Page 55 of Cursed Dreams (Shadow and Dreams #1)

T hey refused to leave her side. Even as the sun dipped low and the warmth of the lamps cast long shadows across the dormitory walls, her friends remained close.

Cellen had insisted on making her tea with too much honey, as always, and handed it to her with a wobbly smile that barely hid the fear behind his eyes.

Marand had brushed her hair gently, her touch soothing as she whispered calming nonsense and tidied the space around them in that quiet, comforting way she always did when she didn’t know what else to do.

Nyla, sharp-eyed and furious on her behalf, fussing with blankets and muttering how the temple had no idea what they were losing.

Thalia offered small smiles, tried to thank them, but the words stuck in her throat.

Her limbs felt heavy, her chest hollow. The comfort helped, but the ache within her still gnawed relentlessly.

When Cellen and Marand finally left, whispering promises to return early, Nyla remained.

“Move over,” she said gently, nudging Thalia beneath the covers. “You’re not sleeping alone tonight.”

Thalia didn’t argue. She couldn't. She curled in on herself as Nyla slid in behind her, warm arms wrapping around her middle, holding her close. Her body shook with the quiet sobs she tried to hide, her breath hitching against the soft fabric of her pillow. Nyla didn’t say a word, just held her tighter.

As the room dimmed and the last of the hallway lights faded, Thalia stared into the darkness with burning eyes.

Her heart felt torn, her mind spinning with fear and anger and the terrible ache of helplessness.

She had never felt more afraid of losing everything she had worked for, including any chance to save Caelum.

Please, she thought desperately. Please let him come to me. I need him. I don’t know what to do. She longed for him to hold her. She let the weight of exhaustion pull her under, praying her dreams would bring him to her. But they didn’t, instead, the morning came far too soon.

A sharp knock on the dormitory door jolted them both awake.

Thalia sat up fast, breath caught in her throat, Nyla groaning softly beside her and blinking blearily at the interruption.

The knock came again, firm. Purposeful. Nyla reached for her robe, already on her feet, exchanging a wide-eyed glance with Thalia.

Someone was here to take her away, sadness swallowed her.

The door creaked open, revealing Miryanne. Not a hair out of place, her temple robes crisp and pristine despite the early hour, and her expression… triumphant.

“The High Priestess requests your presence in her office. Immediately.”

Thalia’s stomach dropped. The air seemed to grow thinner around her.

Nyla pushed in front of her, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “It’s barely dawn. What in the—”

“You’ve been summoned,” Miryanne cut in sharply, eyes like frost. “And I suggest you don’t keep the High Priestess waiting.”

Thalia was already moving, heart pounding as she slipped into her shoes and threw on her robes. Her fingers fumbled with the clasps, her limbs heavy and slow, like she was walking to the gallows. Nyla brushed a hand against her arm as she passed, a silent gesture of solidarity.

Miryanne turned and led the way, her pace brisk and efficient, her silence loud.

They walked through the quiet temple corridors, the morning light just beginning to filter through the high stained glass windows.

Shadows stretched long across the tiled floors, the occasional priestess gliding silently past them.

No one spoke, but Thalia felt their eyes.

Whispers prickled at her back. She was still the centre of gossip after the argument with Vaelith, and now, everyone knew she was being summoned again.

Soon they would know she had been expelled.

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, heart thudding wildly in her chest as they passed a pair of younger students who quickly lowered their heads and pretended not to stare.

But she felt their scrutiny. Miryanne seemed to revel in it.

They reached the tall carved doors of the High Priestess’s office. The soft golden symbol of Amara glowed above it, catching the early morning light in delicate rays. Thalia paused, reaching for the door handle, her hand trembling slightly.

Just as she pushed it open, Miryanne leaned in.

“I thought better of you,” she said quietly, her tone smooth and cutting. “Truly.”

Thalia flinched, her breath catching, but she didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She stepped into the room, head high despite the panic clawing at her chest. The door clicked shut behind her.

The High Priestess Elara stood by the window, her long robes trailing across the tiled floor like morning mist. Sunlight filtered through the stained glass, painting her silver-streaked hair in hues of rose and gold.

She looked tired. Weary, even, but there was strength in her posture, and when she turned to face Thalia, her gaze was steady. Compassionate.

“Sit, Dear.”

Thalia obeyed, clasping her hands tightly in her lap to stop her from nervously fidgeting. Elara studied her for a long moment, the silence stretching like a string pulled taut. When she eventually spoke, her voice was low and even.

“I did not sleep last night.”

Thalia kept her eyes low

“I thought of what you told me… every word. I prayed, long and hard, and asked the gods for guidance. For truth.” She turned back to the window, watching the light move across the gardens below. “And they answered.”

A lump formed in Thalia’s throat.

“I believe you.”

Those three words hit harder than any accusation ever could. Thalia's eyes widened, her lips parting in disbelief. She barely heard Elara continue, her mind whirling.

“I believe your bond with the forgotten prince is real. And I believe your purpose, your role in all this, is greater than anything even I can fully comprehend.” She turned back, her eyes soft now, kind. “I believe Es-” she corrected herself “Kek himself, has chosen you.”

Thalia's heart leapt, her breath stuttering in her chest. “Thank you “

“wh ... what happens now?”

Elara’s mouth curled into a sad but resolute smile.

“You leave.”

Thalia blinked.

“I want the others to believe your studies have been suspended due to your inappropriate conduct,” Elara continued.

“But in truth, I am assigning you a special mission, under temple command and guidance. You will be sent to assist with the healer’s work at the smaller sister temple of Amara in the Fae lands. ”

Thalia stared at her. “You’re sending me away? … but my studies?”

“I’m giving you my blessing,” Elara said gently, walking closer. “To seek the Forgotten Forest. To find the Temple of Kek. To follow the thread fate has woven around you, Thalia. You will be safe there and able to continue your search”

A swell of emotions built in Thalia’s chest. The tight grip of tears threatened her throat. “You really… you trust me to do this?”

“I trust the gods,” Elara said simply. “And I trust the female I’ve seen grow into a capable, kind, and brave young healer.” She touched Thalia’s shoulder. “This path is not easy. But you are not walking it alone.”

Thalia’s thoughts spiralled, her friends. Nyla. Cellen. Marand. Would they come with her? Could she ask that of them? Was it fair?

“Your friends have been by your side this far,” Elara said, as if reading her mind. “But the choice to share your burden is theirs. Give them that choice.”

Thalia nodded, eyes shining.

“You leave this afternoon,” Elara said. “Travel light. And quietly. If Lord Vaelith suspects—”

Her voice cut off. She didn’t need to finish.

Thalia swallowed and stood, heart pounding fierce and electric.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Go with the blessing of Amara,” Elara said softly. “And with the eyes of Kek watching over you.”

As Thalia left the office, the door clicking gently behind her, as she practically ran back to her dorm. Finally, she was free to find Caelum, she had her friends and the high priestesses blessing. She had never felt so validated.

As Thalia stood at the edge of the courtyard, watching the shadows shift beneath the great arch of the temple’s gate, her thoughts drifted back to her conversation with her friends earlier that morning.

They had been waiting for her in the dormitory when she returned from the high priestess’s office, Cellen sitting upside down in a chair, boots kicked off and thrown haphazardly in a corner, Nyla perched on her bed, hands clenched in her lap, and Marand leaning against the wall with a tension in her shoulders that only deepened when she stepped through the door.

She’d barely shut it behind her before Nyla sprang up.

“Well?” she demanded. “What did she say?”

Thalia opened her mouth, but no words came at first. Too many emotions tangled on her tongue. Then, quietly and carefully, she managed to speak. She told them everything. How the High Priestess had said she believed her. That she was being sent away in secret to find the Forgotten Forest.

“I’m coming,” Nyla had said immediately, with a fire in her eyes that made Thalia’s throat tighten. “I want to help. You’re not doing this without me.”

Marand nodded. “You’ll need a second pair of steady hands. I know this is mad, but… I want to be on the right side of history” She smiled softly. “I trust you, Thalia.”

Cellen, stretched back in his chair “Well, I suppose I can’t let you lot stumble into danger without a strong male to protect you.” His tone was teasing, but his eyes were serious when they met hers. “I’m with you. Until the end.”

Even now, standing under the warm afternoon sun, the memory brought a sharp sting to her eyes.

She hadn’t even had to ask them. Not once from the moment she told them what was going on had they doubted her.

They’d seen the look in her eyes and believed in her when no one else would’ve dared. Her heart swelled.

She inhaled slowly, pressing a hand to the small pendant at her neck. It warmed against her skin, as if in answer. We’re coming, Caelum, she thought. Just hold on.

The weight of her thoughts hit her like a rush of wind.

She had come so far. She was no longer the quiet female in the village who buried herself in her studies while others danced at festivals.

She had lived, she had found her friends, danced, celebrated, loved, gone toe to toe with a dragon.

And now, now she was embarking on a mission that could change the world as everyone knew it.

It was a terrifying but liberating thought.

Still a pang of guilt twisted in her chest as she pulled out the folded letter she’d written to her parents and slipped it into the outgoing post box.

She’d written carefully, delicately, spinning the lie that she was being sent to the smaller temple for additional training.

She told them not to worry. That she’d write soon.

That she loved them. Her hand lingered on the edge of the post box slot before letting go.

What would her mother say if she knew the truth?

That her daughter was chasing legends and forgotten gods?

That she was risking everything for a prince from her dreams. She clenched her jaw and turned back to her friends.

No. She reassured herself. This was the right path.

Whatever her mother might have said, Thalia knew with her whole soul that rescuing Caelum, freeing him from the prison the dragons had buried him in, was worth every lie.

“Ready?” Nyla asked, stepping up beside her.

Thalia nodded. “Let’s go”