Page 33 of Heirs of the Cursed

She turned right, a shiver running down her spine. It wasn’t because of the cold or out of fear, but because of something else.

There was awolf.

Darcia remained still in the darkness; the shadows that embraced her were her greatest allies and protectors. But the animal became aware of her presence within seconds. Whentheir gazes met, the wolf tipped his head to the side and Darcia held her breath.

Time stood still.

Unfazed by her presence, the wolf proceeded to lick his paw nonchalantly. She crouched down to observe him in admiration as the moonlight and the small oil lamps illuminated his coal-dark fur. His sharp gold-rimmed eyes glowed so brightly that Darcia thought it was an illusion . . .

By the Triad, he was so beautiful it hurt to look at him.

The wolf rose swiftly, startling Darcia. Yet, he didn’t attack her; instead, he softened his gaze as if welcoming her. She remained still as the wolf circled her, feeling his warm breath brushing against her cheeks.

Darcia closed her eyes to prove she posed no threat, and a gasp of surprise left her lips when the wolf set a paw on her hand.

Distant whispers echoed in her ears. Not whispers, but a forgotten melody. Although Darcia tried to push the voices away, they grew louder and louder until they blurred into reality.

The wolf insisted with his paw, urging her to follow. For some reason, Darcia obeyed without hesitation, moving forward. She stumbled on the wet cobblestones and muddy remnants of her shoes as she tried to keep up. With each step she took, the chanting enveloped her in its embrace.

It wasn’t long before she spotted the jewelry store that Caeli’s mother owned: The Enchanted Petal. It was small, but Ghana had managed to set everything up nicely. Both the racks and the shelves were arranged as if each piece of jewelry were a work of art kept with affection.

Her breath turned icy at the sight of the wolf stopping just outside the open door. How had he known where she was headed in the first place? Darcia looked at the wooden structure and then at the animal in search of answers.

Athudalerted her, urging her to step inside the store.

She sharpened her eyes, trying to make out a glimpse of Caeli’s wavy mane, or the sparkle in her mother’s blue eyes. What she found revealed that it wasn’t a female figure, but someone else.

Anyone driven by reason would have run for help, but Darcia was impulsive and the goddesses hadn’t endowed her with great survival instincts. That was what made her slap Conrad, what made her sneak out from her home that night . . . And what made her walk inside without a second thought.

The thief was so focused that he didn’t hear the faint creaking of the hinges as she pushed the door open. Darcia made sure to leave it just like she’d found it, slipping into the shadows and taking a thin metal rod from a shelf, which resembled a fire poker.

When she was close enough, she raised it over her head.

As she was about to strike, the thief spun on his heels and caught the metal rod with one hand. Darcia gasped in surprise at the speed of his movements. Despite her best attempt, she couldn’t see beyond the black mask he wore, aside from the emerald glow in his eyes.

“That was very disrespectful of you.”

She didn’t let that soften her heart. Darcia raised her free hand and slapped him in the face, nearly knocking him to the ground. She cursed under her breath at the tingling sensation that spread through her palm, but a deep, melodic laugh made her frown.

He waslaughing.

There was little she could do before he pushed her to the ground and threw the metal poker away from them.

A deep pain shot through Darcia’s bruised back.

“Bloody bastard!” she spat.

“Such elegance, my lady.”

“You’re stealing.”

The thief gave a bitter laugh before grimacing wryly, “What gave me away?”

“You have five seconds to get out of here with your pockets empty if you don’t want me to call the Royal Army.”

“You can try,” he defied her. Darcia couldn’t see him, but she knew he was smiling by the tone in his voice. “By the time you open your mouth, I’ll be gone.”

She gasped. “Who in the Akhirat are you?”

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