Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
PARIS
Idreamed of Pearl.
No shock there.
It wasn’t anything dramatic, just the two of us eating sweetcream sandwiches in the sunshine in the garden of Suzanne’s sanctuary—the woman who’d sheltered us after so much time on the run.
A different life, a better life in a lot of ways. Because any period with my sister still alive was better than now.
The present sucked, leaving me drifting through life alone. Man, I hated to say it, but I’d been alone ever since she died. No one could fill the void, not even Hal before he turned out to be a prick.
I had no one.
I had nothing.
Only a vampire king.
How fucked up was that?
Poor Hal, though. Whatever he’d done, he’d really drawn the short straw here. Maybe he deserved it, but conversely, I deserved a whole barrel of suffering for the shit I’d done.
Right?
I awoke to greet a blaze of sunlight. It burned my peepers, forcing them to take a moment to adjust.
Normally, I’d be happy to see the spring sunshine. But my head pounded, and my mouth was a furry landscape of yuck. I needed water, coffee, and a mistrock cig immediately.
Carefully, I got off the bed. Too much movement made my headache worse, and the sunlight really wasn’t helping.
How the tempered glass kept the vamp-killing solar energy at bay, I didn’t know. My eyes were watering to fuck here.
I pulled the green drapes closed, which helped massively, then hit the bathroom. Took a piss, yawned my head off, and basked under the hot spray of the shower.
Guilt cut into me with several serrated blades, those teeth dripping with betrayal.
They’re asleep. They’re okay.
Apart from Jon…
Screw it. I had to dial up the hope. Tonight’s trip to the Elf Domain might result in the end of Aidan’s rot, and then those trapped executioners could join me in turning over a new leaf.
Oh, look. Doubt was getting a poke in.
“Can’t help yourself, can you?” I mumbled under the spray, too tired for this shit.
Really, I needed to sleep more and adjust to vamp time. But I drew luck down my chest because it felt right.
Done with showering, I grabbed some toothpaste and a toothbrush and scrubbed away the furriness then wrapped a towel around my waist.
Much better.
I returned to the bedroom, finding white silk pajamas in the wardrobe by the single bed. I slipped them on, the material heavenly on my skin.
Okay. What now? Back to bed? Or should I see if any of these tomes held info on weird crystal blades plaguing poor elf guys with no rhyme or reason?
Pfft. I didn’t think so. My brain and eyes weren’t ready for anything other than sleepy time.
A tremor rumbled through the floor.
Oh, shit. What now? Another attack? I guess a daytime strike made more sense.
I dashed to the balcony, peering out, shielding my eyes with my hand.
A bright streak of glacial blue light swam through the ocean. Again. What the hell was that frostbrood’s problem?
I watched it vanish into the distance before returning to the bed.
As I lay down, an intense desire came over me. I ignored it, fidgeting and fluffing my pillow with frustrated fists. I kicked off the duvet, only to pull it over myself again.
Too hot, too cold, too wired with a desire to be down in the dark with him.
Nope. It wasn’t happening. I’d sleep here. Alone.
It took about half an hour before I sat up, furious with myself for failing to get back to sleep. And I really, really needed to rest. I couldn’t get through the night ahead with brain fog.
I stared at the patch of grass where the king’s bed usually was, nibbling on my lip as if it were a snack.
Shit. I couldn’t sleep with him.
It wasn’t for nookie. Absolutely not. Just to sleep, to feel…safe. To be closer to him because clearly I’d lost my mind.
He’s your one constant.
Okay, but who asked him to be? This was insane, and it was not helping the pounding in my skull.
Cracking my knuckles, I swung my legs off the bed, contemplating my next steps. I’d either have to slam my head into the wall hard enough to knock myself out or give into this desire.
Option one could take a hike.
I went with the second one, my itching nerves almost debilitating. I mean, the guy had swallowed my bodily fluids, but this was different. More intimate, softer, not some feral act to put out the sexy fires.
Damn. Damn. Damn.
Tentatively, I tiptoed to the edge of the grassy patch. I glanced at the rock with Medusa’s cave thingy carved into it.
She better not be watching this.
I cleared my throat, plucking up my courage.
“Silv…” Bollocks. I couldn’t do this.
Then be a zombie all damn night!
Yikes. My inner voice had lost its patience.
Okay, in the name of rest, I tried again, speaking his name clearer this time.
No response, no sound from the mechanism.
The poor guy was sleeping. I should leave him be.
No chance. “If you can hear me,” I said meekly, “I want to ask…fuck. I mean, erm, I don’t know what I mean. Actually, I do know what I want. Can I sleep with you. Not for sex, but to help me nod off.”
Silence.
I’d fucked up. “But how dare I, huh? You’re thinking that.
I’d think that. Shit. Honestly, I’m not horny and all I want is to sleep and I’m babbling and keeping you from sleeping and pissing myself off so ignore me and I’ll go over there and stop being a total prick.
” I gasped for breath, face hot with humiliation.
Yeah, I really handled that well.
The mechanism whirred, the patch sliding open to reveal warm darkness.
“You’re welcome to sleep down here.” Every word was a sonorous, sexy sound.
But no boner for me, only a tiny twinge because the dick wasn’t in business right now.
I swallowed, rubbing at the base of my throat. “Are you sure?”
By Aidan, what reality had I slipped into?
Not Aidan!
Ugh. Here we go again.
“Yes,” he responded. “Come down.”
I peered in, the fairy lights strong enough to reveal him lying there with his magnificent chest exposed, the edge of the duvet at his waist.
Uh-oh. Not such a good idea.
“I’m naked,” he said. “Let me get—”
Whoa! “Don’t get up. I’ll leave you be.”
Bollocks. This had been a mistake.
“Don’t go,” he countered. “Please.”
I stayed put, gazing down at him. To my surprise, my dick remained soft.
“You want me to join you?” I asked.
He folded his arms behind his head. “I can’t sleep. Maybe having you next to me will help.” He chuckled. “The height of insanity, isn’t it?”
My lips quirked. “I’ll say.”
I moved to the right side of the bed, sliding into the hole.
“I can get dressed,” he said. “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
I wriggled under the covers, kind of stunned by my lack of giving a fuck. “I’ve already seen it all.” I threw him a wink.
He laughed.
What was this? Free and easy elf and vampire action? Man, what a whirlwind. But I wasn’t changing my mind. His pillow was like a cloud, same with the mattress. And the duvet’s silkiness already got to work easing me toward a more restful slumber, his body heat an extra hug of bliss.
To hell with him being naked. This felt, well, right. And wrong. So, damn wrong.
I rolled onto my side, yawning, the rightness winning the battle.
He stayed on his back, eyes twin scarlet lights as the floor closed back over us.
“This is certainly unexpected,” he spoke softly.
“Tell me about it.”
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“As sweetcream as can be.” There went another massive yawn.
All my restlessness died, true exhaustion kicking in.
“Sorry about the rambling,” I threw out.
“I understand,” he said.
“Kind of you.”
No answer.
Time to shut my mouth. “Good night. Good day. Whatever.”
“You call me that, if you want.”
“Huh?”
“Silv. I liked it.”
He dragged me out of my sleepiness. “I called you Silv?”
“Yes.”
I strained my tired brain to remember. “Oh. That wasn’t on purpose. That was my throat closing up.”
He chuckled. “I know. But I liked it. I’ve never heard my name shortened before. As far as my memory permits, anyway.”
Were we really having this conversation?
“Isn’t that a bit weird?” I asked.
“Why?”
“Because it sounds, I don’t know, pretty cutesy.”
“You think my name is cutesy?”
I could fake-snore right now and kill this. But a merry warmth fluttered through me, keeping me awake.
“Silv,” I whispered.
“Yes? Can I help you?” He laughed again.
“Erm…”
“Don’t use it if you’re uncomfortable.”
Ha! What a ‘funny’ guy. “No. I’m comfortable. I suppose it’s another sign of our relationship evolving, huh?”
“Indeed.”
However hard I tried to shake him off, I couldn’t. Things were bubbling between us, and me being beside him for comfort with a nickname in my mouth only proved that.
If only you weren’t who you are, I thought at him.
If he wasn’t, I’d be riding the horse all the way to the romantic uplands. Exploring things, seeing if we were a good fit outside of shagging.
But we weren’t going to get close to any sort of meant to be. Anything outside of this was doomed. I felt it in my bones, and in the surprising ache in my heart.
Damn. When would these feelings pass?
I don’t want them to.
I snuggled under the duvet, fading away.
“Sleep well, Paris Raine,” he spoke, his voice a gentle and distant whisper. Lulling me into the waiting peace, wrapping me in more of his body heat.
Sleep claimed me before I said another word.