Page 52 of Cursed Dreams (Shadow and Dreams #1)

T halia woke before sunrise, despite sleeping the full night, she still felt exhausted.

Looking over to Nyla’s bed she found it empty, with a note to say she had woke early to do some studying in the library.

As she dressed, she looked herself over in the mirror taking note of the dark circles under her eyes.

The stresses of the last few months clearly were leaving their mark on her.

She made her way down to breakfast, her friends were already seated, clustered at their usual spot by the window.

She noted how calm they all looked despite the events of the night before.

Slowly she made her way over, taking up the empty seat next to Nyla, smiling gratefully at the coffee Marand had set in front of her.

“ I swear,” Cellen was saying, with his usual flare of dramatics “ Priestess Arissa, was furious. She warned me if she caught me sneaking out of the female dorms again, that she would personally see to it that, I was packed up and sent back home. I think she’s jealous ” he took a bite out of his honeyed bread “ She wants me” he continued, mouth still full.

“You think everyone wants you” Marand muttered with a slight shake of her head.

Nyla raised a brow. “Only those with, low self respect and poor judgment want you”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself Nyla, it’s natural to want me, I’m godlike and a very impressive lover“ Cellen retorted raising his eyebrows. Nyla rolled her eyes.

“We’ll meet in the library later?” Thalia cut in,

“After classes,” Nyla confirmed. “Bring the map. We’ll compare it to modern maps and hopefully, figure out exactly where this forest is .”

Thalia nodded, biting into a piece of fruit, but the taste barely registered. Her thoughts were already drifting.

Magic Theory that morning was taught by Master Renwyn, a stern but passionate fae with a beautiful face and a voice like gravel, known to be a favourite amongst both the human and fae females of the temple.

He had once studied at the old Temple of Osain and often liked to remind them all that "practical healing is nothing without understanding the why behind the spell.

"He paced at the front of the classroom, robes swishing as he gestured toward the hovering rune shapes, he had conjured in the air.

"Now," he said, “can anyone tell me why a resonance bond between healer and patient might strengthen a light-based treatment spell, but destabilize an elemental compression ward?”

Hands lifted, some eagerly, others hesitantly.

Thalia stared at her notes. She knew this.

She’d studied this and managed to attain a perfect mark on the thesis she had handed in at the beginning of the year, yet she just couldn’t seem to focus.

Images of the map flickered in her mind's eye. She didn’t want to be here; she wanted to be in the library searching for the forest. Then what?

How would she even get there, and what would she say to the high priestess.

She couldn’t request leave; most apprentices didn't go home till after they had completed their first two years training.

She couldn't wait that long! Was she really about to leave everything she had worked so hard for all these years?

They would revoke her place here at the temple she knew it.

How would she explain all this to her mother?

"Miss Thalia," Master Renwyn’s voice interrupted her inward spiral, "perhaps you'd like to share your thoughts on magical instability and healer empathy?"

Thalia blinked.

"Ah—" She scrambled for the answer. "If the emotional link between healer and patient becomes too strong, it can override the spell’s base resonance. The magic can become erratic… distorted.”

Master Renwyn studied her a moment, then gave a small, approving nod. “Correct. Though I suggest you don’t spend so much time daydreaming in future lessons. Magic isn’t forgiving to those with divided minds.” Thalia flushed, ducking her head as the class moved on.

When the bell finally rang, she gathered her things slowly.

She should’ve felt better. She was still on top of her work.

Still ahead in her studies. But a creeping tension curled around her spine as she left the classroom.

She turned down the corridor leading toward the hospital wing, absently reviewing notes in her mind, replaying Master Elric’s lesson from the previous day.

She was halfway down the stairwell when she suddenly felt a shift in the air.

The hairs on her arms rose. She stopped walking, she knew exactly who she would see if she lifted her head.

Striding straight toward her from the end of the hall, dark cloak swirling behind him, silver eyes burning like moonlight over still water.

Vaelith’s expression was carved from granite.

His jaw tense. His movements like a storm barely contained.

Thalia’s pulse quickened, she looked around for someone anyone who could help her, somewhere for her to hide, but came up empty.

He wasn’t just walking toward her. He was storming.

He was coming for her. Thalia’s heart jumped into her throat.

Her feet felt glued to the stone beneath her as Vaelith stalked forward like a predator who’d finally cornered its prey.

The corridor stretched around them, wide and open, too many watching eyes.

She could feel the students glancing up from scrolls, apprentices pausing mid-conversation, whispers blooming like wildfire across the hall.

He knew what she had done. She could feel the fury burning from him the closer he got, the way his eyes, those normally cool, silver eyes, were flickering and flaring with molten gold that licked around his pupils like fire looking for something to consume.

Her he was going to kill her. Thalia forced herself to breathe. To stand straight. She wouldn’t cower.

“Vaelith,” she managed tightly, but his name came out like a warning.

His voice was low, dangerous. “You stole from me.”

It wasn’t a question. Something inside her snapped her fury rising to match his.

She clenched her fists clenched at her sides. “I borrowed what never should have belonged to you in the first place.”

“ Borrowed? ” His lips curled, a humourless smile twitching into something wild. “Is that what we’re calling it?” “You stole from me; you are a thief!”

Her stomach dropped, ice sliding through her veins. “Don’t you dare—”

“You went into my lodgings.” His voice was thunder restrained, knuckles flexing at his sides. “You took a map that was under my protection. And you did it knowing exactly what you were looking for.”

People were watching. Listening. She could feel the weight of every pair of eyes burning into her back.

None of it mattered. She was done being afraid of this male, he was the enemy !

She was doing the right thing, this was more than just about saving Caelum this was about the truth!

This was about setting right the wrong !

The high fae deserved this, Caelum deserved this.

“Protection?” she spat, her voice rising to an almost shriek. “You mean hoarding? Hiding it from people who should know the truth? Who deserve truth ?”

“That map was kept hidden for a reason, ” he hissed, stepping closer.

Too close. Gods, he was too close. He towered over her, the heat radiating off his body like coals smouldering in the depths of some ancient forge.

His eyes flickered gold again brighter, angrier.

She noted the shadow dancing at the edge of his fingertips before he curled them back into fists.

He was loosing control, good let him expose himself here in front of everyone!

“And what reason is that?” Thalia shot back, pulse roaring in her ears. “Because it might help someone uncover something you don’t want them to know? Because it might help me expose your lies and what you did to him”

Vaelith’s mouth twisted. “You mean the prince.”

He spat the words like venom. Thalia didn’t flinch.

“Yes,” she said, lifting her chin. “ His name is Caelum.”

His name tasted like defiance on her lips, and having the exact desired effect she needed.

“You don’t understand who he is,” Vaelith roared, all attempts to contain him self gone. “What he’s capable of. What you’re helping him do.”

“You don’t get to talk about him.” Her voice shook with fury. “You don’t know him—”

“I know him better than you!” he snapped. “I know what he’s done. What his kind did.”

“His kind saved the world,” she hissed. “They gave everything—”

“They destroyed everything!” Vaelith’s voice echoed like a crack of lightning, the corridor went still. She was aware they were putting on a show for all to see, but she didn’t care anymore.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. His eyes were gold now.

Fully, terrifyingly, burning molten gold.

She could see the strain in his jaw, the twitch in his cheek like he was moments from losing the last tether of control he had left .

He leaned down to her, despite the terror coursing through her whole body, she refused to step back .

“I saw it,” he whispered in her ear, for a single heartbeat she swore there was something broken in his voice. “I lived it. I bled in that war, Thalia. I watched what they did. Don’t stand there and speak to me about sacrifice and glory when you weren’t there to see the ruin.”

Her breath caught. Before she could understand what she was doing her hands reached up to comfort him. The burning ache within her chest flared bringing her back to her senses. She took a step back, shaking her head. She needed to keep her distance from him.

“I won’t let him out,” Vaelith said, watching her, the look on his face told her he had seen what she was about to do to. “I won’t let you break the veil for that evil, that was caged for everyone's protection.”

Thalia’s hands trembled. Her voice cracked as she forced it out. “He’s not evil.”