Page 104 of Trials of Dusk and Dreams
As twilight descends, the forest comes alive with cricket chirping and the distant hoot of an owl. Tent poles clanging and canvas rustling mingle with exhibitors’ chatter, creating a symphony of activity. The Fever Hunt returns to Ignarius’s body, and the Hollow Hunt takes to the moonlit skies, a beacon of light as it guards our perimeter. The Radiants can be pompous assholes, but something tells me when the time comes, they spring into action to keep us safe.
It’s not respect I feel. It’s an acknowledgment that they know what they’re doing. Even Nero protected his people to a point, but evil men want to keep their army bigger than their enemies. This knowledge makes it hard to reconcile their delight in watching us kill each other for sport during the trials.
It makes me wonder if they do enjoy it or if they’re suckers for a good distraction. This oppressive world Titania has built would weigh on anyone. I don’t know how Legion convinced the dragon bonded to agree to this expedition. Something else must be happening beneath the surface, and I’m itching to find out.
I call for volunteers for a due-diligence perimeter sweep. Becky’s hand shoots up. Despite my lingering distrust, I nod for her to join. I grab Colin, too, while Geraldine and Max stay behind to handle the food for our troop.
We head toward the tree line, and Colin’s excitement is palpable. “I can’t believe we’re out here. For real.”
I feared he had lost his spark, but he brightens each time I give him a task and encouragement.
“We’re looking for signs of danger,” I explain. “Animal tracks, anything out of the ordinary. Keep your senses peeled and your eyes open.”
By the time we return to camp, dusk has settled into night. The aroma of something delicious bubbles from a pot over the campfire.
As I’m scraping my bowl for the last of our soup, wishing it was stew, I notice Bodin returning from the decorated tent. Our campfire casts flickering shadows across features etched in concern. His eyes, usually guarded, betray a flash of longing as they meet mine.
“Tonight, the troops sleep under the stars. Take turns keeping guard,” he instructs. “The instant the guard recognizes a dreamscape, rouse the person it belongs to.”
“We’re not practicing entering them and escaping?” I ask, frowning.
“Tonight, we focus on recognizing them and obliterating them. This is as important as learning to escape, for it stops our secrets from getting into the wrong hands.”
Oh shit. I didn’t think of that part.
He wants to say more; I can see it in how his fingers twitch at his sides as if fighting the urge to reach for me. But duty wins out, as it always does with Bodin.
With visible reluctance, he retreats to his smaller decorated tent, the flap closing behind him.
My heart aches. I know how hard this must be for him. He’s been dying to sleep beside me . . . to taste me again. A wave of heat runs through me, and I shuffle away from the fire.
The longing I feel for my mates is almost overwhelming. It’s not just physical desire; it’s a need for connection, for understanding. In this strange new world, they’re my anchor.
At least the view is nice. I look up at the star-studded sky, a bittersweet smile tugging at my lips. But then I see the moon, almost full, and my smile drops.Shit. No wonder I’ve been feeling hot out here in the cold. In a few more days, I’ll be in heat.
With any luck, we’ll be back at the keep. If I’m stuck out here, surrounded by hot-blooded males, animals, and potentially Terrors from the Subterranean, who knows what trouble my scent will attract?
After I returned to Elphyne, I visited my Aunt Kyra. My father’s sister is the Alpha of Crescent Hollow, the small village they grew up in. At first, she seemed like a gruff person, and I wanted to die of embarrassment when my fever came on. But then she told me a story of one of her early heats. She’d been in a tavern, gambling in a card game with strangers, and losing incredibly. But then, her pheromones started releasing. One male gave up his hand to her and growled for another male to do the same. The other gamblers accused them of cheating. The entire thing ended up in a brawl. They were kicked out, but she went home with both males and had the best weekend of her life . . . before robbing them blind and walking home with a pocket full of coin.
Jaded and bitter then, I had said, “You were lucky they were good to you.”
“Yes,” she smiled sadly. “I was. That night could have ended far worse, particularly when I was overcome with a fever and incapable of seeing straight. That’s why keeping an eye on the moon and your cycle is always important. But, Willow, there’s another lesson in there, too.” She tapped her temple. “Don’t tell your dad I said this, but sometimes a female on her own needs all the tools she can get to protect herself. The truth behind that story is that we were starving and desperate, and your dad had already left to become a Guardian. I was on my own. But I learned to use the gifts the Well gave me, and now here I am, the first female Alpha of Crescent Hollow.”
“Are you suggesting I use my biology to influence males into protecting me?”
“I’m saying it doesn’t hurt to surround yourself with good males when you’re incapable of protecting yourself.”
I still prefer to control the heat, to suffer in silence, and to avoid confrontation at all costs. But I can see her point. If I’m ever thrown into a situation I can’t control, having a malearound I trust can be good . . . and if it’s a life-or-death situation, then I’m not opposed to using what the Well gave me to survive. I won’t feel good about it, but I’ll be alive.
And I want to live.
I’m not quite the giant yet, but I’m still Willow. And I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.
Chapter 43
Willow
The second day of the journey starts earlier than anticipated. I jolt awake, heart pounding, every nerve on edge. It’s still dark. The camp is shrouded in an eerie silence, broken only by the whisper of wind through the trees and the occasional crackle from campfire embers. Becky should be on guard duty, watching for rogue dreamscapes, but I don’t see her.
