Page 67 of Queen’s Gambit

I surrendered. The small dagger was heavier than I remembered. I drew it from my belt and nicked my forearm, letting the blood seep into the water.

‘I, Roksana Regnav, daughter of Dobra, bonded to Cinared Fireborn, swear to destroy the constructs that corrupt our Aether.’

The rusalki repeated my words, their voices harmonising while their father reached out and gathered the blood in his hand. Stunned, I watched it harden into a ruby.

‘So it is done, Little Vila. The water is your mirror. Look at it, whisper my name, and the children of the depths will answer. Now return to your men. They are scaring my fish.’ He swept his hand forward, and a swift current carried me toward the shore.

I stumbled in the shallows, only for two powerful arms to pull me up.

‘What the…’ I muttered, pulling the wet hair from my eyes.

‘Sana! Oh fuck, Sana!’ Irsha trembled as he crushed me to his chest, leaving me struggling to breathe.

‘Get her over here, you muscle-bound… She might be injured,’ Tova bellowed. Over Irsha’s shoulder, the dwarf still paced the edge of the water, his fists clenched.

‘I’m not injured. You can let me go,’ I spluttered, patting Irsha’s chest. I might as well have been talking to a tree.

He carried me to the shore like a toddler, my feet dangling in the air. I was out of the water, but not out of trouble, as Tova insisted on checking me.

‘Should I remind you who saved whom?’ I asked, but let them do whatever they needed to calm down. It was easier than arguing the toss with their fear.

Eventually, they settled, and I stood to inspect the sad remains of my dress. My wings had destroyed the back, and the front wasn’t any better. Fae gossamer wasn’t designed for swimming. Now smudges of green and brown marred the fabric. I looked like I’d been dragged through the mud backwards.

‘I need my other outfit,’ I said, heading for the horses. The men followed me.

‘Will you tell us what happened, or should I beat you black and blue, Trouble?’ Irsha said, stopping me as I started to undress.

‘Nothing much. The rusalki were feeling playful. Then my magic did what it usually does and caused absolute fucking chaos. So, I had to give a blood oath to Vodnik. But hey, at least we have a new ally.’

Tova dropped to the grass, his eyes unfocused, mouth gaping. Irsha was still holding my hand.

‘You swore an Oath to the Elderkin? What exactly did you promise? Bloody hell, Sana, why did you commit to anything?’ He spun around and kicked a tree stump. ‘I should have taken the road instead. I can at least fight soldiers there.’

‘I needed you safe, and Vodnik was less than thrilled about the pillars. You know what they say, Blade. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so there’s that. And he promised to help.’

Both men turned around, muttering to themselves, so I stripped and pulled on my Dark Sister outfit. Gods, it feels good to have something sensible on my back. I pointed toward the horses. ‘We’ve wasted too much time here. Let’s go. I’ll tell you the rest as we ride.’

That was easier said than done. The path was narrow, so we rode single file. We let Tova lead, but the dwarf kept looking back, slowing us down.

After I’d finished telling them what happened, I was tired from answering their questions and annoyed by the frizzy sun-dried hair in front of my eyes. We travelled most of the day, avoiding more stops in scenic areas. By the time the sun touched the horizon, my body trembled, and I could barely keep my eyes open.

‘We need to rest. I can’t ride any longer,’ I said, hiding my yawn. ‘I used more Aether than I realised.’

Irsha nodded and pulled out the map.

‘According to this, there’s a small village a little further on. Since we didn’t meet any border guards, there’s a chance no one’s expecting trouble. We can rest there.’

I sighed. Our first night on enemy soil. Two more and we’d arrive at Niersen’s castle. I closed my eyes, leaned against Irsha’s chest, and prayed to the gods above and below that the Lumivitae Herald was at his castle.

‘You won’t get in the way of me killing him, will you?’ Irsha’s quiet voice broke through my sleepy haze.

‘You think I would?’ I asked, genuinely curious. It wouldn’t be the first time we’d been on a job together. Usually, the targets died screaming from his blade or my poison, yet this time Irsha thought I would stall his hand.

‘You’re the queen now. That changes things,’ he murmured. I pushed myself away from his chest to look at him.

‘I want to dance at your wedding. How will I toast your future if I don’t have an appropriate skull to drink from? So, no, I’m not going to stop you, Blade. My job is to keep you alive.’

He chuckled at my scolding tone, his gaze drifting to something on the road. Dusk settled over the forest, growing darker with each passing moment. That made the flicker of light stand out even more against the all-consuming darkness.