Page 44 of In the Dark

CHAPTER 12

Reality was a bitch.

He knew it, lived it every morning when he returned to the mortal plane. It tugged him forward now, his insubstantial self fading. He returned to the cold in a snap. The transition was easy for him—one he’d done millions of times over the years—yet it had never been this hard to leave. Especially when there was something—someone—he desperately wanted on the other side.

He shook the ice from his hair and wiggled his toes to get the blood pumping in his extremities again. “Damn this cold weather. I think when this is over, we’ll take an extended vacation. Someplace warm and inviting. Maybe St. Thomas.”

Karsia remained unconscious in his embrace, though she wouldn’t stay so for long. He was taking a chance by leaving her in a deep comatose state. But it would be better for all involved if she stayed that way while he figured this out. More’s the pity.

“Time to get you back to your family, my dear.” Morgan struggled to rise.

He drew away from the alley and glanced down the street, right and then left. He’d never been to Chicago before, which made navigating the streets somewhat difficult. He’d followed Karsia into the city on foot, a feat even for an immortal, as whatever power inside of her made her inhumanly fast. The kind of fast that made thirty miles of distance pass in the blink of an eye. If he were any other kind of creature, he would have lost her, unable to follow at such high speeds.

As it was, he cut the time by slipping through the dream world and coming out on the other side. He wished he wasn’t rusty. Doing the same for the return trip would be the easiest solution. He just didn’t think he could accomplish it with Karsia in tow. Who knew what would happen if the thing woke up mid trip.

“Still. There has to be an easier way to do this.”

Morgan closed his eyes and shielded them from view, drawing on his inherent power of invisibility. It took only a thought to take them both out of sight. Another thought and a pair of large black wings burst from his back. Feathers flapped in the winter wind, eyes shifting color to an unearthly green as he lifted his head and caught the scent of a cross breeze.

He sought the threads spreading across the land, the links between every single living organism under the sky. Drew his brows together when he saw nothing.

“Damn it.” He closed his eyes and drew in a steadying breath. Don’t be so hasty, Morpheus, he admonished. Still, it was odd when two minutes went by and he only then caught wind of Karsia’s energy signature, a wan shade, winding from the area of impact back the way they came. Leading directly to the large house in Lake Forest, on the verge of fading.

“There you are, you rascal.”

Must have been too much excitement. He was a little rusty. Morgan grinned devilishly and flexed his knees for takeoff. It had been a long time since he’d flown for the fun of it, and longer since he’d done it outside of dreams. It was exhilarating. Another deep breath filled his lungs. His blood came alive, each cell and nerve lighting.

He shot toward the clouds, wings expanding, joints near his shoulders working overtime to support the weight of two people. Cricking his neck, he made sure the others were still sleeping where he’d left them on the street. They were in for a rude awakening, literally, the instant he left the scene. The pun made him chuckle.

Trying to focus, he followed the energy outside of the city.

Seeing Karsia—the real Karsia—had been a wonderful experience. Seeing her without barriers was a marvel to behold. He enjoyed her company and could listen to the rolling lilt of her voice for ages.

He was likely to stay in overdrive for hours to come because of their kiss. But responsibilities beckoned, and Morgan had never been one to shy away from duty no matter how he wanted otherwise.

Their trip was over in minutes. Exhaustion swamped him when he landed, two foot-shaped indents forming in the snow. Yes, too long since his last real aeronautical journey. Maybe he wouldn’t need the treadmill or gym membership if he took his damn wings out for a joy ride every now and then.

Sweat beaded his brow and froze while he walked to the house. Bypassing the front, Morgan moved around to the back, using his foot to open the door.

“Hello everyone, we’re home,” he called out, listening to the echo of his voice. The kitchen was empty, the remnants of their food and drink left on the counter for someone else to clean. Heading down the hallway, Morgan peered around corners and into unused rooms until he found a small den with a fireplace and wood ready to be used.

“Hello?”

Morgan carefully laid Karsia down on the lounge, ready for her to wake any minute. Honestly, she should have been up by that point, though she must have needed sleep. Her body’s way of returning to homeostasis. He highly doubted she got much rest.

He grabbed a blanket from an armchair and spread it over her, tucking it in gently, then settled next to her and took a moment to prop up his feet. The cushions softened his weight, much better than the cold concrete of downtown. He’d take a nap himself if he could.

Astix crept into the room without announcement. The instant she saw them, her shoulders dropped. “Yahoo, there you are,” she said, relieved. “I’ve been wondering. You were gone for almost four hours.”

“Four hours? I’m surprised it didn’t take longer. And I’d rather answer to Morgan instead of Yahoo, in case you’re wondering.”

“You were gone long enough,” Astix insisted.

Morgan rose and ignored any awkwardness. “It’s fine. She’s fine, so try not to worry. You’ve had a hard enough day.”

“I think you mean month. Longer.” Astix pushed her hair from her face and grimaced, biting her lip to hold back the tears. “I’m sorry you had to be here for this, although I can’t say it’s much better any other day. You kind of arrived during crisis mode. We’re not normally—” She broke off to draw in a shaky breath. “We’re not normally this fucked up.”

“Lady, you should see my family.” He crossed the fireplace to arrange some kindling amongst the logs. It was a good day for a fire, he thought as he reached for a long match.

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