another ancient for the blood.”
“No.” He gripped my arms, gaze turning fierce. “I don’t want you coming here again. You shouldn’t even be solid for a dream visit. The laws of nature are completely different here and nothing can be trusted.” He cupped my cheeks, ran his thumb over my lower lip. “You have to let me go.”
“I can’t.” I looked away from him to try and slow the incredible pain shredding my chest, took in the dirt and clay-brick walls, the three broken steps with an iron gate at the top. I could see more narrow stairs leading up behind the metal slats of the gate. Chains were bolted into the walls. “What are they doing to you?”
“That’s not important. My jailer is a little extra-angry lately over the escape of her pet succubus.” He ran his hands up my arms, down my chest and under my T-shirt. He made a strangled sound when he touched the bare skin of my waist.
“Why did you do it?” I whispered, taking a deep, shuddering breath. “We had a plan. You didn’t have to dive into that pit.”
He didn’t answer. I hadn’t expected him to. He ran his gaze over my face, locked on to my lips.
“What happened to the Dweller?” I asked.
With this, he finally smiled. Sort of. It reminded me of the first few smiles of his I’d seen. This one didn’t even show that beautiful groove in his cheek. “The Dweller is no more. He disintegrated as we fell, as each soul was released. He was only alive through me. I had to do what I did. You understand? Did your sister—”
I nodded. “She woke up. She’s fine.”
“I did wonder.”
“Nikolos, you’re obviously not dead and from the looks of your”—I broke off, choking on a sob I couldn’t stop—“skin, they’re hurting you a lot. What is this place?”
“They call it the Realm of the Discarded. Those who lived lives without redemption and don’t get to move on, and those who are like me, trapped here.” He slid his palms along my skin to my back and pulled me closer on his lap. “You smell so good and you’re wearing my shirt. Are you in my home?”
I leaned into him, not caring that he smelled of dirt and sweat and the metallic tang of blood. “Someone burned down our houses. We’re temporarily at yours.” I buried my face in his neck and here, here I caught his scent—the one I remembered. “I don’t know how long I can stay here. Who has you so I know where to look?”
He didn’t answer, only groaned and pressed his mouth against my neck. His hands moved up my back, still under my shirt and he cupped my shoulders before stroking back down and around over my stomach to my breasts. His hands were warm and I leaned into them. He was trying to memorize the feel of me. I could tell.
And I got it. My heart lurched, then froze as I realized we might have mere seconds. I didn’t know how this dream traveling worked. It wasn’t like astral projecting. I was completely solid against his wonderful body. The heat of him seeped into me. My hands started moving, returning his caresses, seeking the warm skin, the hard planes of muscle, the silky weight of his long black hair.
He suddenly clutched me tight, his words muffled against my neck. “I don’t know how you’re here. I’m terrified for what this might do to you.” He kissed my jaw. “And I’m too filthy to have my hands and mouth on you.”
I pulled back, met the glittering black of his gaze. “I don’t care. Don’t you dare stop touching me.”
He smiled and this time, that sexy groove appeared next to his mouth. “There’s my Beri.” He pulled his hands from my shirt, cupped my face, his gaze dropping to my mouth.
“Do I have to initiate this kiss like I did our first?” I smiled, cocked an eyebrow.
He pressed his lips to mine and I sighed into the maelstrom of emotions that erupted with that kiss. Heartache, fear over disappearing any second, terror that whoever had him would kill him before I could get to him…and love so powerful, so
“No.” He gripped my arms, gaze turning fierce. “I don’t want you coming here again. You shouldn’t even be solid for a dream visit. The laws of nature are completely different here and nothing can be trusted.” He cupped my cheeks, ran his thumb over my lower lip. “You have to let me go.”
“I can’t.” I looked away from him to try and slow the incredible pain shredding my chest, took in the dirt and clay-brick walls, the three broken steps with an iron gate at the top. I could see more narrow stairs leading up behind the metal slats of the gate. Chains were bolted into the walls. “What are they doing to you?”
“That’s not important. My jailer is a little extra-angry lately over the escape of her pet succubus.” He ran his hands up my arms, down my chest and under my T-shirt. He made a strangled sound when he touched the bare skin of my waist.
“Why did you do it?” I whispered, taking a deep, shuddering breath. “We had a plan. You didn’t have to dive into that pit.”
He didn’t answer. I hadn’t expected him to. He ran his gaze over my face, locked on to my lips.
“What happened to the Dweller?” I asked.
With this, he finally smiled. Sort of. It reminded me of the first few smiles of his I’d seen. This one didn’t even show that beautiful groove in his cheek. “The Dweller is no more. He disintegrated as we fell, as each soul was released. He was only alive through me. I had to do what I did. You understand? Did your sister—”
I nodded. “She woke up. She’s fine.”
“I did wonder.”
“Nikolos, you’re obviously not dead and from the looks of your”—I broke off, choking on a sob I couldn’t stop—“skin, they’re hurting you a lot. What is this place?”
“They call it the Realm of the Discarded. Those who lived lives without redemption and don’t get to move on, and those who are like me, trapped here.” He slid his palms along my skin to my back and pulled me closer on his lap. “You smell so good and you’re wearing my shirt. Are you in my home?”
I leaned into him, not caring that he smelled of dirt and sweat and the metallic tang of blood. “Someone burned down our houses. We’re temporarily at yours.” I buried my face in his neck and here, here I caught his scent—the one I remembered. “I don’t know how long I can stay here. Who has you so I know where to look?”
He didn’t answer, only groaned and pressed his mouth against my neck. His hands moved up my back, still under my shirt and he cupped my shoulders before stroking back down and around over my stomach to my breasts. His hands were warm and I leaned into them. He was trying to memorize the feel of me. I could tell.
And I got it. My heart lurched, then froze as I realized we might have mere seconds. I didn’t know how this dream traveling worked. It wasn’t like astral projecting. I was completely solid against his wonderful body. The heat of him seeped into me. My hands started moving, returning his caresses, seeking the warm skin, the hard planes of muscle, the silky weight of his long black hair.
He suddenly clutched me tight, his words muffled against my neck. “I don’t know how you’re here. I’m terrified for what this might do to you.” He kissed my jaw. “And I’m too filthy to have my hands and mouth on you.”
I pulled back, met the glittering black of his gaze. “I don’t care. Don’t you dare stop touching me.”
He smiled and this time, that sexy groove appeared next to his mouth. “There’s my Beri.” He pulled his hands from my shirt, cupped my face, his gaze dropping to my mouth.
“Do I have to initiate this kiss like I did our first?” I smiled, cocked an eyebrow.
He pressed his lips to mine and I sighed into the maelstrom of emotions that erupted with that kiss. Heartache, fear over disappearing any second, terror that whoever had him would kill him before I could get to him…and love so powerful, so
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