Page 34 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

That if he didn’t change his mind after he got what he wanted. There was that. Her mother’s warning echoed in her head.

He chuckled and shook his head. “Leah, you’re considering it. But I promise you we can wait. Think not of tonight, but of tomorrow morning.”

Leah was horrified that he noticed her absurd, immoral, depraved thoughts. “I’m not considering it.” The idea was so indecent, so wrong. “It’s just… I wish you’d stay longer, but your point is fair too.”

He nodded and smiled. “I know what I’m going to dream about. Nothing is forbidden there. Perhaps I’ll be in your dreams.”

She shook her head, still in disbelief at what had just crossed her mind. “My dreams are weird, Fel.”

“I hope I can make them better. Tomorrow I’ll speak to your mother. I know love grows with time and care, but there’s a love seed for you here already, Leah.”

“You have such pretty words, I can never match.”

“Your smile beats my words.” His eyes were sad. “I’d better go. But you said yes, so remember you’re engaged now, Leah.”

He put the bars back to normal, then floated up and disappeared. She wished he’d stayed. Perhaps she even wished he had stayed and ruined her, whatever that meant.

All she did was lie down on her bed, where she could imagine he’d stayed, imagine him undressing her, kissing her body, doing everything that was forbidden. She let her mind go to a dark, hidden place, a place she wished he’d visit. But it was just a matter of time.

Then she was in a cave crammed with some kind of red-eyed, gray, hairy creatures that looked like gigantic rats but without tails. She screamed but no sound came out. As she tried to put her hands together and they crossed, she realized it was a dream, and yet she was locked in it. Two gigantic rats licked her body, while two more held her down. She told herself that it wasn’t real, it wasn’t real, it wasn’t real. She wanted to reach the silver dragon, but how was she going to do it, inside a cave?

Then fire burst through the walls and the creatures scurried away. The dragon was there, and what had been a horrific nightmare turned into a dream as his scales touched her, then his tongue licked her, healing her wounds, quieting her fears, lulling her into a sleep within her dream, away from her dream self, true self, away from her body and mind. There was just bliss.

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