Page 15 of Wicked Dreams

“I fell in love with her,” I said, my breath hitching in my chest. He nodded, not the least bit surprised. “I was cursed because of it. He turned me into an incubus, so I’d be forced to fuck women and take their souls. He knew it would kill me to touch someone who wasn’t her. Then he took her away. I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again. I mean I hoped. Futile I know. But then I found her in the dreamscape.” I looked at him, waiting for his response.

“And now you want her back.” He sat back in his seat, his fingers steepled as he regarded me. “But all you have are her dreams.”

“Yes.” I nodded solemnly. “This existence—I fucking hate it. It disgusts me. I feel like I’m betraying her everytimeI’m between some other woman’s legs. I pictureher. It’s the only way I can get through it, and sometimes not even that helps. Sometimes it makes it worse because I imagine how heartbroken she’d be if she knew what I’d become.”

“Donovan, I didn’t know Olivia well, but I did know she was strong. She’d understand. She was cursed too. Youbothbear the burden, not just you. She won’t hate you.” He regarded me carefully before speaking again, “Does she remember you?”

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head and looking down at my heads. “She has no idea who I am. But when I kiss her, I feel theoldher stirring beneath. I knowmyOlivia is in there somewhere. I just don’t know how to get her back.” I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. “She’s young though. Just a high school student. But I can’t let it stop me. I know once I spark her memory, nothing else will matter.”

“We need to break this curse. I’ll do some digging.” He rose to his feet and walked to the door. “And you need to get to his majesty’s court and see what that dick wants. In the meantime, just do your damn job and keep your head down. I’ll see what I can do on my end.”

“Abe?” I looked up at him.

“Yeah?”

“Why are you helping me?”

“I miss my friend.” He shrugged with the answer, no trace of a lie on his face. “And fucking Malachi drives me nuts. I’ve wanted to throat punch him more this week than I have in the last century.” He scowled as he mentioned the demon who’d replaced me. The very same demon who’d set me up. “So, let’s fix this shit, OK?”

“OK.” I smiled, a blossom of hope bubbling in my chest. I hadn’t felt anything like it since the first time I’d set eyes on Olivia all those years ago.

Donovan

Forcing each foot in front of the other, I walked down the black marble hallway. With each step, my body felt heavier, and my throat burned from trying to hold back the anger that was bubbling up my throat like acid. My hands clenched into tight fists, causing my palms to sweat, as I got closer and closer to his royal quarters.

It had been a long time since I’d walked that hallway. After he cursed me, he wanted very little to do with me. As long as I did my job collecting the souls of women, I practically had free reign. And since I’d cease to exist if I didn’t do it, I always did my job. Even if it was only her memory that kept me going.

As I walked down the hallway, with the sound of my boots thudding off the blackened stone, I took in all that was around me. The old framed artwork that had always lined the walls still hung, though the charred frames were practically falling apart.

The chandeliers running down the center of the hallway burned brightly—the eternal flame that encased the city finding its way inside the castle to light the way.

When I got to the end of the hallway, I stopped in front of the heavy, obsidian door, the same door I’d been pulled to by the guards with Olivia’s frightened body beside me two hundred years ago. I tried to shake the memory of the terror on her face out of my mind. It was no use. The look on her face would haunt me for eternity.

His guard pushed the door open, and it creaked ominously from its old, burnt hinges. The sound caused goosebumps to rise on my skin despite the heat of Hell. The last time I heard that sound, Olivia was being dragged out while I was held back to accept my fate. The images of that night were still as fresh in my mind as the day they occurred.

Olivia had snuck away from king and entered my room. I felt like I’d been waiting for her for eternity. These quick, secret meetings never got to last long. Damn, I hated having to share her. I wanted her with me always, but until we could figure out a way, this was all we had.

Rushing up to her, I pulled her against my chest and locked my lips on hers. Her delicate fingers threaded through my hair as she held me closer, silently begging me to never let her go.

My hands found their way to her lower back, one traveling down to land on her ass and one running up her back to tug at the strings of her corset.

Before we got too far, the doors busted open, and four guards stormed in as we dashed away from one another. Malachi waltzed in behind the guards with a look of triumph on his smug face. “Donovan Weaver. Your grace. The king as requested that you both be brought to his royal court immediately.”

The men grabbed our arms and began pulling us from the room.

“What is the meaning of this?” I questioned as I looked over at Olivia. She had a face of stone, not giving off the impression she was scared or nervous in any way. I, however, felt threatened. He must have found out about us.

“I think we all know the meaning of this,” Malachi chuckled darkly. “Did you really think you could get away with what you were doing? I’ve been following you both for quite some time. I just needed to catch you together. Today you gave me such an opportunity.”

“You’ll pay for this, Malachi,” I hissed at him.

“I very much doubt that,” he answered back. “I think I’m about to be promoted.”

I didn’t get to say anything else because we came to a stop in front of the heavy, obsidian doors leading to the throne room. I chanced a glance at Olivia who gazed back at me, her eyes now filled with fear.

“It’ll be OK,” I whispered to her. A tiny noise escaped her trembling lips as she gave me a shaky nod.

My gaze was pulled away from her as the demon standing guard pushed the door open, causing the hinges to creak in an eerie fashion. One of the guards shoved me inside the room and pushed me to my knees at the king’s feet. I turned my head just in time to see Olivia forced to kneel before him also.

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