Vowed

by Liz de Jager

  His expression is haunted but he nods, slowly, reluctantly. ‘I know. I’m sorry.’

  ‘We have to abide by the rules, right?’ I watch his handsome face. ‘Sometimes.’

  ‘I don’t want to. They are laws made by old and frightened lords keen to protect the purity of ancient bloodlines.’ He looks pained but forces a smile. ‘If only we’d been dealt different fates.’

  ‘I’m human and you’re a Sidhe prince fulfilling some grand prophecy. Nothing about us would ever not be complicated.’ Why am I saying these things? Why am I pointing out to him all the nos?

  He pulls me to a standstill and I turn to face him. ‘I need you to know something. Those rules made years ago are not my rules. Never mine.’ He moves closer until it’s up to me to take half a step forward but I hesitate, fear making me a coward. He reaches up and tucks a curl behind my ear. ‘But I know what you’re saying. I hear it here.’ He touches his head. ‘And I hear it here.’ He touches his heart. ‘But here’s the thing: something tells me that you and I have something very special, Kit. It makes me reject these out-of-date values and rules. I don’t care about them or what my father would say. Or for that matter the objections from any of the Courts in Alba, or the other noble families across the Otherwhere. I grew to know you over a few days when the world was upside down, Kit. You showed me that you are someone very special indeed, someone who is smart, kind and loyal. Strangely, I can’t get enough of your smile and, since I said goodbye to you, you are all I think about, and every night I pray to the gods to keep you safe.’ His smile is embarrassed and cute. ‘I sound ridiculous. I’m sorry, I’m not good with words.’

  I bite my lip. ‘You’re fine with words,’ I say. ‘But we have to figure this out, Thorn. Sooner, rather than later, because you are a distraction and danger to my mental health.’ I try to joke but it sounds horribly as if I’m about to cry.

  His hand cups my cheek and he leans breathlessly close.

  ‘Can I kiss you, Kit Blackhart? Before we figure things out and it turns out not the way I want it to be?’

  In answer, I sway towards him but don’t close the distance between us. His lips are warm and soft on mine and I sigh, feeling my eyes flutter shut. I shiver at the sensations drowning me, as I suddenly feel warm all over. Then his arm tugs me towards him and I let him pull me against him.

  The kiss is even more devastating than the first time we kissed. My traitorous hands creep up, across his shoulders and tangle in the mess of hair at the back of his neck. I feel him rather than hear him murmur something against my mouth.

  His one hand curls around my hip in a gesture of pure ownership and the other wraps itself in my own hair. I give in to my utterly female need to be held and kissed by this gloriously beautiful boy and open my mouth against his.

  I lose track of time and I’m sure we stand there kissing for an eternity, but even so, when he lifts his head from mine and his eyes open to look down at me, it feels too soon.

  ‘You are a drug, Kit Blackhart. The more I’m around you, the more I want to hold you.’

  I mean, come on. Any girl in her right mind would want to hear something like this, from someone as incredible as him. I’m certainly not immune to his words or the heat in his gaze. I wrap my hand around his, duck my head as if I’m twelve and smile a secret smile that must tell him everything I can’t quite say out loud.

  ‘Are you guys done?’ Aiden calls back towards us. His voice is impatient but his expression holds too much devilry. ‘We’re almost out.’

  We turn and walk the rest of the way in silence, Thorn and I walk along the passage, our fingers linked.

  Aiden and Dante are waiting for us at the top of the stairs and Thorn takes point, easily leading us out of the ruined palace. It looks to be late morning and I wonder how long we’ve been down in the caves. He guides us back through the village and across the clearing towards the forest.

  I draw back in fright when I see the pale hounds sitting just within the treeline. They look other with their pink-red eyes and Anubis-like postures. They’re all sitting at Nura’s feet, so can’t be a threat, but they’re so motionless that it’s freaky. Nura acknowledges us with a wave and gives Thorn a nod.

  ‘My prince.’ Her smile is brief and a bit stiff. ‘I thought the hounds belonged to Odalis so I was surprised to see them roaming the forest. Then I remembered you were her guest.’

  ‘Nura.’ Thorn inclines his head respectfully. ‘They are hers and she allows them to accompany me on my rambles. I stumbled across your charges while exploring the ruins of the old palace.’ He turns to look at us and his gaze lingers on my face before he turns back to her. ‘I think you should make sure they journey back to the Frontier from here. The forest isn’t safe. Not even for the likes of us.’

  ‘Crow is nearby. I think it’s best if we start immediately.’

  Thorn turns to shake hands with Aiden but Aiden pulls him into a hug instead. ‘Stay in touch, Thorn. Don’t leave it so long next time. We miss you, dude.’

  ‘It was good meeting you,’ Dante says to Thorn, gripping his hand firmly. ‘I look forward to talking to you. Soon.’

  Thorn keeps hold of his hand but looks at me. ‘Get him to the Free Fae. They will look after him and introduce him to his kami family when he’s ready.’ Then he’s speaking to Dante and there’s urgency in his voice. ‘You’re not your father’s son. Don’t ever think that, no matter what others may try to make you believe.’ He hesitates and I see the formality of his upbringing war within for just a second before he draws Dante into a hug. ‘We have fought together and I am proud to call you friend and family.’

  ‘Thank you. For everything.’ Dante’s voice is sincere, but I see his pain at the mention of his family. Aiden drapes an arm around Dante’s shoulder and my heart is heavy for him. The poor guy’s been through so much in such a short period of time, it makes me feel so bad. For both of them.

  Thorn fiddles with something around his neck before he pulls me towards him and presses it into my hand.

  ‘I’ve been carrying this around for a little while now. I made it for you.’

  I take the object from him. For a second the pendant makes no sense but then I realize what it is. It’s a small scrying mirror, made of black obsidian set in a circle of silver, suspended from a silver chain.

  ‘Do you remember my lullaby? I worked on this for months, so it should find me wherever I am. Give us a chance, Kit. We deserve it.’

  He closes my hand over the little mirror and kisses my forehead.

  A roar from somewhere in the forest dumps me straight back into reality and I jerk with fright. There’s the sound of something big crashing through the forest and loud voices and dogs barking.

  ‘Odalis’s guards have found me,’ Thorn says quickly. ‘I didn’t even think we’d get the chance to say goodbye. At least we got that. Now, go quickly and don’t look back.’

  Aiden’s by my side before I can even react to Thorn’s words. He grabs my hand and we start running, with Nura guiding us, just as the treeline explodes to the left and three ogres, the size of trucks, charge towards Thorn. There’s the tell-tale feel of Thorn tapping into his magic, the familiar buzz and hum of it against my skin. We reach the far side of the glade and Nura and Dante are sprinting ahead, but I pull back against Aiden’s guiding arm and look back. As I do, I see Thorn throw one last look at me over his shoulder before he shifts shape and lights up the clearing in a blaze of fire.

  Even in daylight, the light from the exploding fire is so bright I have to throw my hand up to cover my eyes, but I still catch most of Thorn’s transformation into a burning golden dragon.

  It’s something that will be forever imprinted in my mind as Thorn’s bloodline reveals its other true form. Aiden yells something, but I can’t make it out as he locks his arm around my waist and drags me with him. We retreat further into the coolness of the forest, while behind us there’s just the incredible noise of roaring and flames.

  Praise
for Banished

  ‘de Jager’s fantasy world is enthralling and immersive, many fathoms deep . . . wonderful’

  Mike Carey

  ‘One action-packed story! Full of battles, weapons, mythical creatures and, of course, magic – it’s guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish’

  Guardian

  ‘A wonderful story and a great debut’

  A Fantastical Librarian

  ‘A great addition to the ranks of modern faerie tales’

  Fantasy Faction

  ‘If you love feisty kick-ass heroines, action-packed plots and beautifully detailed fantasy worlds, teaming with magic and horror, then this is the book for you!’

  One More Page

  ‘There’s so much packed into one book . . . The last 100 pages or so had me on the edge of my seat because I was so engrossed in the story . . . read it!’

  Queen of Contemporary

  ‘I really, really loved this book. I can hold my hand up and say that I loved it more than Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones . . . a fast-paced, explosive book that captures your imagination and leaves you wanting more’

  Serendipity Reviews

  ‘An accomplished, well-crafted debut . . . Put quite simply Banished is pure unadulterated entertainment’

  Eloquent Page

  Vowed

  While writing her debut novel, Banished, Liz de Jager fostered her love of YA and genre fiction by developing the popular My Favourite Books review blog. This ran for seven years and enabled her to gain a unique insight into the publishing industry. She grew up in South Africa and now lives and works in the UK with her husband Mark. Vowed is her second novel.

  You can find out more about Liz here:

  www.lizdejager.co.uk

  Or follow her on Twitter:

  @LizUK

  Also by Liz de Jager

  Banished

  Acknowledgements

  This book would not have been possible without the superior tea-making abilities of my husband Mark, and his endless patience as I whined piteously about plot and character arc and fighting styles. A girl could not have a better partner.

  My two steadfast beta readers and friends – Sarah Bryars and Jenni Nock – are invaluable assets. They kick my butt and I love them for it. Thanks for supporting Kit, Dante and Aiden throughout Vowed. I also really appreciate their helping me make sense of so many things; they kept me on the level when I spent too much time navel-gazing and flailing.

  The past few months have been a steep learning curve and my editor Bella Pagan has been by my side through it all, helping and guiding me. She hasn’t just helped with writing Vowed but has also had some great thoughts about what else we can do within the Blackhart world. She’s amazing and I’m so grateful to her, Julie Crisp and Team Tor for their support.

  My agent, Juliet Mushens, is an extraordinary young woman. Her dedication and belief in my work has been unquestioning and unwavering from day one. Having her fight on my side has been a revelation and an honour. I am truly proud to be part of Team Mushens.

  I’ve been very lucky to have received a great deal of support from my friends at SCBWI BI. I’ve also had wonderful encouragement from a swathe of bloggers, the UKYA community and fellow writers across all age groups and genres. It is an overwhelming experience being published for the first time, but it really does help that others are there to guide you with advice from their own first-hand experiences. I will forever be grateful to Kim Curran, Lou Morgan, Non Pratt, Tanya Byrne and Zoe Marriott for keeping me sane and making me laugh.

  These acknowledgements could go on for pages and pages, but I think I’ll stop here for now. More than anything, to any aspiring writers reading this (I love acknowledgements, used to read them all the time and still do): just don’t give up. Your journey is yours alone and never ever measure yourself against another person’s success because that way lies insanity. Do things at your own pace and realize it’s not a race! And remember to have fun because this is what it’s all about.

  First published 2014 by Tor

  This electronic edition published 2014 by Tor

  an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited

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  www.panmacmillan.com

  ISBN 978-1-4472-4768-5

  Copyright © Liz de Jager 2014

  The right of Liz de Jager to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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