Chapter 17 Riley
Riley
Ithrashed my arms out, not knowing where I was or what was happening.
I saw Chancellor Fowler’s face and the easy way he conducted himself.
How he simply took Marianne’s life without a second thought.
A simple flick of his wrist and my best friend was dead.
I kept seeing my dad’s face as he was propelled through that window and how even in the past, I wanted to do something and I failed.
My hands reached out and caught onto nothing; I felt like all the air was being taken from my lungs and the walls in this space were closing in on me.
I was asleep but it was like I was falling into a much deeper darkness than sleep would provide.
My eyes wouldn’t open and an overwhelming heat surrounded me.
I wanted it all to stop. I needed it to just fucking stop.
The darkness and drowning started to let up, the heat that threatened to swallow me whole was now warm and soothing on my skin.
The dim and dank space I had placed myself in opened up and expanded.
My airways didn’t feel so constricted and the moment I inhaled easily, I smelled the relaxing scent of lavender.
Underneath my body wasn’t the hard ground I’d felt before, but it was a plush blanket.
One that I could see myself snuggling in with a book, falling asleep to all the adventures and romances I’d read about.
This was so much different than my nightmare, this was a dream I could have stayed in for the rest of time. This was….
A gentle shake at my shoulder had the dream slowly drifting away as my eyes opened without difficulty.
I was sweaty and the sheets around me were in disarray.
I noticed Beau at the end of the bed curled up into a ball.
I pushed my braids out of my face, feeling another body next to me.
I assumed it was River, glancing over and shifting my eyes up to his face.
It wasn’t River at all. It was Asher.
The room was still shrouded in darkness, the tiny nightlight in the corner the only source of light. It wasn’t hard to make out that his lips were pressed into a hard line and his hair was unruly, like he had spent a lot of time running his hands through it.
It took me a few swallows to finally speak. “What are you doing here? Where’s River?” My voice was small and almost a whisper. I don’t remember screaming in my nightmare, but with the way my throat hurt, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he told me I’d been screeching in my sleep.
Asher didn’t move, nor did he give any signs that he planned to answer me.
“If you are going to just appear in someone’s bed—uninvited, I might add— then telling them why you’re here is not that much of an ask.” I sat up, pulling the damp sheets around me. My tank top felt sticky to my skin and I really wanted to change my clothes.
“River went out for a night ride, despite the fact that I told him to just stay here, but he’s stubborn.
He does it when he’s stressed but doesn’t want to talk about being stressed.
” He shrugged a little as if it was no big deal, but I could tell it bothered him.
“And as for me being here…. he wanted me to make sure that I checked on you.”
I flicked my eyes up and down his body. “How long have you been here?”
He scrunched his mouth to one side. “Hmm, a few minutes. I've been awake for a while now though.”
I slowly nodded, clucking my tongue.
He sighed heavily, removing his glasses and rubbing his temples.
“Your dog was hanging out downstairs and I couldn’t sleep so we were having quiet time on the couch when he took off upstairs.
I followed him and you were fine, but then you started tossing and turning like you were being attacked in your sleep, Riley.
Would you like me to have just left you alone to deal with whatever the fuck was going on in your head? ”
I bit my bottom lip, trying to find my words. “And you invaded my dreams…again?”
Asher let out a frustrated huff. “Are you going to detail everything that happened because that would be really annoying. I wasn’t trying to be nosey or malicious. I was trying to…”
“Help me?”
He raised an eyebrow at me, putting his glasses back on. “Sure.”
My heart beat a little faster at the look he gave me. Something passed over his green eyes that almost looked like genuine care. Maybe because it was. His eyes flicked down to my mouth, only for a moment, then he looked away.
“Thank you,” I muttered, running my hand across my sternum and feeling the sweat that sat there.
“Yeah, don’t mention it,” he answered quickly.
“There was a moment I thought it was you doing those things. It was fleeting, but I thought you were creating that mess in my head,” I admitted.
“I figured as much, but that was all you. You are your own menace this time and all those feelings are going to eat you up inside, you know. Your skin was scorching to the touch; it was like you were trying to consume the fire you can create within yourself. You kept your telekinesis in check, so there is at least that.”
My shoulders stiffened. “I’m allowed to feel things after what I saw.”
He nodded. “Don’t put words in my mouth. I said that the feelings will eat you up. I can see your nightmares, Riley, but I can also feel them. I’ve never felt something so viscerally debilitating. Is it like this every night?”
“Shouldn’t you be able to answer that, Mr. Dream Magic?”
He pressed his tongue into his cheek. “You’ll be saddened to know that me getting into your dreams is not a nightly occurrence.
I simply came up here to do what my brother asked and I found you practically being held hostage by your own mind.
I thought it was a good idea to ease you out of it, create a better visual, rather than just shake you awake. ”
“You sound worried about me.” I shoved his shoulder, trying to bring the moment out of the trenches he was letting it fall into.
He ran a hand over his mouth, his fingers trailing along his trimmed beard. “Would that be so bad?” He wasn’t looking at me when the question came from his lips. It came off like he was asking himself and all I could do was stare at the sheets.
“It’s probably due to everything that comes with going back to Mystic Riegan and the fact that I can’t just pretend like my life choices aren’t being watched. My mind just got a little overstimulated; my imagination can run a little wild, okay? I’ll work on it. I can only promise you that.”
He softly chuckled to himself. “You don’t have to promise me anything. I’d prefer you didn’t.”
Asher started to get off the bed, but I caught his hand.
I could have sworn a small spark expelled from my fingertips.
The way he looked down at our hands, I thought maybe he noticed it as well.
If that tiny spark had hurt him, he didn’t let it show.
“Don’t tell River about this. He’s witnessed a small instance of me having an odd dream and this felt like so much more than that.
I don’t want to worry him or burden him or anything like that.
I told him that it was okay to get in my head if it was completely necessary and if it happens then so be it, but he doesn’t need to know about this.
I’m okay and that’s all that matters, right?
” I sounded like I was trying to convince myself and the look on his face told me that he felt the same way.
“Riley…”
“I haven’t asked you to do anything like this for me, Asher. Please. Everything with your dad and Chancellor Fowler and just fucking everything, I don’t want him to put all his energy in worrying about me.”
“River is always going to worry about you. It’s his thing, Riley.
” He took a long look at my hand on top of his, raking his eyes up my arm and to my face.
“Fine, but only because my brother has seemingly become a person of interest to the people trying to ruin our lives. I would rather him be aware of his mind and his surroundings. I do also know that your shadow wielding friend hurt him like he hurt you, so he’s dealing with that in his own way. I won’t put this on him either.”
I nearly flinched thinking about Grayson.
My mind started to wander towards how he was doing downstairs.
Asher had his reservations about him, but he thought he was genuinely sorry based on their yelling match I’d walked in on.
And I knew River would follow in whatever direction I decided to go in when it came to Grayson.
I didn’t know what I needed from Grayson to bring me any resemblance of solace, but I wanted to figure it out because the minute I did— he would do it in a heartbeat.
“You’re a good brother.” The compliment rolled off my tongue easily.
He smirked at me before ripping his hand away from mine.
He pushed up the sleeves of his henley, running a hand through his hair.
“Don’t sound so surprised. I do know that I’m not perfect though.
I’ve made mistakes with him and with…. other things.
” He looked like he almost wanted to say something that went along with that statement, but refrained.
He rounded the bed and headed for the door.
My skin began to cool when he wasn’t in close proximity to me. I didn’t know whether I liked the fact that I might have wanted him to continue lounging on the bed next to me. He was almost at the door when I spoke next. “Are you going to continue to check up on me?”
Asher froze, rolling his shoulders and staring at the door. “River will be home soon, so I don’t have to.”
I reached up and fiddled with the necklace he’d given me.
“You could, if you felt so inclined. I like the beach, or like one of those bean bag chairs that I see people comfortably reading in. Also, if you could add in Beau that would be nice.” I reached down and ran my hand along my familiars back.
His ears flickered but then they settled back down.