Page 58 of Blood Lovers

That winter forest with a fallen tree trunk in the center.

But that man holding the baby isn’t there.

Instead, there is a woman. She is standing in the snow, naked, her back to me, her long, dark hair falling all the way down to her waist. It’s a waterfall of loose waves blowing in a gentle wind. I know she is beautiful before she even turns, just by the curves of her body.

When she begins her turn, I’m focused on her face. Waiting for it. But as she turns my focus lowers down to her stomach because she is pregnant. It takes me another moment to look up and realize that she is me.

She extends a hand, offering it to me, and even though I feel like this is a trap, I find myself walking towards her. I take her hand and she gently places it on her stomach. I marvel at the taut skin and then feel a small kick.

I want to pull away, but she forces my hand to stay where it is.

And then all I can do is look up and meet her gaze.

She doesn’t speak. Not out loud. But in my head, I hear her say, “He will make promises, darling. You need to be ready to hear them. Because they will be magnificent promises.”

It’s my grandma’s voice.

When I wake up, I’m drenched in sweat. My whole body is slick and gross. But when I open my eyes and turn, I realize it’s not me sweating like crazy. It’s Ryet.

“Holy shit.” I shake his arm. “Ryet? Wake up.”

He doesn’t even groan, let alone open his eyes. He’s just… still.

“Ryet?”

And then the hazy fog is back and for a moment I’m relieved because I must still be in the dream.

Except I’m not. It’s lavender. So it’s in the present.

And then there he is. The demon from the woods, baring himself to me in his true hideous form. Wings, and fangs, and claws. Blue-black skin and the face of a devil.

He is hideous and my stomach turns, feeling sick. Because I am a hundred percent sure that I just led him here.

One little mistake and now my life is over.

His wings extend a little, like he’s stretching but the room is too small to do that properly. He sits down on a chair near the door, leaning back, like he couldn’t be more relaxed. And when he speaks, he changes. “He’s dying, you know.”

He changes into a man. A very beautiful man, not unlike Ryet, but more. Everything about him is more. His voice is deep, and sexy, and… completely normal. Not anything like a demon. And I’m so shocked that I can actually hear him in this dreamwalk that I can’t even respond. Hell, I don’t even understand that I’m still naked or have the good sense to cover myself from his now wandering ice-blue eyes.

I can only blink at him.

“Did you hear me?”

I nod.

“He’s dying, Syrsee.”

“How do you know my name?”

He practically snorts. “Is that a real question?”

“What?”

“You’re mine, Syrsee. You’re the last Black witch… at the moment. I always know where you are. I breathed blood inside of you when you were born. I am literally the reason you exist. And Ryet? He’s mine too, darling. He’s your hunter.”

“What?”

“He’s dying, Syrsee. What will you do about it?”