And lying at her side like a lover in bed is Sidarphion.
“Hello, Starling,” he says with a smile. She’s too stunned and scared to move. Positioning himself on his knees, he lifts her limp arm up to his lips and does exactly what he promised—he licks the blood from her hands. His tongue, wet with desire, languishes in every stroke. “Look at you, beautiful girl.” His lips kiss along her bloodstained arms. “My perfect god.” He circles her pulsing wrist with his tongue. Her bruises, cuts, and wounds all begin to heal underneath his mouth. “My Auridolace.”
His magic warms her skin. Tingles travel up her body when he sucks blood from her fingers. She blinks tightly as her awareness returns. Sitting up, she touches Sidarphion’s face. Her fingers slide over the steep incline of his nose, the harsh angles of his brows, the bloodstains on his lips. This is the Realm of Nightmares—she can smell it.
“You’re here,” she says, though the words slur together.
“I’m here with you.”
She shakes her head. “You’re still here. You’re still trapped.” The realization washes over her, a wave of pure relief. “That was a nightmare, wasn’t it?” She fell asleep in Cassius’s room. Her body is there, right now, alone. Cassius is at Starlake, alive.
Sidarphion nods.
Relief bursts in her chest. She didn’t hurt Cassius, and Cassius doesn’t know that she might.
Claudia exhales, crumpling into herself. She cries in relief. “It wasn’t real,” she repeats over and over.
Sidarphion stands her up and holds her close, licking blood from her neck. “But it will be.”
In his arms, she stiffens. Her vision remains hazy, her voice weak. “You’re wrong.”
“Your mind is starting to burn, Starling. You need to kill him soon to save yourself.” He sucks the last of the blood from her smallest finger. She shivers and gags.
“In your mind, you’ve already done it. It will be easier now.”
Jerking her hand back, she says, “I love him. I won’t kill him.”
“You’ve thought about it, haven’t you?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie to me. I’m the one person who will accept every dark thought you’ve ever had. This is the one place where you can be honest.”
She sighs, struggling to remain upright on her knees. She has no choice but to lean into Sidarphion’s hold. He caresses her, calms her. She hates how much better she already feels.
Minutes of silence pass. “Admit it,” he purrs. “You’ve considered it. You can only dream of things you have already conceived.”
A sharp breath slides through her teeth. After a thick swallow, she admits, “Of course I’ve thought about it. How could I not? It’s my life or his. It’s natural to want to survive.”
Sidarphion grins, flashing his fangs. “Good.”
“But I won’t.”
“You can keep telling yourself that, but if you were alonewith him in the dark, a blade in your hand and the clock of your life about to run out, could you stop yourself from slitting his throat?”
“I—”
“Because in your nightmare, you did not. You killed him in seconds.”
“Because he was going to kill me.”
“Don’t you see?” he growls, gripping her shoulders and leaning so close to her face that his icy breath stings her tear-stained cheeks. “That’s the truth of your situation. Heisgoing to kill you. His hands are choking out your life right now.” He breathes his power against her lips, and the sweet smell makes her eyes roll back. “Give in, Starling. Your desires point to me and all that I can give. Listen to that instinct. Obey that pull.”
She exhales roughly, turning her head to the side to escape the scent of his tempting power. “Love is stronger than desire.”
“But is it stronger than desire and rationale combined? You know you want what I have, and you know you’ll die if you don’t take it. Love cannot overpower the instinct to survive and the crave of power all at once.”
“You’re wrong. You’re going to lose.”
