“Absolutely revolting. I can still smell it on everything. Now I’m sorry I bought that pack of cigarettes and smoked one. But I promise my habit was never that exaggerated.”
She eats, and she doesn’t even think about pizza. I thought pepperoni pizza was her favorite food, but it appears she’s not that fussy. Besides, this food is well prepared, which means that, indeed, Garret wants her in top shape. She’s valuable to him now.
Even though it’s well past midnight, Wren decides to make another batch of Crimson Haze once she finishes eating. Better to work until she crashes than lie in bed staring at the ceiling. I understand. Staying busy keeps the fear manageable.
She puts her gloves and apron back on and begins the process. Her movements are automatic now, muscle memory taking over. Base compounds, temperature adjustments, precise measurements. The basilisk venom, the vampire blood. The mixture glows as it completes, and she places it in the refrigerator to chill. She sets the alarm, then rests her head on her folded arms atop the workstation.
Just for a minute, she tells herself.
I feel her consciousness getting fuzzy. Within seconds she’s deeply asleep, breathing slowly and evenly. I could wake her, but I don’t. She needs rest, and I can stay alert for both of us.
The door unlocks suddenly, a loud metallic scrape that jolts Wren awake. Her head snaps up, disoriented, her heart pounding. Garrett strides in, clearly annoyed, and Wren scrambles to her feet just as the alarm starts beeping.
Garrett’s expression darkens.
“Go the fuck to sleep if you’re too tired to work,” he snaps.
Wren’s jaw tightens.
“For one,” he continues, “when you’re exhausted, you might mess up the recipe or ruin expensive ingredients. Can’t afford that.”
“I’m a professional,” Wren shoots back. “I know what I’m doing. So, fuck off.”
Garrett grins at her defiance, like he enjoys seeing her bite back.
“Two,” he says, “I need you functioning properly. Eat well, sleep enough, stay healthy. You’re valuable, and I need you in peak condition.”
Wren huffs but turns to the refrigerator. She removes the second batch and fills another dozen vials. There are twenty-four vials in total now, lined up neatly.
“Go to bed after this,” Garrett orders. “Tomorrow, you can work non-stop if you want. But tonight, sleep.”
He doesn’t wait for a response. He turns and walks out, slamming the door behind him. The bang echoes through the concrete space, and the lock engages with a solid thunk.
Wren finishes cleanup, strips off her gloves and apron, and washes her hands. She grabs her duffel bag and heads into the small bedroom, closing the door behind her. The space feels claustrophobic. She digs through her bag and changes into sleep clothes, then brushes her teeth in the bathroom.
When she climbs into bed, she can finally feel how exhausted she is. The mattress is surprisingly comfortable.
“No dreams tonight,”she says.
“Of course.”
“Promise me. If any explicit dreams emerge, though I doubt that will happen given the less than stellar circumstances, you’ll end them. For both of us.”
“I swear. I’ll end them immediately.”
She relaxes, trusting my word. She pulls the blanket up to her chin, closes her eyes, and surrenders to exhaustion. Within minutes, her breathing evens out and her consciousness fades. Her thoughts go quiet as she crosses into deep sleep.
Alone with my thoughts now, I have to admit something to myself: I’m disappointed. Everything happened so fast. We were just beginning to acknowledge what’s between us and starting to navigate these feelings. Now circumstances have forced everything back into professional mode. There’s no space for dreams or intimacy, or figuring out what we could be to each other. The timing is terrible.
But then I mentally slap myself for being selfish. This is a dangerous situation. Wren is trapped underground with violent criminals who could hurt her or worse. The last thing I should do is think about her that way. I need to stay focused, alert, and ready for any threat.
I make a vow to myself as I lie awake inside her sleeping body: I will protect her with my life. It doesn’t matter what it costs me. It doesn’t matter if I never get to explore these feelings. Her safety is everything, and I won’t let her down.
Chapter Sixteen
Wren
The dream starts innocently enough.
