My fists clench at my sides as I stand and turn around, ready for whatever is coming. I have doubts about my capacity to do anything while dreaming, but I’m willing to attempt it. This bastard laid hands on my woman. He hurt her, and he’s going to pay.
“Kai, wake up!” Ash screams.
The desperation in her voice makes me falter, and I look over my shoulder at her.
“Kai?” My ears are met with an unfamiliar voice, and I feel a slight pressure on my shoulder. “Kai?”
No! Not now.
I jolt awake with a sudden rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins as Penn looks down at me.
“Damn it,” I snap.
“You were breathing rather erratically. Nightmare?”
I give him a grunt in response and glance out the window of the private jet. I take in the shimmering lights of the city below, the urban landscape sprawling beneath us like a blanket of stars. Turning to Penn, who has just settled into a seat across from me, I voice my curiosity.
“Where are we?” I inquire.
“Portland,” Penn responds calmly, the tone carrying an air of familiarity with the destination. His words resonate within the cabin, mingling with the subtle hum of the aircraft’s engines.
Leaning back in the seat, I rub both hands over my face before dropping them on my legs. “Why are we here?”
“What was your dream about?”
I narrow my eyes on Penn, and he smirks, the corners of his mouth curling up as he takes a leisurely sip of his whiskey.
“I asked first.”
“Touché. We are here because I am unsure of the location of the gates to Faerie, but luckily, the luna has a friend who knows the way. The Puca can accompany you to Faerie, leading you directly to the spot where he left Ashwiyaa. Your turn.”
The luna . . . Nesrin?
A few months ago, she was there when we saved Salena. A sense of relief has my shoulders relaxing, knowing I’m not walking into a trap.
“Well?” Penn asks impatiently.
Giving him a sharp glare, I launch into a detailed recount of the dream. My voice trembles with suppressed anger as I speak, each word dripping with the severity of my emotions. My body vibrates with rage, the tension coiling tighter with every passing second.
Penn’s face remains impassive, but I note the slight clenching of his jaw, the only indication my words are affecting him. He’s an expert at hiding his feelings, and although I don’t know him that well, I notice every subtle twitch, every controlled breath, each betraying the effort it takes for him to keep his emotions in check.
For a brief moment, I see something flicker in Penn’s eyes—pain, regret, or maybe even fear. But just as quickly, it’s gone, replaced by that maddening calm. He opens his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, my voice a low growl.
“Then you woke me.”
With a swift motion, Penn tips his glass back, emptying it in one gulp. “It’s a good thing I did. You were dream walking. If you hadn’t woken, he could have trapped you in that state.”
“I can’t dream walk.”
“But Ashwiyaa can.”
My mouth drops open in disbelief, yet no words come out as I process this news. Finally I blurt, “But I was dream walking, not her?!”
“If you are her chosen mate, then you would be able to access her power to some extent. My guess is she cannot use her magic, which is why she hasn’t returned or escaped. In her state, it was as if she was unknowingly invoking you.”
Chapter sixteen
Kai
