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He grinned. “My pleasure. Does she know about the spel ?”>We walk the world in our sleep, walk through air and shadow, through dream and projection.
Before I’d staked Dredge, I’d relived my torture and turning nearly every night, unable to break free from the horror.
But more and more, my dreams carried me out on a wave across the ocean, to wade through the depths of Earth, to spiral out into space and watch the turning of the world. Each time I returned and woke to the night, there was a little part of me that regretted coming back, because my dreams had gone from nightmares to visions of beauty, and they never seemed long enough.
I found myself in a long, narrow room and knew I was dreaming, but my surroundings were so vivid and bril iant that I paused to look around. The wal s were heavy, Old World paneling and paper; the floors marbled white with veins of gray. Heavy walnut furniture was arranged in a precise manner, and my instinct told me I could sit and relax. It wasn’t that I was tired, but the room invited visitors to rest a spel , and as I took my place on a velveteen sofa, the strains of a harpsichord filtered through the air, like spun glass pipes or chimes in the wind.
Not sure what I was here for, I decided to wait. After al , the sun burned high in the sky and there was no waking for me til she sank beneath the horizon. It wasn’t like I was going anywhere in a hurry.
As I passed the time examining the patterns on the wal paper—the king stag was fighting a hunter, and it looked like he was winning—the door at the far end of the room opened and a figure glided through.
Roman. It was Roman.
I slowly rose and waited for him. The ancient vampire looked barely thirty-five, but power rol ed in waves from him, almost knocking me off my feet.
He slowly waved his hand. In that instant, my jeans and jacket vanished and I realized I was wearing a long dress, crimson with rubies awash across the satin material, and a pair of four-inch stiletto pumps. It was a simple sheath, low cut, and my scars showed. Feeling terribly exposed, I glanced over my shoulder, hoping to find my jacket to cover my arms and chest.
“Menol y . . . do not hide who you are. Your lover appreciates the view . . . as do I.” And with that, he was by my side, silent as the depths of the ocean. He reached forward and I slid into his arms and we were dancing; his embrace a fortress both trapping and protecting me. He leaned forward, his eyes glowing with hoarfrost. Roman’s hair was long and shining, sleeked back into a brunette ponytail, and a goatee graced his chin.
“Roman, is this a dream? Or are you real y here?” We whirled around the room to the music as it rose and shifted from harpsichord to acoustic guitar.
“Oh, I am here, my dear. Make no mistake about that.” And then he let go of my hand and with a wave, the wal s of the room fel away and we were dancing under the velvet night, the swirl of my skirt a shimmering flutter.
“What do you want with me?” I whispered, staring up at a starry horizon that seemed to stretch forever.
“Have you ever wanted to be a queen, Menol y? Have you ever wanted to rule by the side of someone who can give you more power than you’ve ever dreamed of?”
Before I could answer, before I could even process the thought, he leaned down and kissed me, and al thought was lost in a blur of passion and longing.
CHAPTER 4
I woke before Erin did—the older the vampire, the quicker the waking.
As I bolted up in bed, remembering where I was and who I was, the dream stuck with me.
Roman, the dancing . . . “Have you ever wanted to be a queen, Menolly? Have you ever wanted to rule by the side of someone who can give you more power than you’ve ever dreamed of?”
What had he meant? Had it just been wish fulfil ment? Not likely, considering I’d never aspired to be the consort of any king, be he vampire or Fae.
Shaking off the dream, I turned my thoughts to my daughter. What the hel was I going to do with her for now? She couldn’t stay here. And I most definitely was not going to return her to Sassy. But I couldn’t leave her with any of our human friends. Roman? No way. Especial y after that dream. I thought of Wade and cringed. I couldn’t cal him.
And then it hit me. Tavah. I trusted her to watch over the portal in the bar. I could trust her to watch Erin. I grabbed the phone and punched in Tavah’s cel number. She answered on the third ring.
“Tavah, I have something to ask you. Can you please drop by my house right away? As in the next half hour?”
“Sure thing, boss. What’s up?”
“I’l tel you when you get here,” I muttered. “Can’t talk right now, but it’s important. I have a job for you and I real y need your help.”
As I hung up, it occurred to me that Erin could stay at the bar, in the hidden chamber down in the basement. The panic room was created to keep magic and intruders out, and anything up to a demon in. No daylight filtered in; no hunters could intrude, stakes in hand. I could tuck Erin in during the day and she would be safe, with no one being the wiser.
“Erin? You awake?” I gave her a few minutes to come out of her stupor. As she sat up, it occurred to me she had no clothes except what she’d been wearing. If there was one thing I didn’t appreciate, it was a vampire who dressed in smel y, messy clothing. It was bad enough we fed on blood; we didn’t have to look the part. She didn’t like Chanel, anyway, and I wasn’t going to force it on her like Sassy had. Erin was a grown woman; she could wear what she wanted.
She blinked, then pushed herself to her elbows. “I’m awake. It takes me a while—Sassy says that wil change. Is she right?”
“As you age into your new life, yes, you wil wake easier and with more clarity. Some of the ancient vampires can last against sunrise for an extra half hour or so, and can wake up even as the sun is starting to dip below the horizon. As long as they aren’t directly in its path. Listen, I’ve got work to do. Important work. I want you to stay with Tavah this evening. She’l take you clothes shopping and then to the bar. I’l meet you there later.”
Erin nodded, a hopeful look crossing her face. “Can I help you out? Please?” And then her words spil ed out in a rush. “Menol y, I’m bored. I loved running my shop. I hate just sitting around at Sassy’s and playing games or watching TV. Put me to work, and I promise: I won’t let you down.”
