He was shirtless, and she remembered that she was wearing a short nightdress. The fire in the hearth had diminished to a low spark, its warm glow soothing her just as his arms did.
She pulled back, wiping her eyes and looking up at him.
The sharp planes of his face and the seriousness in his deep emerald gaze made her want to forget about the nightmare and everything else. His full lips looked perfect to kiss, but she couldn’t. Crossing that boundary would complicate everything. She needed this job—this coin to get back home.
Lucius eyed her, his arm still around her, his thumb rubbing slow circles along her skin. Yet, he made no move to press forward, though his gaze was filled with hunger.
“I’m going to go hunt,” he said.
A sheepish grin appeared on his face as he pulled back, brushing her hair behind her ear before separating.
“I haven’t had much to feed on, and it’s best if I go. We’re in a city, but woodland is on the outskirts. That is if you’re okay for now.”
“I can wait until you fall asleep again,” he added.
Somehow, she didn’t want to go back into that bedroom.
“Can I sleep out here?” she asked.
He nodded.
She lay down, pulling the blanket over her and resting on the pillow Lucius had been using. His scent lingered—cedar and smoke.
She gripped the blanket and pillow tightly.
Lucius knelt beside her, rubbing her head.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Can you wait until I fall asleep?” she asked.
He nodded.
“The door . . .”
She blinked, remembering how he had destroyed it when she locked it before falling asleep.
He shrugged as if it were nothing. “I’ll get another one. Right now, rest.”
Wiley snuggled under the blanket, pressing into her side.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Lucius pulled away and sat on the other couch, watching the fire. He rested his head back, closing his eyes, and she wondered if he would sleep or merely rest—and what he was thinking about.
Tavia was too tired to answer any of those questions. She closed her eyes, pushing away the nightmare and trying to remember her mother smiling and laughing.
It was just a nightmare, she told herself.
Her parents were alive and well, tending to the garden as always. No matter how long she’d been gone, they had remained exactly the same—safe, isolated, and happy.
But the fear tugged at the edges of her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to push it away, deep down, she knew something was wrong.
CHAPTER NINE
Lucius sat at the bar hoping no one would take notice to a fae sitting in a tavern in the human quarter. He was the only fae here—a truth hidden by the heavy cloak he wore. Of course, if someone looked carefully, they would see his silver hair and sharp features and certainly know he was something more.
It was early, and patrons were just coming in. He sipped the stale ale, thankful that he was able to hunt after Tavia had fallen asleep.
