Page 27 of Cursed Dreams (Shadow and Dreams #1)

Thalia ran, her feet pounding against the smooth stone of the temple corridors as she wove through the halls, ignoring the startled glances from passing priestesses and scholars. Her breath was ragged, her mind racing with only one thought.

Find Vaelith. She had to find him.

Her boots skidded against the polished floor as she pushed open the grand temple doors, stepping out onto the wide, ascending steps that led to the temple courtyard.

The midday sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows across the temple grounds, its light reflecting off the marble columns that lined the entrance.

There, halfway up the steps, adjusting the folds of her robes, was Miryanne.

Thalia didn’t slow.

"Miryanne!" she called, her voice cutting through the peaceful hum of the temple grounds.

Heads turned. Priestesses and temple-goers paused, glancing up from their quiet prayers and conversations, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and mild disapproval at the sudden outburst.

Miryanne stiffened.

She turned, blinking as Thalia practically stormed toward her, breathless from exertion and barely keeping her frustration in check.

The priestess smoothed the front of her robe with a carefully neutral expression, though Thalia did not miss the slight narrowing of her eyes as she stopped before her.

"Thalia," Miryanne greeted, her tone polite, but guarded. "Is something the matter?"

She didn’t waste time. “Where is Vaelith?”

Miryanne’s expression twitched, just barely, but enough. Enough for Thalia to see it.

A flicker of something tense, calculating, possibly jealous.

Thalia clenched her jaw. Goddess, not this again.

She had neither the time nor the patience to deal with whatever ridiculous rivalry Miryanne seemed to be constructing in her own head. This wasn’t about that. This was important.

“I need to speak with him,” Thalia pressed, trying to keep the urgency in her voice controlled. “It’s important.”

Miryanne tilted her head, feigning nonchalance. "I'm afraid I wouldn’t know,"

"Miryanne." Thalia cut her off sharply, stepping closer, her patience snapping. "This is life or death. Tell me where he is."

Miryanne faltered, the confidence in her expression wavering.

Thalia saw the brief hesitation, the way the priestess chewed her bottom lip before exhaling through her nose. She smoothed her hands over her robes again, a nervous tick, before relenting.

“He doesn’t always stay at the temple,” she admitted, crossing her arms. “He prefers to reside in a boarding lodge in the city, not far from the Temple of Eshu.”

Thalia nodded sharply, already turning to leave. “Thank you.”

Before she could tear off down the steps, Miryanne’s voice stopped her.

“Why are you looking for him?”

Thalia turned back, irritation flaring when she saw the way Miryanne’s gaze flickered with suspicion.

For a moment, she considered lying. Brushing her off. She didn’t have time for this pettiness.

But then she saw the way Miryanne’s arms had tightened around herself, the barely hidden bitterness lurking beneath the surface, and Thalia couldn’t stop herself.

With a pointed look, she said flatly, "Not for the reason you're thinking."

Miryanne’s lips parted slightly.

Thalia didn’t let her respond.

She turned and ran.

She raced through the streets, weaving between bustling merchants, horse-drawn carts, and temple-goers dressed in their finest robes.

The city was alive with activity, street vendors shouting their wares, children darting between stalls, the scent of fresh bread and roasted nuts mingling with the crisp afternoon air.

She barely noticed any of it.

Her heart thundered in her chest as she tried to navigate her way toward the Temple of Eshu, dodging startled pedestrians as she ran.

I should have asked Miryanne the name of the lodges.

The realization hit her like a stone to the gut as she turned down yet another unfamiliar street. She had never been to this part of the city before, had no idea how many lodges there were or even what she was looking for.

Panic flared in her chest.

What if I can’t find him? What if I waste precious time running in circles while Aric,

She shoved the thought away.

No. She had to focus.

Eshu was the god of luck. Maybe he’d be kind to her today.

The towering steps of the Temple of Eshu finally came into view ahead, its gleaming marble pillars adorned with golden charms and carved reliefs of intertwined fates. Worshippers lined the steps, some tossing small offerings into the basins near the entrance, others murmuring quiet prayers.

Thalia slowed, chest heaving, scanning the streets wildly.

She needed to find him.

She had to,

Then, like fate itself intervened, she saw him.

He was just stepping out of a narrow stone building across the street, his silver white hair catching the sunlight, his tall, broad form impossible to mistake even in a crowd.

Relief slammed into her so hard she almost collapsed.

Without hesitation, she took off, pushing through pedestrians, ignoring the indignant shouts behind her as she ran straight for him.

“Vaelith!”

His head snapped up, silver eyes narrowing as he caught sight of her barrelling toward him like a storm on legs.

For a moment, he just stood there, his expression unreadable.

Then, as if sensing the sheer urgency rolling off her, his features shifted slightly—from startled amusement to something sharper, more serious.

Thalia skidded to a halt before him, chest rising and falling rapidly, barely able to catch her breath.

Vaelith studied her, one brow arching lazily.

"Running through the streets to find me?" His lips curled into a smirk, though his gaze flickered with curiosity. "How flattering."

Thalia ignored the jab.

“We need to talk.”

His smirk faded at her tone.

And for the first time since she had met him, Vaelith looked concerned.

Silver eyes searched her face, brows drawn together slightly as he took in the flush of her skin, the breathlessness in her chest, the wild urgency in her expression.

"Are you alright?" His voice was lower than usual, a quiet intensity beneath the words. His gaze flicked over her, as though checking for injuries. "Has someone hurt you?"

Thalia shook her head violently, barely keeping herself from grabbing the front of his tunic and shaking him. "No—but it’s not about me."

Vaelith exhaled, as though only partially reassured, before gesturing for her to follow him.

Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and pushed open the door of the boarding lodge, disappearing inside.

Thalia hesitated for barely a second before following.

The moment she stepped in, the noise of the street outside was muffled, leaving only the soft crackling of the hearth and the scent of aged wood and something subtly spiced in the air.

Vaelith’s lodgings were modest but refined, the furniture dark and heavy, the walls lined with shelves half-filled with books and scattered papers. A single window overlooked the temple district, the mid-afternoon light casting golden streaks across the floor.

Vaelith turned to face her, arms crossed. "Now," he said, slow and deliberate, "tell me why you just ran halfway across the city looking for me."

Thalia sucked in a breath, steadying herself.

“It’s Aric,” she blurted. “Something changed last night, he had another episode, but this time, the glow lasted longer.”

Vaelith’s expression didn’t change, but Thalia could see it, the slightest shift in his posture, the way his shoulders stiffened just a fraction.

She pressed on, words tumbling over themselves.

"He’s weaker than ever, his body is failing, and no one can figure out why.

Master Elric tried using light magic to help, but it only caused him excruciating pain.

Nothing is working." She took a sharp breath, her voice breaking slightly.

"I saw your reaction last night, Vaelith. When I told you about his symptoms. And then you told me I wouldn’t find the answers in that book. "

Vaelith’s jaw tensed, his fingers curling ever so slightly at his sides.

Thalia’s pulse quickened. She had to be firm, Aric and his family needed her to do this.

"You know something," she stepped closer. "I don’t know what, I don’t know how, but I know you do. And I know that when you told me I wouldn’t find answers in that book, you weren’t just guessing."

Silence.

Vaelith said nothing, but Thalia could see the way his mind was working, something dark and guarded shifting behind his gaze.

“Please,” she begged, her voice shaking her desperation seeping through now. "Aric is a good man. He has a wife, a family, a little girl who adores him. She’s three years old , Vaelith. She clings to him like he’s her entire world. And she’s about to lose him ."

Vaelith’s expression flickered, just for a moment.

His fingers twitched, his lips parting like he might speak—but then, he closed his mouth, pressing them into a thin line.

Thalia stared at him, realization slamming into her.

He knows something.

And he doesn’t want to tell me.

Her heart pounded as she took another step toward him. "Why won’t you help me?"

Vaelith exhaled slowly, gaze flickering to the floor for the briefest moment before locking back onto hers. “Because some things,” he said quietly, “are better left buried.”

Thalia’s breath hitched.

She clenched her fists. "Why do you get to decide that?" before she could stop herself, the words tore from her lips.

"I know you have celestial magic."

The air in the room shifted, heavy like a storm gathering just before the first crack of lightning.

Vaelith’s expression shuttered completely, his once-lazy stance going utterly still.

A slow, deliberate blink, he stepped towards her.

Thalia’s pulse skipped as he stared her down, his silver eyes gleaming like cut steel. "What did you just say?"

She swallowed hard but didn’t back down.