In Her Dreams by Bolryder, Terry (short novels in english TXT) 📗

training.” I give her a reassuring smile. “So I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

She sighs. “I’m sorry I’m not there yet.”

“It’s fine, dream mate,” I say. “But just so you know, we could make love there. I could renovate a room, and we could have silk curtains…”

She laughs. “Now you’re just tempting me.” She stands, then reaches a hand to help me up. “We’ll see my dream realm one day. But for now, I’d love to continue things in a regular bed if you’re up for it.”

Damn right I am, as humans would say.

I sweep her up in my arms, loving her giggles as I carry her inside. “Let’s go, soul bond.”

18

Reve

Jen is at work, and I have a date with her this evening, so I’m just trying to keep myself busy while she’s gone.

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to buy her a car without using my magic, but it’s tough to work in the human world without an ID.

So she doesn’t know it, but I’ve sort of been fixing her car in the meantime. It took only a short look under the hood to see some fairly dangerous things ready to break and threaten her life at any moment.

And I did have high grades in restoration and repair.

I know Jen probably won’t like that I’m using magic.

But what she doesn’t know is that she and Joey could have died at any moment due to the poor condition of that car.

Fae are immortal in that they don’t age past their prime. They don’t decay regularly, though if they aren’t aware of their magic, then perhaps they end up like normal humans.

But even dream fae can be hurt or murdered. That’s why warriors watch out.

And I love Jen, but I also love Joey. He already feels like my blood, and I knew he would be one of my soul bonds from the moment I knew he existed.

I only hope it doesn’t get me in trouble that I had to fix Jen’s car to protect both of them.

I’m only making tiny fixes, just the most urgent things.

I’m on the computer, scrolling through job options, when I feel Lorien calling me through our bond.

I need to talk to you.

We’ve been together and known each other for so long that the three of us can generally communicate along our bond if we are far from each other.

It takes magic but is still a little more familiar than phones to us.

“Come on over,” I say out loud, knowing he’ll hear.

The next moment, he’s there in a poof of smoke.

I wave my hand, laughing. “We don’t even need to do that, you know. No humans here.”

“I like it,” he says, cocking his head so his dark-blue and purple hair falls over his shoulder. He’s in dream fae robes, oddly enough. “Plus, Tess is here. Should be here any moment.”

There’s a yellow puff of smoke, and Tess appears, wearing white dream fae robes, standing bent over with her hands on her knees.

“My God, that takes energy,” she says, panting. “You two make this dream fae thing look so easy.”

“Years of training,” I say. Hundreds of years, ha-ha. But she doesn’t need to know that.

“I was just riding his track, and it took everything out of me. Then again, it has really been a day.” Tess walks over to the couch and flops down on it.

“What do you mean?”

Lorien looks at me, and I notice the stress lines on his face for the first time. “I have some bad news.”

“Ah, I was hoping it was a social visit.”

“Me too,” Lorien says. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for much of your mate pursuit, but I figured you had it more covered than any of us. And Tess says Jen is really not into the whole ‘dream fae’ thing.”

“You’ve done perfectly,” Reve says. “I’m doing great with Jen. And yes, she is having sort of a hard time with the fairy thing but more the fact that she and Joey are fairies and also belong in the dream realm. She wants to stay here.”

“Yeah, this is where things just got tricky,” Tess says. “Because we were just in a meeting at the eighth kingdom, and they’re getting impatient with having three top warriors not even in reach of the realm if needed.”

“They can’t call me back,” I say, frustrated.

“They’re saying that being around nightmares, as they exist in this world, will eventually make nightmares of you. As warriors of the eighth realm, they can’t afford for that to happen. You’re too powerful to be corrupted.”

“Nothing can corrupt me,” I say. “I hate nightmares with all of my soul.”

“Nevertheless, the council has decided that since the world we found our mates in is also a fallen, dissolute world, we must bring our mates back there if we want to be with them. Staying here long term won’t be an option.”

“What about just until Joey’s out of school?” I ask. “Not that I want him here, but Jen is really set on it.”

Lorien shakes his head. “You won’t be allowed to stay here for years. There’s no way.”

“How long do we have?”

“Maybe days,” Lorien says. “The dream council said that if she’s truly your dream mate, she should know. Unlike in my situation, you two are getting advanced notice. But you will be recalled. And if she doesn’t want to come, you two will be separated.”

My heart feels like it’s sinking into a deep crater below the ocean just at the thought of having to leave her behind.

“Don’t be like that,” Tess says. “Sell her on the fae world. Look, I didn’t understand it that well at first, but now I love it there. We go back and forth because it’s such a nice place. Once she knows Joey will be safe there—”

“I don’t think it will be that easy,” Lorien says. “Your friend is stubborn. Very stubborn, given that she hasn’t just mated Reve already.”

Tess sighs. “You’re right. But there has to be a way…”

“I hope I