Dragon's Oath (Northbane Shifters Book 5)

by Isabella Hunt

  I can’t stay, I now thought. I have to make a run for the Tiselk as soon as possible.

  I knew I wasn’t strong enough to make a run for anywhere. I’d probably have to take a week to recover my strength. Say goodbye to Iris.

  “What in the hell?” Bane’s deep voice cracked through the room, and I started, gripping the frame. I didn’t even have time to turn around before he’d crossed the room and yanked me away, shutting the window. With a surprisingly ferocious glare, he asked, “Do you have a death wish?”

  “I needed some fresh air,” I retorted, but it sounded weak. Bane’s nostrils flared, and I backed up, too aware of his taut shoulders, his rumpled hair and clothing. "Sorry if I woke you."

  “I was up,” Bane said grimly. “I leave for one second, and you’re halfway out the window.” My lips twitched, and Bane’s glare intensified. “Get your ass back in bed, Tiani.”

  A clawing sensation was rising up in my skin—the desire to rip off the bracelet and be free. To hell with the consequences. Xander Bane could handle anything that was thrown at him. I could feel my pulse pounding in an almost delirious anticipation, and I slid one finger under the chain.

  Before I could either do it or not, though, I was suddenly in Bane’s arms, and I let out a shocked squeak. He carried me back to bed, dropped me without any kind of warning, and then wrenched the blankets over me.

  “Rude,” I said belatedly. I was ignored. “Hey, that was rude, mister.”

  Bane dragged over a deep armchair and threw himself into it, then kicked up his legs on the bed. An icy blue stare met mine, and, as I huddled in the depths of the blanket and the fever, he won.

  “There’s medicine if you need it,” Bane said. “And stuff to help you sleep.”

  “No,” I said, eyes already closing and body becoming boneless. “You don’t have to stay. Trust me, I’m not going anywhere.”

  He snorted softly. “I should’ve never left in the first place.”

  Unable to help myself, I smiled.

  Even though it was the last thing I should’ve done.

  The next morning, I woke with my fever broken and a decent amount of energy returned to me. After getting served breakfast in bed by Rogda and checked out thoroughly, the one-eyed healer had given me a once-over.

  “Rest,” she’d commanded. “You’ll keep relapsing if you push yourself.” Then she’d heaved a sigh and sat down, smoothing her hands over the bedspread. “Are you sure you’re not a shifter or Riftborn, Tiani?”

  “Of course not,” I’d said automatically.

  She’d stared at me then, her face still and her one eye slightly narrowed. “All right.”

  I’d expected Rogda to say more, but she’d tidied up and left me alone. However, it had been hard to eat my breakfast, my hands shaking and throat tight.

  I wish I could say yes, I thought to myself now, standing under the hot spray of the shower. Uneasy forebodings lashed through me. Rogda was kind and discreet, but she was also loyal to Bane. If she said something to him, and he investigated—

  My stomach twisted in cold panic. It’s all over.

  “You can’t worry about that now,” I told myself as I shut off the water. “Breathe.”

  Resolved to focus on the here and now, I calmed down. I’d get well, see Iris in a few days, and go along with whatever Bane wanted in the meantime. Then I could figure out the rest.

  After a few more deep breaths, I got out and wrapped myself in a soft towel. Everything in this house was beyond luxurious to my senses, all temptations to admit the terrible truth and see if I could stay.

  Back in the guest room, I pressed my feet into the smooth, worn floorboards and looked around at the walls. Everything was light-colored, and the shelves were filled with pretty, beach-inspired mementos. The big bed had a lovely quilt and soft pillows.

  Yet in spite of that, there was a quiet austereness.

  A house that was waiting for you to leave, resigned to the fact that it would be empty again.

  Or was I projecting that?

  Shaking my head, I wondered how sick I might still be if I was getting maudlin about a house’s feelings. Locking that away, I got dressed. Bane had gotten me a selection of clothes, from comfy pajamas to an assortment of outfits. I wasn’t sure how he’d known my size or who had helped him, but it was all very nice and comfortable. Wearing a pair of black leggings and an oversized long-sleeved shirt, I went downstairs.

  Bane was nowhere to be seen, but there was a fresh pot of coffee out. Making myself a mug, I peered around and realized Rogda must have left, too. That was something of a relief, although I wondered uneasily if she’d said anything.

  “Tiani, nice to see you up.”

  I turned and saw that Bane was standing outside a room off the living room. He’d changed, too, now wearing his typical ensemble of black long-sleeved shirt and pants. It made his blue eyes stand out all the more, the gold in his eyes almost glowing. Dear lord, at least I could take comfort in the fact that it wasn’t the fever that had made me dippy about Bane. He was above and beyond striking.

  As though hearing my thoughts, Bane gave me a whisper of a smile. Something in me ached to see more. To rile him up and get him unrestrained, hear his boisterous laughter. To get him to smile without the weight of the world behind it.

  “Nice to be up,” I said, a few beats too late, and faint heat bloomed in my cheeks. “Uh…”

  “Can we talk?”

  Nodding, knowing we had to get this over with sooner or later, I walked over with the mug, and Bane stepped back to usher me in. The room was a small, cluttered office. Boxes were stacked along one wall, and there was a desk with a heap of papers across it, except for a cleared space in the middle. Bane pointed to a chair across from the desk and sat behind it.

  I hesitated before dropping into the chair, an absurd memory of being called into the principal’s office in another life popping into my head. But when I sat down and looked at the man reclining in the chair across from me, bulging muscles pressing against the shirt material, that faded away. Now it felt like I was witnessing a contract signing for my soul.

  “Am I in trouble?” I tried to joke.

  “Why, did you do something else I should know about?” Bane asked.

  “No, just the same, uh, breaking and entering, and stumbling onto dragon-sized secrets.”

  He nodded, lips twitching, and his eyes flicked over me. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

  “Better,” I said and twisted my hands around the cool wood. “Thank you. I promise I’ll obey the letter of Rogda’s law.”

  “Good.” Bane sat up straighter and folded his hands on the desk. “Speaking of that, I have to be honest with you. If you hadn’t seen me, we wouldn’t have to go to these lengths. The trespassing would’ve been a minor thing. But I meant what I said about its putting you in danger.”

  “I understand,” I said and looked around, exuding a soft sigh. “This is a far cry from what I thought you’d do to me. Even though I haven’t acted like it, I am grateful.”

  I’m going to come back to this bungalow in my dreams.

  “I meant what I said yesterday, too,” Bane said. “I’ll do everything I can for you. And you do have a say in this, Tiani. If you want to stay here, you can stay here. If not, we’ll find you appropriate lodging. However, I think staying here would be best, for the time being.”

  "I agree," I said with a small smile.

  Bane sat up a little straighter even as some of the tension went out of his posture. For a long moment, he studied me, almost in tentative wonder. Something warmed in my stomach. He’d been worried about my leaving. And I could’ve sworn he was a bit pleased I was going to stay.

  I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading a bit, and Bane’s eyes glittered with amusement.

  “I still don’t have any answers for you, though.” Suddenly, Bane hunched forward and wrapped his big hands around the back of his neck. “I don’t know what to do. The thought of keeping
you trapped in Winfyre against your will makes me sick. I don’t want you to be miserable or a prisoner—please believe that.” His eyes closed. “But the alternative, letting you go, isn’t feasible right now.”

  “Can you tell me why?” I asked.

  “If anyone found out…what I mean to say is, if you somehow ended up in the wrong hands again, and they suspected you might know something valuable to destroy Winfyre…” Bane’s eyes opened, and his look was bleak. “More than putting Winfyre in danger, I don’t even want to imagine what lengths they’d go to in order to get that information out of you.”

  “I can be discreet,” I said, and my mouth twisted. I know how to keep secrets, believe me, Bane. Only I couldn’t say that out loud. The thin line under my feet seemed to waver, and I gulped at the air, wishing I hadn’t put him in this position. “But I also understand.”

  “Do you? The Excris have their ways of getting information,” Bane said in a cool voice. “As do the rest of the enemies of Winfyre. They also have eyes on the borders.”

  “They didn’t see me,” I said, a little flippantly. “I got in here, didn’t I?”

  Don’t want to take that into consideration, do you, Bane?

  “That’s because they’re not looking for people sneaking in, but waiting for people to leave. Waiting for them to be alone and vulnerable.” The grim suggestion in Bane’s voice sent a thrill of foreboding through me. “We’ve done everything we can, but even the Northbane can’t be everywhere.” His eyes cut to me at that. “And three shifters and one Riftborn didn’t see them coming. Didn’t make it.” He rubbed his forehead. “The only blessing has been that winter slows travel, so fewer people have been inclined to leave, and the carnage has been contained."

  “Carnage? I—what? Who didn’t make it…?” I asked slowly, a strange dread unspooling in my stomach. I put his words together. “What is waiting for people to leave?”

  Bane slowly sat up. A line of tension seemed to ripple down his neck, and his head tilted in a way that revealed more than any expression could. Everything about him was so still, yet the way he held himself spoke of a certain cold grief and rage.

  “We found them,” he said. “Covered in their own blood. Blood used to write secrets on their skin.”

  Setting down the mug, I put a shaking hand to my mouth and stared at Bane. Suddenly, his ferocity about me made even more sense. A terrible, sickening sense. And I knew, too, that this was not common knowledge.

  Secrets on their skin. I went hot, then cold. Did I walk into a trap? Or is this a coincidence?

  “Have you stopped people from leaving?” I asked hoarsely, hand sliding down to my throat.

  “Yes, of course,” Bane said. “Or they’ve been in large groups with several shifter guards. We’re keeping the deaths quiet, for now.” His lips twisted. “Only because we don’t want to inspire panic, not with the Greyclaw disintegration and packless attacks.”

  “Greyclaw disintegration?” I asked. “What happened?”

  “Norson sold out to Lind and got himself killed.” My eyes went wide. “Yeah. And the shifters weren’t Northbane; they were Burnfur and Frostof. Good people. You have to understand, the manner of the deaths, and the use of the corpses as a goddamn canvas…” Bane looked weary. “The Burnfur and Frostof want to go after packless or punish the Greyclaw. They want someone to blame, and everything—everyone—is on edge.” He caught himself. “Sorry, I’ll spare you the details.”

  “What about the Riftborn?”

  “Northbane,” he said, and sadness creased his eyes. “Went off investigating without permission, although I don’t know if I would’ve stopped her if she’d asked.” He paused. “She was my friend. I still can’t believe she’s gone.”

  “Is an Excris responsible?”

  “I would imagine so,” Bane said dryly, with his eyes half-lidded. “There’ve been some new kinds cropping up.” That hard mouth tucked into even harder edges. “But for some reason, my gut tells me it’s human, maybe with an Excris helping.” He dragged a hand over his face and looked at me. “I’m so sorry, Tiani. No one should have to deal with this shit except me.”

  His apology was so heavy and genuine, a mixture of wry sorrow and exhaustion, that I almost got up and threw my arms around his neck. My fingers gripped the handles of the chair to keep me in place, but I could almost feel the way I’d wrap my arms around him, standing behind him and resting my chin on his head. In turn, he'd press his cheek against my arm. And for a second, maybe, that granite control would leave his face. Hell, I could almost see it.

  “No,” I got out thickly. “I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

  “You were coming after Iris, and you didn’t know Lind had been thwarted,” Bane said with a dismissive wave. “I understand—Iris does inspire a ferocious love in her friends.”

  The fingers at my throat found my rapid pulse. “I can’t leave.” The statement was startling and a little strange. “I have to stay here; I have to stay close to you. And you can’t let me go.”

  Bane gave me a small, crooked grin. “What a pair we make.”

  Chapter Ten

  Xander

  We’re going to have to make it up as we go along.

  I’d said those words to Tiani two days ago, and that’s what we were doing.

  Yet once again, I was questioning the wisdom of admitting that to her. But at the same time, I couldn’t keep her in the dark about everything. Especially not the blood-writing and the mystery serial murderer on our borders. Especially in case she tried to make a run for it. Not to mention the fact that Tiani was in danger from about every quarter she could imagine due to simple bad luck.

  I couldn’t deny it was eerie that at the same time there was a blood-writer on the borders, etching secrets into cold flesh, Tiani had found out mine. I didn’t believe in coincidences.

  However, I didn’t believe she was in any way responsible.

  I rubbed a hand around my throat. If anything, the noose was tightening around my neck.

  Glancing at the woman striding next to me, I recalled the stark sadness and horror that had leaped into Tiani’s eyes when I’d told her about the bodies. Not fear or ghoulish curiosity, which I excused in people—the Excris were not something everyone had seen or could comprehend.

  But that look had changed the way I looked at Tiani. I saw the caretaker in her, the woman trained in the healing arts of body and soul. She was thinking of those people, those lives that had been so brutally ended, and mourning them. For a moment, I’d seen Tiani without her walls up, and the gaze she’d given me was one of such compassion, I’d felt a weight lift off my chest.

  Hastily, I pushed all that aside. I’d been dwelling on it one too many times over the last two days.

  We were on our way to see Iris and Kal, who lived on the other side of the settlement of Cobalt. It was a good twenty-or-so-minute walk, even taking the shortcut that led us around the center of the settlement and through the woods.

  But with the stiff breeze and flakes swirling down, it wasn’t easy walking, even for me, with heat in my blood. Tiani had to be half-frozen.

  I’d offered to hop us over, but she’d shaken her head and said a walk would do her good. Rogda had said she could go for a few shorter walks, though I had a feeling this was pushing it. But Tiani had insisted on going to Kal’s house, and somehow, I’d given in. Maybe it was because she’d had so much color and sparkle in her face.

  I couldn’t stop myself from worrying it was a bit much, though, and snuck another glance at her. Tiani caught it and gave me a dazzling smile. It warmed my blood even more.

  “I’m fine,” Tiani said. “You’re not being your usual subtle self, you know.”

  “Wasn’t trying to be,” I said. “I’m trying to make sure you don’t pass out on me again.”

  “I’m not gonna—” She cut off abruptly as we came to the steep hill path that led to Kal’s house. “Wow. Iris lives up there? Well, she does like a bit of space.”
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  “Your ride, miss,” I said and gestured for her to climb onto my back. “I don’t mind.”

  “I do,” Tiani said. “I can walk.”

  “Or I can toss you over my shoulder.” My words had a certain satisfaction to them, and one of Tiani’s eyebrows rose. “You’re in no shape to get up there. And you promised Rogda.”

  “Did you plan this?” Tiani asked.

  “Yes,” I admitted and stepped in front of her when she tried to take a step. “Tiani.”

  “Bane, I’ll go slow. No.” She backed up a step as I came toward her. “You stay put, you ginormous dinosaur with wings. Bane, no, hell—”

  Tiani tried to dodge me, but her movements were clumsy. With little effort, I had her around the waist and over my shoulder. It was a lot more fun than I’d anticipated, and I held her squirming form a few seconds longer than I intended before I put her down.

  “Now will you listen?” I asked and turned so she could clamber onto my back.

  Tiani wrapped her arms around my neck as she settled against me. Her scent filled my nose, sweeter and stronger now that it was more familiar. Like cinnamon and malt, the warm and tongue-curling taste of good whiskey. Tartness, too, like lemon.

  An addictive, dizzying scent I wasn’t sure I could hold myself back from if I got a taste.

  Whoa, I caught myself. Not this again.

  “You’re not worried someone might see this and wonder what you’re up to, do you?” Tiani asked in my ear. “Doesn’t seem like the Winfyre top dog should be a pack mule.”

  “Nah, if anything, it’ll be a good metaphor,” I said without thinking. Tiani tensed, and I had to resist looking back at her. “I’m kidding.”

  “No one can carry the entire weight of a territory,” she said. Her fingers brushed against a bare patch of skin at the base of my neck, and I had to force all my attention to my feet. “Not even you, Bane.”

  “Well, I’ve got you now,” I responded vaguely.

  After we’d determined to stay in the bungalow together as roommates and figure out the situation as best we could for the time being, I’d told Tiani that she could take as much time as she needed to rest. At least two weeks, and more if necessary. When she was ready, I’d get her work. In fact, she could be a huge help since she knew my secret.