The Oath of an Oxblood

49

Ember's grip on my hand tightened as we walked through the street. If the Strapos emblem on my shawl didn't give it away, Ember was determined that everyone knew I was with him.

It was nice not to have to worry about my safety for once. Being with Ember was practically akin to having a whole squadron surrounding me. In town, I didn't need protection. Most people knew me by reputation and ensured that no one got out of hand.

We finally made it to Anthony's home, and I knocked on the door. We waited and Ember grabbed my other hand, pulling me closer to him playfully. "What if they aren't—" he teased.

The door opened and Ember stepped back.

"Hello!" Sarah exclaimed. "Come in, come in! Sorry, Ben is currently running around the house without a shirt, but that will be quickly remedied."

I laughed and Ember gestured for me to enter first. I stepped inside and Ben sprinted toward me, jumping at my leg. I swooped down and picked up the two-year-old. "Where is your shirt, mister?" I laughed.

He pouted and then landed a sloppy kiss on my cheek. "No shirt." Sarah planted her hands on her hips with his shirt clenched in one fist.

Ben tried to wiggle out of my arms and to Ember. Ember grabbed him a bit uncertainly but allowed him to plant a kiss on his cheek. Ember laughed and set the boy down, who raced toward the stairs. Sarah sighed and ran after him.

Anthony stepped in, wiping his hands on a cloth. "Naomi! Ember! Sorry about the shirtless one," he chuckled.

Ember and he greeted each other, and I gave Anthony and hug. I glanced around the home. It wasn't huge, but they certainly had room to grow. Ember lifted our bags and Anthony walked us down to the guest rooms. Ember set one in my room and another in his.

As Anthony stepped back toward the kitchen, Ember pulled me into his room and slid the door shut. I found myself in Ember's arms in short order. His nose nuzzled the crook of my neck. Ember sighed.

"They put us in different rooms," he said. His voice was tinged with disappointment.

I laughed. "Yes, well. We normally sleep in different rooms now, so why should they not?"

Ember chuckled. "Because I'm tired of it."

"Careful," I said lowly. "My brother can read your thoughts. Maybe that's why we have two separate rooms."

Ember's hand reached up and brushed my magestone shard necklace. The magestone that was once lodged in his chest was no longer there—now part of it hung from around my neck, glowing Slate.

A polished chunk of that magestone was set into an engagement ring that gleamed on my finger.

"How many days?" he asked huskily, bringing his hand to cup the back of my head.

"Twelve."

Ember's arms curled around my neck, and he hugged me close to his chest. He was always warm and against the chill of the spring air, it was welcomed. I kissed the base of his neck and he pulled me so I was sitting squarely on his lap.

"Don't tempt me, magetrix," he muttered. I laughed again and disentangled myself reluctantly from his grip. He sighed as I stood and followed suite. He slid his hand into mine as we walked back into their main room. A fully clothed Ben was sitting on the floor. When he saw me, he bolted up and jumped on me again.

I picked him up once again and sat down. "Ben, you're getting a little old for your weak, little aunt," I mused. I glanced at Sarah, who was sitting across from me with a barely contained smile. "Sarah?"

She nodded.

"You're expecting?" I gasped.

She nodded. "No one else knows. We're not going to tell until after your wedding, but we wanted you two to know."

"Ember, can we talk in the kitchen?" Anthony said rigidly. Ember met my eyes, and I raised an eyebrow.

Mind-reader, I mouthed to my fiancé. Ember's face went white, and he disappeared with Anthony.

I laughed and set a careful hand on Sarah's stomach. Beautiful.

++++++

I fidgeted with the magestone in my hands. It was a medium-sized stone connected to a chain. It was intentionally unimpressive.

"Are you nervous?" Ember asked from across the carrier compartment.

I nodded. "It's...more real being back here."

Ember grabbed my hand. "You're not a dewlos here. You're a lady of the Strapos house." He slid into the seat next to me and pulled me in for a kiss. "A beautiful one. That's why I must come with. To make sure all the men know you're taken." He kissed me again and I rewarded him with a small smile.

Ember held me tightly as we traveled along. He played with the pink ribbon in my hair.

"You know," he said, "if the king hadn't almost killed me back at that castle, I wouldn't be here today."

I nudged him. "Don't say that."

"His blade opened up the wound so you could pull out the shards."

"A lot of good things came from that horrible situation," I finally agreed.

Ember pulled me closer to him and I felt his warm breath tickle my chest. "A lot of good things." He sweetly kissed my neck behind my ear and snaked an arm around my neck to move me closer against him. I didn't hesitate to cooperate with his intention.

I pulled his head to mine, and we slowly made out, our love climbing in intensity as our hands wandered more desperately over our mate's body. Ember's hands made their way to my hips, and he pulled me on his lap to straddle him.

"You're trying to distract me," I accused him. He laughed and breathed out only the side of my neck making me shiver.

"And if I am?"

I wound my arms around his neck and nudged his nose with my lips tantalizingly. "Then you're doing a very good job."

All too soon, we pulled to a stop.

Ember reluctantly moved me off him and gave me a few seconds to fix my hair before unlocking the door.

Immediately, it burst open, and a flurry of foremen charged toward us, lavishing us with pleasantries. Ember took the brunt of it and allowed me to step forward and examine the line of dewloi glancing at us anxiously. There were only around twelve of them. Some bounced foot to foot, glancing at a foreman with his hand on his whip. My heart pounded.

I hated this place.

No one looked familiar. The sweet scent of carrots lingered in the air. I pulled the magestone from my pocket and the foremen turned to me warily.

I walked up to the first dewlos.

"Hand out, please."

The dewlos stuck out his hand and I set the stone inside. The rock didn't brighten.

"Thank you." I moved down the line and Ember joined me. "Hand out." I paused in front of young woman.

Her eyes were brimming with fear, darting to the foreman behind me. Her hands were stained orange from the earlier work. When I looked into her eyes, I saw more of myself than I wanted to admit. Despite my new clothing and bathing schedule, I knew that the only thing that truly set us apart was that I had people I could trust.

I wasn't afraid.

Slate light illuminated her face. Hope set a fire in her face.

"What's your name, Slate?" I asked.

"Ant."

Ember chuckled. "Not anymore."

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I hope you enjoyed The Oath of an Oxblood! :)