Page 111 of Gilded Curses

She’d always suspected the dark fae hid some of their ciphers, but he’d confirmed it. And not only that but there were far more than she would have guessed.

He smiled as he settled on top of her again. “I much prefer it when you’re saying my name… or should I say, screaming it.”

With that, he claimed her mouth again. She wrapped her arms around him as she lost herself to him.

Soon, they would leave for Doomed Valley. Until then, she planned to enjoy every second of her time home with her loved ones and this wonderfully complicated, infuriating, loving man who would one day be her husband.

* * *

The next day a note arrived via hell hound, the demons’ favorite way of sending missives. Sahira patted the massive, hairless beast on the head and removed the note clipped to its collar. The hound panted and sat on its ass.

Sahira opened the note as Orin and Elsa came to stand beside her. In neat, scrawled handwriting was a simple message…

I’m home where I belong with my family. My uncle would like to come to Dragonia to meet soon. Will send notice.

Kindest regards,

Zeth.

Sahira smiled as she patted the hound on the head and went in search of a pen.

EPILOGUE

Three months earlier

Trying to sleep in Doomed Valley was like trying to sleep in the middle of the war he’d fought with the Lord. Brokk clearly recalled what it was like to lie awake at night, listening to the clash of steel, screams, the crashes of magic, and sometimes the humans’ bombs as they sought to thwart the Lord’s determination to take over their realm.

Here, there were no bombs, but dying things screamed in the distance. He had no idea what those things were, as the creatures here were fantastical beasts who didn’t die easily.

The big creatures crashing through the dense jungle surrounding them didn’t worry him the most. The smaller ones slid through the trees and didn’t make a sound when they snuck into their campground last night and stole one of the dwarves.

Since then, Kaylia had established a protective bubble and a warning system around their camp. He could still sense the creatures watching and waiting for their chance to take another.

And the whispers….

As soon as he thought of them, he heard a murmur in the distance. Though the words they said were often too low for him to understand, he sometimes caught his name, or the names of the others, coming from the darkness.

The monsters sought to eat them, but the whispers unnerved him more. The beasts knew nothing about them; the whispers did.

Doomed Valley was full of mysteries and death. So far, that was all they’d encountered while searching for the crudue vine, but no one had suggested turning back.

They could open a portal and leave anytime, but they’d come here for a reason and wouldn’t turn back. Soon, he would send someone back to check on things in Dragonia, but they’d only been here for two days. That could wait.

Looking across the small campsite they’d established, his eyes clashed with Kaylia’s. She’d settled on a stump and looked as haggard as he felt, but determination etched her beautiful features and shone in her pewter gray eyes.

As something screamed again in the night and the others all stirred in their sleep, he watched the firelight play over Kaylia. He had no idea what awaited them in this lethal oasis, but they wouldn’t turn back until they had the crudue vine.

He just hoped they didn’t die before they found it.

* * *