Page 190 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

The hunter extinguished her lantern. “Do not linger here. We need ta find a place ta rest for the night. Then tamorra I will take ya inside.”

We nodded and followed the hunter around the back of the ruins.

The unruly knot burned, and I fell to my knees grabbing at my chest.

“What’s going on?” Caiden asked.

“It’s my chest… there’s something woven into me. Ancient magic. It’s never acted like this before.” I gritted my teeth, trying to fight through the searing pain.

Caiden scooped me up into his muscular arms.

“We need to get her somewhere safe, now.”

The hunter nodded. “There’s a cave… this way.”

She ushered us along. I shut my eyes, unable to bear the pain. The knot twirled in my chest calling to something in the ancient temple.

We walked for what seemed like ages to me but could have only been minutes.

“Hold on, Aelia,” Caiden whispered in the darkness.

I did my best not to cry out, but every breath was agony. Sweat wetted my brow, and heat radiated from my skin.

The hunter pulled aside some vines, and we stepped into a damp cave. Lighting her lantern once again, the hunter motioned for us to follow her.

Through a tunnel of limestone, we traveled until we reached a cavern where a small stream cut through.

“We should be safe this far in,” the hunter said.

Caiden lay me down on the cool stone and I sucked in a breath. The pain dissipated but not entirely. “I wish there was something I could do, but I’m no healer.”

“The knot…” I winced in pain. “It’s calling to whatever is in that ruin.”

The scraping of boots on rock set us all on edge. A quiet swept over the chamber. I held my breath, and the Shadow Hunters pulled their swords silently from their sheaths.

More footsteps echoed through the massive chamber.

Caiden stepped in front of me, but did not call his lightning to his fingertips. We couldn’t risk being found out.

Two of the Shadow Hunters laid themselves flat against the opening of the cave.

More footsteps. How many of them were there?

My pulse raced through my veins. I called my dagger to my hand. I would not go down without a fight.

Through the darkness a shadowy figure appeared.

My heart leapt into my throat and I let out a gasp at Lucius.

“My Lord,” Lucius said, rushing to Caiden.

Behind him Tharan, Roderick, Amolie, Sumac, and Hopper filed into the cavern.

“Aelia!” Tharan said, rushing to where I lay. “Are you hurt?” He held my face in his warm hands, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“I’m alright.”

He pulled me in for a kiss and I could taste blackberries on his tongue. How I’d missed him. I wanted to pull him close and never let him go.

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