I moved to her ear, whispering, “Wake up, little raven.”
Her eyes snapped open without warning, pupils blown so wide they swallowed the blue almost entirely. They were wild and unfocused, seeing something—someone—that wasn’t there. A scream built in her throat, and she thrashed, her nails raking across my forearm, leaving hot lines of pain in their wake. Her heel caught my thigh hard.
I did the only thing I could think of. The thing that would keep her from hurting herself. I shifted my full weight over her, pinning her body to the mattress with mine. My hands caught her wrists, holding them firmly but not cruelly, pressing them into the pillow on either side of her head. My legs bracketed hers, stopping the dangerous kicking without restricting her completely. The position caged her without causing pain, my body becoming both barrier and shield.
My mouth found her ear again, lips brushing against the delicate shell as I spoke directly into her consciousness. “It’s me. I need you to look at me. Please, little raven, look at me.”
Then slowly her muscles began to relax, the tension in her arms easing fractionally. Her legs stopped their frantic movement, and she blinked, her gaze finally settling onmy face.
“Hey, little raven.” The use of my pet name for her was deliberate. I wanted it to reach through the lingering remnants of the nightmare.
“Kreed.” She exhaled, a shudder raking through her entire body. Her breath came too fast and too hard beneath me, but she was present now, seeing me instead of whatever monsters had haunted her sleep.
Fuck, thank God.
“It was just a dream. A nightmare. You’re home. You’re safe. You’re here with me,” I repeated, lowering my forehead until it rested gently against hers. I’d repeat those words again and again until she believed them.
Her eyes filled immediately, tears welling up and spilling sideways across her temples to soak into the pillowcase. She gazed up at me with an expression so lost and raw it nearly split me open. I loosened my grip on her wrists slowly, giving her the freedom to move while staying close enough to catch her if she needed it. My thumb brushed under her eye, catching tears that kept falling in hot, silent streams.
“You’re okay. Breathe, little raven. Breathe with me,” I coaxed. “I’ve got you. Nothing’s touching you while I’m here. Not dreams, not memories, not him. Nothing.”
The trembling that had taken over her body began to ease under my hands, and I rolled to the side. “You stayed,” she rasped, her finger grazing the stubble forming on my chin.
I didn’t see any point in telling her that I’d left for a little bit. I’d been gone less than an hour, but it was enough time for the nightmare to dig its claws into her. I’d have to be more careful in the future because I plan to spend the foreseeable nights in her bed. “Where else would I be?”
When she curled into my chest a second later, I wrapped her up without hesitation. My arms came around her, and I tucked the blanket tighter around both of us. “Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be okay. Knowing you’re here helps.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised. “Not tonight. Not any night you need me. Not ever if that’s what it takes.”
“Watch what you promise, Corvo. I might hold you to it.”
I meant it with every broken, exhausted, determined piece of me. If keeping the nightmares at bay meant staying awake for the rest of my life, I’d do it without hesitation.
14
KAYLOR
Iwoke before Kreed, and for a long moment, I just lay there motionless, my head propped on the pillow, studying him in the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. The sun painted him in shades of gold and shadows. I’d been staring at him for an embarrassing amount of time, creepy by normal standards, but I was afraid to move and disturb him…afraid if I’d blink he would fade away, afraid this wasn’t real, but the longer time passed, my mind began to accept he wasn’t an illusion.
He was still so fucking gorgeous, perhaps more so than I remembered, though the past days had carved changes into him. His features were sharper around the edges, cheekbones more pronounced as if he’d forgotten to eat. Shadows darkened the skin under his eyes. His jaw was stubbly and scruffy, and he had a small cut on his temple.
But he was still fundamentally, essentially him. If anything, those minor changes made him hotter if possible. The curve of his mouth, the way his hair fell across his forehead, the strong line of his throat, all achingly familiar. I could have spent hours cataloging the small details, tracing the map of his face with my eyes. Passing the morningadmiring his beauty was hardly a hardship when the alternative had been never seeing him again.
He had to be completely exhausted.
Kreed rescued me.It was a thought I couldn’t let go of. He had stormed into that hellhole, risked his life, his family, and his crew to do so. The memory of him materializing through smoke and chaos, weapon in his hands, while gunfire popped off around him had been terrifying and reckless and absolutely the most beautiful thing I’d ever witnessed…my own personal avenging angel.
My lips tipped up at the image of Kreed with black wings. He would hate the idea of him being the hero. In his eyes, he was only a villain, but I’d seen true evil, and Kreed, despite his less redeeming qualities, wasn’t bad-bad.
Having my mind fixated on him prevented it from straying to thoughts I desperately wanted to avoid, especially after last night. I wished I didn’t remember the dreams or Kreed waking me up. The part I didn’t mind remembering was him holding me. It was the only way I was able to sleep, even if it was only in patches, but nature was calling, and my bladder wouldn’t be ignored further.
I slipped out from under his arm. The mattress shifted as I swung my legs over the side, and I froze, holding my breath until I was certain he hadn’t stirred. His breathing remained deep and even, his face relaxed in genuine rest for probably the first time in days.
My legs were stronger than last night as my feet touched the floor, the adrenaline gone, but I was still weaker than I would like after days of inadequate food and constant stress. I steadied myself against the nightstand, fingers gripping the smooth wood until the world stopped tilting at strange angles. I took it slow, walking to the bathroom. I found my toothbrush where I’d left it and spent several minutes scrubbing away the taste of sleep and lingering fear. The mint flavor was clean and so normal.
Everything seemed to be where I left it, and I found comfort in knowing nothing had changed, at least in this small corner of the world.
