Page 67 of Nightmare's Dance

I didn’t even want to think about that right now.

As if waiting for us to come to that conclusion, someone knocked on the door. The timing had to be coincidence, but then again, this was Dream. Maybe it wasn’t.

Robby got the door and let a woman into the room. She looked like she was ready for a trek through the jungle, except her shirt was too tight, buttons about to burst, her shorts were way too short, and her boots just a bit too sexy for an actual hike.

“I’m Camila,” she purred. “I’ll be your guide. What is it you seek?” She bowed to Nic, a deep plunge toward the floor that showed off her perfectly shaped ass.

It would have been ridiculous, but she made it the sexiest bow I’d ever seen. “Freaking sex demons,” I muttered.

Geraint chuckled and kissed my head.

“We seek the Lady in White,” Nic answered the succubus.

“When would you like to leave?” Camila straightened and simpered at Nic.

“It occurs to me we’ve been traveling for hours. We started yesterday in the conscious realm, and the humans need to be fed. Rest is warranted,” Robby said.

“Agreed.” Nic shot Robby an annoyed look. “We can leave in twelve hours once we’ve rested and eaten.”

Camila nodded. “A good plan. I will have food sent up. While I wait, I will make inquiries as to the Lady’s whereabouts.”

“Carefully,” Nic cautioned. “We don’t want her harmed.”

“Yes, of course, your highness.” She bowed again, then left the room.

The creeping exhaustion that had plagued me all day was back, along with a fierce hunger that I hadn’t noticed until Robby had mentioned it.

“Sleep would probably be good.” I yawned. “Are we safe here?”

“We should be,” Nic said.

“Good.” I snuggled into Geraint’s arms and tried not to notice the pained expression on Nic’s face. Robby was right. We probably needed to talk some of this out. But did it really matter if I was going home? Nic didn’t seem to think he needed my help, and I was just as happy to leave him to whatever he had planned.

My eyes fluttered shut while I was wrestling with my thoughts. I was vaguely aware of Geraint cradling me in his arms and carrying me to bed, but after that I was out.

***

The ambient light hadn’t changed since the last time we had stepped outside. It was still just dark enough for Nic to be comfortable, but bright enough for us to see reasonably well and not have to squint. Succubi and incubi wandered around the town looking just like the sexy demons they were. I tried not to get too interested in the eye-candy, remembering what had happened when I’d focused on the clouds in Nightmare.

Camila set out, and we followed, back to the road we’d traveled the day before.

“I found the barest hint of a rumor as to the mirror dweller’s location,” Camila said. “We head for the cliffs.”

“The cliffs?”

“Another boundary feature,” Robby explained. “Some people absolutely love climbing and leaping from heights, others have nothing but nightmares about it. The cliffs dwell in the boundaries.”

“Oh, great. So, we’re climbing?” I twisted my hands together.

“It appears so,” Robby said.

I didn’t reply. Would I even be able to climb? Once upon a time a few weeks ago, I would have managed just fine. Especially if we could manifest some silks. Then it was easy enough to rest on the way up. Now? I hadn’t conquered my fears yet, and it sounded like I might have to face them head on. The thought did not excite me.

“Are we walking the entire way?” Robby sounded displeased by the idea.

“The wolves are busy,” Nic grumbled.

“Very well. I’ll see what I can do. One moment.” He turned sideways and vanished.

---