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“Why me?” I whispered, hoping my truth spell was still in effect.
“Because you’re the only one who passed the tests.”
I lowered my head, the crushing blow of his words hitting like a rock and sinking in my gut. I chastised my romantic self for secretly wishing for some sort of soul connection or a from the first time I saw you, I knew statement… but tests?
“What kind of tests?” I asked, fortifying my tender heart.
“It takes someone with strong magic to see me in their dreams—which you have done numerous times.” He moved closer, lifting my chin with the curve of his finger. “You wanted the truth, Milly, and that’s about as much as I have.”
I met his sparkling eyes, struggling to slow my racing heart. “Or at least as much as you’re willing to share, right?”
“I want to share everything with you.” He gestured to the dark expanse beyond the deck, then turned and walked back inside.
Of course, I followed.
“If this is the only place we can interact, are there limits to what we can do here? Inside the dreamscape too?” I hated how small my voice had become, but I had to know.
A cocky leer stretched across his beautiful face. “No. There are no limits here.” He settled into a buttery leather couch and flicked his hand at the stone hearth that climbed from floor to ceiling. Flames sparked to life, filling the space with a warm glow. “The entire dreamscape is my domain, so where would you like to go?”
Go? I thought back to ancient Greece and the English countryside full of flowers. “We can travel anywhere?”
“Anywhere you’d like.” His smile grew as he flicked an invisible piece of lint off his black cloak before it disappeared completely, leaving him in black pants and a black button-down shirt. His rolled sleeves revealed muscular tan forearms, which my eyes greedily scanned. For a moment, I thought I glimpsed a tattoo there, but a second later, it was gone, leaving only his smooth golden skin.
I walked to a papasan chair near the fireplace and sank into its cream-colored cushion. “Actually, do you mind if we just stay here and talk?” I had so many questions and wanted to learn as much as I could while given the chance.
“If that’s what you’d like to do.” The timbre of his voice changed, his smile turning slightly seductive.
Suddenly, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be alone with him or not. For all my longing and curiosity, I’d never been with a man before. At least not a man like him. My first real-life crush involved a toss in the hay with Peter O’Toolle, but it was nothing significant. Hurried, awkward, and solely for the purpose of getting past our teenage “firsts,” he was the only boy in town who ever paid any attention to me and the only one who didn’t live between the pages of a book.
I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with the look the Weaver was giving me. Goddess, I hope he can’t read my mind. “Actually. I think I’d like to go back to that English garden, if that’s okay,” I sputtered quickly.
He chuckled beneath his breath, then dipped his head and pushed to stand. “Your wish is my command.” Rising from the couch, he extended his hand. “But we’ll have to walk back to the clearing first.”
“Why?”
His throat bobbed. “Rules, Milly. I can’t pierce the dreamscape from inside my home.” He dropped his offered hand and walked out the front door, the fire dying behind us.
“I see.” I didn’t really but felt it was something I shouldn’t push. I followed him out in silence, the front door clicking shut behind us of its own accord.
“Why the English garden?” he asked over his shoulder.
I shrugged. “Plants and flowers are my life. It’s how I make a living in the real world.” I kicked a pinecone from my path. “They remind me of my mother.”
The Weaver took a deep, audible breath. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
I didn’t question how he knew she was gone. If he’d been watching me for any length of time at all, he already knew.
“Thank you. But it was a long time ago.”
“That doesn’t make it any easier. In fact, I’m impressed you thrived so well all on your own.”
I stopped walking, curious as to what he meant. “Why shouldn’t I have been able to thrive on my own?”
The Weaver turned, surprise etched on his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
His cloak reappeared, and he quickly yanked up the hood, all but his eyes disappearing beneath it. I was beginning to think this might be more of a security blanket instead of a piece of his Weaver attire, as I’d originally assumed.
“I’ve witnessed a lot of young people lose their families, Milly, but I don’t believe any of them remained as strong as you.”
