My gaze flicked to Nani, still rolling chapatis. A background element of this dream now. “Who are you? What do you want?”
“He loved you very much, you know. He gave himself willingly so that you could live.”
My throat pinched. “Who the fuck are you?” I shoved my chair back and stood. “Answer me plainly.”
“I’m a friend. I want to help you, and…maybe you can help me in turn…” He moved closer, and I backed up. He stopped, his brows pinching over bright jade eyes. “I won’t hurt you, Leela. I would never hurt you.”
“What are you?”
His frown deepened. “I honestly don’t know. But I was with him, in the hidden forever place. His only companion. And now I’m here. Connected to you through him, and I think…I think maybe I might remember if I can stay close. If you help me…”
My mind whirred. “Wait. You…You’re connected toit, aren’t you? To the primordial evil.Youhelped it take Araz!”
“What?” He took a step toward me.
“Get away!” I squeezed my eyes shut. “I want to wake up. I want to wake up right now!”
I sat bolt upright in bed, breath exploding from my lungs in a silent exclamation. Fuck…what the hell…
I slowly lay back down, waiting for my pulse to steady. The dream clung to me like cobwebs. The man…C’ael…The way he’d looked at me with longing and hope.
Not real.
He was a minion sent by the primordial evil to get close to me. To play with my mind. I wouldn’t fall prey to his tricks. Yes, C’aelhadhelped me, but only because Araz had made a deal offering his body and soul in exchange for my life being saved. There was nothing noble about C’ael or the evil that controlled him. That much I was sure about.
I exhaled and willed my muscles to relax, waiting for sleep to creep over me once more. I wasn’t afraid ofit. It and its minions couldn’t hurt me in my dreams. I was in control, and if it came for me again, I’d make sure it felt my power.
No more shirking and shrinking.
Long seconds passed, and I lay still, alert and wide awake.
The clock showed it to be coming up to rising moon, which in the mortal world would be almost midnight.
Gah! I threw back the covers and pulled on my robe, padding to the balcony. A little fresh air might help reset my nervous system and allow me to slip back into sleep.
The clouds from earlier were gone, the sky clear and filled with the brightest stars. I rested my palms on the balcony railing and looked out at the grounds. The nest gleamed in the starlight, housing the anchors, all resting and recharging now.
Blue would be back as soon as the sun peeked over the horizon. He was my dawn wake-up call.
Movement below caught my eye. A lone figure walking toward the palace. He got closer, and I recognized Chandra. He looked up as if sensing my regard, and I leaned over the balcony and waved. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but Ifelthis smile an instant before he vanished.
“Leela, why are you still awake?” Chandra said from behind me.
I jumped and spun to face him.
“Dammit, Chandra! You can’t sneak up on people like that.”
He looked confused. “You called me up…didn’t you?”
I’d waved but… “Oh…I was just saying hi.”
His face fell. “Ah, my mistake. I’ll leave you to it.”
“No! Wait…”
He arched a brow.
I hugged myself feeling suddenly awkward and shy. “Can you stay a little while? I can’t sleep.”
