had promised I’d be back to normal once I had more rest, but I remained a little sore even after another healing. The strain of tending my garden had set me back.

“My brother has probably told you some of my brethren don’t want you to open that portal to Earth and retrieve the fountain, but I have other thoughts on the matter.

Now that I know you’re the first one who can get us there in many centuries, I want you alive and healthy,” he said, managing to sound genuine.

I narrowed my eyes. “Oh, really? What is your agenda since I can’t believe you care about us restoring the fountain? ”

“That’s my business, but I promise it won’t conflict with your goals.”

“You know that’s difficult to believe, right?” I asked.

He shrugged, then pulled a folded missive from his trouser pocket, holding it out in a way where half of it extended to the other side of the ward where I could safely take it. If it contained anything dangerous inside, it would have burned as it passed through the protective barrier.

I noted the wax seal, which featured a skull surrounded by stars. How odd.

“Give this to Darrow. If he has any sense, he’ll read it and consider my offer,” Vas said, taking a step back. “In the meantime, stay inside. It’s dangerous out here at the moment with dark elves everywhere.”

“Like you?” He was double the trouble being a dark elf and Unseelie.

He merely smiled and walked away.

I shut the door, quickly relocking it. I’d thought I had some inkling of how my future might unfold earlier today, but now I was at a complete loss.

There were so many questions I needed to ask my husband the moment things were calm enough.

I could only hope he’d return safely soon so I could ask him.

Thank you so much for reading Oaths & Vengeance .

I hope you enjoyed this novel and will consider rating and reviewing it.

This helps authors so much. Be on the lookout for the next installment in the Realm of Zadrya series, which I plan to release before the end of 2025.