Craving Beauty by Jennifer Silverwood

Author:Jennifer Silverwood [Silverwood, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: A Wylder Tale, Volume 1
Publisher: SilverWoodSketches
Published: 2013-11-23T05:00:00+00:00

Odym shook from more than decrepit limbs as they came to the castle landing and rounded the corner. The candlestick in his hand wavered with every step. She would have found her way back to the dungeons regardless of whether he led her or not. But the memory of the creature that had grabbed her through those bars and of the beast that wandered these halls made her grateful for Odym’s company. Brittle as he seemed, she had no doubt if the occasion called for it, he would give his life to defend her.

The red carpet branched off into three directions. The first she knew would lead to the dining and trophy hall. Odym did not take either of the others. Instead he led her into a corner where the shadows drew deepest. Setting the candlestick in a tiny alcove, he waited as the stone wall pulled back and slid into a gap to reveal a hidden path.

They continued on, using the light his luminous body offered, her heart thumping while he gasped shallowly. Vynasha felt a twinge of guilt when she realized how nervous Odym was and wished she could remember the way without dragging Odym with her. As it stood, she was grateful for the company of another person, even if his body tended to appear transparent.

Truthfully, she was just as frightened as the elderly male beside her. She longed to be one of those maidens in Ceddrych’s books, like Eirwen, who inspired courage and love from others. Vynasha had never been very brave, relying on others. Only after she’d lost everyone and everything she could rely upon had she rallied. And this was because she was too afraid of death to give up on life. All that remained of her soul was a dried-up husk.

The beggar had changed this when he’d given her hope that Ceddrych was still alive, that little Wyll might be whole again. And hope, much like faith, often stemmed from blind belief. Could she believe after all hope was gone?

Vynasha allowed Odym to lead her like a child through the dark and struggled to rediscover her courage. Little could calm her nerves now, with the walls closing in around them and creatures grunting and scuffling in the shadows. Even Odym appeared unhinged, yet had taken to reaching back to pat her with his cold fingers now and again.

Tonight, they passed no cages in their descent and she did not recognize the room he led her into. Beyond the moon-like glow of his form, she could see nothing.

“We have arrived,” he said over his shoulder. Vynasha fought the urge to reach for the knife, the one that should have been resting in her palm. She wished she had not dropped it in the beast’s cell the other night. She dug her fingernails in her palms to keep them from shaking and tried to make sense of the structure of the room.

“We need to light a torch or something while we wait.” She gasped. “Wh—what

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