Page 32 of Daughter of the Darkened City

“You believed it based onThe Tales of Lemia?”

Avenay pursed her lips, annoyed by the incredulous tone from Enid. “Yes. I mean… well, there is evidence for it, but the most famous isThe Tales of Lemia. Even if that seems far-fetched, I’m not alone in my assessment.”

“I don’t think you’re crazy. Sorry if I offended you. I just didn’t realize that was the specific city we were chasing. Demon folk love Lemia and have always said there’s a bit of truth in the tales.”

Avenay’s skin heated, realizing she’d read her interaction with Enid wrong. Again. She wished desperately that it came easier, that she couldunderstand that silent language everyone else spoke. She also wondered now if Enid had been flirting with her before. Maybe she’d read that wrong as well.

“I didn’t know demons felt that way, though it makes sense. In the originalTales of Lemia, she’s a demon, which is a fact that has been hotly debated. Every race claims her as their own.”

Enid grinned. “Oh, we know. Every demon believes they are related to her in some way, though that’s not possible. I used to tell my father that I wanted to be as strong as her someday.”

Enid was smiling, but a sadness swam in her eyes, one that made Avenay reach out without thinking, laying her hand on Enid’s arm. The demon stared at it for a moment,and Avenay moved to pull away when Enid placed her hand firmly over hers, locking it in place. Her skin met Avenay’s with a searing heat that pulsed through her veins, making her heart race. She desperately hoped Enid couldn’t hear it.

“My father would always reply and say, ‘you’ll be stronger than her, I bet.’ Made me crazy confident.” She let out a mirthless laugh. “If only he could see me now.”

Words of reassurance stuck to Avenay’s mouth. There wasn’t anything she could say to assuage the bitterness in Enid’s words. She barely knew her well enough to disagree, even if Avenay had the feelingher father would be proud of her. Thankfully, she didn’t need to say anything.

Enid tilted her head to the side, never moving her hand. “So, you readThe Tales of Lemia, found some evidence for the existence of Cirro—or Evolis, and now you’re here? What made you so interested in it?”

Avenay swallowed, almost not comprehending her words because of the continued touch. Should she remove her hand? Did Enid want it there, or was she wondering the same thing?

Avenay didn’t know what to do.

“My mother read it to me and my sister when we were little. She was terribly ill ever since I could remember and succumbed to it when I was eleven. Me and my sister used to run around in the forests near our house, convinced we would find the fabled city and the well that could heal anyone.”

Enid’s hand squeezed around Avenay’s, her brows pinched in. That simple look and gesture was enough to show how much she understood. And once again, it was as if they were back on that balcony again, Enid making her feel like she was on the inside, not the outside.

“Did you give your presentation on it out of that nostalgia?”

It was Avenay’s turn to give a bitter laugh. “Well, actually, my rival stole my presentation, and I was so nervous that I just talked on the first thing that came to mind. I was actually fired for doing that because my mentor thinks I made the department look like fools, giving a presentation over a fairy tale.”

Enid gestured to the surrounding forest. “It seems time will prove you right and them wrong.” Enid grimaced. “Was that Carlotti who stole your presentation?”

Avenay pursed her lips. “It was. Your girlfriend, I believe?”

“Hey now.” Enid threw her hands up in surrender. “I made a drunken mistake. I was three shots deep when she came onto me and I have a tendency to jump first, regret later. It became apparent pretty quickly she was the slippery sort.”

Avenay chuckled. Somehow the admission from Enid eased that sore ache that had been living in her heart. And maybe the rakish behavior wasn’t entirely how the papers painted it.

“So, you’re an academic, and a very smart one at that. What drove you towards that path?”

Normally, Avenay felt as if she was boring people by talking about these things, but Enid was locked in, her attention so fully on her that she wanted to spill every thought. “I originally wanted to go intomedicine. My sister has the same illness my mother died from, and I wanted to find a cure. But I’m not a good fit for that, and it became clear that I have a much better penchant for languages and history, so I went that route. I became enthralled byThe Tales of Lemiabecause of that, hoping to find some clue to maybe a spell or some other account in history of a cure for my sister.”

She halted, her words tangling in her tongue as her emotions ran rampant. She swallowed, waiting for Enid to look at her like she was crazy.

“Do you think we’ll find that magic well?” Enid asked, her finger now tracing a lazy circle on Avenay’s hand, the gesture so simple yet so intimate her brain was galloping too fast to fully keep up.

“The forest is enchanted to protect something of value. Why not? Why couldn’t it be that?” Her voice rose with passion, and she clamped her mouth shut, embarrassed. “I know it’s foolish—”

“It’s not,” Enid said hastily. “It’s never foolish to hope.”

Avenay stared at Enid, that unrelenting steel in the demon’s eyes staring back, a fierceness there that Avenay couldn’t look away from.

“Enid!” Dryston called out, making both of them jerk away from one another.

“What?” she barked back.

“Take first shift to keep watch with me.” Dryston looked over Avenay with a keen eye, turning that scrutiny to Enid, and Avenay felt like the overprotective brother was coming out.

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