I jerked the door open and stumbled out. I didn’t breathe or open my eyes until I pulled the door shut. My deprived lungs exploded as I heaved in gulp after gulp of fresh air. I placed my hands on my knees and panted.
The room was fuzzy, but I peered at the instructors from my hunched position. I panted, “I passed, right?”
“You’re the first person to pass who hasn’t come out of there with tears running down their face.” The instructor’s head tilted in curiosity. “How did you know to close your eyes?”
I stood up and stretched, the dizziness gone. “The vents. They have the smallest amount of yellow residue around the rims inside.”
Godric leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. “I do have a question, Ms. Carvene.”
“Okay.” I eyed him with wariness.
“Do you have any suggestions on how to make it harder?”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Um…yes. If you switched the gas order, then it would be near impossible for someone to leave the room without tears.”
He sat back in his chair and stared at the glass room. “I’ll speak with Mr. Cooper about it. Thank you for the suggestion.”
I tipped my head. “You’re welcome.” Then I pointed inside the room. “Someone may want to call a medic. I hit him pretty hard.”
Godric grunted. “Yes, we saw.”
One male instructor groaned, disappointment in his eyes, staring at the prone body on the floor of the glass room. “What a shame. Victor had so much potential too.”
I walked down the stairs with an extra pep in my step. “Not as much as me. Obviously.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Black hands with razor sharp nails swiped at my face.
I screeched and ducked.
Creatures with black leather skin and no eyes, their shape like humans surrounded the grassy field I stood on. Their numbers were as far as the eye could see, fanning the hill in their darkness. My bare toes dug into the dirt beneath, and my hands clenched into shaking fists.
I shouted, “What are you?”
The black creatures pulled closer.
Their mouths opened as wide as my head.
Neon green shone from within.
The light called to me.
I screamed…
My bedroom door slammed open.
I jerked up in my bed, my eyes flying wide. The blanket twisted around my legs, the soft sheet still clutched in my shaking fists against my chest. Sweat drenched my clothes and dampened my hair. I panted as my eyes darted from side to side, the sun almost rising—enough to light my room through the windows in a subdued glow.
Godric stormed past the entrance of my door that he had cracked in his haste to enter, his nostrils flared and his eyes alert as he scanned the small area. His navy blue pajama pants swooshed with each step he took, checking my bathroom and closet. The useless weapon he thought was dangerous was gripped in his right hand.
Finn stopped just inside my room.
He was only wearing his boxers.
Although, he did hold a wicked blade.
I panted and wiped the sweat from my forehead. The dream had been terrifying. I shook my head to dislodge the memory, my red hair whipping across my shoulders.
“What’s wrong, Poppy?” Godric asked, his search done. The usual beautiful melody of his voice had disappeared, and in its place was a deadly cadence. He placed his weapon on my bedside, still close to him, and sat down on the edge of my bed. His hip pressed against mine. “Did someone break in?”
A delirious gurgle strangled my throat, the noise humiliating. I shook my head and answered breathlessly, “Other than you? No.”
Finn turned and leaned outside my door, barking, “Get back to your rooms now.”
Doors clicked shut all along the hall.
My cheeks instantly flushed with uncomfortable heat. I pulled the blanket back up to my chest, fidgeting with it. “Was I that loud?”
Godric tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear, his brutal golden eyes softening. “You were screaming.”
Finn grunted.
I groaned and dropped my head.
Godric probed, “It was just a dream? No one tried to harm you here?”
“Just a dream,” I mumbled. I kept my head down and rubbed at my forehead again. “A bad fucking dream.”
He hummed on a quiet purr. “Do you want me to crawl in bed with you?”
Finn grumbled in amusement, “I’m out of here.”
He shut the door as he left.
I tilted my head back up and stared at him with exasperation. “You cannot be in my bed. You need to follow your friend right on out of here.”
His muscles clenched under his tan skin as he leaned toward me. He whispered, “Are you sure you want me to leave?”
No, I wanted him to stay and hold me tight.
“Yes, you need to.” I flicked a finger at the door, attempting to gain a little control of the situation. “No matter what, this wouldn’t look good if someone came through my door right now.”
Godric’s gaze ran over each of my features on my face, his eyes taking their time to evaluate me. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I shook my head. “It was just a fucking weird dream with black monsters. There wasn’t any hidden meaning in it.”
His head tilted. “Do you have many like that?”
I knew what he was asking.
“I don’t have night terrors.” There were plenty of individuals who did, though. The devastated world was too brutal in some areas, and it took a toll on people mentally. “But I have an occasional bad dream. That’s all it was.”
That appeased him.
Godric kissed my lips with a soft caress, and then he stood from my bed. He tucked his ‘weapon’ in the back of his pants at his waistline. “Try to get some rest. The instructors won’t be up for a few more hours. We were up late until the last test was done.”
I nodded.
But I stopped him when he reached the door.
“Godric?”
“Hmm?” He glanced back.
I stated softly, “Thank you.”
His lips curved and his eyes sparkled. “My pleasure.”
He shut the door silently as he left.
I stared at the long cracks in the wood.
That man I could get attached to.
And he was the last person I ever should.
*