I can't resist leaning over to kiss her temple. "I enjoy being fucked up. So do you. We're rather perfect that way."
Maven nods and yawns, and I realize how exhausted she is. I've been too elated about seeing her again to notice how heavily Limbo is weighed down around her.
"You need rest," I say softly. "It's the wee hours of the morning. I assume things must have only gotten worse here, so you'll need your strength."
"First, I have three more questions."
"Ask anything."
"You never told me exactly where you went. Where were you?"
I stand and take the poultices, setting things out of the way for when she goes to sleep. "Recently, there were three bizarrely large surges of shadow fiends, all within hours of each other. It threw Limbo into disarray, which led to wisps and shades breaking free and demolishing two legacy bases near the Divide. The Immortal Quintet sent me to contain the situation."
I also used that time to get morereverium, and I tracked down a strangely colorless plant currently tucked in my leather jacket's inner pocket. I found it in the inner reaches of the Divide. I'll give it to Crane when he wakes up so he can see if it will help Maven's condition, just asreveriumhelps me. And if that one doesn't work, I'll find a way back out of Everbound's wards and keep looking, if necessary.
When I turn back to her, Maven seems deep in thought. I smile. "What is Question Number Two?"
"Sexually speaking, are you interested in men?"
My brows go up. That's quite the subject change. She's always so delightfully unexpected.
When Maven sees my reaction, she clarifies, "I thought Baelfire and Silas showered together. They didn't, but I wondered whether you would want to…"
"Fuck around with them?" I grimace. "Not to insult your taste in men, love, but that's revolting."
She tips her head. "What about other men?"
I can tell she's asking only out of pure curiosity. I opt for full transparency.
"I didn't experience real pleasure with women, so after a while, I tried men. It was equally empty, and I gave up on both shortly after. Until I met you, I felt nothing of substance or genuine attraction toward anyone."
Maven's eyes soften, and then she hums thoughtfully. "But that's not true. You went after those predators out of anger. You protected Baelfire. That had to come from feeling something."
"Rage, apathy, and brief instances of vague purpose when I was destroying whoever I chose to. That's all I had until I saw you, darling."
Now, I feel an extraordinary amount of emotions around her. But especially obsession. I crave tying my soul to hers just as much as I crave the taste of her dreams. I've only tasted her nightmares so far, and their flavor turned my stomach. But I suspect that with the barest taste of her dreams, I'll be well and truly addicted.
"Would feeding on my dreams help you heal faster?"
I jolt, blinking at her in bewilderment. Did she read my mind, or am I finally dreaming?
Maven arches a brow. "That's my third question."
"Yes. Feeding would allow me to heal faster. I haven't fed in days." Hence why my ability to heal is lagging. Everyone was tooon edge to sleep in the areas where I was fixing tears in Limbo, so there was nothing for me to devour.
She nods thoughtfully. “I haven't had nightmares with the totem you left. Thank you for that, by the way. Where did you get it?”
“Somnus.”
She pauses, and it seems as though gears are turning in her head. Her mind is so beautifully unexpected that I don’t even dare to guess at what she’s thinking. It could be anything.
But finally, she nods. “Stay with me tonight. You can feed on my dreams while I sleep.”
My mouth waters at an alarming rate, but not as alarming as the stiffness surging into my cock. Maven's dreams, I crave.
But Mavensleeping…
Gods above. Watching her sleep is going to be the death of me. I can't stop the illicit thoughts now running rampant in my head—thoughts of Maven sleeping while I gently peel off her clothes, baring her to my gaze. The way her peaceful breathing would change if I were to play with her pretty nipples.
