While he doubled over next to me, cackling like a hyena, the previous day came back to me in a rush. “I don’t understand. We didn’t drink the tea.”
That shut him up. He stood and blew out a breath. “We didn’t, did we?”
I moved in front of him and clutched his bare arms.Huh. We’d both gone to bed wearing t-shirts. I’d never thought to question how he appeared in his dreamwalking before. Mygaze fell to his hairy chest. If this was what I had to look forward to, sign me up.
“We didn’t. Your grandparents said that until we fully linked, we’d have to drink her concoction. I don’t understand.”
He placed his hands on my shoulders, grounding me to this moment. It was then that I realized how hard I was shivering. Not from the air around me, but how seriously intense all of this was. “I don’t either, but there has to be an explanation. Don’t worry. We’ll ask first thing tomorrow.”
Much like the first time I’d been scared out of my mind around this giant of a man, I dove into his arms. He immediately embraced me, holding me safe and secure.
After inhaling his masculine scent and calming, I opened my eyes back up to study the area around us. “Where are we?”
“I don’t know, but I’ve been here before.”
“Is this where you found the mansion the other night?”
“No. It’s somewhere else. I…I’ve returned here several times, and I can’t figure out why.”
The wind blew gently, rustling the trees. The grass tickled the soles of my feet. Slowly, the sounds of insects chirping around us began, and the kaa of a raven rang out from the distance. “Should we go exploring?” I asked tentatively, hoping he would say no.
He snorted. “I’m not moving from this spot until we wake up. This isn’t how they said it would be. We’re not in someone else’s dream. We haven’t been called to help some desperate soul.” He rested his chin on top of my head. “There’s too much uncertainty to take a gamble.”
“Sounds good to me.” Closing my eyes, I snuggled in and waited.
I woke with a jerk,wiping drool from my mouth as I sat up and looked around, back in the safety of my own bedroom. King’s eyes fluttered open. “So that happened,” I whispered into the quiet.
He opened his arms. Gratefully, I stretched out on top of him and let him enfold me like he’d done in our sleep. “Are you okay?” he asked, dropping a kiss on top of my head, making me sigh with pleasure.
Taking a moment to really think about it, I examined my heart and mind. How did I feel about what had just happened? I believed in all the things I’d seen Chance and Elyse do. I had a close relationship with three spirits, and I’d learned how to throw fire with nothing more than a thought.
The only thing I’d never experienced myself was what Kingston told us happened to him at night. I’d wanted to, but I never thought I’d get the opportunity. How did I feel now that I had? Knowing that somehow, for some reason, I’d been called to tether him to this plane?
“It’s kind of cool. At least, just hanging in that field with you like that was.”
“Yeah, I always enjoyed waking up in other places and seeing things I never would’ve seen while I was awake. But…you know that what they’re telling us we’ll be doing is way more than that, right? Like, Sky, the other night was intense. I was terrified for you. Horrified by what I saw stalking you.”
Rolling my head to rest my chin on his shirt-covered chest, I admitted, “I think I’m excited about the idea of it all because I enjoy spending time with you. But the rest of it…” I trailed offwith a huff. “It’s a lot, King. I’m scared I’ll mess up or you’ll get hurt because of me.”
He snorted. “You sound a lot like me.”
“What are we going to do?”
His hand cupped the side of my face, and he stroked his thumb over my cheek. “Your skin is so soft,” he said softly.
Pleased by the compliment, I leaned into his palm. “I have a really good skincare routine. Not that I did it last night with all of the excitement.” AKA, getting you in my bed. “Crap. I forgot to take out my contacts, too.”
His head lifted. “You wear contacts?”
“Mhm.” My eyeballs were not going to be happy with me in the morning.
“Do you have to wear glasses when they’re not in?”
“Unfortunately.”
He ran his thumb down under my eye. “I can’t wait to see you in them. I bet you look hot.”
Surprised, I lifted a little, peering at his face through the dimness of the room. “Are you kidding me?”
