Vows & Ruins (The Legends of Thezmarr, #2)

by Helen Scheuerer

The rest of the arena fell away and it was just the two of them, moving as one, sharing the same breath, blades carving through the air.

‘Talemir always said that beasts kill out of instinct. Monsters, and humans, kill out of cruelty, greed, selfishness, agenda…’

‘Let’s spar, Princess,’ he commanded, voice low. Thea’s answering grin was manic. ‘Thought you’d never ask.’

How had he never felt power like this before? Magic rippled from each of the stars as one by one, his apprentice, a lost princess of Delmira, the woman he loved, plucked them from the wall, freeing him.

Storm magic is fraught with risk. It is one of the most unstable magics known to us in the midrealms, one of the most unpredictable.’

‘The risks are high. You, the wielder, are at risk of being controlled by the storm, of falling into its lure. You risk letting your own power out and not being able to contain it. You risk making yourself vulnerable to burning through your reserves and rendering yourself a shell

The pull between the paths before her was almost physical. Heir or Warsword. Magic or blades. Unimaginable power or a chance to outsmart her fate stone… She had faced so much to obtain her Guardian totem; she would face far more still to acquire the Warsword symbol. Why did she have to choose between what she had fought so hard for and who she apparently was? Wilder’s voice echoed in her ear. ‘Who’s going to stop you?’

Honestly, Callahan, I’m questioning my middling opinion of you.’ ‘I was only saying that archers can —’ ‘It’s like asking me what’s better: a beautiful naked woman on her back or on her knees?’ In spite of the day she’d had, Thea snorted. ‘What is better, Kristopher?’ Kipp leapt a foot in the air, clapping a hand to his heart. ‘Furies save me, Thea, I nearly shat my pants.’

‘I wouldn’t exactly call it that.’ ‘What would you call it?’ Kipp asked. ‘Fucked against a tree like a pair of animals…?’ Mead exploded from Cal as he coughed and spluttered, eyes bulging. Kipp looked at him, disappointed. ‘That can’t be a surprise to you, Callahan.’ ‘What? Why not? How was I supposed to know —’

But Kipp hadn’t finished. ‘Haven’t you seen that poor man? He’s like a caged animal when dear old Thea’s around, like he’s trying to break free.’

‘Can someone tell me what the fuck you’re talking about? How did this happen?’ Cal exclaimed. ‘Well, Callahan… When a man and a woman —’ ‘Fuck off, Kipp!

‘It was never easy between us. But… I don’t know. One moment we were going to be together and the next… The next he was my mentor, and I was his apprentice. He never wanted that. Never wanted me.’

‘Is that why you’re training so hard? In the hopes that little Cal might become big Cal one day?’

‘You’re a constant pain in my arse,’ Cal muttered. ‘You should probably get that looked at.’

‘It’s written all over that beautiful face of yours.’ Thea’s heart stuttered. ‘So, now I’m beautiful?’ Hawthorne made a noise at the back of his throat. ‘You’ve always been beautiful.’

Damn this man, damn him to Enovius,

You made yourself clear when I was made your apprentice. You don’t want me. You don’t —’ ‘Don’t want you?’ he cut in, his words harsh. ‘How can you think that? After everything? How can you not feel it? This thing drawing us together?’

‘You have no idea how much I want you. How I burn for you. You lit an inferno within me and it won’t stop. I can’t stop —’

‘I have many regrets in this life,’ he murmured against her skin, kissing a path down to her navel. ‘But not tasting you that night in the woods is one of the biggest. I need to rectify that now. Let me show you how much I don’t want you, Thea.’

There was freedom in this, she realised abstractly as she reached the point of no return. There was freedom in letting go. And so she did.

Gods, she had no idea how perfect she was. He’d spoken the words, but they did little justice to what he saw, what he felt.

‘You…’ Emotion cracked his voice and he found that he still couldn’t form the words. Thea simply nestled closer, her lips finding his. Gods, he could stay like this forever.

He couldn’t tame his desire, his rage, his anything when it came to her. That had to stop. Now. He had vowed to make a Warsword of her, and pleasuring each other in front of the fire wasn’t a part of that.

It was all he could do not to take her in his arms and carry her to his bed. She’d accepted his choice, if one could call it that. A wise decision. For they couldn’t go down that road, the one of midnight embraces and slow, tender fucking until the early hours of the morning. Not if she was to pass the Great Rite.

Now was certainly not the time and place to reminisce about what the Warsword’s tongue was capable of doing between her legs. Especially not a Warsword who behaved like a bastard afterwards.

A few feet behind them, Kipp cleared his throat. ‘Who put this in my pocket?’ he asked loudly, fishing a flask from the inside of his cloak. Thea exchanged an amused look with Cal. ‘It’s barely dawn…’ ‘Exactly. It’s practically night still.’ He took a swig from the vessel and leant forward to hand it to Thea.

Seeking what little comfort she could amid the power she didn’t understand, she pictured Wilder Hawthorne’s face.

‘You don’t understand —’ Wilder cut himself off, desperation clawing at his insides. He couldn’t tell Torj. Couldn’t explain. ‘You should have —’ Torj shook his head. ‘Your bullshit is your bullshit, Hawthorne. I’m staying well out of it.’

I’ll beat you to a pulp in the training arena, but I like my furniture as is.’ ‘Your furniture is shit.’ Torj snorted. ‘True. But I like it intact all the same.’

‘Instead of using your fists, you could use your words for a change.’

‘Long ago, someone told me not to use it on myself. That it would be more powerful if it was used on someone you care for, someone you love. Figured I’ve survived this long, I’d best hold on to it for when I need a miracle,’ Torj answered. ‘I take it yours is gone?’

Gods, Torj Elderbrock was a good Warsword, but an even better man. He hated that.

But Thea’s attention was drawn away as Hawthorne entered last, pushing the door open with such force that it collided with Seb’s face. The apprentice gave a cry of pain, clutching at his nose. ‘Didn’t see you there,’ Hawthorne said gruffly,

‘You still shouldn’t have left.’ ‘I shouldn’t have done a lot of things,’ she bit back. The Warsword before her flinched – actually flinched at her words.

‘Can we fight about something else?’ Hawthorne’s mask of fury slid back into place. ‘Oh, I’m sure there are more than enough topics,’ he

‘How did you know my size?’ ‘I have some familiarity with your body, Thea…’ His voice was husky. She blushed, her mind instantly taking her back to being naked in his armchair, his hands all over her, his mouth and tongue —

‘Here,’ he said, passing her the leathers and averting his eyes, like he hadn’t had his face between her legs only the night before last. The thought made a smile tug at Thea’s lips.

‘And what if I shoot a bolt of lightning through you by mistake?’ ‘I would have thought you’d find that appealing.’ ‘More so by the minute,’ she muttered. Every part of Wilder longed to pull her close, to reassure her that she could master her magic, that the storms were hers to wield. But that was not the role he’d claimed. No, he had claimed the role of mentor and master, of a hardened teacher. ‘I don’t have all day,’ he said bluntly.

‘I knew you’d be my ruin,’ Wilder muttered against her lips, his voice thick with lust as he enveloped her with his powerful frame.

for the Furies knew no other man would ever compare to this, to him.

He shook his head at the sight of her, as though he couldn’t quite believe she was there. ‘You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. There’s no coming back from you, no end to this wanting…’ Thea’s chest fluttered. It wasn’t just her climax on the precipice of no return. It was her heart.

‘I have dreamt of this every night, Thea…’ he breathed, his throat bobbing. ‘Every. Fucking. Night. There is no counting the ways I want you.’

‘I knew you’d be my ruin, too,’ Thea whispered.

Althea Zoltaire had destroyed him. And it was the greatest privilege of his life.

All he knew was that he would never be free of this now, nor did he want to be.

Wilder kissed her slowly and thoroughly, the way he’d kiss her if he’d been granted the time to court her in the way she deserved.

‘Wild storms that are felt across the realms beyond this one. Monsters unlike any we have ever seen, clawing their way through the Veil with the help of lightning and thunder…’

You’re the only one who has seen Thea’s power in action. More than once, I might add. Perhaps your presence will bring it out in her.’ ‘My presence usually inspires unending rage.’

‘I’m not an act in a performing troupe,’ Thea replied. ‘No? You’re putting on quite the show right now,’ Audra quipped.

What does that say about me?’ ‘It says you’re afraid,’ Wilder heard himself say. She whirled around to face him. ‘I thought you were here as an observer.’ ‘Not much to observe yet,’ he replied.