“Dorian!” I screamed into the emptiness. He had been right behind me, why didn’t he step through the tree? Had he pushed me out of harm’s way and placed himself in its path? Or did the demon catch him before he could escape? Standing in the abyss with thoughts of Dorian being killed by a demon was suffocating. My lungs constricted, and I gasped to catch any amount of air. I coughed and sobbed, panic seizing my body and turning it against me. Tears burned against my cheeks, and sweat broke out along my brow. Burying my fingers in my hair, I screamed at the top of my lungs. The feeling of abandonment pressed inward on my heart and squeezed like a vice grip. I dropped to my knees with a heavy thump, bracing my hands out in front of me; I took big mouthfuls of oxygen into my lungs and tried to calm my frightened body. I didn’t know how long I stay crouched before I saw a shadow moving along the darkness, even though I knew that wasn’t possible—you need light for a shadow to manifest. But my eyes played tricks on my brain and teased my already shaken nerves.
After the shadow came footsteps. The thumping of hard soled shoes somewhere in front of me, headed in my direction. Falling back on my behind, I scooted further and further away from the approaching steps. Biting my lips to keep my sobs muffled, I strained my eyes to make sense of what was happening. A large dark figure broke against the darkness and stood not four feet from me. I curled inward, making myself as small as possible, hoping I would slip its notice.
“Gwen?” Dorian spoke with concern.
Relief washed away my insecurities. I scrambled up and ran to him, hitting hard against his chest and throwing my arms around the thickness of his body. I’d never been more relieved to see another person in my entire life. Dorian encased my body with his arms and held me while my sobs picked back up, my tears soaking his t-shirt. I felt small and fragile against his large body, but safe. His hand caressed my hair in long calming strokes and my sniffles lessened, awareness taking front and center in my mind. Attraction stirred deep within me at the close proximity of Dorian. My body fit perfectly against his. I withdrew from him when all I wanted to do was collapsed against him.
With shaky hands, I wiped my tear soaked cheeks and cleared my throat. “Where were you?” My voice sounded like a small child who needed reassurance.
“I was here, Gwen, the entire time. I stepped through the tree right after you, but in here it’s a disorienting and easy to get lost.”
He’d been with me the entire time, and I hadn’t even known. Calling the place disorienting was a major understatement. I was sure if humans could explore a black hole, this is what they’d find, a big glob of nothingness.
“What is this place?” Wrapping my arms around myself, I fought the shakiness in my body and voice. I’d seen many things in my life and felt real fear, but none of those past experiences measured up to what I’d experienced tonight. The demon would be embedded in my mind for a long time. I had come so close to true evil and escaped. Future obstacles couldn’t be as scary as that.
“The in-between,” Dorian answered.
“That doesn’t really answer my question. What is the in-between?”
Dorian grabbed my hand and I jerked it away.
“I wasn’t coming onto you, Gwen, We need to find a way out and unless you want to get separated again…” He let his unspoken words speak for themselves.
I already felt closer to him than was appropriate, holding his large hand would confuse those feelings more. But the thought of being lost in the “in-between” was scarier than the attraction I wanted to file in the denial part of my brain. Reaching my arm out, I fumbled for his hand but ended up caressing his leg in the process. A deep amused chuckle pierced through the darkness, and if Dorian could see my face, he’d have found amusement in the unflattering shade of red my cheeks were turning.
“If you wanted to feel my body, all you had to do was ask,” he teased and clutched my hand in his.
“I can’t see a damn thing in here,” I remarked as I fought the urge to acknowledge just how nice his body felt beneath my palm.
As we walked, with what seemed like aimless steps, Dorian explained the in-between. “The in-between is what lies beyond the safe zones,” he began. “Neither Ghosts or demons can enter, unless called to our reality. The spirits you summoned from the vampire blood passed through the in-between to manifest in our reality.”
“So,” I interrupted. “It’s the space between the two realms?
“Exactly. We are allowed to enter because we are connected to both worlds. But it acts as a path for summoned spirits and demons as well.”
My nervousness settled a little, but as soon as Dorian said those words, my muscles tensed and my grip tightened on his hand.
“You cannot be hurt in the in-between,” Dorian explained, picking up on my change in mood. “Summoned beings have a one track mind. Their only goal is to travel to whoever summoned them. We could pass a hundred demons right now and they wouldn’t even acknowledge us.”
I considered his words and for the most part I understood, they were like mindless zombies with one thing on their minds—finding the one who summoned them. Still, it didn’t ease my mind to know I could run smack dab into another demon.“I could go the rest of my life without seeing another demon and that’d still be too soon.” I stopped in my tracks. “You said we wouldn’t see any,” I accused like it was his fault one popped out and attacked us.
“I guess I jinxed us, but at least now you know what they look like.” His reasoning left something to be desired.
I don’t know how long Dorian and I walked around in the darkness, but my legs cramped and a splitting headache was trying its damnest to shatter my skull. I was tired; the rush of adrenaline had long since vanished and left me drained. After what seemed like forever, Dorian stopped and pointed out what he categorized as a veil—a thinning in the in-between. Either he was pulling my leg, or I was just too tired to see it. Stepping through the veil, Dorian and I were greeted with a purple smeared sky. The brightness, although muted by the late hour of the day, was blinding. I closed my eyes against the sudden change of light and took turns peeking out of each eye. The straining on my eyes caused my head to explode in pain. When I got my bearings and my eyesight back, I realized we were still in Moon.
“What?” I said with disbelief. We entered the ghostly realm in the morning and had walked for who knows how long, we should have been halfway across the state by now. Yet, the peaks of the NAWC’s castle protruded just over the trees and small stone buildings lined the cobblestone roads, the smell of food and wood smoke wafted on the breeze—my stomach rumbled in response.
“Time works a bit different in the realm of the dead,” Dorian explained.
I grumbled, moody from being chased by a demon, walking for hours, and not eating for even longer. Not to mention the strange tension that tethered Dorian and I together and left me in a constant state of nervousness around him now.
“Worst. Fieldtrip. Ever!” I snapped and set off towards the castle where I planned to crawl into my warm bed and try and forget this day ever happened.
14
As awareness returned to me, I stretched my muscles against cool crisp bed sheets. Buttery gold light beams shone through the windows, lighting the space in a tranquil peacefulness I hadn’t experienced since getting involved in the brew case with the FPD a month ago. My life turned into a dark dangerous place where spirits lurked and vampires hunted. A life where every new face was called into question and every choice second guessed. I hated this life, hated the instability of it all and the suspicions that shaded it.
The scent of jasmine wafted on the breeze carried in by an open window. The sheer ivory curtains danced against its gentle caress and the chirping of birds serenaded the morning. My body was rejuvenated and whole again, a feeling I hadn’t expected to return since I was no longer just a shop owner or a simple witch from Flora. Darkness was intertwined in my soul and had led me down the path of summoning spirits and jumping into realities where demons prowled. Sunshine and summer breezes didn’t fit in that world.
“Good morning, beautiful,” a male voice chimed and reminded me of tranquility and love. My body lifted into a sitting position and looked at Aiden. He stood beside the open window, his shirt flapping against the wind. His ebony hair was disheveled, his blue eyes brighter than I’d ever seen them. A genuine smile lit his face, and I found myself smiling in response. He was beautiful, and he was mine. The thought was almost too much to bear.
He was the only thing that mattered, the only thing I saw in a world filled with distractions.
Streams of sunlight lit his face and chest as my eyes devoured him.
Wait, sunlight?
“You’re standing in the sun,” I whispered as I drank in the vision of him. Every one of his features came alive in its warm glow.
“So I am,” Aiden said with amusement. Walking over to the bed, he threw back the covers and lay down. His arms encircled my waist, muscles stretching as he guided my body towards his. Facing each other, our lips inches apart, we stared at each other. The moment was perfect, one I never wanted to end. I could live the rest of my life in bed with Aiden and just stare at him while the wind blew and the birds sang just outside my window.
“Gwen?” Aiden said after a few moments.
“Mmm?” I responded through my foggy mind of relaxation.
“Don’t go to the council. Don’t let them drink from you.”
I had forgotten about that world, forgotten about my responsibilities and problems, and I didn’t want to be reminded of it when everything inside my bedroom was wonderful and warm. What lay beyond my door was stressful, dangerous, and deadly, I didn’t want to leave the comfort of my bed to acknowledge it.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I spoke against his lips. His power sizzled all around me, claiming me, caressing me, controlling me. My body was his and yearned for those large hands to touch it.
“We must, everything depends on it,” Aiden replied, his jaw tightening as he tried to keep his voice calm.