Page 70 of Javier

“Is it the same one?”

He nodded reluctantly.

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

“No.” He stalked to the veranda.

Ambling slowly, I followed him and came to stand next to him, not too close, as to not cramp his space.

“Sometimes, I have nightmares, too,” I offered, keeping my eyes forward, as if speaking to the night. “I was awake when I heard you because I had one tonight.”

The weight of his stare fell on me. When I glanced at him, his eyes gleamed with concern. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine now, but it was scary.”

I stared at the shadow of the volcano, brown rising against obsidian black and surrounded by stars that reminded me of home, of my sisters.

“When I was a little girl and I had nightmares, Thena used to wake me up.” I don’t know why I needed to share that memory with him, but I did. “She always consoled me. She used to say that talking about one’s dreams was helpful.”

“Goddess has always been our consoler-in-chief.” A rueful grin enlivened his features. “Your sister is very wise.” He put his hand over my shoulder and gathered me to his side.“What was tonight’s nightmare about?”

“I… um… I dreamed about a cobra,” I stammered as his touch unleashed a buzz that dropped from my shoulders, through my core, and down to my toes.Mindwipe. I had to make a huge effort to remember my words. “It looked like the one on Bekker’s forehead.”

“Ah, what a shithead I am.” He slapped his forehead. “Iput those images in your head.”

“Maybe.” I shrugged. “But sometimes…”

“Go on.”

“Sometimes, my dreams come true.” I tossed another glance at him, expecting him to break out into a snort or make fun of me.

He looked down at me and lifted his eyebrows. “How so?”

Okay, so he didn’t look like he was making fun of me right now.

“Um…” I cleared my throat. “I once dreamed that a beam in the roof fell down in the middle of class and killed two of our kids. When I woke up, I climbed on the roof and checked all the beams. Sure enough. One was badly cracked. We replaced it before it broke.”

He opened his mouth and closed it. “That’s…”

“Wacky?” I offered. “Freaky? Bizarre?”

“I was gonna say interesting.” He studied my profile. “Have other dreams ever happened, you know, in real life?”

“Yes, a few times.”It happened with you, I didn’t remind him. “I dreamed of the soldiers burning the orphanage before it happened. It’s why we evacuated before they came.”

“That’s also why you were so shaken when you asked to borrow my binoculars,” he realized. “Am I right?”

“Yes.” I sighed. “It’s inexplicable.”

“So.” He narrowed his stare on me and squeezed my shoulders. “When you said you dreamed about me before, didyou mean it?”

Holy Mother, help me. There was a question I had to avoid. I didn’t want to discuss my X-rated dreams with the subject of my runaway lust. He’d probably think I was desperate for his attention. Which could be true, despite my best efforts to ignore the way my cells sang like a celestial choir when he was near.

“Let’s not talk about my dreams anymore.” My pride and dignity came to my rescue, just as Thena promised. “Let’s talk about your dreams, the nightmare you had tonight.”

The line between his eyes deepened. “Sorry, can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

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