Page 37 of Daughter of the Darkened City

“It’s incredibly dangerous if done wrong. It’s been ages and ages since one has been, though. The priestess’ texts explain that you need at a minimum four demons with full power, so adults, to perform the rite. Otherwise, when the power comes back, if it’s even slightly off, it will most likely overwhelm one person and they will die. With four or more, that’s very unlikely to happen because the power is distributed much more evenly.”

“That’s so fascinating. I’ve never thought about my own magic much. I just use it.”

Enid chuckled. “That’s usually how I am. The rite makes me think of it differently, but I’ve only been to one other since that day. And it was a month after, to pull us into another colony.”

“It’d be fascinating to see it performed someday.”

“Maybe I can convince a colony to let you.”

Avenay smiled, the offer so sincere she didn’t quite know how to respond.

Enid’s arm rested on her knee, her hands shaking, even as the rest of her remained composed. Avenay’s eyes darted to her hands and then she took Enid’s shaking fingers in her own. “I’m sure it all still feels likeyesterday for you. Even without visions to remind you,” Avenay murmured.

Enid swallowed. “It does,” she croaked.

Avenay’s thumb traced a line on her hand, and Enid’s eyes stuck on it, then her gaze darted to Avenay’s face. Their breaths puffed out in front of them, the space between them so small. Avenay ached to taste those lips, to feel the soft skin against her own. Enid reached up, tracing her thumb along Avenay’s lower lip. She drew in a soft, sharp breath and Enid leaned forward, so close they shared the air that separated them.

Thunder cracked, booming against the walls of the cave. Avenay jumped, pulling back, tugging her hand away, staring at Enid in shock and horror. This was the thrall, wasn’t it? As much as she wanted it, she couldn’t be distracted on this mission. She needed to stay focused.

She wasn’t so keen on having her heartbroken again, either. Which Enid could do without even trying. Avenay was now certain that Enid was so much more than what the gossip pages said. But she also knew Enid was far different than the fantasy she’d molded for the female. And not knowing where one ended and the other began left her anxious.

Light brightened the sky outside, the rain now a drizzle. “We should head out, see if we can find the others while there’s light,” Enid said, a wall in her eyes again.

Avenay nodded, standing and pulling on her pack.

Chapter 14: Avenay

Morning broke with clear skies, and they set out from the cave in search of the others. They trudged through the muddy path in silence all day, passing by a creek that fed from a small, tumbling waterfall down the rocks to their left. Large boulders looked as if they’d been dropped off to the side, with one rising high above the others. The path wound up and down, twisting around through the trees.

Enid stopped at one point, crouching to look at an indentation in the ground. It looked like it could have been a boot, but it also could just have been an imprint.

Enid pursed her lips in annoyance. “The rain washed any trace of tracks away.”

Avenay looped her thumbs through the straps of her pack, looking around. Tracking and survival were, in no way, her area of expertise. But she suspected that the erasure of any tracks meant they would have a much more difficult time finding their companions.

“I’m sure Onora and Kaemon know how to get back on the path,” she said. “If we continue this way, we’ll be able to find them eventually.”

Enid nodded and stood as they continued on. They passed another small creek and waterfall, then another area of large boulders. The mud splashed beneath their feet and Avenay was thankful for the knee-high boots that protected her. She’d be glad when she returned and could take a nice, long bath. Enid stopped, crouching by another indentation.

“This may be a track. We’ve seen the same impression twice now. Could be the same boot,” she said. “Let’s keep going. Surely, they’re close, if that’s the case.”

She watched Enid’s back as they hurried on. Enid held so much tension in her stance. The demon had seemed carefree in Elf Glen, a proper rake without a care in the world. But over the hours of walking behind her, Avenay had, without intention, memorized every line of themuscles in her back, how her arms flexed as her hand gripped and loosened her grip on the sword hilt in agitation. Enid had a mask of calm over her face, but worry swam behind her eyes.

Avenay wished she could erase that worry, wash the impression of it away like the rain. Her mind dipped to that morning, in the darkness of the cave. She had grabbed Enid’s hand on instinct, wanting to soothe her agitation. But that liminal moment when their eyes met and Enid touched her lips had lit her on fire like she was the sun. If the thunder hadn’t cracked, she would have let Enid touch her in any way she desired and probably would have begged for more.

Which was fascinating. Did that mean that Enid was intentionally directing her thrall at her in moments like that? Or was the thrall entirely involuntary? Perhaps Enid herself couldn’t control the effect she had on others. It just came naturally. Avenay had half a mind to ask her about it, but then that would require her to admit that she couldn’t stop thinking about what Enid’s hands would feel like touching her hips, her breasts, gripping her neck…

She shook her head, heat rising on her cheeks, settling between her legs, making her ache and throb. Godsdamn this thrall!

Enid’s head tilted back slightly, heat flashing in her gaze as she looked Avenay over.

Could she read her thoughts? Panic wrapped around her throat as Enid smirked, then kept walking.

“What are you thinking about, Little Bird?” she asked, humor in her voice.

Couldshe read her mind? Avenay was both horrified and fascinated. Was that also part of the thrall? If so, then demons were incredibly dangerous in matters of the heart. No wonder she’d been warned of them since she was young. If Enid wanted to press her against this tree and…

Enid turned then, her brows up, merriment in her eyes. She leaned against a tree, arms crossed. Words and thoughts fled from Avenay. Every chiseled and curved line of Enid’s muscular body was on display as she leaned there, the round of her breasts evident under her leather armor. Her long, adept fingers tapped her biceps.

---