Page 43 of Cursed Dreams
Just as quickly as he had appeared, he turned and vanished into the night.
Chapter 12
Thalia groaned, pressing a pillow over her face to block out the offending daylight streaming into the room. Her head throbbed like a war drum, her mouth was unbearably dry, and her stomach twisted with nausea.
Bits and pieces of last night flickered through her mind, laughter, dancing, the rich, sweet taste of mead, … Vaelith.
Her breath caught.
Goddess above.
Memories crashed over her in a disjointed mess, his hard body pinning her to the alley wall, his mouth demanding against hers, the feel of him pressed between her legs, of his hands gripping her with an unrelenting need. Heat shot through her, mortification following right on its heels.
She hadlethim do that.
No, worse, she hadwantedit. Encouraged it.
Thalia groaned again, rolling onto her side, willing the ground to swallow her whole.
Mixed in with the memories of Vaelith was the dream, one that had plagued her for months. It had started the same. The forest, the endless running, the sense ofsearching. But this time, she hadseenhim. A male with piercing blue eyes, framed by dark, night-coloured hair. Except… as she reached for him, his features changed. The deep blue of his eyes melted into a molten gold, his dark hair fading, turning the same shade as snow. Just like Vaelith’s had.
Thalia sat bolt upright, immediately regretting it as pain speared through her skull.
Before she could attempt to make sense of her chaotic thoughts, the door swung open, and Nyla waltzed in, looking infuriatingly fresh.
“Good morning, sunshine.”
Thalia made a strangled noise and collapsed back onto the mattress.
Nyla snorted, crossing the room and setting a tray down on the bedside table. “That bad, huh?”
“I think I’m dying,” Thalia rasped.
“You’re just hungover,” Nyla said, far too amused. “Drink some sweet tea and eat something. You’ll feel better.”
Thalia cracked one eye open, squinting at the tray, but the mere sight of food sent another wave of nausea rolling through her.
Nyla perched on the bed, grinning. “So… last night.”
Thalia groaned. “Please don’t remind me.”
“Oh, I absolutely will.” Nyla nudged her shoulder. “Whathappenedwith you and Vaelith?”
Thalia stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Nyla said, “one minute you were drinking with us, and the next, poof, you were gone. We didn’t see you leave.”
Thalia’s heart pounded as flashes of last night assaulted her once more. Vaelith’s shadows, the way he had pulled her into the darkness—
She swallowed hard, forcing nonchalance. “We just ended up outside. Fresh air.”
Nyla frowned. “Youended upoutside?”
“It’s a little hazy,” Thalia muttered, which wasn’t entirely a lie.
Nyla studied her for a moment before sighing. “It was probably Cellen’s fault.”
Thalia frowned. “What?”
