“Rheya?”
She turned. Her face was gaunt, hollow-eyed, nothing like the girl I’d seen in the pool. Chains hung from her wrists. “You left me here.”
“I didn’t! I’m trying to find you.”
“You left me.”
She opened her mouth, baring teeth that belonged to a much bigger jaw, and a forked tongue rolled out, snapping at me.
I lunged for the door, but it pounced on me and a sharp agony sank into my throat. Blood gushed into her mouth, and the powerful jaws wrenched. Sinew ripped?—
The dark scene morphed into a piercing blue sky and green, rolling hills. Kairos and I danced across a meadow. The dream was hard to follow, dizzying, but the sunlight warmed my skin and the terror completely washed away. Kairos bent closer, his lips touching my cheek.
My eyes flew open.
Where was I? Not the library. Soft sheets, warm blankets. My bed. My heart hammered. The last thing I remembered was words bleeding together on a page.
Kairos sat at the breakfast table, his mouth pulled into a faint smile. Golden light highlighted his broad frame like an old painting, and something in my chest squeezed tight. Had he been here all night?
“Morning,” he croaked.
I blinked blearily. “How did I get here?”
“I found you in the library, sleeping on top ofElemental Runes.” His lip quirked. “I’ve fought battles more exhausting than that book.”
I pushed myself upright, yawning. “I didn’t read past the first page.”
“Can’t blame you.”
I slid from the covers, a little embarrassed at the state ofmy hair. I resisted the urge to grab the silver mirror on my desk and sat beside him.
Silently, he set a plate in front of me and doled out eggs, bacon, all my favorites. He seemed to think I had the appetite of a warrior. I suppressed a smile.
I picked up some bacon. “I had a nice dream.”
He grunted, shoveling food into his mouth.
“It was something else, then you and I were dancing in a field. It was…very peaceful.”
Kairos placed his fork down, sobering. “You were having a nightmare. Twitching in your sleep, moaning, shaking. So I slipped into your dream and changed it.”
“You can do that? How?”
He hesitated. “I used an obscure rune.”
“Whispercraft?”
He shook his head.
Fine, be vague.
I watched him dreamily, my heart somersaulting in my chest. This ancient fae who commanded armies and struck fear into his enemies, he’d carried me to bed and protected me from my own mind.
“So you spent the night with me.”
He nodded, slurping his tea.
Had he really held me while I was trapped in nightmares? I wanted to ask, but the words clogged in my throat. Gods, I wished I’d been awake. Just to remember the weight of his arms around me. To know if he’d stroked my hair. Did he whisper anything? Maybe something soft he’d never say while I was conscious? Warmth unfurled in my chest, melting down to my ribs.
