Page 28 of Of Mercury and Mist

“Ashley,” I replied. “Are we upstate? Or is this Connecticut? It doesn’t really smell like Jersey. Not that Jersey really smells bad—it just smells different.” Samuel glanced down at me, his expression perplexed. “This is the Second.”

“The second what?” Beyond a shade of a doubt, this was not Second Street.

“Realm. The Second Realm. You appear to have wandered rather far.” Now he looked amused.

Fantasy had never been my thing but that was exactly what it sounded like when he used the word “Realm.”

“That sounds like some magic stuff,” I said.

He grinned. “Oh, yes. There is magic.”

Stunned at this turn of events, I said, “Can you show me?”

He shook his head and looked away. “I wouldn’t want to frighten you.”

“But I’m dreaming so it doesn’t matter,” I retorted. “It's not real.”

The man glanced back at me, eyes narrowing slightly. “Are you certain?”

He took a step closer to me and my pulse began racing.This was the moment I was supposed to wake up.

“Of course, I am. There’s no such place as other Realms,” I said, and laughed. There were thick trees everywhere blocking my view, but I tilted my head down slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of the house between branches in case I had to run.

“You’re going to run.”

“What? Why do you say that?”

He came a foot closer. “You shifted your weight and tensed your shoulders. You thought I wouldn’t notice your seemingly innocent perusal of your surroundings. You’re tense; you’re ready to move.”

I slid backward a few inches. “I thought we were going for a walk.” Great, now I was sweating, and this man was more than he appeared to be.

“Your Keeper is foolish, letting a pretty little thing like you outdoors in the black of night. Tell me—where is he?”

A lump was forming in my throat. What was it with the guy and a “Keeper”? “Everyone’s in the house,” I lied.

“Mm. I’m sure they are,” he drawled, moving even closer to me. I felt like a squirrel in traffic, confused as to which way I should take off as I shifted my weight from one leg to the other. “What are you scared of?” he asked.

Since my pounding heart didn’t seem to be waking me up, I decided to make a run for it, my foot kicking up dirt and pebbles as I tried to scramble away. Before I could put much distance between us, I heard boots slam into the ground directly behind me and then an arm wrapped around my waist, holding me in place. I twisted my shoulders, attempting to remove myself from his grasp.

“Shush, shush. There’s much worse things in the forest than I,” he whispered.

Reluctantly, he released me. “I think I’ve changed my mind about the hike,” I told him.

“I haven’t.”

Torn between wanting to see where my dream went but also not wanting to be assaulted, I paused and gave him another look. “What are your intentions?” I asked.

He seemed to consider my question but instead said, “You do think you’re dreaming.”

His statement caught me off guard and my awareness shifted to the point I questioned my actual location again. “I am, I said that before.”

There was no other explanation for what was going on, I had to be sleeping. Deep down inside, I was truly beginning to doubt my state of consciousness, but the alternative was just too weird.

“I can smell him on you, but you’ve not yet been claimed. You’re merely marked. That means you’re fair game.”

“If you really want me to take a walk with you, you’re not doing anything to inspire my confidence. Stop fucking with me and play your part.” There was no way I smelled like anything or anyone and I just really needed him to not be a creep.

He laughed under his breath. “And what part is that?”

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