Garden of Ashes & Hope: An Enemies to Lovers Dark Demon Fantasy Romance by Anne Hale & Celeste King

Author:Anne Hale & Celeste King [Hale, Anne & King, Celeste]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Protheka Publishing
Published: 2024-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

12

EVE

The rising sun paints the sky in shades of pink and gold as we set out towards the west.

Towards the golden coast.

Towards hope.

I can't help but smile, feeling a lightness in my heart that I haven't experienced in years. "What's got you so happy?" Mordakus grumbles, but I catch the hint of amusement in his voice.

"Can't you feel it?" I say, spreading my arms wide. "It's like... like we're finally moving towards something, not just running away."

He grunts, but I see the corners of his mouth twitch upward. "Don't get too excited. It's still a long, dangerous journey."

"I know," I nod, sobering slightly. "But we're in this together, right?"

Mordakus looks at me for a long moment, his red eyes unreadable. Then he nods. "Together."

As we walk, I can't help but notice the change in Mordakus. There's a new energy to his stride, a sense of purpose that wasn't there before. He pores over the map during our rest breaks, plotting our course with an intensity that leaves me in awe.

"See this river?" he says, pointing to a blue line on the worn paper. "If we follow it, it'll lead us to a mountain pass. Might be our best bet for avoiding demon encounters."

I lean in, our shoulders brushing. I feel him tense for a moment, then relax. Progress, I think with a small smile.

"That's brilliant," I say, genuinely impressed. "And look, this area along the river - it's likely to have a lot of edible and medicinal plants. We could stock up as we go."

Mordakus nods approvingly. "Good thinking. Your plant knowledge has been... useful."

Coming from him, it's high praise, and I feel a warm glow of pride.

As we travel, the landscape begins to change. The barren wasteland gives way to scrubland, then to patchy forests. With each new environment, I discover plants I've only read about in my father's old books.

One evening, as we make camp by a small stream, I notice Mordakus wincing as he rolls his shoulder.

"Are you hurt?" I ask, concern coloring my voice.

He shakes his head. "Old injury. Acts up sometimes."

I bite my lip, then gather my courage. "I could... I could try to help, if you want. I know some massage techniques that might ease the pain."

Mordakus looks at me skeptically, but after a moment, he nods. "Alright. Can't make it worse, I suppose."

As I work on his tense muscles, I feel him gradually relax under my touch. "Where did you learn this?" he asks, his voice low and rumbling.

"My mom," I say softly, memories washing over me. "She was a healer of sorts, before... everything. She’s the one who pushed me to embrace my passions."

We're both quiet for a moment, the only sounds are the gentle burbling of the stream and Vincent's content purring from his spot by the fire.

"You miss them," Mordakus says. It's not a question.

I nod, feeling tears prick at my eyes. "More and more every year. But... It's getting easier. Being with you and Vincent, having a purpose... it helps.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.