“Relax,” the man says, his mouth close to my ear, his grip loosening just enough to let me breathe. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now. I promise I won’t let you go.”
His voice is less urgent now, the deep, resonant sound of it almost comforting as he navigates us through the water.
With little strength to do much else, I reach out for his energy—it’s calming and warm. Protective, just like his touch.
My heart suddenly thaws, the numbness receding from my extremities.
I know that energy. That voice. The warmth of his touch…
“Doc!” I breathe. Recognition finally shatters the spell of irrational fear, and tears of relief sting my eyes. I squeeze his arm—gently this time—to let him know I understand.
Still holding me close, he raises his free hand and recites a water spell. The vicious churning abates, and the water—frothy and furious just moments ago—settles into a gentle flow.
He guides us to rest of the way to the shore, and together we climb out, pulling ourselves to the top of the bank. I sit down hard and pull my knees to my chest, desperate to ease the chill.
Doc wraps me in his arms and pulls me close, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Goddess, Stevie. I thought I was losing you.”
I snuggle closer into his embrace, inhaling the scent of him—salt and moonlight and mystery, an intoxicating mix that’s all Doc. “I don’t do well with water. Especially the rushing kind. I’m sorry I attacked you.”
“You’re safe now. That’s all that matters.” He rubs his hand up and down my back, chasing off the last of the chill.
Despite our unexpected soaking, the night air is actually warm and pleasant, the scent of mud and water and living things filling me with a sense of normality and relief. We’re outside, away from all signs of civilization. We’re alive.
Glancing down at the water that nearly stole my final breath, I finally realize where we are.
“The River of Blood and Sorrow,” I say, and Doc lets out a soft hum.
The last time I saw it up close was at that back-to-school party where Carly and her friends tried to drown me. If it wasn’t for my owl bursting forth and scaring the hell out of everyone—and Baz pulling me out after I took a tumble—they might’ve succeeded.
But there’s no owl tonight. No party. And as I finally take notice of the heavy, elaborate dress clinging to my body—red instead of its usual white—I know why.
We’re not at the real River of Blood and Sorrow. We’re in the dream realm.
A new shiver takes hold, rattling me to my core.
“He knows,” I whisper. “Judgment knows we’re here.”
“We can’t know that for certain,” Doc says evenly, though he can’t hide the flicker of concern in his energy.
“Lala told me we leave a piece of ourselves behind every time we visit the dream realm,” I say. “He obviously knows I’m afraid of rushing water—it’s what killed my parents. He’s using it to prey on my guilt. They died protecting me, and I…” No. I close my eyes, staving off the barrage of memories. Iwon’tlet him manipulate me again. I can’t. Not if I want us to survive the night.
Besides, Doc doesn’t need to hear this story. Not tonight.
“How did we even get here?” I ask instead. “Did you take a potion?”
Dream sharing isn’t all that easy. Last time, Kirin and Baz and I had to form a blood bond and drink Professor Broome’s potion. Then Doc guided us through a dream meditation designed to keep us together in the realm. And even then, we didn’t all show up in the same area.
So how the hell did Doc and I end up falling into the realm—together—without even trying?
“I’m the Moon Arcana, Stevie,” he says. “My magick is deeply aligned with the realm of dreams and intuition. In that sense, Iamthe spell.”
I pull out of his embrace and meet his steely gray gaze. “And the blood bond?”
“After what we shared tonight, emotionally as well as physically… I suppose nothing else was needed.” He cups my face, his eyes holding the red-hot memories of our passionate night together.
My body holds the same memories, my skin still tingling everywhere his lips brushed, everywhere his commanding hands took control. Doc’s right—tonight, we formed a bond as deep and powerful as two people can. Add his intense Moon energy into the mix, and… Yeah. Wereallyshould’ve known better.
Yeah. Ireallywish he’d touch me like that again…
