Page 37 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

I nodded and snuggled into the crook of his arm.

“Let’s go.”

The driver clicked his tongue, and the horses trotted on.

“Care to tell me where we’re going?”

“That would ruin the surprise.”

“Tease.” I slapped his chest playfully.

We glided through the forest. The snow glistened like diamonds in the moon’s light, and the bells braided into the horses chimed in a calming melody. I tried to savor each moment with Tharan, noting every detail—the feeling of his hand on mine, the outline of his face in the golden light. This would be the last night we would spend together for a long time, and I wanted to make it count.

We stopped in front of the entrance to a cave just as the snow began falling harder.

Tharan whispered something to the driver, but all I could focus on was the gaping hole in the rock, jagged and dark.

“What is this place?” I asked, staring at the ominous mouth of the cave.

Grabbing a lantern, Tharan said, “It’s a special place only a few people know exists.”

“No kraken, hopefully.”

He chuckled.

“Not this time.”

Entwining our hands, he led me deep into the cave. The lantern did little to warn off the ever-encroaching darkness.

An intoxicating scent wafted through the air—part floral, part sweet. I couldn’t quite place it.

“We’re getting close,” Tharan said.

“How can you tell?”

“The smell is getting stronger.”

“What exactly am I smelling?”

“You’ll see soon.”

The sound of our footsteps through the silence as we crossed over caverns filled with stalagmites growing from the floor.

The cave continued to twist and turn with no end in sight. When I suspected we were thoroughly lost, Tharan stopped in front of a seemingly innocuous boulder.

“We’re here.”

I looked around, but only darkness met my gaze.

“You had me get dressed up to take me to a dead end in a cave?”

“Oh, my sweet, you have no idea what lies behind this boulder.”

He pressed his hand to the stone, and an ancient rune inscription appeared at his fingertips, illuminating the darkness around us in a pale blue.

“I’ve never seen that script before.”

He looked at me over his shoulder.

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