Page 133 of Cursed Dreams
He left no room for debate. With hearts pounding and hands fumbling for their things, the group crawled into the shadowy thicket, leaves damp and cold against their skin. Thalia crouched low beside Nyla, the forest around them alive with the clouds of breath and the rapid thudding of her heart.
She listened, galloping hooves, fast and solitary, echoed up the dirt road. A single rider. Thalia’s breath caught.
The black horse burst into view, powerful and swift, its rider cloaked in the shadow of the night. Even before she fully saw him, shefelthim.
He pulled the reins sharply and brought the horse to a stop beside the wagon. His silver eyes scanned the road, jaw clenched with tight, she could feel the controlled rage emanating from him. He was dressed in his usual black leathers with his cloak billowing with each step he took, the dark, fine material clinging to him like a second skin. His pale hair gleamed under the moonlight.
“Evening,” Aric said casually, leaning against the side of the wagon like he hadn’t just been jolted from sleep. “Unusual to see a man of your status riding the roads alone.”
Vaelith didn’t waste time answering his greeting. “Have you seen four healers traveling this road? Two females, a male and a human girl?”
Thalia’s blood froze. He knew her friends were with her.
Aric didn’t flinch. He met Vaelith’s gaze evenly, a calm ease to his posture. “Aye,” he said smoothly, “they passed by earlier today. Took the northeastern road up toward Hallow creek.”
Vaelith’s eyes narrowed, the gold in them flickering faintly for the briefest second. He scanned the surrounding trees and shadows.
Thalia didn’t dare move. Not even to breathe.
Finally, he climbed back onto his horse, movements sharp with restrained fury. With a twitch of the reins, Vaelith turned the animal toward the road.
“If anyone asks you about them,” he said coldly, without looking back, “It would be in your best interest to say you haven’t. “
Without another word he took off at a breakneck speed. Thalia watched as his figure disappeared along the road, into the darkness of the night.
They all emerged from the brush with stiff limbs and wide eyes, breath catching in their chests. A long beat passed before Cellen whispered, “. Okay he’s actually terrifying.”
Aric folded his arms as they returned to the firelight. “Now,” he said, tone grim but laced with curiosity, “someone want to explain what the hell kind of trouble you lot are in?”
Thalia exchanged a look with Nyla, Cellen, and Marand. She wasn’t sure how to answer.
Aric crouched beside the rekindled fire, tossing a few twigs into the embers as the group gathered close once more. His sharp, perceptive eyes flicked between them, waiting for someone to speak.
Cellen let out a breath, dragging a hand down his face. “Alright, alright. I’ll take this one,” he said, gesturing to the others. “Our naive friend, Thalia here, got herself wrapped up with a certain dark, broody, andveryemotionally unavailable far noble while at the temple”
Thalia groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Please don’t—”
“Too late,” Cellen said, grinning but keeping his voice low and careful. “The long and short of it is... Vaelith was a charming flirt, she fell for it, and now he’s turned out to be a possessive, shadow-lurking menace with what ow appears to be a stalking hobby.”
Thalia shot him a glare but said nothing. One look at Nyla, who gave her a subtle nod, told her it was better this way. The truth, the real whole truth, was too dangerous to share.
“We’re heading to the smaller Temple of Amara in the fae lands,” Cellen continued. “Putting some distance between our girl and her...clingy ex. Letting things cool off.”
Aric sat back on his heels, absorbing it all with an unreadable expression. The firelight flickered across his features, casting a warm glow over the worn lines of his face. After a moment, he reached out and gently patted Thalia’s hand.
“I’ve heard of Lord Vaelith,” he said softly. “Even way out where I live, his name travels far. Not much is known about him. But enough to know he’s not someone to meddle with.”
Thalia’s throat tightened. She opened her mouth, but no words came. Just a small, strangled noise. Aric looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.
“I’ll keep you safe on the road,” he said finally, offering a reassuring squeeze of her hand. “You all helped me. Least I can do.”
Thalia nodded, heart swelling with gratitude and guilt all at once. Cellen’s lie, though it had worked in stopping Aric from asking anymore questions, wasn't the whole story, and now she was putting another person in danger.
Chapter 33
The next morning, they set off at first light. Try as she might Thalia had struggled to sleep after Vaelith had left, afraid to close her eyes in case she missed the shadows of him charging back down the road, realising he had been lied to.
The road stretched endlessly ahead, winding through tall golden grasses that swayed in the soft breeze. The wheels of Aric’s wagon creaked rhythmically as it bumped over the uneven dirt path, with each jolt she could feel a headache take root. Cellen and Marand sat side by side, their flirtatious banter drifting back to the front wagon bench where Thalia sat beside Aric.
