Page 78 of Curse of Thorns
I swallow, face burning.
Yes, I want to know what she looks like beneath her clothes. No, it’s not a good idea to indulge such unhealthy thoughts. She is my enemy. She’s always been my enemy; she just did a hell of a good job hiding that for a while.
Part of me thinks I should just drop her here in the middle of this trail and leave her behind. But I have entirely too many questions. And well... as angry as I am with her—as much as I don’t trust her—she has helped me in the past. I shake my head. I have no idea what to think about her anymore.
“This is not how I expected my time in the Schorchedlands to go,” I mutter.
“It never is,” the wraith sighs.
I focus on each step, ignoring the illusions tempting me from within the trees.
My father, my real father watches me with admiration. Pride. I don’t even know what my real father looks like. I hadn’t cared enough to find out. But somehow, I know the man between the white trees is my biological father.
And his eyes tell me he’s proud of me. I shiver and force myself to keep walking.
Having Caelynn in my arms, and the distraction of all of those questions stirring around in my mind has made it easier to ignore the temptations.
I am certainly going to have nightmares about the Schorchedlands for the rest of my life. There are stories about fae who spent months and even years in this place.
How? How is it even possible to have survived that long?
Finally, I see an opening up ahead. Only a few hundred more feet to go. What horror will face me when I complete this terrible task? It’s only going to get worse, according to legend. “Okay,” I say finally. “Tell me what is happening, will you?”
The wraith groans and throws his smoky hands in the air in exasperation. “I am to keep this stupid, foolish, idiotic female alive. And first, she runs off into the Schorchedlands—where, surprise, she cannot ever return from. Then, she nearly throws herself into the bog to go after you, and then shedoessucceed in throwing herself into the Forest of Desires to go after you. What’s a wraith to do? I can’t work with this. You’d think she was human, the way she throws her life around like it doesn’t matter!”
I was only half-listening as he went on and on about Caelynn’s irrational acts. All of them following me. Why? What is she doing here?
If this is really Caelynn—and more and more I’m beginning to believe it is truly her and not some trick of the Schorchedlands—she has doomed herself. Only one can enter and return.
Caelynn will never leave this place alive.
“Why?” I say softly. “Why did she come here?”
“You will be the death of her, boy.”
I roll my eyes. “I am not a boy.”
“May as well be.”
“Why?” I ask again.
“Because she’s foolhardy and noble and quick to act. She feels duty-bound to kill herself to save her mate when he’s in mortal danger.”
“It’s the Schorchedlands. Of course, I’m in danger. That’s the point.”
The wraith chuckles darkly. “Indeed. However, she’s unfortunately uncovered there is more to the plot. And even though she knew coming here would make it worse, she came anyway to save the life of her beloved mate. Who is idiotic enough to hate her.”
I clench my jaw. My first inclination is to deny it. I look down at her limp body in my arms, her head bobbing awkwardly.
I do hate her, I remind myself. She’s... evil. Bad to the core. She belongs here.
I try to force the thoughts to be true. Like my mind could override my heart.
It’s only the magic of the mating bond. It wants me to love her. It’s not real. None of it was ever real. I clench my jaw at the wave of pain that floods me.
My breathing picks up speed. I should drop her on the ground here and now and leave her behind. Leave her to her strange wraith friend in the place she clearly belongs. I could move ahead and ensure she isn’t around to continue screwing with my head.
The wraith grunts and groans dramatically as he floats along beside me.
