Page 77 of A Curse of Breath and Blood

Caiden shook his head in disbelief. “Lucius was right. It requires a blood sacrifice.”

“I don’t think it needs an entire sacrifice. Just a prick. You sylphs are so dramatic.” I rolled my eyes.

“We need to tell Lucius.”

“I don’t need a lecture from him.”

“He needs to know. Will any blood work? Or just yours?”

I shrugged. “Would you like me to ask it?”

“Yes, of course.”Caiden bounded out of bed.

I regretted asking. Of course, they wanted me to communicate with a talking scepter who controlled the Army of the Dead.

“Tomorrow. I am too tired tonight to argue with an ancient artifact.”

“Yes, my apologies, you need your rest.” He pulled back the pelts from the bed and slid in next to me, pulling me close and running his calloused fingers down my back.

We lay there, holding one another until late into the night.

“Remember when we were looking for the crack in the wall surrounding the bog?” I ran my hands over Caiden’s broad chest.

“Of course. It was the first time I got to see your swordplay. You took down an Arachnai on your own.”

“And you told me beer tasted better after a battle,” I chuckled.

“I was a charmer,” he said, stroking my hair.

“You were, and I ate up every bit.”

We both laughed.

Caiden’s face darkened. “I should have taken you away. Run as far away as we could get. We could’ve had a family.”

I pressed my fingers to his lips. “It does no one any good to dwell on what could’ve been.”

Grasping my hand, he pulled me in closer. “I want you to know. I thought about it. About stealing you away.”

“Stop.” Hot tears burned behind my eyes.

“Your Promised Day almost killed me.” His voice cracked like sharp glass. “I watched you on your pedestal, dressed in white. All those eyes on you. It was unbearable.”

A sob caught in my throat. “Caiden, please…”

“And then when your father announced your betrothal to Gideon Ironheart of Highlands. It took everything in me not to slit his throat right there and run away with you.”

“I wish you had.” A smile crept through my tears.

“Me too, Aelia. Things would have been different. Maybe they would have been worse, but at least we could have been together.”

“We have each other now,” I said, pulling him in close. “We need to treasure the time we have together.”

Caiden squeezed me tight. We could have ruled over the Stormlands together. I wouldn’t be this terrible crossbred creature. Shaking my head, I pushed the thoughts from my mind. I couldn’t let delusions of grandeur get the better of me now.

30AELIA

‘I knew you would be back,’the voice in the scepter hissed in my ear.

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