by Dawn Brower
“Must find…” Elodie muttered and pressed her hand to his chest. “lost—need…”
His heart ached as he listened to her words tumble from her mouth. Even in her sleep she thought about Cale. Daire started to believe he enjoyed torturing himself. He held her in his arms, and she desired another male. Would he ever learn? Probably not… She was his everything and owned his soul. The sad thing was she didn’t even realize it. God save him if she ever did. He wasn’t sure he’d survive it if she pitied him.
“Don’t worry, princess,” he said soothingly. “Donia will find him.” He hoped that when the queen did locate Cale, he wasn’t completely lost.
“Keys,” she mumbled, “to go home.”
That made no sense… What was she dreaming about? Maybe he’d been wrong before and she didn’t want Cale. Perhaps she dreamed of going home and had found a way there. He smiled at the thought. If that were the case, then her dreams were of a happier sort. He liked that far better than her dreaming about Cale in any form. He might be wrong, but it was nicer to think of her searching for a way back to Zelnon than running into the arms of her dragon knight. A prince could hope, couldn’t he?
7
Treasure Hunt
Her eyelids were heavy and Elodie struggled to open them. Warmth wrapped around her and spread throughout her whole body. Slivers of pain sliced through her like shards of glass pressing into each nerve ending. She didn’t want to move, yet she had no choice. Her comfort didn’t matter when others depended on her for their very survival. What kind of queen would she make if she couldn’t breathe past the pain and do the right thing? So, she had to open her damn eyes and face whatever she found when she did… She forced herself to lift her eyelids and couldn’t help the surprised squeak that slid out of her mouth. “Why are you holding me?”
Daire chuckled lightly. “Someone had to.”
That wasn’t an answer. “Doesn’t mean it has to be you.” She couldn’t help the surliness. Her entire body hurt, and it seemed determined to make sure she felt every bruise and ache. “What happened to me?”
She couldn’t remember falling asleep, let alone doing so in Daire’s arms. What an odd thing for her to do… Elodie glanced around the cavern. No one else was around. Where had Cale and Donia gone?
“You don’t remember?” Daire lifted a brow. “You were quite—maniacal.”
She’d been what? Elodie couldn’t have heard him correctly. That was not a term normally used to describe her. Sure, she could be less than even-tempered from time to time, but maniacal? “You’re speaking nonsense.”
“I promise I’m not.” He brushed a stray lock from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. “If it helps, it wasn’t your fault.”
“It doesn’t.” Elodie hated that she lost control at all. “I’m not even sure I want to know.” Though perhaps she should—what if something important had happened. If it could potentially happen again, she might need to know how to avoid it. Why did everything have to be so difficult? She hated Malediction and the constant curse that it revolved around.
“Donia noticed you weren’t quite yourself yet. If not for her, you would have been sucked back into the darkness.”
She had been feeling weak; however, Elodie had never considered that could be the reason. Donia had come through for her. The dragon queen was an enigma and would continue to be one. Maybe they should all start to trust her a little bit. Not every entity in Malediction was out to harm them. Though Elodie had to admit her judgment was rather off, and she didn’t know who she should put her faith in. “I’ll be sure to thank her when I next see her. Where is she anyway?”
“Looking for Cale,” Daire replied almost too casually.
“I didn’t realize Cale was missing…” Hadn’t she spoken to him the night before? How long had she been unconscious this time? “I think you might need to start at the beginning. I’m lost.”
“I’m not sure what you and Cale spoke about,” Daire began. “When Donia and I returned to the cave, he was gone and you had already started to descend into madness.”
Elodie searched her memory to discover what could have happened to him. They’d discussed his ring dagger and then… “I sent him to look for you and Donia.”
“He never found us.” Daire stretched his arm above his head. “You actually mentioned that bit last night before we had to force-feed you the cure to your condition. After that, you fell asleep. Donia assured me that was normal, and I’ve been watching over you ever since.”
Daire had been the most dependable person in their little group since the moment they’d arrived in Malediction. All right, she hadn’t found him right away, but he’d been reliable ever since they rescued him from Kalypso’s wrath. She should stop being so hard on him. “We need to leave this cave.”
“I agree,” he replied. “I told Donia we would start moving south. She’ll meet up with us when she has news about Cale.”
Elodie didn’t like that Cale was missing. They always seemed to be searching for something or someone. Which reminded her… “Cale and I discussed his ring dagger. He doesn’t remember how he found it or where it was.”
“Oh?” Daire lifted a brow.
“You’re missing your family crest broach.”
He nodded. “Where are you going with this?”
She wasn’t sure how to explain her theory or its accuracy. “We all had something missing once we arrived in Malediction. I don’t have my pendant, Cale lost his ring dagger, and you the broach. Part of the prophecy is locating our lost items—they’re the key to returning home. There are no shortcuts, and we have to follow the right path from now on.” They’d foolishly thought the dragon ring would take them home, then it had trapped Cale instead.
“Do you think it’s that simple?”
Everything about Malediction was complicated. Each step they took brought a new problem and an intricate solution. Which was why she’d started to believe the simplest answer would show them the way home. “It’s simple, but not easy.”
“I doubt it’s as straightforward as you believe either. Malediction isn’t going to let go of us without a fight.”
He wasn’t wrong. The curse world needed its inhabitants to thrive. The more people that resided there, the stronger it became. Even if they found their lost items, that didn’t mean they’d be able to go home. Elodie had to believe they could escape and return to Zelnon. “That doesn’t mean we should lay down and give up.”
“Absolutely not,” he agreed. “We can start by finding our way out of this cave and down the mountain path. Do you think you have the strength to make the journey?”
She’d find it from somewhere. This was too important for her to remain an invalid in the dragon cave. Donia was looking for Cale, but she’d like to do her own search. She didn’t like that he suddenly went missing not long after she’d told him to keep his ring dagger safe. That could only mean one thing: someone, probably Lulu, was controlling him again. He’d thought that he hadn’t broken free from the hold completely. If Cale had been right about that, then he’d probably been called back to Lulu’s side. Elodie would have to find a way to break him free from the bird once and for all. She would not leave him behind when they returned to Zelnon. Their relationship might be skewed by the shadow of distrust around them; however, that didn’t mean Elodie no longer cared for him. Cale had always been, and still was, important to her.
“Help me up,” Elodie demanded.
Daire stood and then reached down to pull her to her feet. Elodie was a little wobbly at first. After a few moments she managed to steady herself. She would probably have to take a lot of breaks, but she could start walking. “All right, I’m ready.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “We can wait a little bit longer if you need it.”
She shook her head. “We need to go. I want to start our little treasure hunt so we can figure out once and for all how to get home.”
Daire nodded and held his hand out to her. “I’m not
going to argue with you on that front. But I must insist on helping you. Your strength isn’t what it normally is.”
She hated being weak in any way, shape, or form. Elodie reluctantly held her hand out to him. “Fine,” she agreed. “I’ll allow you to be my crutch, but if I want to let go, promise you won’t argue with me.”
“As you wish.” He flashed her one of his most charming grins. “I’ve always done as you asked, princess.”
Sometimes he really irritated her, yet she couldn’t stop herself from smiling back at him. Daire really was a good guy. “Are you ready to lead the way?”
“Absolutely.”
They walked slowly out of the cave and headed toward the mountain path. Elodie really wished Cale had been there to fly them down. She was breathless from exiting the cave. The path down would leave her lungs burning and her muscles a constant ache. Not that they weren’t already, but she’d hurt a little less if she didn’t have to walk so darn far.
“Why did you decide to go south?”
“It seemed like the most logical place to start. We might have better luck with some plants instead of sand and rocks.”
Elodie laughed. “Until the plants try to strangle us. Nothing is safe in this world.”
“I haven’t had any experience with the vegetation attacking me in here—I don’t envy you that.” He grinned. “But I understand your meaning.”
Unfortunately, Elodie had more experience than she’d like with the plant life in Malediction. That first tree had wanted to kill her or worse. She wondered sometimes if it had intended to eat her. Nothing would have surprised her in the curse world. The flowers and vines had tied Cale up nicely. They would have strangled the knight if Elodie hadn’t come along to help him. Thinking back to that time, and her first meeting with Lulu, she started to believe the bird had planned for Cale to become the dragon all along. What had Lulu seen in Cale that made her think he’d make a good puppet?
Cale had been so vulnerable, in some ways he still was. Malediction had tested them at every turn. From the tree that had wanted to consume her upon her arrival, to the flowers that attempted to squeeze the life out of Cale, to Kalypso wanting to roast Daire on a spit and devour him. The entire experience would not soon be forgotten, and she didn’t want to. It had helped her grow and become a stronger person.
“It’s as good a place as any to start. Maybe if we’re lucky enough we’ll run into Athair again.”
“Do you think he’d know where to find our missing items?”
She nibbled on her lip a moment before she spoke. “I can’t say for sure, but he would know before anyone else. This is his world after all.”
“You’re right, of course.” Daire kept his gaze forward.
They were at the halfway point of the path. The trek down was going by a lot faster than she’d thought it would. Talking helped to distract her from her discomfort. Perhaps she could utilize that to assist her in making more progress than her body wanted. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost numb herself to the pain.
Her stomach rumbled. “I suppose that means I should eat something.”
“Once we reach the end of the path, I’ll pull something out of my satchel for you. We have a decent amount of provisions for the journey, but at some point, we will have to restock.”
“Yes,” she said. “We have to have food and water to survive.” Their conversation was utterly boring, but she didn’t know what else to discuss with him. She’d never been awkward around Daire before. Elodie didn’t understand why she was having trouble talking to him.
They finally reached the end of the path. She leaned heavily on Daire, but he didn’t complain. Elodie hated being weak, and she wanted to be her normal self. He glanced down at her and frowned. “We can take a break.”
“No,” she said. “We should keep moving.”
She’d have to find some topic to talk to him about. The more she distracted him, and herself, the easier the trip would be for them both. The worry etched on his face was almost too much for her to bear. She didn’t want his pity.
“Are you sure?”
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” Elodie asked. “You’re acting rather strange.”
“No,” he said quickly. “I’m worried about you.”
Of course he was… Between him and Cale they nearly suffocated her with concern. She wanted to scream with frustration. Elodie didn’t give into the urge though. It wouldn’t serve any purpose, and she wanted him to focus on something other than her. Perhaps she should steer the conversation away from their trip and her limitations.
“What do you think happened to Cale?”
He drew his eyebrows together and didn’t meet her gaze. Daire kept his focus on the path in front of them. The mountain was behind them now, and they were heading away from the valley. They’d reach the forest before nightfall and would have to find shelter. Why wasn’t he answering her?
After several heartbeats, he finally spoke. “He’s with Lulu.”
“You know that for sure?” How and why hadn’t he suggested they follow after Donia to rescue him?
“No, I don’t,” he replied. “But it makes sense. Don’t worry about him. Donia will see to him, and we’ll all return to Zelnon together.”
Elodie wished she could believe that. The more time they spent in Malediction, the more she doubted they’d ever return home. Sometimes even the strongest faith faltered, and hers was on its way to hitting rock bottom. Maybe none of them deserved to be saved. None of that mattered though. She would still try and continue their treasure hunt. At the end of it, maybe, if they were lucky enough, Zelnon wouldn’t be far behind.
8
Cloaked in Secrecy
Firelight bounced across the surface and left a glow over Elodie’s features. Her blonde hair almost resembled the fire and took on its orange and red coloring. Her eyes were like blue flames absorbing the heat. Perhaps Daire waxed a little poetic, but she’d always been beautiful to him. The night sky had fallen into darkness hours ago. Neither one of them seemed tired enough to sleep though.
Daire didn’t like closing his eyes and leaving Elodie unprotected. He suspected Elodie didn’t want to sleep for fear she’d not wake up again. She’d been sucked into a different kind of darkness. One that had left its toll on her and had crept into the dark corners of her mind—something that profound would always be buried inside of her. It was now a part of who she was and would be in the future. It marked her and every future decision she’d make. Daire didn’t envy her that experience.
“What are you thinking about?” Daire asked her. If they weren’t going to rest, perhaps they should discuss what their next move would be.
“I hate it here.”
He didn’t disagree. “It doesn’t leave a warm and fuzzy feeling inside of me either.” They’d been through more than any person should in one lifetime. They all had different battles, but the outcome was the same—they’d survived but were irrevocably altered. “But that can’t be all that’s on your mind.”
“No,” she replied. “But isn’t it enough?”
“I suppose so if you don’t feel like talking.” He wouldn’t push her. Daire wanted her to come to him on her own. She had enough people pushing her to do what they wanted. He wouldn’t be one of those individuals who dared to put their own desires before her needs. “I’ll be here if you change your mind. Not as if I have any place else to go.”
Perhaps that was the wrong thing to say, but he couldn’t always be good or even right. He’d like to be that for her, but he was human. Malediction may have given him some magical gifts, but deep down he hadn’t changed. If she couldn’t accept that, then they really didn’t have a future—not that he really believed they had one to begin with, but he hoped they might.
“Sometimes, I wish I could go back and redo every decision I made that night,” Elodie began. “To stay in my room and accept my fate—marry you.”
Daire shifted his gaze and met her
s. What did she mean by that statement? Did she like the idea of being his wife now? If so what had changed for her and when? He’d always assumed she’d choose Cale, but what if she chose him instead? “I don’t understand.”
She sat forward and brought her fingers together, then entwined them. Sorrow poured off of her and smacked his heart. They were still connected. He’d started to wonder if the darkness had severed that bond. Now though—it seemed as if, Elodie had found a way to keep him out. That bounce of emotion must have slipped out accidentally. Daire worried about her. Lately, that was becoming standard with her.
“I’m the reason you and Cale are here.” She lowered her gaze, refusing to look him in the eye. “You’d be safe—hell, we all would be—if I’d done as I was told.”
“It’s not in your nature to follow orders.” Daire wanted to take away her pain, but he realized he couldn’t. She had to work through her own demons. If she wanted to remain cloaked in secrecy there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Her issues—her resolution—it was as simple as that. “Cale and I made our own decisions too. We could have stayed behind.”
“That’s not who you two are.”
“No,” he answered, “so stop with the what ifs and should haves. You can’t go back and change them. I can’t speak for Cale, but I wouldn’t want you to. Life isn’t simple, and we all have to live with our own choices. I’m all right with the ones I’ve made, and I wouldn’t want you to compromise yourself to make things better for me.”
“Do you really believe we will escape Malediction?” The uncertainty reverberated in her voice. “Lately I believe this is where I belong. What I deserve…”