“Leya, wake up!”
Hands grabbed her, dragging her away from Aerén.
“Let me go!” she snarled, fighting off the hold and trying to find her way to where he hung in the burning cage. “Hold on, my love. I’m coming!”
“You havta come…” a panicked voice edged through her agonized thoughts, then trailed away. “Something’s wrong with Leya!”
“Help him. For all that is sacred, save him!” a reedy voice sobbed.
Her hands tingled. Terror fueling her, Leya shoved hard with her mind, flinging out her hands, trying to stop the leaping flames.
A thud sounded. A cry echoed—
“Dammit, Leya, wake up!”
Then she was thrown into a snowstorm, the icy winds slicing through her thin top. “No, no, no.” Her teeth clattered. “Aerén?”
“Come back. Save him,” the soul-wrenching cry tore chunks of her heart out. “Only you can—”
“Leya!” Hands shook her hard. She blinked her teary eyes, tumbling out of the horrific dream to find her sister kneeling beside the couch where she’d fallen asleep.
“What is it?” Hana demanded. “You’re scaring me.”
The nightmare! Oh, God—
“Aerén,” she rasped, sitting up and swinging her legs to the floor. She had to find him.
The door flew open, and he was there, his tall figure striding toward her.
About to throw herself at him, her gaze clashed with her sister’s troubled one, and recent memories of their break-up slammed into her with the impact of a wrecking ball.
Pain rushed her, snagging her breath. Yet, she couldn’t stop her gaze from rushing over his beloved features, ensuring he was all right. At the dried blood on his knuckles, her eyes blurred. He’d either gotten into a fight or punched something…because of her.
She lowered her head and wiped her wet face, her heart hurting, remorse and guilt choking her.
“Leya?” Concern bled out of him. He hunkered down near her, hands fisted on his thighs. No touching now. “What happened?”
“She had a nightmare,” Hana said, sitting at her side. “I came home and found her screaming for you, and forthemnot to hurt you.”
Save him…save him—
God!Leya wrapped her shaky arms around her waist, unable to shut out the terrified unfamiliar voice inside her head.
But Aerén was here, not trapped in a cage.
What did the dream even mean?
With no answer and unable to let go of the dread gripping her, only one thing remained. Since they’d followed her back to Earth, she had to go back to Empyrea and find out what was causing these nightmares. If the voice that refused to give her any peace was right about his future, it might be up to her to stop Aerén from being captured.
“Leya?” She lifted her head, but meeting Aerén’s worried stare, her heart thudded violently as if it would leap out of her chest into his, just to be with him. “What is it?”
“We-we have to go back to your world. To the cold part.”
“What?” His brow lowered. “Leya—”
“If you don’t take me, I’ll ask Taegér.” She refused to let him call the shots on this, not when it came to his life.
His eyes narrowed. “You want to go back toDregarus?”
