“The water where I come from doesn’t heal you, either,” I whisper. “This is so beautiful, Nyx.”
A purr rumbles in his chest, growing louder when I turn my head to meet his lust-filled gaze. “Youare beautiful.”
My breath catches in my chest, fire pulsing through my veins at the way he’s looking at me. I find myself leaning in, drawn by that invisible chord filling my blood with fire that yearns for this strange being.
Nyx reaches out, his large palm curling around my neck, the tips of his claws digging into my skin. It isn’t painful at all—if anything, it makes the fire grow hotter, wakes the dark thing living inside me I’ve tried my entire life to ignore.
Want. I want him.
Terrified just how much I mean it, I pull away, dropping my eyes to the floor as I put some much-needed space between us.
“I, um… I think I’d like to go back to Rhune’s room, now. As soon as he gets back, I’ll have him take me back home.”
Nyx stares at me for a long beat, then nods, some of the light in his gorgeous eyes dying.
“Of course,” he says, the purr in his chest dying. “I’ll take you back.”
If only he could take me home…
8
Willow
While waitingfor Rhune to get back, I accidentally end up falling into another deep sleep. One moment, I’m sitting in his bed of furs cuddling with the baby antethorpe, and the next, my eyelids are so heavy I’m unable to keep them open.
As I slumber, my mind is plagued by swirling visions of magic, shadows, and a deep blue, pulsing flame. It calls to me, claims me, licks my skin and bones—but I’m not afraid. Somehow I know that it won’t hurt me, that it can’t.
We are made of the same thing.
The vision fractures, and I’m falling, the darkness swallowing me whole. Terror rips through me, and I scream, but there is no sound, no air.
Wispy tendrils of magic float through the air, reaching for the edges of my soul. They carefully unthread my essence, malicious and determined to drag me deeper into the nothingness.
Then a pulse of that same blue light—blinding and powerful, a flame flickering in the shadows like a lifeline. I don’t know what it means, or why it’s here, but the sight of it brings me comfort, and for a moment, I am not afraid.
But I am also not alone…
I wake sweating despite the coolness of the room, my heart racing as if I just ran a marathon.
Sitting up, I wipe the back of my hand across my brow, the memory of my dream fading with each passing moment.
That was weird…
I don’t remember passing out, and have no idea how long I was asleep, but I feel even more exhausted than I ever have in my life. There is an ache deep within my bones that spreads through my body, making my limbs feel heavy. My skin is sensitive to the touch, and whenever I look directly at the glowing blue roots, a pounding builds in my head, and it doesn’t cease until I shut my eyes against the light.
I’m worried that this world is making me sick. Maybe it’s something in the air. Maybe the magic is affecting me in negative ways.
Or maybe I’m just really hungry and cold…
Smacking my dry lips together, I push myself upright, wincing at the twinge in my lower back. I stretch my arms over my head, letting out a moan as my back and shoulders pop, relieving some of my tension.
Curious about the noise, the antethorpe trots over to investigate. It sits at my side, staring up at me with those big blank, silver eyes.
“Hello there,” I say, reaching down to pat the top of its head. “Are you hungry, too?”
The antethorpe bleats, nuzzling its head into my thigh as if to sayyes, now give me some food, woman.
“I don’t even know what you eat. I’m sure Rhune will bring you back something you like.”
