Secession, p.18
The Fae King's Dream, page 18
part #2 of Between Dawn and Dusk Series
“I want a repeat.” Gathering her hair, I sweep it to the side.
As I comb through the strands with my fingers, I marvel at how the warm light from the lantern makes her hair look like copper in some places and gold in others.
“I want you from behind next,” I say thoughtfully, wondering what her ass would look like up in the air. “Would you be up for that?”
No response.
“Baby?”
Silence.
When I roll us to the side, my cock slips out of her. I wince at the loss of her warmth, but I’m too concerned to care about round two. Whitley’s eyes are closed and her head lolls.
“Hey.” Grabbing her by the shoulders, I give her a shake.
Completely limp, she lets out a sleepy sigh with a small smile on her lips.
I push up on an elbow. “Shit.”
Something else I forgot? My powers will be amplified after our coupling. Gritting my teeth, I try with all my might to reel the slumber vibes in, but they ebb out of me like an overflowing fountain.
I can’t turn it off.
Whitley’s asleep because of me, and I have no idea when she’ll wake up.
Damon
Everyone on the whole damn ship is unconscious, including the captain who’s supposed to be steering. I don’t know anything about navigating the lake, so I bring down the sails and lower the anchor. This will set us back, but it can’t be helped. If I try to man the ship by myself, we’re likely to end up back in the Night Realm.
“Sorry, Linus.” I slip a pillow between the captain’s head and the hard deck—because I’m not a barbarian—but before I lift my hand away, I pick up one of his dreadlocks.
Squinting, I study the fibers of his dark hair. There’s some gray woven in, telling of his old age. It feels rough like a rope, but it doesn’t resemble the ones holding up the sails. Those have more order—a twisted pattern.
I should get back to Whitley, but I’m distracted by everything I see. The texture of the wooden boards beneath my feet. The twinkling stars in the sky. The moonlight reflected off the rippling water.
This is my view, unfiltered by someone else’s eyes.
Blinking up at the blue and gold striped flags, I watch the way the fabric whips in the wind. It’s weird to see how the movement of air affects everything it touches, yet it’s like a ghost. I’ve always pictured wind as a palpable thing, even though I know it’s not. The invisible force is something I’ve used to my advantage many times. It’s guided me during conflict and helped me gauge distance.
Facing the direction of the breeze, I soak in the sensation of it caressing my skin. It glides over my cheeks and ruffles my hair.
Linus lets out a snore, reminding me of the predicament I’ve caused.
Knocking out our crew wasn’t intentional, but I should’ve seen it coming. Fae powers are always heightened after completing the mate bond. My guess is everyone’s going to wake up well rested and pissed off in about twelve hours.
I’m about to go below deck when I spy dark objects floating in the water several hundred yards away. Using the telescope, I zero in on them.
Serras fish. And they’re not dead—they’re asleep. Belly up, their fins twitch and their tails flap.
Influencing water creatures is an unprecedented event. In the past, my slumber vibes have only worked on people. Fae, humans, trolls, gnomes. Not sprites, but those little buggers are immune to most powers anyway. And fifty feet is usually my maximum radius, which means I’m reaching farther than ever before.
My heart does a sudden painful twist, thumping erratically several times as if it’s knocking at my door. Whitley. I’m supposed to be with her. It isn’t right to be separated so soon after completing the bond.
At least one good thing will come from this blunder. No one will bother us for a while.
When I get back to our cabin, I scoop her into my arms as I lie down. The tightness in my chest eases, and I let out a content sigh.
I could look at her forever and never tire of it.
I rub my thumb over her bottom lip before poking the crevice in her chin. As I trace the slope of her nose, one thought keeps replaying over and over again—I can’t believe she’s mine.
This beautiful, perfect woman was made just for me.
Our story has been full of trials meant to keep us apart, but here we are. The curse is broken. Fate knew we belonged together long before either of us existed, and we’ve fulfilled our destiny.
As much as I want to stare at Whitley all night, I’d rather be with her. With my powers intensified, I wonder if I’ll be able to break through her protection spell.
I get my answer when I close my eyes and sink effortlessly into her dream. The fortune teller shop takes form in front of me, and I see Whitley sitting at her little table.
And she’s not alone. She’s with me. Well, a version of me. Who is this fraud? Sitting in the imposter’s lap, she pulls him in for a kiss.
My gut churns.
It’s totally irrational to be jealous of myself. I should be glad Whitley’s dreaming of me and not someone else, but seeing her give affection to another when I’m standing ten feet away sucks.
I look down at myself, just to make sure I’m not having some weird out-of-body experience.
Nope.
I’m solid and here.
Leaning against the jewelry display case, I loudly clear my throat.
Whitley pulls her lips away from fake-me and gasps when she sees that I’m really here. As she stands, the figure in the chair fades away to nothing.
She sends me a brilliant smile while smoothing the blue sundress she must’ve snagged from one of the racks. “I hoped you’d come. I missed you so much.”
“Seems like you got on just fine without me,” I grump.
She quirks an eyebrow. “I wasn’t sure if you could make it here. Can you blame me for wanting to be with you all the time?”
No. I guess I can’t.
“I am pretty great,” I deadpan, laughing when she snorts at my confident claim.
I open my arms in invitation. Running forward, Whitley leaps at me.
Happier than I’ve ever been, I hold my mate, pressing my lips to hers. I love how she welcomes me into her mouth, angling her head to deepen the kiss. Massaging my tongue with hers, I slide a hand up to her breast.
She arches her back and my cock twitches.
With the memory of being inside her so fresh, my desire isn’t sated. In fact, I’ve never wanted her more than I do now.
Dream sex could be cool.
I’m contemplating the possibilities when Whitley pulls back. Grinning up at me, she rakes her fingernails over my scalp. “Do you want to hang out here, or would you rather go somewhere else?”
“Where did you have in mind?” I picture a bed in the clouds with wispy white curtains hanging from the canopy. There’d be bright sunlight to illuminate every inch of Whitley’s body.
“Anywhere. You tell me what you want most in the world, and I’ll make it happen.”
As great as the bed-in-the-clouds thing sounds, her offer triggers a different thought.
What do I want most? To see my father. To thank him for all he’s done for me. He might not be able to hear it, but it would still mean a lot to me to say the words to his face.
I get hit with an epiphany. “Whitley, would you be willing to try something new?”
“Sure.” Her trust in me is absolute.
“Dream walk with me.”
Her eyes go wide. “Like, you want to take me into someone else’s head? Is that even possible?”
“That’s basically what the coven did to you when they combined our powers. They did things I never considered before. What if their attempt on your life was actually a lesson on how to tap into our abilities together?”
Slowly, she nods. “We can try.”
“I carry one of my father’s amulets in my pocket so I can visit him anytime I want.” Taking out the talisman, I show her the round piece with stars etched into the silver. “The Dream Realm emblem.”
Grinning, Whitley laces our fingers, keeping the jewelry trapped between our palms. “Let’s go, then.”
I tip up her chin and kiss her mouth. “Close your eyes.”
As our world goes dark, the tether between us stays strong, and any apprehension I had about not being able to bring Whitley with me disappears.
We’re connected.
We can dream travel together.
Awake or asleep, I’ll never have to be alone again for as long as I live.
Astonished beyond belief, I smile when we solidify in my father’s current reality. He’s lounging on a large blue blanket with my mother. Side by side, they’re on top of a grassy hill, gazing up at the stars. A platter of grapes sits between them, and my father plucks one up before bringing it to my mother’s mouth.
Even during sleep, my father doesn’t like to be away from his mate, and I completely understand how he feels.
“We did it,” Whitley whispers, as if she’s afraid speaking too loudly will somehow disrupt our dream state.
“Look.” I nod toward a big lodge in the distance. Warm light shines from the windows, and several cars are in a parking lot out front. “It’s the dark sky park.”
Whitley swivels from left to right as she takes in our surroundings. “You’ve been here before?”
“Only in my father’s head.”
She sighs sadly. “I wish I could’ve gone there. Just once.”
“You’re here now. My father’s a pro Dream Weaver. I have no doubt this is its exact likeness.”
Pacing a few steps away, Whitley turns in a circle as she admires the sky she’s familiar with. Earth, her old home. Although there are less stars here than in the Dream Realm and only one moon, they shine brightly.
“Now for phase two of my idea.” Coming up behind her, I engulf her in my arms. “I want you to control his dream.”
“Huh?” Swaying to the side, she gives me a baffled look. “You think I can do that?”
“Possibly, and this might be our only chance to try.” I think about the ship full of our sleeping friends and the serras fish I unintentionally knocked out. Soon, this burst of strength will dissipate. “My power is up now, but it won’t stay that way for long.”
Considering it, Whitley nibbles her lip. “What should I do?”
“Something simple.” I motion to a tall pine tree in my father’s line of vision. “Make that tree change colors. See if he notices.”
“Okay.” Whitley’s hand finds mine, and her fingers grip me as she focuses.
First, a silver glow ignites at the top of the tree, then a glittering light spreads through the branches, sparkling as it leaks to the bottom. It’s so bright, no one could possibly miss it.
She didn’t just make a subtle sign—she created a beacon in the night.
Rubbing his eyes, my father squints against the light as he sits up. Alarmed, he gets to his feet while grabbing the hilt of his sword. My mother’s image diminishes until he’s alone and on guard. Spinning, he scrutinizes the shadows in the forest around him.
His reaction is strange. If he knows he’s dreaming, what does he have to fear?
“It worked.” Whitley sounds surprised, and she excitedly pats my arm. “Let’s do something bigger.”
I tear my gaze away from my father. “Like what?”
“Do you have anything you’d like to say to your dad?”
“Of course, but he can’t see me, even now.” Stepping back, I demonstrate by waving my arms wildly.
My father doesn’t react.
A grin curls up on Whitley’s sexy lips. “You’re not thinking outside of the box. Watch.”
She reaches over to grab my hand, and her face pinches with concentration. Mist gathers in front of my father. At first, it’s just a sheer fog, but soon details lock into place. Legs. A body.
More specifically, my body.
My face and hair.
Glancing down at my tan pants, I see the same ones on the figure identical to me. All the details are there, from the lines and indents of my muscles to the scruff on my jaw.
My father freezes, his hand still on his sword. “Damon?”
I look at Whitley. “You cloned me, just like you did in your dream before this.”
Shrugging like it’s easy, she claims, “It’s just an illusion, but it’s real to your dad. What would you like to say to him?”
Impressed and grateful, I bring her hand up to my mouth and kiss her knuckles. A chance to talk to my father—this is a precious gift.
“Tell him my mate is alive and well, and the curse is broken.”
An adorable wrinkle appears on the bridge of Whitley’s nose as she stares at the fake me, and I’m shocked as shit when he speaks. The voice is an exact replica of mine. A sly smile tugs at Whitley’s mouth when she makes him add, “And she’s the most beautiful woman in all of Valora. Smart and talented, too.”
“Agreed,” I murmur, dropping another kiss to her hand.
“Is this real?” My father steps forward, peering closer. “Are you here or is it just wishful thinking?”
“Yes and no,” I respond, and Whitley handles the transfer of words, looking to me for more. “Whitley is a Seer and a Dream Weaver. When our powers are combined, we can do amazing things.”
A laugh bursts from my father, and he fist pumps the air. “I knew my plan would work. Is she here, too?”
When Whitley makes herself appear to him, it’s weird to see her how she interprets herself. Her image doesn’t do her justice. Her hair isn’t as vibrant, and the sweet curves of her body aren’t as pronounced. She’s wearing the green dress from earlier today, and she looks every bit a queen. All she needs is a crown.
“Hi, King Silas. Although we’ve met before, this feels like the first time.”
“I’m sorry for deceiving you, dear.” My father inclines his head as he clasps his hands. “And I can’t apologize enough for what happened to your parents.”
“It’s not your fault. If you or Tehya feel blame or guilt, I want you to stop.” Her image smiles up at mine. “I have Damon now, and he mends my heart a little more every minute we’re together. But there’s one thing I would ask of you. Please come back. Damon needs you, and so do I.”
My father’s face falls a little. He recovers quickly with a smile, but I caught the troubled expression. “We’ll do our best.”
I don’t want to leave. If I didn’t have other experiments I want to try with Whitley, I’d stay all night and chat with him. I’d tell him how happy I am, how lucky I feel to have such a wonderful woman by my side, and how scared I am to lose this once-in-a-lifetime love.
Because if Whitley’s premonition comes true and I die, it’ll only be a matter of time before she joins me. We agreed not to talk about death anymore, but I never promised it wouldn’t cross my mind from time to time.
I lower my mouth to her ear. “Tell him I send my love, and to pass the message along to my mother.”
I don’t want to say much more than that because if I start spouting goodbyes, my father might get suspicious or concerned.
After Whitley repeats my words, I close my eyes and pull us back into her dream. Back to the shop. Her safe place.
“That was awesome.” She beams at me. “Now what?”
“There’s something else I want to try, and this one might be more difficult.” Before she can question my plan, I say, “I want to see if we can make someone sleepwalk.”
Whitley
I wake to Damon kissing his way down my stomach. When he reaches the apex of my thighs, I moan. Spreading my legs, I peek at him through heavy-lidded eyes.
Nothing could turn me on more—the sight of him kneeling over me. His hair tickles my lower stomach, and his warm breath puffs on my skin. The way he licks his lips while he looks at my most intimate places is so incredibly hot.
Grinning, his gaze darts up to mine. “Good morning, my mate. Or should I say afternoon?”
I squirm because he’s just an inch away from my clit, which is so close yet too far away at the same time. “Did I sleep that late?”
“Yes, but only because you’re right next to me. The rest of the crew woke a few hours ago after I was able to reel in my slumber vibes. Unfortunately, you absorbed the excess.”
Still a little groggy, I yawn. “I don’t mind some extra sleep. We went on quite the adventure last night, huh?”
Memories of the dreams rush back at me. After visiting Silas, Damon left me to go gather objects from a few people on the ship so we could dream hop, as he likes to call it.
Our first victim was the captain. Since sleeping on the deck had to be uncomfortable, we wanted to convince him to move to his bed, but it was no easy feat. Linus takes his job very seriously, and leaving his post was a hard no. First, I created a bad storm, thinking he would take shelter. I was wrong. He held onto one of the posts for dear life, and I felt bad because I was probably scaring the crap out of him. I ended up “cloning” Kirian. Since Linus belongs to the Night Realm, I figured he’d take an order from his king. Thankfully, he did, no questions asked, and he staggered down to his cabin.
The second command I—er, Kirian—gave him… I’m not sure how necessary the prank was, but I have to admit it was funny.
Heavy boots pound over the ceiling above us, and I can picture the surly man stomping around. “He’s never going to let us on his ship again, is he?”
Damon grimaces. “I haven’t spoken to Linus yet, but I’m pretty sure he’s not happy.”
“It might’ve been going a little far to make him put on a skirt.”
“It was a good test. We had to see how much we could make him do.”
Covering my mouth, I giggle behind my hand. “I’d say the lipstick was too much.”
“He’ll forgive us someday. Maybe.”
After invading Linus’s mind, we went to Kirian’s, but we left pretty fast. He was having a hot and heavy dream about Quinn, and it seemed wrong to interrupt.
At that point, I was mentally exhausted, so we decided to give it a break. Having mercy on my wrung-out brain, Damon put me in a deeper state of rest so I could spend the remainder of the night recharging.
