“If you leave the ruins of the village for any reason, make sure you watch for those big birds.We haven’t seen any near the village, but take precautions.”
“I’m not gonna argue,” Leo said.“Those birds are scary.”
“There’s the village to the right.”
Leo glanced in the direction his brother pointed and frowned at the lights.“I thought you said it appears deserted.”
“They always seem to sense our intention to visit and prepare for us.”Saber landed the shuttle and waited while Leo retrieved Betrys.“I’ll show you the way.”
Leo carried Betrys with little trouble.She was a tiny thing and could do with more weight on her bones.Not that he cared.Their break together would be a one-off.The woman was probably frigid and nothing like the passionate woman who stalked his dreams.
Saber opened the door to a scruffy-looking building and stood aside for Leo to pass.Instantly, soft light filled the interior, and Leo gaped, almost dropping Betrys in his shock.
This was the room from his dreams.
“Does it always look this way?”he asked.
“No.”Saber blinked and turned in a slow circle to take in the bright hues.“During our visits, the room is full of pale colors, yet it feels cozy.All this vivid color reminds me of a sultan’s tent.”
“Greetings, friend,” a masculine yet musical voice said.
“Caspar, this is my brother, Leo.”Saber grinned.“He’s brought a friend with him and intends to stay for three nights.”
“You are welcome, brother of Saber,” the masculine voice replied.“We prosper under your care and thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”Saber turned to Leo.“Three nights.I’ll be back early on the fourth day to pick you up.If you need anything, contact me with your com-circle or ask your hosts for help.They are very hospitable, especially if you please them.”
Chapter Seven
LeosetBetrysona sleep-bed and waited until he heard Saber leave before he started to explore the room.Rooms, he discovered once he’d prowled the interior.
“You are troubled,” a voice stated.
“Caspar?”
“It is I.”
“I dreamed of this room,” Leo said.
“We sense your needs and adjust the décor to suit each visitor.”
“I dislike people rifling inside my head.”He hated the idea of the room, his dreams of Betrys becoming common knowledge.For one, the colorful dreams were sick.What sort of man dreamed of the woman who’d ensnared him in a trap that felt like death?A man should dream of sexy blondes with big boobs, curvy hips and seductive smiles.Not a brown mouse who wore a robe.
A sharp pain in his midriff made Leo grunt and double over.He massaged his belly, yet the pain—a sort of uncomfortable pressure—remained.
“You are in pain.”Caspar’s voice was closer now.“Lie on the floor.”
Exactly what his shaky legs and buckling knees were urging him to do.Leo sucked in a breath and pushed his hand against the tender spot.His touch made the burning ache back off, and he continued rubbing.
“Let me see.”An order, not a suggestion.
Leo felt a mild tingling, then the pain subsided.He drew in a harsh breath and released it.
“Interesting.You will find a tonic in the cool-box.You already have some in your bloodstream, and it’s producing a kind of antibody to kill the infection.Take the tonic and sleep.On the morrow, you will feel better.”
“Thank you.”Leo half crawled to the cool-box and pulled out a small glass vial full of a cloudy liquid.He removed the stopper and sniffed the contents.It was the same as the tonic given to him by the one-eyed woman in the market.Well, it couldn’t hurt.He tipped the vial against his lips and gulped the medicine.A bitter taste coated his tongue, trickled down his throat and repeated swallowing didn’t rid it from his mouth.The stuff was nasty, but if it helped him sleep instead of snaring him in the middle of weird-ass dreams, he’d endure.
Leo set the vial on the counter and staggered to the bed.Betrys lay still, small whistles issuing from her throat.Leo sighed, exhaustion pressing on his shoulders like a bag of cattle feed.He stripped off his clothes and dropped onto the bed, asleep before his head made a dent in the pillow.
