Page 57 of Cursed Dreams (Shadow and Dreams #1)
“Absolutely. And I love every minute of it.” Aric’s grin was contagious. “She’s taken to singing every chance she gets now, little made-up songs, tuneless as a crow, but she sings ‘em like she’s on stage for the queen.”
They all chuckled warmly, the image of Aric's daughter dancing around a hearth bringing light to the tiredness lingering in their bones.
“You sure we’re not taking you too far off course?” Thalia asked gently.
“Not at all,” Aric said with a wave of his hand. “Temple’s only a few days' ride from the edge of my route. And after everything you did for me? I’d haul you lot to the end of the world if that’s where you needed to go. Healers like you deserve it.”
“We still don’t know how you recovered,” Nyla said, glancing toward Thalia.
Aric raised an eyebrow and cut her off with a playful shake of his head. “Shh. Don’t ruin the moment. Let me think I was blessed by the gods and leave it there.”
Cellen leaned back on the wagon bench a cocky smile spreading across his face. “Well, I do have divine energy. It radiates off me, you see.”
“More like the smell of old rotten herbs and ego,” Nyla muttered.
“Hey!”
The wagon erupted with laughter again.
That evening, after miles of road and sun-dappled fields, they set up camp beside a gently flowing stream.
The soft gurgle of water and the chirp of crickets filled the air as Aric prepared a pot over the fire.
The scent of something spiced and savoury filled the clearing, causing Thalia’s stomach to growl loudly.
They sat close together on bedrolls, sharing warm bread and stories.
Aric told tales of old markets and near-misses on mountain roads; Cellen entertained them with dramatic embellishments about a rogue chicken during their anatomy lessons.
Even Marand, usually so quiet and reserved, joined in with a dry quip that had Cellen clutching his stomach from laughter.
Thalia found herself leaning back on her elbows, watching the firelight dance across her friends’ faces.
Nyla’s eyes sparkled as she sipped from a warm cup of spiced wine, Marand leaned into Cellen as he mock-grumbled about their “gruelling trek,” and Aric sat with a fatherly calm, stirring the pot and humming an off-key tune.
Contented she let her gaze drift up to the stars.
She let her thoughts drift to Caelum once again, hope rising in her chest that tonight when she slept, she might finally see him.
She longed to tell him everything that had happened since their last encounter, longed to lay in his arms. As if the thought of him summoned it she could feel the burning ache within her chest. Looking down she noticed a small but subtle glow radiating from under her robe.
She pulled her cloak tighter to hide it from Aric, her heartbeat steadying as the warmth settled low in her ribs.
They continued the evening with food and laughter, soft conversation easing the edge of weariness. One by one, they said their goodnights, the weight of the day finally catching up to them.
When Thalia curled beneath her blankets, the flicker of the fire still glowing nearby and the quiet breath of her friends around her, she let herself drift into sleep, wrapped in warmth, in hope, and for the first time in days, in a sense of safety.
When Thalia next opened her eyes, the crackling of the fire had long since dulled to soft embers, the forest heavy with the quiet stillness of night. Curled beneath her blanket, she was barely conscious of the shifting weight near the wagon, until Aric’s sharp whisper cut through the dark.
"Get up. Quickly. I hear hooves. There’s riders coming."
Panic surged through her. Nyla and Cellen snapped upright, confused and bleary, while Marand shot a concerned glance toward Aric, who was already tugging his boots on. The tension in his voice had them fully alert in an instant.
"Could be bandits," he said in a muffled voice. "Get into the trees. Now. No arguing."
“But—” Cellen began to protest, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Just do it!" Aric hissed, already moving to guide them off the road and into the thick underbrush. "I’ll stay by the wagon. If it’s nothing, you’ll be back in two minutes. If it’s something, you’re better off not being seen. More of a surprise if they attack."
He left no room for debate. With hearts pounding and hands fumbling for their things, the group crawled into the shadowy thicket, leaves damp and cold against their skin. Thalia crouched low beside Nyla, the forest around them alive with the clouds of breath and the rapid thudding of her heart.
She listened, galloping hooves, fast and solitary, echoed up the dirt road. A single rider. Thalia’s breath caught.
The black horse burst into view, powerful and swift, its rider cloaked in the shadow of the night. Even before she fully saw him, she felt him.
He pulled the reins sharply and brought the horse to a stop beside the wagon.
His silver eyes scanned the road, jaw clenched with tight, she could feel the controlled rage emanating from him.
He was dressed in his usual black leathers with his cloak billowing with each step he took, the dark, fine material clinging to him like a second skin.
His pale hair gleamed under the moonlight.
“Evening,” Aric said casually, leaning against the side of the wagon like he hadn’t just been jolted from sleep. “Unusual to see a man of your status riding the roads alone.”
Vaelith didn’t waste time answering his greeting. “Have you seen four healers traveling this road? Two females, a male and a human girl?”
Thalia’s blood froze. He knew her friends were with her .
Aric didn’t flinch. He met Vaelith’s gaze evenly, a calm ease to his posture. “Aye,” he said smoothly, “they passed by earlier today. Took the northeastern road up toward Hallow creek.”
Vaelith’s eyes narrowed, the gold in them flickering faintly for the briefest second. He scanned the surrounding trees and shadows.
Thalia didn’t dare move. Not even to breathe.
Finally, he climbed back onto his horse, movements sharp with restrained fury. With a twitch of the reins, Vaelith turned the animal toward the road.
“If anyone asks you about them,” he said coldly, without looking back, “It would be in your best interest to say you haven’t. “
Without another word he took off at a breakneck speed. Thalia watched as his figure disappeared along the road, into the darkness of the night.
They all emerged from the brush with stiff limbs and wide eyes, breath catching in their chests. A long beat passed before Cellen whispered, “. Okay he’s actually terrifying.”
Aric folded his arms as they returned to the firelight. “Now,” he said, tone grim but laced with curiosity, “someone want to explain what the hell kind of trouble you lot are in?”
Thalia exchanged a look with Nyla, Cellen, and Marand. She wasn’t sure how to answer.
Aric crouched beside the rekindled fire, tossing a few twigs into the embers as the group gathered close once more. His sharp, perceptive eyes flicked between them, waiting for someone to speak.
Cellen let out a breath, dragging a hand down his face. “Alright, alright. I’ll take this one,” he said, gesturing to the others. “Our naive friend, Thalia here, got herself wrapped up with a certain dark, broody, and very emotionally unavailable far noble while at the temple”
Thalia groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Please don’t—”
“Too late,” Cellen said, grinning but keeping his voice low and careful. “The long and short of it is... Vaelith was a charming flirt, she fell for it, and now he’s turned out to be a possessive, shadow-lurking menace with what ow appears to be a stalking hobby.”
Thalia shot him a glare but said nothing. One look at Nyla, who gave her a subtle nod, told her it was better this way. The truth, the real whole truth, was too dangerous to share.
“We’re heading to the smaller Temple of Amara in the fae lands,” Cellen continued. “Putting some distance between our girl and her...clingy ex. Letting things cool off.”
Aric sat back on his heels, absorbing it all with an unreadable expression. The firelight flickered across his features, casting a warm glow over the worn lines of his face. After a moment, he reached out and gently patted Thalia’s hand.
“I’ve heard of Lord Vaelith,” he said softly. “Even way out where I live, his name travels far. Not much is known about him. But enough to know he’s not someone to meddle with.”
Thalia’s throat tightened. She opened her mouth, but no words came. Just a small, strangled noise. Aric looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.
“I’ll keep you safe on the road,” he said finally, offering a reassuring squeeze of her hand. “You all helped me. Least I can do.”
Thalia nodded, heart swelling with gratitude and guilt all at once. Cellen’s lie, though it had worked in stopping Aric from asking anymore questions, wasn't the whole story, and now she was putting another person in danger.