Page 30 of Definitely Dead

“I need some information,” he hedged. Information only Erus could provide.

Sunne still hadn’t been sleeping. Not the deep, restorative kind anyway. Every night, he drifted off, only to battle his way through disturbing dreams that felt all too real.

Since Tyr had claimed him and cemented their bond, he had been experiencing snippets of those nightmares for himself. Not in the same way Sunne did, but he would often catch brief flashes from his mind as the dreams bled through their connection.

He could also feel the echoes of the male’s weariness and fatigue. He could sense Sunne’s rising fear that he might be slowly losing his mind.

And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop it.

He’d tear the Underworld apart and fight the gods themselves for his mate. But this? This was different. This wasn’t something he could punch his way through. Without a tangible enemy to fight, he was fucking drowning.

That didn’t mean he hadn’t tried. Over the course of the past week, they had made multiple trips to the apothecary for a remedy. The first thing they’d tried had been actual valerian root, and as he’d suspected, it hadn’t looked like radioactive rave dust.

He still didn’t know what had been in the vial Aster had given Sunne. Even Paris had been at a loss when he’d described it, but the fae had speculated it likely hadn’t been anything dangerous. Possibly even something as innocuous as colored sugar.

But why? Had Aster thought he’d been helping by giving Sunne a placebo? Or had he been manipulating him so he would be less inclined to seek help? Gods, he hated not having the answers.

Unfortunately, even real valerian hadn’t worked. Nor had the ground poppies or the lemon balm tincture.

They had tried half a dozen different teas, going for walks along the river before bed, and he had even started reading to Sunne while he drifted off at night. Still, the dreams persisted.

“Do you mean information about Aster?” Sunne asked, staring up at him with sunken, bruised eyes.

“Yes,” he growled.

“So, why did you want me to invite him to the diner? Doesn’t that kind of defeat the point?”

“Erus needs to see him.” He didn’t want the witch anywhere near his mate, but he doubted Aster would have come if he had issued the invitation himself. “I don’t trust him,lelien. He’s up to something, and I want to know what it is.”

“I admit the vial he gave me is suspicious.” He tilted his head and shrugged. “Even if it was just sugar, I’d like to know why, so I’m in. What do you need me to do?”

Winding an arm around his shoulders, Tyr pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. “Just talk to him.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard,” Sunne mumbled around a wide yawn. “The kid never shuts up.”

Stopping outside the entrance of the diner, Tyr turned his mate to face him. “Just keep him busy for a few minutes. That’s it. And if things get weird—”

“I’ll let you know,”Sunne promised, his voice whispering into Tyr’s mind.

He still felt a shiver in his stomach every time Sunne addressed him through their bond. Of course, he enjoyed the connection for practical reasons, like safety and privacy. Mostly, however, he loved that he alone shared something so intimate and personal with the male.

A part of him no one else could touch.

“Ready?”

Sunne took a deep breath and released it slowly as he straightened his spine and pulled his shoulders back.“Ready.”

They found Aster already waiting when they entered, seated at Sunne’s favorite table by the fireplace. His eyes lit up when he spotted them, and he lifted his hand in greeting, motioning for Sunne to join him.

It took everything in him to release his grip on Sunne’s shoulder and purposely send him toward the mage.“Be careful how much you tell him.”

Sunne pasted on a bright smile and returned Aster’s wave.“Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

They parted ways when they reached the table, Sunne sliding into the seat nearest the fire while Tyr continued to the booth at the back of the room. He kept his gait smooth and confident, forcing himself to look straight ahead, even when every instinct he possessed railed against him.

But at least he wouldn’t be far away if things did go sideways. Reminding himself of that fact, he dropped onto the bench seat across from Orrin and his mate.

“What do you know about that kid?” he demanded without preamble.

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