Page 24 of Cursed Dreams
“Whatever you are thinking, stop.” His voice was sharp.
Oh gods, he can read minds?!Thalia felt herself turn even redder, which only seemed to make him tense further.
Before she could argue, he swung down from his saddle with practiced ease and reached for her. She barely had time to react before his hands settled on her waist, and in one smooth motion, he lifted her onto his horse. The contact lasted only a heartbeat, but she was certain she might combust.
The others were mounting up, Thalia spotted Lina sitting in front of one of the guards, looking far too comfortable. Nyla, on the other hand, looked like a warrior queen, her posture perfect as if she had been riding all her life. Roina sat stiffly but determined, while Cellen, predictably, muttered a complaint about sore backsides.
As Vaelith swung up behind her, she tried to focus on anything except how close he was. Roina’s gaze met hers, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips.
Thalia groaned internally.This is going to be a long ride
Thalia sat stiffly in the saddle, acutely aware of every shift and movement of the powerful horse beneath her. More than that, she was aware of Vaelith behind her, too close, too warm, and entirely too composed for someone who had just pulled her into a situation she desperately wanted to avoid.
"Relax," Vaelith murmured against her ear, his tone dry. "You're as tense as a board."
She stiffened even more in response, gripping the saddle horn with white-knuckled determination. "Iamrelaxed," she lied.
Vaelith exhaled, the barest hint of amusement in the sound. "If you say so."
The others rode ahead, chatting amongst themselves. Nyla seemed at ease, speaking with Roina and Lina about the upcoming transition to life in Vertrose, while Cellen, ridingslightly behind them, was already lamenting the loss of his comfortable carriage seat.
"People are mad for riding these things for fun," Cellen grumbled, shifting awkwardly in his saddle. "If I fall to my death, just know I’d like a grand funeral."
Thalia almost laughed but bit her tongue. Instead, she turned her attention to the scenery passing by. The fields were starting to give way to denser woodlands, the trees stretching higher, their leaves rustling gently in the afternoon breeze.
She let herself focus on the landscape, trying to find some semblance of calm. It helped, somewhat, until she realized how quickly they were approaching the border between the Fae and human lands.
An uneasy feeling crept into her stomach.
"Are you nervous?" Vaelith’s voice broke through her thoughts. "Do humans make you uneasy?"
Thalia hesitated before answering. "Not exactly," she said slowly. "I’ve just never met that many."
"Not many, or none at all?"
She pressed her lips together before admitting, "None, really."
Vaelith was quiet for a moment. "You heard what Cellen said earlier. About the rebellion."
It wasn’t a question.
Thalia nodded slowly. "Why didn’t I know about it? Why wasn’t it spoken of back home?"
"Because it was a failure." His tone was measured, but there was something unreadable in it. "It ended before it could becomesomething worse. There was no war. No great battle to sing about."
"But people died," she said quietly.
"Yes."
She swallowed hard.
"You're nervous," Vaelith observed.
She turned slightly, enough to meet his gaze from the corner of her eye. "Shouldn’t I be?"
His silver eyes studied her for a long moment before he finally said, "No. You’re not walking into enemy territory, Thalia. You’ll be at the temple, surrounded by scholars and healers. Most humans in the city live alongside Fae without issue. They have for generations."
She wanted to believe him.
