The Midnight Curse (The Cursed Beast Duet Book 1) by Kayla Maya

Author:Kayla Maya [Maya, Kayla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINTEEN

Hecat

Thankfully, the scenery hadn’t shifted as Hecat followed Cairo further into the forest. She half expected it to change halfway through their trek to Origen’s palace.

The trees were filled with heka, the prickling sensation she had felt when she first seen Cairo was slightly overwhelming.

It made her sick to her stomach, and her entire body felt heavier than usual. Still, she was struck by how beautiful these trees were.

They were so tall, almost the same height as the pyramids in the Khanona Desert. The bark was a dark brown, the veins of the trees spiraling up into the branches and roots.

She reached out, wanting to touch the closest tree to feel the heka that dwelled within the foliage.

“Don’t touch the trees,” Cairo warned her from further ahead.

“Why?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

“These trees are filled with heka,” he told her. “They feed off it. If you touch them, it will suck out your heka.”

She withdrew her hand, her fingers mere inches from the bark that would have drained her of her power. Stepping away from the tree, she continued to follow Cairo.

He was walking at a slow and agonizing pace, the palace almost appearing like it was growing farther away rather than closer.

A voice out in the forest made her stop, the wind prickling her skin.

“Did you hear that?” Hecat rose on her tiptoes, trying to see further into the dense forest.

Cairo’s tilted his head, his right ear flicking towards her while the other was turned to the forest. “Hear what?”

The voice came again, stronger this time. “Help!”

“There!” Hecat pointed to the opposite side of the path that led deeper into the forest. “Someone needs help!”

She raced towards the voice, her foot touching the grass outside the path before Cairo’s arms wrapped around her waist, holding her in place.

“Cairo!” She fumbled in his grasp. “Let me go. Someone needs my help!”

“I can promise you, khepri, that they do not seek your help.” He pulled her away, holding her in his arms as he continued to walk down the path. “They only seek to trick you.”

She blinked at him. “How do you know? They could be hurt! Or—”

“The living do not come here,” he intoned. “Only the dead.”

Hecat stilled. He was right. The Duat was only for the souls that had sought judgement, and this was their final resting place. No human would have been able to make it down here alive. As far as she knew, she was the only human to ever set foot into the Duat.

“You can let me down.” She crossed her arms. “I’m not going to run.”

“We’re here anyway.” Cairo set her down gently, touching her cheek where the bruise was still fresh.

Hecat flushed, turning her gaze away from his as she took in the massive structure before her. It was almost a carbon copy of the palace back in Akhsais. The only difference was the number of ghosts that wandered around it rather than the living.

She even caught a few creatures that slid out

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