Page 51 of Cursed Dreams
Vaelith arched a brow, clearly unimpressed. “Yes, well, we can’t have your beautiful features ruined over something as ridiculous as walking into me.”
Thalia stilled.
Beautiful?
Her mind snapped to attention at the word, completely ignoring the fact that her nose was actively still bleeding.
She had been called a lot of things in her life, stubborn, clever, difficult, determined, but beautiful? That was new.
Only her mother and father had ever said it, but that was expected. Parents said those things. Vaelith, however, had no reason to flatter her.
She squinted at him, suspicious. “Are you playing with me?”
Vaelith smirked but didn’t answer. Instead, he dropped his hand from her face and turned toward a nearby hall. “Come along, daydreamer. Let’s get that nose fixed before you faint on me.”
She grumbled under her breath but followed, begrudgingly accepting that perhaps walking around with a bloodied face and stained robes wasn’t the best idea.
They arrived outside Miryanne’s quarters a few minutes later. Vaelith knocked lightly against the wooden door, his posture casual, his expression easy—as though he weren’t slightly bloodied from pressing against her nose a moment ago.
Miryanne answered almost immediately, her dark curls loose over her shoulders, her night robe cinched at the waist as she blinked sleepily at them.
The moment she registered who was at her door, however, she straightened, her cheeks flushing the faintest pink.
“Lord Vaelith,” she said breathlessly, smoothing her hands over her robes.
Thalia narrowed her eyes immediately.
Vaelith smiled at her, that easy, charming kind of smile that made other women melt. Not that Thalia cared. Not that it irritated her. Not at all.
“She walked straight into me,” Vaelith explained, tone lazily amused as he gestured to Thalia. “Too lost in one of her little daydreams to pay attention to her surroundings.”
Thalia’s nostrils flared. “I was thinking, ”
“Oh, is that what you call it?”
Miryanne giggled.
Thalia barely resisted the urge to jab him in the ribs.
The healer smiled sweetly and gestured for them to step inside. “Come in, let me have a look.”
Thalia thanked her quickly, eager to get this over with. As Miryanne tilted her chin up, fingers delicate as they checked the damage, Thalia could hear Vaelith chuckling softly behind her, still clearly enjoying himself.
“I don’t think it’s broken,” Miryanne assured, pulling away after a moment. “Just a small vessel burst. Hold still”
A gentle warmth spread through Thalia’s nose as Miryanne’s light gently washed over her, and within seconds, the lingering ache faded. She sighed in relief, touching her fingers to her skin. No pain. No more bleeding. If only her wounded pride could be fixed as easily.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely.
Miryanne gave her a kind smile, but when she turned to Vaelith again, she blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Is there anything else I can do for you, my lord?”
Thalia’s eye twitched.
Vaelith, ever the picture of ease, gave her a roguish smile. “Not tonight, Miryanne. You need your rest.”
She beamed.
Thalia scowled.
