Page 18 of A Cursed Bite (Bound to the Enduar #1)

ARLET

M y dreams are less foggy than before. The suffocating, immobilizing darkness no longer holds me captive, but a swirling gray mist still infiltrates my mind, billowing around me like an unspoken warning. I walk forward, compelled by something I can’t name—an itch at the back of my thoughts pushing me on.

I pass through the city in my dream, moving through Enduvida’s familiar tunnels. I see them—the successful mates from the Mating journey sharing their blood and promising their lives before Mother Liana, their forms flickering through the haze like ghosts.

Both laughter and the smell of roasted meat spill from Hammerhead Hall and the songs of celebration echo down the corridors. I hear the clash of weapons, the rhythmic whir of a whetting stone grinding against golden enduar metal as the warriors train in the newly renovated practice barracks.

I hear the songs of death from a funeral I would never attend.

The city moves on without me. My students play and chant and sing. Sweet Miti from class. Heat spreads over my skin I promised her a gift, and then didn’t go back. Feli, my teaching assistant, stands over her. The young girl is leaning over a large sheet of stone paper, painting .

Enduvida doesn’t need my teaching or my weaving.

I follow the paths downward, deeper into the Fuegorra caverns. The air hums with the songs of the crystals—thousands of them, vibrating, alive, and ancient.

I wonder—not for the first time—what it must be like to speak through the stones to the gods. To be heard.

But then the mists reveal my bedroom.

The blood stains the bed. Diego’s body is mangled beyond recognition. A knife appears in my hand.

I stand over the corpse. I’d stabbed him so many times that his flesh was pulled apart in strips. So much blood has spilled over the bed that it’s soaked the floor beneath in red.

No. No, gods, no.

This is wrong. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be seeing this. Vann told me he’d protect me. Where was he in my dreams?

I turn and run. My breath burns as I sprint through the tunnels, searching for the exit. I move faster than I should—faster than I ever could in waking moments. The tunnels shift around me, remolding themselves in unnatural shapes. Walls break apart and rebuild, stone folds in on itself like a living thing.

One path opens. A single arched entrance.

I lunge toward it. As soon as I push through, my body jerks—like being pulled backward through water—and I wake.

My eyes snap open and I gasp for air. It takes me a second to remember where I am—in Liana’s house. And then I remember Vann was with me the last time I was awake.

My arms pull against the restraints, my fingers twisting—they’re loose. That’s right. Vann loosened them. Something warm sparks in my chest. He had been kind again. I turn my head, heart pounding and find the man in question asleep.

The sight of him takes me off guard. His broad frame leans back in the chair, his breathing slow, steady. His tail is laid over his lap, curled around a paint pot. The flickering spell-light casts soft shadows across his deep, blue face, and his braid falls over his shoulder. Neatly stacked beside him are painting supplies, brushes still wet with pigment .

In front of him, half a dozen painted cards are laid out on clear display.

What was he thinking, sleeping around me?

I wiggle my hand against the silk rope again and realize I can pull myself free. The thought is intoxicating. I could get out of here. Run away from the memories.

But then what? Go home? Risk killing someone else?

The people I love live in this neighborhood. Svanna, Iryth, and their son. Ra’Salore has two daughters with his mate Melisa. Teo and Estela are in the palace, not far away. I could run to their children’s rooms right now.

What happens if I wake up covered in blood again, and it turns out to be Vann’s? My heart skips a beat.

I work the ropes against my skin, rolling my wrists until one finally slips free. I pause, looking back at Vann and watching for any sign of movement. Nothing.

Unusual.

The question from before slams into me: What now?

Only one answer stares back at me. Leave Enduvida. It doesn’t matter if it feels like a boulder crashing into my chest. I have to go.

Blood rushes into my numb limbs and burns. I flex my fingers, my muscles sore from hours of tension.

I loosen the bindings at my ankles, rubbing the circulation back into my legs. Then, as quietly as possible, I slide off the makeshift bed-table, my feet hitting the cold floor.

I don’t let myself hesitate. I open the door quietly and slip out.

The hallway in Liana’s home is filled with books and crystals and fungi of various species. I linger, walking quietly toward the exit. I’m barely halfway when the door creaks open and I freeze.

Liana stands there.

She looks tired, her usually pristine robes rumpled, her hair loose. But the strangest part is the lack of surprise on her face. She takes me in without alarm.

“You’re not going to kill me, are you?” she asks dryly.

A painful ache hollows out my chest.

I lift my hands slowly. “I’m awake. No weapon, either. ”

She raises a brow, glancing toward the pointed crystals lining the walls. Any number of them could, in theory, kill someone.

I clear my throat. Her frown deepens.

“I just came from the Scrying Grotto,” she says.

I recognize the place. There, a giant Fuegorra crystal is housed, surrounded by thousands of towering citrine shards. Each one hums, tuned perfectly to the harmonic resonance of her magic.

It is a potent connection between the Wise Woman and her gods. Sometimes it tells of the future, other times it may be used for information. If she was there, she was looking for a solution to my problem.

“It was…” She doesn’t finish.

“Liana. Please.”

Her jaw tightens. She looks at me, then away. For the first time, she looks defeated.

"I don’t know how to break your curse. I’ve tried everything—prayers, cleansing, crystals. Nothing has worked," she finally says, soft, solemn. "I am… so sorry."

I swallow hard. I had sensed this, but hearing it out loud makes something inside me crack.

My breath burns as it pushes up my throat. "Then that means I need to—" I stop. My voice breaks and my lips quivers.

Liana holds my gaze.

"You need to find someone who can help," she says, gentle and certain. “If there’s an answer, it’s with the ones who gave you the mark. I believe that is one of the human witches."

Reality sinks into my bones, pressing down on my chest until I can barely breathe.

Leave. Venture to find women who had actively worked against us in the last conflict. The brujas might kill me before I can even plead my case.

But what Liana says is true–there are no options left.

“I don’t want to go,” I whisper. “But I can’t keep putting everyone around me in danger. I’ll go alone.”

Liana watches me closely. Then she exhales, her shoulders rising and falling as she takes in my words .

“I know you’re made of tougher stuff than most, but going alone is dangerous. Do what Melisa did—make someone escort you.”

She references Ra’Salore’s mate. Melisa had asked for a bodyguard when she returned to the Giant Capital, Zlosa, in order to spy on the giants. It was a different situation. The danger was external then.

This is all me.

I shake my head sharply. “And kill them, too?” My voice wavers, but I don’t back down. “I can’t control myself. I won’t ask someone to risk their life for me.”

Liana nods once, her gaze solemn. “I know when a woman has made up her mind. If you feel this is best, I will not stop you, but you cannot go empty-handed. Let me help you pack.”

I hesitate, my instincts screaming at me to move quickly, but I know she’s right.

“I need to leave soon,” I murmur. “Can you tell Estela? Mikal? Teo?”

Vann…

Her eyes flick toward the room where I was housed, as if she expects someone to come bursting through. She raises her hand, and the door shuts quiet. “We will not be heard now.” Then she meets my gaze. “I’ll deal with everyone else.”

“Thank you,” I whisper.

She ushers me toward the kitchen. “First, you should go to Mrath. She will be grateful since we have helped her with the Cumhacht na Cruinne . Her spies seem to know a little of everything.”

Mrath, the leader of an elven rebellion, has spent years infiltrating practically every corner of the continent. Though her alliance with Teo is new, she has always expressed her disposition to be of help after King Teo and Queen Estela recovered the Cumhacht na Cruinne . This divine artifact helps to determine the next sovereign.

It was lost for generations, its absence left the throne in chaos, but Teo placed it in Mrath’s hands, giving her a powerful foothold in the struggle ahead.

I nod once.

Liana extends her hand, the long billowing sleeves of her nightdress flowing like mist as she reaches for me. “When you leave the cavern, head south. The Enduar Mountain Range will shift from black to grey, and once it does, keep close to the base of the mountains. A thick forest should surround you. The Sisterhood’s Enclave is there.”

I nod, trying to absorb every detail.

Liana, seeing my overwhelm, steps closer. “Come, my child. We’ll prepare you to leave. It’s going to be all right.”

I nod again and let her lead me.

But she doesn’t take me to my old room. Instead, she brings me deeper into her home, past the kitchen, and to a small side chamber I rarely entered. I freeze in the doorway, my breath catching.

So many of my things have been brought here. My clothes, my scrolls, my shoes and boots—they are all neatly folded and tucked away.

I step forward on unsteady feet, running my fingers over the familiar fabrics, the worn scrolls I’d been studying. “Why do you have so many of my things?”

Liana straightens. “They only gave us three days, but Lord Vann insisted that you wouldn't want to return to your room for a while.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, forcing myself to focus. I can’t afford to fall apart now. Instead, I reach for one of the scrolls I had been reading, running my fingers along the edges before my gaze drifts toward the clothes. I see a fur coat, leather leggings, gowns, everything.

“Arlet, what do you want to take?” Liana asks from the closet.

“Mostly clothes, I think. A knife. A dish. Something to start fires. A bedroll? And perhaps a few preserves,” I respond. She exits the room and I dress quickly, putting on woolen socks, pants, a woven tunic, a brown fur coat, boots, and finally, bearskin gloves.

When Liana returns, she nods at my attire. “Very wise.”

Then I grab an old pack, beginning to stuff it with the assembled bounty. Liana moves quickly but methodically, tucking a few extra items neatly into the bundle. I notice her leave a few more times, but think nothing of it in the flurry of packing.

After a few minutes, she reappears at my side. “You need to go slow. Drink water. And don’t forget?—”

“I’ve survived worse,” I cut in gently. “I know how to be outside. I know how to live in the cold.” I’d done so in the slave pens.

She presses her lips together, then nods.

A heavy silence settles over us.

Then, without thinking, I embrace her.

Liana isn’t a woman who takes easily to touch. She stiffens for a moment, caught off guard, but after a breath, her arms wrap around me, holding me close.

When we part, her eyes soften, but her voice is steady.

“You cannot leave without a hlumrynna .”

I recognize the term immediately—a Parting Ceremony.

The Enduar Wise Woman presses a cool stone into my palm, a small citrine crystal wrapped in silver wire. It hums against my hand.

“Our gods will watch over you, my child. And we will miss you while you are gone. Come home quickly. Come home healed.” Then, she takes back the gem, and my throat burns.

“I’ll miss you all,” I whisper.

"Your loss will be felt for many. Now come, I will escort you to the exit."

The city is silent. Sleeping. We move through the council district, past the houses of people I’ve loved.

My pack is heavy, but I grit my teeth and bear it. Reaching the edge of the space, I see the steps of the Enduar Palace and keep going. It takes time to cross to the tunnel that will lead me out of the city, and every step feels like I am ripping myself apart.

Liana walks beside me the entire way.

When we reach the tunnel entrance, I see two guards. Do they know what I've done? Will they take me away?

I start to speak, but Liana lifts a hand, stopping me.

“Lady Arlet has business to attend to outside,” she tells them firmly. “Let her pass.”

The enduar guards hesitate, glancing at one another, but they do not argue. They step aside .

Liana turns to me, studying my face as if memorizing it. “Go,” she says softly. “Know that you will be missed.”

I nod, gripping the bundle tight, and step into the tunnel.

The incline of the tunnel is steep. It’s been so long since I’d been outside for more than a few hours. When I reach the exit, I squeeze my eyes shut, putting one foot in front of the other to avoid looking back. Instead I picture the massive golden doors and the red veins swirling around the entrance.

The ice floes floating on the ocean to the distant left creak. Fear pricks at the back of my neck. The cold night air bites at my skin, burning against the heat of the tears threatening to fall. I keep them back, knowing they will freeze if I let them spill over.

The worst part of leaving is not knowing if I will ever return.

But Enduvida has given me everything. How could I not do what was needed to protect it?

I press forward until the last traces of black stone fade from view. The mountains slowly shrink behind me.

Ahead—the forest waits.

I scan the shadows, wary. For the first time, I remember vaimpír could be near. The thought makes me hesitate, but I see nothing. No movement in the midnight mists. Cursing, I grit my teeth. I’m not used to being on my own, despite what I said.

I keep going.

I say goodbye to the sight of the ocean as I enter a ravine called, El Paseo de las Nubes. Towering walls of ice rise on either side with veins of bright white running throughout.

The passage is narrow, like a frozen canyon carved by time and storm. The moonlight shifts strangely here, refracted through the translucent walls, casting long shadows that stretch and distort with every step.

I haven’t been here since the slave caravan took Estela and me to Enduvida for the first time.

The early spring winds bite at my cheeks, strong enough to make walking difficult, especially since the Enduar Mountains are high enough to almost always be frozen. The air hums with something strange—a faint, whispering song .

It isn’t unpleasant.

“FIRELOCKS!”

A voice roars behind me.

I freeze.

Every hair on my arms stands on end.

“Arlet!”

The sheer force of the sound gives me goosebumps.

I whirl around. The fur of my coat whips against my face.

Vann runs towards me. His messy silver braid is loose, and the strands ripple in the wind, his cloak billowing. His chest rises and falls, breath labored.

I step back, bracing myself.

"Arlet, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

My heart pounds. He’ll take me back. He can’t do that.

How did he find me so quickly?

I turn—and run into El Paseo de las Nubes.

My boots pound against the frozen ground, my breath comes in sharp bursts, and my pack slaps uncomfortably against my spine. Every sound I make echoes on the walls. The ground turns to ice and I slide across it more than once, almost falling.

I feel uncoordinated and slow, but he mustn’t catch me.

His footsteps thunder behind me. A quick glance over my shoulder is fruitless, as I can’t quite see him through the mist and winding path, but I can hear him. He’s gaining.

Then, an impact hits me hard. It’s a blur of motion, and I’m turned around just before I slam onto my back. The air rushes from my lungs at the awkward angle of my pack and the world spins as Vann looms above me, his weight caging me in. He is dressed in black, and a cloak settles over both of us.

His breath is ragged. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

I snarl, shoving at his chest. He grabs my wrist and pulls one of my hands over my head, as I say, “I’m leaving to save the people I love.”

His expression doesn’t soften. No. It darkens .

And then—he leans in, cupping my chin with his thumb and forefinger. His cloak shifts and I see more clearly through the fog as it reveals his own pack.

My mouth parts.

He is close enough that his breath fogs the space between us, leaving only his burning silver eyes visible. My arm burns where he holds it, but I don’t try to move.

“And you thought you were going to do it alone?”

I only manage to get out, “I have to.”

He shakes his head and my weight sinks onto the blanket of snow under me.

“When I was poisoned and dying, you risked everything to stay by my side—even when my very presence was a danger to you,”

He’s so close I can’t breathe. He’s as big as the whole sky—beautifully blue. The weight of him on top of me feels good. It feels safe.

“Do you think I’d let your kindness go without repaying it? I am coming with you.”

He stands abruptly, pulling me up with him. I am breathless at his goodness. Tears burn in my eyes.

“Now let’s go,” he says.