Page 129 of Cursed Dreams
Thalia kept her eyes low
“I thought of what you told me… every word. I prayed, long and hard, and asked the gods for guidance. For truth.” She turned back to the window, watching the light move across the gardens below. “And they answered.”
A lump formed in Thalia’s throat.
“I believe you.”
Those three words hit harder than any accusation ever could. Thalia's eyes widened, her lips parting in disbelief. She barely heard Elara continue, her mind whirling.
“I believe your bond with the forgotten prince is real. And I believe your purpose, your role in all this, is greater than anything even I can fully comprehend.” She turned back, her eyes soft now, kind. “I believe Es-” she corrected herself “Kek himself, has chosen you.”
Thalia's heart leapt, her breath stuttering in her chest. “Thank you “
“wh ... what happens now?”
Elara’s mouth curled into a sad but resolute smile.
“You leave.”
Thalia blinked.
“I want the others to believe your studies have been suspended due to your inappropriate conduct,” Elara continued. “But in truth, I am assigning you a special mission, under temple command and guidance. You will be sent to assist with the healer’s work at the smaller sister temple of Amara in the Fae lands.”
Thalia stared at her. “You’re sending me away? … but my studies?”
“I’m giving you my blessing,” Elara said gently, walking closer. “To seek the Forgotten Forest. To find the Temple of Kek. To follow the thread fate has woven around you, Thalia. You will be safe there and able to continue your search”
A swell of emotions built in Thalia’s chest. The tight grip of tears threatened her throat. “You really… you trust me to do this?”
“I trust the gods,” Elara said simply. “And I trust the female I’ve seen grow into a capable, kind, and brave young healer.” She touched Thalia’s shoulder. “This path is not easy. But you are not walking it alone.”
Thalia’s thoughts spiralled, her friends. Nyla. Cellen. Marand. Would they come with her? Could she ask that of them? Was it fair?
“Your friends have been by your side this far,” Elara said, as if reading her mind. “But the choice to share your burden is theirs. Give them that choice.”
Thalia nodded, eyes shining.
“You leave this afternoon,” Elara said. “Travel light. And quietly. If Lord Vaelith suspects—”
Her voice cut off. She didn’t need to finish.
Thalia swallowed and stood, heart pounding fierce and electric.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Go with the blessing of Amara,” Elara said softly. “And with the eyes of Kek watching over you.”
As Thalia left the office, the door clicking gently behind her, as she practically ran back to her dorm. Finally, she was free to find Caelum, she had her friends and the high priestesses blessing. She had never felt so validated.
As Thalia stood at the edge of the courtyard, watching the shadows shift beneath the great arch of the temple’s gate, her thoughts drifted back to her conversation with her friends earlier that morning. They had been waiting for her in the dormitory when she returned from the high priestess’s office, Cellen sitting upside down in a chair, boots kicked off and thrown haphazardly in a corner, Nyla perched on her bed, hands clenched in her lap, and Marand leaning against the wall with a tension in her shoulders that only deepened when she stepped through the door. She’d barely shut it behind her before Nyla sprang up.
“Well?” she demanded. “What did she say?”
Thalia opened her mouth, but no words came at first. Too many emotions tangled on her tongue. Then, quietly and carefully, she managed to speak. She told them everything. How the High Priestess had said she believed her. That she was being sent away in secret to find the Forgotten Forest.
“I’m coming,” Nyla had said immediately, with a fire in her eyes that made Thalia’s throat tighten. “I want to help. You’re not doing this without me.”
Marand nodded. “You’ll need a second pair of steady hands. I know this is mad, but… I want to be on the right side of history” She smiled softly. “I trust you, Thalia.”
