“I’m in your mind, Aflora. I know many things.”
“Or you’re leading me into a false train of thought,” I tossed back, suddenly tired. “The truth is, I have no idea who he is, just that I feel as though I know him. And he doesn’t seem to want to hurt me, but he definitely wants to find me.”
He nodded. “All true.”
“I just don’t know why.”
“I think you do,” he said softly. “And if you look hard enough, you’ll see what’s right in front of you. When you’re truly ready, the truth will reveal itself. Because every detail you need is here.” He covered my heart with his palm, his touch hot against my bare skin.
“You’re not very helpful,” I accused, sighing.
His lips twitched. “On the contrary, sweet star, I’ve been extremely helpful. You’re just ignoring the obvious.”
“You mean your penchant for riddles?” I asked, mock innocence in my voice. “Yes, those are very helpful.”
He released another of those chuckles, the reverberation warming my skin as he leaned in to press his lips to my ear. “Do you like riddles, darling star?”
I swallowed, his closeness doing things to my body that I didn’t want to acknowledge. Mostly because it was wrong. “Not particularly,” I breathed, my voice raspier than I intended. Why did I have to create a male who impacted me so acutely?
“Then maybe you should ask why your mind is so fond of speaking in them,” he whispered.
I already knew why. “Quandary magic is all about solving puzzles. You take things apart just to put them back together another way. A riddle at its core.”
“Mmm, true,” he agreed, running his nose down my neck to kiss the spot where Zeph had bitten me earlier. “But why would your mind choose to operate in riddles when you claim them to be unhelpful? What if I’m not your mind’s creation at all, but something else entirely?”
“Then I would have to consider the possibility that I’m going insane.” Something I didn’t want to do.
“Or consider that I exist.” The words were a kiss against my ear, his teeth skimming my lobe. “I’ll be back again soon, sweet Aflora.” He pressed a kiss to my temple, his sinful gaze glimmering with intent as he forced my eyes to close once more.
Consider that I exist, I thought, repeating his words with a frown.But that’s impossible.
Or was it?
“There you are,” a masculine voice rumbled against my ear, followed by a kiss to my forehead. “I was beginning to worry.”
“Kols?” I whispered, slowly opening my eyes to find him lounging beside me on a bed of red silk framed by gold and black fringe.
I blinked, glancing around the opulent room. Floor-to-ceiling windows spanned one wall, a set of doors situated in the middle that led to a balcony overlooking a black sky sprinkled with bright stars.
“Where are we?” I asked him, taking in the expensive fixtures and flickering candlelight.
He followed my perusal, his lips twitching. “My suite at Nacht Manor. It was easier to bring your mind here than to join you since I don’t know exactly where Zeph took you. He’s not answering my calls.”
“He’s not?” That seemed odd. “You should wake me up so I can check on him.”
“Not needed. I can sense him near you now,” he murmured, his fingers clasping my chin to draw my focus back to him. “Are you at his flat in New York City?”
“Yes. He took me to Central Park.”
“Did he?” Kols seemed amused. “Well, that’s why I’m struggling to connect with him. Our phones don’t always work across realms, but apparently dream manipulation does. At least when connecting to a mate.” He leaned in to brush his lips against mine. “I missed you today, sweetheart.”
“I missed you, too,” I replied, feeling warm all over.
“Did you learn anything at the tavern?” he asked, his fingers sliding into my hair to comb through my tangled strands.
Oh, he didn’t know what had happened because he hadn’t spoken to Zeph yet.
“Um, he was there waiting for us. The one with the magic I recognize, I mean. I… I think he was trying to get to me, but I stopped him. Sort of.” I frowned. “It was weird. I could feel hismagic, and mine responded to it, then Zeph bit me and I passed out.”
