Page 93 of Queen of the Night
He reaches back for my hand, and I stare at it a moment. The last two times I tried to touch him, I was left severely disappointed, but how can I not try? I can feel his heat as I tentatively lift my hand, scared that he’ll forever be out of reach… his light and warmth seem to burn away the gloam, and finally, his hand engulfs mine, and then I’m in his arms and my soul begins to thaw. For the first time in days, there’s no gloam around me.
I instinctively press my ear to his chest as I clutch him tightly, craving the sound of his heart beating strong against my cheek… But it’s so weak that I can’t tell if I can hear it beating or if it’s my own pulse thumping in my ears.
I stiffen in his arms, pausing my own breathing to listen for his as I press my ear harder to his chest, seeking evidence that he might be alive even though this doesn’t mean anything in reality.
“Vera?” He tilts his head down to meet my eyes.
“Are you alive?” I whisper.
He frowns, and it seems as if I’ve just reminded him he’s simply a vivid part of my dream. “I… don’t know.”
“You better be alive,” I mumble.
He grins. “Is that an order?”
“Yes.” I grip his shirt tighter as I say it. It feels good to boss him around, even if it isn’t real.
He draws his thumb gently along my jaw. “Where are you? You’re cold.”
I shrug as I lean into his hand, soaking up its heat. “With the gloam masters, somewhere in the Lucent Mountains.”
I don’t want to think about that right now; I just want to enjoy this moment.
A concerned frown mars his brow. “You should be escaping.”
“Shhh. You’re ruining my dream.”
I rest my cheek against his chest again. I hear his heartbeat… is itstronger? I lift my face away and put it back.It’s more regular. Comforting. I sigh against him. This dream is just getting better.
“Vera?”
“Your heartbeat,” I murmur. I must have dreamt it back. His thumb strokes back and forth across my upper back as he holds me.
“I don’t know what’s happened to me, but I’ll come for you. Be ready.”
I keep my cheek firmly pressed to his chest. “Dead people… er—” That was insensitive. “People who’ve passed… you can’t make promises.”
“The blazes I can’t,” he growls with his lips against my hair.
I close my eyes and relish his nearness. “If I never find you again in reality, I daresay I’ll sleep the rest of my life to be with you in my dreams.”
He kisses the top of my head and sets me back with his hands still on my shoulders. “Escape.”
I revel in his commanding tone, the firmness in his eyes. I’ve missed it.
His blue eyes delve into mine with unwavering focus. “Promise me you’ll try to escape.”
I bring my hands up to grasp his wrists with a smile, feeling drunk on happiness just to be near him, even if it’s not real. “For you.”
Suddenly, I’m awake in the dark, my chest heaving. My arms fall to the bed empty and cold as ice, my breath producing puffs of air before my face. I clap a hand to my chest, clutching the material of my shirt in my fist as if an open wound lies beneath. Mere attraction wouldn’t cause an ache such as this. It’s love—I love him. I’ve loved him since I thought he was aClass A criminal. I still love him, so much so that I know there’s no place in my heart for anyone else.
I let the acceptance of my feelings settle in the most right of ways, as if I just pressed a long-lost piece into the last spot of a giant puzzle with a satisfyingclick.
Rupi’s head pops up from beneath the furs, her feathers rumpled as she hops to my chest, perches on my hand, and pecks gently at my wrist.
“What is it, girl?”
She hops along my wrist and back to my hand, looking down at it.
