He lifted her, placing her gently on the counter. The firm granite cooled the back of her legs.
“You’re so soft…so beautiful,” he whispered, his breath hot against her neck.
His rough fingers dug into her hips as he pulled her closer to him. His warm mouth explored her breasts, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. His scent was intoxicating. She drew in a breath and held it, not wanting to let go of the moment. She wanted more of him. Slowly, she forced air out from between pursed lips.
His fingers teased her with unrelenting promises.
“Please, no.” He paused, and she pulled him close to her again. “I mean yes.”
Her fingers fumbled blindly with his zipper. His heat and hardness pressed against her, and she relaxed her thighs, inviting him in. She arched against him, her legs trembling. Her mouth welcomed his with ravenous exploration.
The room melted around her, and the sound of their bodies filled her ears. She felt free and wild. Her body pulsed with pleasure and she moaned softly. The talisman bounced against his chest as he thrust deeper into her.
“Eva!” Passion flooded his voice. “Eva!”
White light engulfed the room and brought with it a crowing laughter. The space around her emptied, and she stood fully clothed in a box filled with white.
She squinted against the brightness of the room. “Hello?”
A voice rang out. “Have you found him yet?”
“Found who?” Eva shouted back.
“No,” the voice replied, sadly, “you haven’t. When you find him is when you’ll truly awaken.”
Twenty-Two
“Something is wrong. The Mortal Realm’s sun has risen and set three times, yet she remains asleep,” Alek said, crouching over one of the newly formed pools in the Hall of Echoes.
“And you have exhausted yourself looking over her. You must rest, and she must do the same,” Maiden replied calmly.
“I can’t rest now. I have to go to her. I have to make sure nothing more happens to her so she can help me to restore Tartarus.”
“Her body is working harder than you or I could ever imagine. Eva is being rebuilt as the new Oracle. Be patient, my son.”
“Patience,” he grumbled. “Something I possess little of.”
Goose bumps appeared on Alek’s arms as Maiden lightly traced his back with her fingertips. “As a little boy, anytime you were scared or sad or restless, I would gently scratch your back like this. It used to relax you. Sometimes it would even send you straight to sleep.” A smile lightened her voice. “Do you remember?”
“It is something I’ll never forget.” He arched his back and groaned quietly as he stretched. “It was simpler then.”
“How do you mean?”
“The curse. I didn’t understand it like I do now. There was no threat of the mortals being overtaken by evil, and Tartarus was only my home. Not a realm I was tasked with restoring.”
“Do you blame me?” Maiden asked quietly.
“What reason would I have to do so?”
“The curse would not exist if not for my foolish behavior, and we would not have had to beg Hera for an answer.”
“Then I would not be here.” He wrapped a comforting arm around her. “Pay no attention to my complaints. I’m just weary of waiting with no way of helping.”
They sat in silence for a moment, watching Eva lay motionless in the hospital bed.
“There may be one thing worth attempting,” Maiden said. “However, you must not be upset if nothing comes from it.”
“Anything will be better than this spectating. What must I do?”
“Your talisman holds a power from this world that you do not carry within yourself,” Maiden explained. “It is the reason you are able to travel between realms and speak to us or others when you are in need. Like an invisible bridge binding us together.”
“And the longer I’m in another realm, the more I use my abilities, the faster its power drains. Then I have to come here where we both recharge. I know this already,” Alek said, barely keeping the frustration from his voice.
“What you do not know is that the same properties that allow you to contact this realm when you are away, can also be used to reach those who are in a dream state.”
“So with this,” he pulled the crystal out from under his shirt, “I am allowed entry into people’s dreams?”
“Yes and no,” Maiden answered. “Dreaming is a gift reserved for mortals. In the past, it was used as a way for them to speak directly with our Gods, Goddesses, and Oracles. They have since lost their way and now see only what they want.”
Alek released the talisman. “If Eva is dreaming, will I be able to help her wake?”
Maiden smiled. “Perhaps. However, you must be gentle in your approach. While in them, dreams are very real to mortals. Eva may not know she is asleep. The dream world she has created will be her reality. She must realize on her own that it is not where she belongs and that she has to awaken.”
“How do I reach her if I wasn’t given the title of a God?”