Page 14 of 3013: Dreamer

Tall trees with black bark, glowing pink blossoms, and silver leaves created a natural barrier around the entire area, though it was also protected by strong magical wards. He had put those in place himself using blood magic.

Since Ilius magic was elemental in nature, being surrounded by water, fire, air, and the land was good for cultivating his abilities. He liked sitting on the white stone bench by the lagoonso he could watch the waterfall. It had a hypnotic effect that allowed him to slip into a meditative, dream-like state easily.

He imagined the waterfall until it truly seemed like he was sitting there on the stone bench, feeling the cool breeze softly swirling around him. Closing his eyes, he breathed deep and centered himself as he focused on the tranquil sound of the waterfall.

“Who are you?”

Kyryl jerked in surprise at the sound of the husky feminine voice. At first, he’d figured he had simply imagined it. Even so, he felt compelled to open his eyes and glance around. When he turned his head, he saw an unknown female standing there bathed in the silvery purple moonlight.

Kyryl had never seen her before.

He was sure of that, but something about her seemed familiar. She had on a black leather vest and matching pants that many of the Krytos seemed to prefer to wear, though on her, it looked far more seductive than it was meant to be. The tight vest enhanced her full breasts and tiny waist to perfection, and the fitted pants molded to her toned legs, making them look miles long.

Her long black hair was pulled back into a thick braid, and inky lashes framed a pair of large black eyes that blinked in confusion as she glanced around the garden. Lush lips parted as she drew in a sharp breath, then she let it out on a little laugh that sounded like the sweetest music to his ears.

There was a strange purple glow surrounding her, making it look like she was pulsing with an inner moonlight. She was utterly breathtaking, with a gorgeous face and a strong body that appealed to his natural preferences. He wanted to run his hands over her golden skin to see if it was as soft as it looked. Wanted to grab hold of her and never let go.

He knew that sounded crazy, but he couldn’t help it.

Need for her pounded through his bloodstream like a primitive beat. He had never felt such a strong surge of desire before, and it almost drove him to his knees. He was baffled when he felt his body growing hard as steel, and he was glad the dark gray tunic vest he wore hid the erection that was straining against the confines of his pants.

Confusion warred with his longing for her. He had never fallen victim to unrestrained lust before and couldn’t understand why he was feeling it now in his dream state.

By the gods, it made him feel like he was losing his mind.

Perhaps this was some sort of mental attack. Considering that, his confusion shifted into anger.

“Who are you? How in hellfire did you get in here?”

Her dark gaze snapped back to him. “What do you mean?”

He gritted his teeth together in frustration before asking, “How did you get past my wards?”

Instead of answering, she shook her head slightly. “I knew I shouldn’t have had that last glass of wine. Or maybe it was the tequila shots that put me over the top. Yeah, it had to be the shots. I totally blame Melody for this. At least I can sleep my hangover off tomorrow.”

“You’re drunk right now?” Obviously, she had just said so. Jealousy and anger shot through him, making it difficult to think straight. “Who is Melody? Where are you? Who else are you with?”

She blinked at him again. “You ask a lot of weird questions. This is a very strange dream.”

“This is not a dream.”

“Sure it is,” she said dismissively. “By the gods, you really are pretty, though. I never knew I was this creative. I have to say I really do have good taste in dream males.”

“I am not a dream,” he insisted.

“You would be a whole lot prettier if you stopped talking.”

That made him want to shake some sense into her. This female certainly had a lot of nerve speaking to him like that.

“Maybe I should dye my hair a pretty color like yours. Is it pink or purple? I can’t really tell in this weird light. Maybe this is my subconscious telling me to go ahead and cut my hair.”

Using his magic, he released her hair from the braid, letting the long waves rain down her back freely. She gasped in surprise, then spun around in a circle as if searching for someone behind her.

“Who did that?”

He sighed heavily. “I did. Why would you cut it?”

“Because I want to try something new, and I’m tired of braiding it. Now, how did you undo my braid?”