Page 25 of Cursed Dreams
The steady rhythm of the horse’s movements should have lulled her into some kind of ease, but Thalia’s mind was restless.
She had been determined to avoid Vaelith, to keep a polite but firm distance after all the speculation earlier. Yet, here she was, sitting in front of him, practicallyon topof him, as they rode together toward the human lands. It wasnothow she had envisioned this journey going.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she startled when Vaelith finally spoke. His voice gently caressing the tip of her ear.
"So, Thalia Evermore what do you do for fun?" his tone as neutral as ever, but the question caught her off guard.
Thalia blinked. “I, umm. I like to read “
He seemed to nod at this, as though he expected that answer, “What do you like to read?”
"Oh," she said, straightening slightly. "All sorts, really. But mostly histories, especially the old wars and myths, my father would tell me stories when I was a child, and I guess as I got older the fascination never left."
His voice remained as smooth and unreadable as ever. "Which ones?"
"The war between the Dragons and the High Fae," she answered without hesitation. "It’s the most fascinating to me."
There was a small beat of silence before he asked, "And why is that?"
Thalia leaned forward slightly, enthusiasm creeping into her voice. "Because it shaped the world as we know it! Without that war, magic might have disappeared entirely."
Vaelith made a quiet hum, but it was impossible to tell if he was interested or merely being polite.
Thalia continued anyway. "The dragons were greedy," she explained. "They hoarded magic, drained it from the world for themselves. And they weren’t content with justhavingit—they destroyed artifacts, even those gifted by the gods, just so no one else could use them." She shook her head, her frustration at the thought clear. "If the High Fae hadn’t intervened, magic would have been lost completely."
There was another silence, longer this time. Thalia glanced up at him, expecting some kind of response, but he only watched her with that unreadable expression of his.
"You admire them," he finally said.
"Of course," she answered easily. "The High Fae were the greatest protectors of this world. They fought with everything they had, made the ultimate sacrifice to stop the dragons." Her voice softened slightly. "They gave their lives to save magic, to protect humanity. And in the end, they prevailed, wiping out the dragons completely, or at least, most of them. No one has seen a dragon in centuries, and many believe they died off in the magic, barren Dead lands they retreated to."
Vaelith’s hands on the reins tensed slightly, but his voice remained smooth. "And you believe the dragons did all this out of greed?"
Thalia frowned slightly. "Of course. What else would it be?"
"What else, indeed," he murmured, though it was hard to tell if he was agreeing with her or simply musing aloud.
She turned more fully in the saddle to get a better look at him. "Why do you ask?"
One silver brow arched slightly. "Curiosity."
Thalia narrowed her eyes at him. "You sound like you don’t believe it."
"Did I say that?" There was a hint of something in his voice—amusement?
"Youimpliedit," she countered.
Vaelith gave a small shrug, his expression unreadable. "I just find it... interesting."
Thalia huffed in frustration. "Oh, and what doyoufind interesting, then?"
"The idea that there are humans who worshipping dragons now," he said, his lips twitching slightly.
Thalia scoffed. "It’s ridiculous. Misguided. The dragons nearly destroyed everything, and now there are people who practically revere them like gods. It makes no sense."
Vaelith tilted his head slightly. "Perhaps they see something you don’t."
She gave him a flat look. "Or perhaps they’re just wrong. History doesn't lie "
