Chapter 9
AURORA
Moonlight spills through the cracks in the mortar as I weave through the shadowed halls of the ancient ruins, thinking about the stories of ghosts and curses lurking between the crumbling towers.
I’ve never believed them, of course. Such stories are made up for entertainment or to frighten.
Well, I’m not afraid.
As I move through a wide corridor, searching for a good hiding place, Reid’s voice grows fainter behind me as he continues counting aloud. Hushed giggles draw my attention to a small alcove, and a furious blush heats my face when I see Raina kissing Dolan.
She’s been mooning over him for the past several months, and while I’m glad her affections are returned, I quickly look away, embarrassed to have stumbled upon them like this.
The moss-covered bricks are soft and damp against my fingertips as I trace a vine-covered wall, stepping carefully over fallen stones, searching for somewhere to hide. The air shifts as I cross under an old archway, thick and heavy with the smell of wet stone.
A strange sense of unease crawls down my spine, and I go completely still as something moves in the shadows beyond a broken pillar up ahead.
A cool breeze whispers through the hallway, rustling leaves as dread settles in my gut.
I’m not alone.
My heart taps a frantic beat, and I spin around, only to crash straight into a solid, immovable chest.
Thalric.
He steadies me instantly, his huge hands gentle but firm on my arms. His massive wings rise behind him, blotting out the moonlight as his golden eyes blaze in the darkness. “You shouldn’t be here, Auri,” he says, voice full of concern. “What are you doing?”
“Playing seek and find.” I place my hands on my hips. “Is that some sort of crime?”
Irritation flashes across his handsome, severe face. “It’s dangerous to wander too far into the ruins. The walls could collapse.”
“It’s fine, Thalric. Nothing is going to happen.” I stop short of rolling my eyes at his needless worrying. “These ruins have been here for hundreds of years.”
“Which means they’re extremely old and unstable,” he counters, his tail curling around my ankle like a gentle caress, melting away my frustration. “Come on. We should head back toward the entrance.”
His head snaps to the side, wings bristling as his whole body tenses with lethal alertness. Lightning fast, Thalric moves, whirling protectively in front of me as something lunges from the shadows.