The reyza rumbled again. I figured this time it was the demon version of No shit, Sherlock. “I will place an aversion on the door after you depart,” he said instead. “And I should be able to sense anyone approaching in sufficient time to hide my presence.”
How the hell an eight-foot-tall demon with wings and horns and a tail would hide himself was beyond me, but I decided it was best not to worry about it. I quickly went through the house and locked all the doors and windows, making sure the curtains were all drawn, then gave Kehlirik quick instructions on how to use the phone in the kitchen in case he needed to contact me. Again, he seemed utterly delighted, and I could see he was restraining himself from trying it out at that instant.
“All right, I’ll check on you during the day, then,” I said. The demon merely snorted softly, already engrossed in untangling the wards. I jerked my head at Ryan and headed toward the door to the garage. I half-expected him to give the demon the finger again, but he managed to control himself and followed me out.
“I’ve changed my mind,” he said, after we’d shut the garage door and were in the truck.
“About what?”
“That demon. I don’t think he’s my best bro anymore. He is so not getting an invite to my next Super Bowl party.”
I shook my head and started the truck. “And people say I’m weird.”
“YOU ARE WORRIED.”
I nestled against Rhyzkahl’s chest, the weight of his arm around me a comfort. The sun pierced the broad canopy of the tree we sat beneath, casting a shifting lace of light across us. I could feel the warmth of his breath on the top of my head and I closed my eyes, relishing the exquisite peace of the moment. I didn’t want to respond to him, and besides, it didn’t feel like a question.
But he straightened, ignoring my little whine of protest as he pulled his arm away from me, and stood. I scowled up at him. “I was comfortable.”
“Comfort is a trap,” he responded.
I stood and brushed leaves from my dress. It was a lovely creation of dark-blue brocaded silk, with a scattering of jewels sewn onto a plunging bodice. I felt as if it was a favorite, though there was a faint part of me that knew I’d never seen it before. “Of course I’m worried. I miss my aunt, and something’s eating essence.”
“And I would be pleased to give you such aid as to ease your worry.”
I gave him a sour look. “Give? You don’t just give anything. You’re a demon.”
“Not all prices are onerous.” As if to prove his point, he moved to me, pushing me back against the tree and capturing my mouth in a kiss. His hands braceleted my wrists over my head as his lips shifted from my mouth to my throat. I dropped my head back, groaning as heat flushed through me.
“I do not ask for more than you can give, dear one,” he murmured against my skin. He continued to hold my wrists, tightening very slightly when I tried to shift his hold. His teeth grazed my neck, and a shiver raced through me. “I can show you what you are truly capable of.”
“Yes,” I whispered. “Show me.”
He lifted his head, triumph flashing in his eyes, then abruptly released me and straightened. “The sun is rising,” he said, which made no sense, since the sun was high in the sky. He frowned. “This will not be comfortable for you, but it will get easier.”
I came awake with a shuddering gasp as nausea twisted through my body. I sucked in my breath, hands tightening in the sheets as a sensation like the worst hangover I’d ever had rolled over me, literally feeling as if it started at my head and rolled down throughout my body to my toes. Nausea and headache and weakness, and then it was gone, leaving me sweating and shaking, even though it had lasted perhaps only half a dozen heartbeats.
I took an uneasy breath and slowly sat up, images and sensations from the dream shimmering through my head and already beginning to fade like fog under a rising sun. Had that really been just a dream? He’d seemed to know that I was about to feel like shit. But, then again, I could think of countless times when my alarm clock had been incorporated into my dream right before I’d woken, so maybe that was the same kind of thing.
Through my bedroom window I could see that dawn was turning the eastern sky orange and purple, and I abruptly realized what had happened. The potencies had shifted from lunar to solar, and my link with Kehlirik had to re-form. I took another deep breath, nausea all but gone now. Okay, that sucked major ass. Did Kehlirik feel that too?
I glanced at my clock and sighed. It was barely past six a.m., which meant that I’d managed to get only about four hours of sleep.
Complete with a dream about Rhyzkahl. I’m dreaming about him only because Kehlirik mentioned him. That’s all. He was just on my mind.
Suuuure.