Chapter Thirteen
Rhys
I gasped for breath and sat straight up in bed. Sweat soaked my body and dampened my hair. My heart hammered against my sternum as though I’d been running for my life. As the dream faded, I shoved my hands through my hair and rested my elbows on my bent knees. My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath and fought against the nausea that roiled in my gut.
The bloody, torn remnants of the dream shifted behind my eyelids. It had been clearer than my other nightmares. The gruesome images stayed in my mind even after I woke up, though I wished they would vanish as they had before. In all the time I’d lived, I had never seen anything like the broken bodies of women and children that filled my mind. Such evil was beyond my comprehension.
I rolled out of bed and staggered from the bedroom into the kitchen. I filled a glass with cold water from the tap and drained it in several huge gulps. The nightmares that had plagued me for weeks were coming more often now. Almost nightly. Instead of vaguely unsettling, they were dark and violent, filled with images of blood and pain. This was the worst of them so far, but I was almost certain that it was only the beginning.
A woman who looked a lot like Rhiannon Temple was featured in most of them. I seemed to be making attempts to seduce her. Pursuing her relentlessly. Though I could clearly hear the words I spoke, they weren’t mine. In the nightmares, I offered her anything and everything to share her power with me, telling her that she would be my queen and that we would rule together. It made no sense. When she didn’t agree, I threatened her with unspeakable acts. As monstrous as I considered myself, I never would utter threats such as those to a woman.
With each night that passed and each dream I had, I became more and more certain that it was Rhiannon I saw in the dreams and not a woman who resembled her. I also became more convinced that I was experiencing Cornelius’ memories. The things I said were similar to the threats I’d heard him utter before.
I wondered what Rhiannon Temple wanted from Savannah or Ava. Or from me. I doubted she’d approached Savannah for business reasons, as she claimed. Especially considering the unique gifts that Savannah had or the massive power that resided within Ava’s body. If my suspicions about her were true, the woman was as old as I was, which meant she was no mere human. The fact that my brother had known her and wanted her deepened my anxiety. Cornelius never did anything without a reason. Even when he had killed people, he always had a goal in mind and it usually involved strengthening his own power.
Then there was the fact that I was the last known animavore. Soul eaters were once feared and treated like the boogeymen of the supernatural community. Though they were now considered myths because, to my knowledge, Cornelius and I were the only ones. That didn’t mean that the lore didn’t spread far and wide. The thought of creatures like me was frightening to those who practiced white magic. The dark witches and wizards were in constant pursuit of the knowledge required to make them because legend said that the more souls the animavore consumed, the greater his power. If one could take the soul of the animavore they would also have his magic.
I knew from experience that this was true. But the magic required to remove the soul eater’s power was immense. Very few witches or warlocks in the world could manage it. I’d met one in Dallas and considered her a friend, and another was now my landlord and I very much doubted she wanted my power when her own was likely more potent than mine.
I poured another glass of water and drank this one at a slower pace, carrying it over to the pair of stools that sat next to the kitchen island. I settled on one, taking in the quiet darkness of the house and trying to get my mind off the nightmare that had woken me.
I distracted myself with thoughts of Savannah Baker. Just the memory of my last evening with her was enough to slow my heart rate.
In the two weeks since our first date, I’d spent nearly every evening with Savannah. She would cook or I would bring food and we would talk or watch television. One night she tried to teach me how to play poker. Considering she had to stop and look up the rules several times, that didn’t go well, but it was still entertaining. I enjoyed it. Actually, I enjoyed every moment with her. She had the ability to make even the most ordinary activities seem special. Even her silence was comforting.
She was sweet and arousing at the same time. I found myself making an effort to make her laugh because I craved the sound. I often pulled her into my side when we sat on the couch, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and just breathing her in. I wanted her close to me.
Every night, I struggled with the desire to do more than kiss her good-bye, but this wasn’t a fling or a quick tumble. I knew she wanted me too, that she wanted me to do more than give her gentle kisses. I could feel her desire, but I was courting this woman and I wanted to take my time. I wasn’t so locked in the past that I didn’t understand that most people would have had sex by now, but after Savannah admitted to me that her last relationship had been seven years ago, I wasn’t going to push her too hard, too fast. I wanted her to trust me completely before we moved to the next step. I didn’t want her to regret it later, even if she was eager now.
Even though I tried to ignore the need she emitted, it was difficult. Every time I touched her or kissed her, she would melt against me. Though the weight of her body and the scent of her skin were becoming an addiction, I wanted more from her. I wanted everything she offered me without a word.
But I couldn’t take it. Not yet.
In the quiet darkness of the early morning hours, I wondered how I ever thought I could stay away from Savannah Baker. There was so much about her that called to me. Even if Ava hadn’t arrived on my doorstep two weeks ago, I would have caved eventually. I would have cracked and ended up knocking on her front door, pleading with her to spend time with me. To speak to me again. In an incredibly short period of time, Savannah had gotten beneath my skin and I doubted she would ever work her way out.
When my mind and body quieted, I put the glass in the sink and walked back to the bedroom. If tonight was like all the others, I would be able to sleep now and the nightmare wouldn’t return. Most nights I wouldn’t dream again once the nightmare woke me, but sometimes I would dream of Savannah. Of touching her. Kissing her. Making love to her.
Still, even if I couldn’t have the reality, my dreams were a welcome if poor substitute.
Tomorrow I would go to The Magic Bean and speak to Ava. If my dreams of Rhiannon Temple were anything to go by, danger waited for one, if not both of us in the future and we should be prepared. I hoped that she would have some insight into what was happening to me and what Rhiannon might be up to.
After over two millennia alone, I’d finally found a woman that I could envision a future with and I would not allow anyone or anything to hurt her. I would protect Savannah with everything I had. Including my life.