Page 24 of Wicked Dreams

I shoved the paper back into my pocket and stepped through, needing to see her. To feel her. To taste her.

“Back in the library, I see.”

“Donovan,” she breathed out as she rushed into my arms where I pulled her tight against me. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“I’m sorry, love. I’ve been kept busy.” I placed my hand on the back of her head, easing down her wild waves. Her heart hammered away against my chest. I closed my eyes and breathed her in deeply. She still smelled the way she always had: a rich scent of jasmine, which floated up my nose and eased away all my anger.

She pulled back to study my face with tears in her eyes.

“What’s the matter? Why are you crying?” I asked, using my thumb to wipe away her tears.

“I wish you were real. I know you’re just something my subconscious invented, but Ineedyou out there. Sleep is the only peace I get.” Her brilliant, green eyes were ringed with dark circles: a side effect of me stealing her dreams. When humans slept, they recharged. But because I was a demon, when I stepped into their subconscious, I stole their energy to give myself the power to manipulate their dreams, meaning rest for them was futile.

“I’m sorry, Olivia. I wish I could be there too.” I placed my hands on her cheeks and pulled her mouth to mine. Our lips met as our tongues danced together. Her warmth sunk into me, and even though I was always hot from being in Hell, my heart had been frozen for a long time. With that kiss, it was trying to beat again, to break free from the ice it had been encased in for two hundred years. Demons had heartbeats. They were just far slower than a mortals.

Her movements grew slower as I drained more and more of her energy. I pulled away as her eyelids fluttered. If I didn’t leave now, real harm could be done. “Rest now, beautiful,” I whispered as I stepped back and slowly disappeared.

Finding myself in the dreamscape once again, I let out a deep breath. I wished I could be with her always. But I couldn’t step foot into her world, and if I was in her dreams too much, I’d drain all her energy, leaving her as nothing more than a lifeless zombie until all her energy was drained, causing her to slip into a catatonic state if she managed to stay awake. I needed to stay away, even if it killed me — let her get a good night’s sleep and recharge her life force.

My nostrils flared and I fumed as I grappled with feeling useless. She was theonething I wanted, and yet, I could never really be with her. Even in her dreams, we were limited. It all pressed heavily on me, making me drag as I plodded forward. Stepping back into my apartment, I found Abe pacing.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as I threw myself onto the couch.

“I’ve been here forever man. What the hell have you been doing?” He walked up to me and perched on the edge of the table.

I pulled the list from my pocket and held it up. “Trying to get these souls the devil suddenly wanted. I only have a month and I still have four more to go.” My arm fell back to my side. As my eyes locked on him, his smile appeared. “What the fuck are you grinning about man? I’ve been pulling double duty all week, I’m tired.”

“I know a way you can see Olivia in the waking world.”

I sprung up, putting myself eye to eye with him. “What are you talking about?”

“You canwalkin the human world. Nobody will know you’re there. It’ll be like you’re a ghost. You won’t be able to touch anything or talk to anyone, but you can watch.”

“How is that possible?” It felt like my heart finally broke through that block of ice as excitement and hope coursed through my body for the first time in hundreds of years.

Donovan

“There are loopholes in everything,” Abe explained. "This is no different. As you gain more souls, more power, you becomepowerful. Get what I’m saying?”

“No, but I’d really like to so could you get to the point?”

“The more souls you collect, the more powerful you become. Obviously, you can feel it when you take a soul, right?” He regarded me with his large dark eyes.

“Yeah,” I answered slowly, thoughts beginning to take shape in my head. “Do you think if I take more souls that I could even join her in her world. . . physically?”

“That was actually my next point.” He grinned widely at me, his voice excited. “Now, it’s just a theory, but if you can walk unseen, why can’t you gain enough power to walk andbeseen? I mean, it’s shit luck for you because that means your dick might fall off because you’re going to have to pull triple time if it’s the case. But itmightwork.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then you collected your quota, your dick can rest, and you got laid. I don’t see the downside here, friend.”

“The downside is not having Olivia.” I rose to my feet and rubbed my eyes in frustration.

“Then let’s not focus on the negative. Let’s pretend you do get to walk in her world at her side. What are you prepared to do to get there?”

“Anything,” I whispered, my eyes locking on his. “I’ll do anything.” Her words of how she wished I was real flooded my mind. I imagined her face when she saw me. I imagined actually holding her for real. I imagined making love to her—

I ended that thought abruptly, my heart sinking. I’d never be able to make love to her. If I did, she’d die, sending her soul right back to Hell. And I imagined the devil would have something special in store for her. It had been a long time since she was cast out. Long enough that the sick twisted bastard would have come up with far more creative ways to torture her. To tortureusbecause I knew damn well I wouldn’t be left out of the picture.

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