Dark Desire (A spicy enemies to lovers romantasy pick): A Fae Fire Novella by Alex Temples

Author:Alex Temples [Temples, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

I woke to find a beam of light streaming through the flap in the tent, and Eirian gone. Finn was still nestled deep in the blankets, his face peaceful. I brushed his hair off his forehead and he stirred in his sleep, curling inward more, his knees drawn up to his chest. My smile froze on my face as I caught sight of a dark mark on his chest, peaking over the edge of his tunic. What the hell was that?

Careful not to wake him, I slid one finger gently between his hands, which were nestled up under his chin, nudging them far enough apart that I could get a better look. It was a round, dark mark, edges uneven, the darker center fading to a sickly gray at the edges. Had he been shot with an arrow or something else? Smothering the sudden fear unfurling in my gut, I quietly slid out of the blankets and went to where my boots lay in the corner of the tent. Dressing quickly, I made my way to the fire. Katerina sat alone in the same spot she’d occupied last night.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Good morning,” I said ,not wanting to be rude. “Where is everyone?”

“Eirian and Chartra went with the scouts to clear our path,” she said.

I frowned. I had questions about what clearing our path entailed, but right now I needed to make sure Finn was okay.

Seeming to sense something was wrong, she stood. “What is it?”

I licked my lips, afraid to give a voice to my fears. Then, gesturing back to the tent helplessly, “I think Finn was hit with something. A spell perhaps. He has a mark,” I explained, gesturing to his chest.

Katerina nodded calmly. “Okay, let’s go check on him, shall we?”

I nodded.

She and I returned to the tent to find Finn wide awake, stretching his arms above his head.

“Good morning, Lily,” he said, giving me a sweet smile.

“Good morning, Finn.”

He lowered his arms and the mark on his chest was fully revealed.

Katerina sucked in a breath. I turned to her, afraid of what I would see there.

She looked equal parts pained and shocked.

“What? What is it?” I asked.

“He’s marked,” she said, voice a bare whisper, not wanting to alarm Finn, who was now ignoring us, moving to where his outer layers were neatly folded in the corner.

“Marked for what?” I asked, voice low.

Her eyes met mine, and she swallowed.

“Marked for what?” I practically hissed.

“He’s marked for death,” she said softly, her voice breaking at the end.

*

I sat on the edge of the fire, rocking back and forth in an attempt to soothe my frayed nerves. We were waiting for Eirian and the scout troop to appear so we could get on the road. Katerina was in the tent with Finn, applying a poultice in the hopes it would slow the curse. I bit my lip and took another drink from the small flask Eirian had left. The liquid was warm, which was odd, because the temperature couldn’t have been much above freezing.

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