Melodies of the Damned (Crowns of Gods and Monsters Book 1) by Nakita Kirwan

Author:Nakita Kirwan [Kirwan, Nakita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2026-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Four

Nightmares

The sea was on fire. Smoke bled into the sky, and blood-stained waves clawed at a crumbling cliff. A woman stood at its edge, wearing black battle armour with her silver hair braided beneath a crown of shells that shimmered like moonlight on glass. Her eyes were the most vibrant blue I had ever seen, brighter than mine. Unnatural.

“Hello, my love,” she whispered, tears swimming in her eyes.

“No. I am your death.”

A blade struck through her chest, a black flash of steel. It was so fast I didn’t see who wielded it, only the spray of blood and the woman fall to the ground.

Blood poured into the ocean like spilled ink, staining the waves. Her crown tumbled from her head, falling. Vanishing beneath the water’s surface. Blood, dark and oily, spilled from her mouth as her face began to change. Shift. Twist. Until it was my own. I was the one gasping for air, sinking to my knees.

“Find the pieces!” I screamed, my voice breaking into layered echoes. Mine, hers, something older. The sword left my chest with a wet rasp, blood spilling from the open wound as I slumped onto the ground. My lifeless eyes snapped open.

I jolted awake, hands clasping my chest. I was in the cave. There was no gaping hole in my chest. It was a nightmare. The fire had burned down to ash. I knew before looking that the Commander was gone, and somehow that made me feel more alone. Cerilla laid at the back of the cave, still fast asleep. Solas was nowhere to be seen either.

I pushed to my feet, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and telling my heart to stop pounding. The air smelled clean, and there was no more rumbling thunder or pounding of rain. The storm had passed. Dawn’s sunlight bled into the mouth of the cave, painting the rocks in a soft glow.

I walked to the cave’s entrance, drawn to the light like something starved. The three horses were resting. Wherever Solas and the Commander were, they couldn’t be far.

The sky was shifting from bruised purple to soft oranges and pinks. The sheer beauty of it made my nightmare seem almost distant. Almost.

It was rather arrogant of them to leave me behind with the opportunity to run, but where would I go?

I sat against the rocks, leaning my head back to watch the sky, mesmerised by its colours. The woman from my dream was the same ghost that led me to my axe. Was she trying to show me who had killed her?

“Are you hurt?” The Commander’s voice startled me, and I jolted upright. My breath hitched. He walked through the trees, muscles covered in dark blue blood, black curls plastered to his forehead. Solas walked next to him, covered in the same gore.

“You were killing Skathari?” I asked, my voice raw.

He ignored me, kneeling in front of me. His black eyes roamed my body as if checking for injuries. Solas gave me a small nod before walking into the cave.

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