Beautiful nightmares, p.18
Beautiful Nightmares, page 18
I leaned my shoulder against the doorway, feeling awkward about being in his space. Something kept me there, though. “You don’t talk about your father much,” I ventured. “None of you do.”
Now that I thought about it, I had never seen a mention of Dondarte in Collith’s books or Kindreth’s journals.
Leaving my words dangling between us, Laurie opened one of the drawers and removed a small pair of silver scissors. His posture said he didn’t want to talk about his parents or the scene I’d witnessed. I also longed to ask about his birth mother, Titiana. The one who had coined the nickname that suited him so perfectly.
Viessa’s voice whispered through my head again. Some call him Laurie.
How much things had changed since then. Now I watched my vain friend, Seelie King no longer, snip a loose thread off his waistcoat. The silence stretched, but I still couldn’t bring myself to walk away. Laurie put the scissors back in the drawer, then began rolling up his sleeves. Seeing his mother had agitated him, I thought, noting the abruptness of how he moved. Much different than his usual thoughtless grace.
My voice was soft. Hesitant. “I know it’s a cliché, but missing out on you really was her loss, Laurie.”
The faerie prince turned a sink handle, and water trickled from the faucet. The delicate sound filled the space between us. As Laurie bent to wash his hands, his eyes met mine in the mirror. They looked darker, like a shadow passing over the moon. “Spare me your pity, please. I much prefer your disdain,” he said finally.
He’d never used that tone with me before. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell Laurie it wasn’t pity I felt, but that would be a lie. I decided to move on, especially when there were so many other topics we needed to cover.
“Fine. Is there a reason you never mentioned that you had a twin brother?” I asked, matching his terseness.
“Half the time, I forget he exists.” Laurie’s voice was toneless now, and he focused on his vigorous scrubbing. I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Bubbles ran into the drain and the air smelled like expensive, masculine soap.
I fell silent again, trying to think of the best way to continue this conversation. It didn’t seem to be going well. After another moment, Laurie turned off the water.
“You’ve changed. I suppose I have my brother to thank for that.” Laurie reached for a towel, folded neatly on the counter, and dried his hands. He refolded it and put it back exactly as it had been before.
I bristled. “What do you mean?”
“You’re more careful now. You’ve lost that streak of chaos I adored so much.”
“I haven’t lost anything,” I said, raising my chin. Laurie’s eyes flashed, and I realized that he’d been provoking me. Trying to goad me into an argument so I wouldn’t ask about his complicated family. Clever, clever Laurie. Belanor and Mab were clearly touchy subjects, and I understood that better than anyone. For now, I decided to let it slide.
“We’ll circle back to that,” I said. “What we really need to be talking about is Finn.”
Laurie leaned against the edge of the counter and folded his arms, making his biceps strain against his dress shirt. “No, what we really need to be talking about is that kiss,” he informed me.
I sucked in a breath. Oh. Right. I’d finally managed to stop thinking about it, and Laurie was ruining everything. He waited for my response, his eyes glittering now. I bounced between the things I wanted to say, rejecting them all. Fear bloomed in my throat like flowers, trapping air and words alike inside me. “I… I was just…”
The sound of knocking floated between us. I squelched the urge to release a breath of relief.
Laurie’s expression said he heard it, anyway. He brushed past me to leave the bathroom, using more of his body than was necessary. For an instant, his chest slid across my breasts. I swallowed as I turned to follow Laurie back into the foyer. Once again, he opened the door without any fear, emanating that fae arrogance I once found so detestable.
Another faerie stood in the hallway.
“Ah, Maria. Prompt as ever, I see.” Laurie moved his hands as he spoke, giving the healer a warm smile. I stared at him. Not because of the sign language, but because I was startled to see that his pleasure was genuine.
Laurie closed the door, and I studied Maria with interest. She made me think of a hummingbird, so frail and fluttery and bright. It looked as though she’d just come from a party. She wore a red dress and her hair was gathered at the top of her head. Her arms and legs were delicately defined, and she wore heels.
How did she feel about the Seelie Prince?
I had my answer in an instant—Maria adored him. It was obvious in the way she ducked her head, a pleased smile curving her lips. A breath of jealousy caught in my lungs, making them feel tight.
“…can read lips quite easily, as long as she can see your mouth,” Laurie was saying.
I couldn’t respond even if I wanted to; the high from using my powers was ending, the crash sudden and devastating. It felt as if someone had pulled a stopper out of me, and what remained of my strength was spilling out. Everything hurt. My stomach was on fire. I sensed Laurie returning to my side, then I was in his arms.
“Gil,” I tried to say. His side of the bond was too still. The tiny lights were winking in and out.
“Don’t worry about him right now,” Laurie said. Then a bed appeared beneath me, and it was everywhere, as fluffy as a cloud. I would’ve moaned if I wasn’t in so much pain.
There was a slight dip in the mattress. A moment later, I felt the faint prickle of magic as Maria started working on the gouges across my stomach. Her touch was firmer than I expected, and she aligned the edges of my skin before aiming her intention into it. Her otherness. I paid attention as much as I was able—the process had always fascinated me. Not the magic part, but the healing.
It was a reminder of the hopes I’d once had for myself, for my own life. I’d wanted to be a healer, too. I had daydreamed about opening my own veterinary clinic someday and adopting more rescue animals. I smiled blearily at this mental image, then I felt myself frown as I thought, Finn already sheds so much. I better invest in a better vacuum. Maybe a Dyson. I’ve heard good things about those.
Maria’s low voice sounded near my ear. “Lady Sworn? Can you hear me?”
“I’m awake,” I mumbled. Despite how weak I felt, I hadn’t lost consciousness. Had I been thinking about… vacuums?
“That’s good. Are you able to sit up?”
I nodded, and it seemed like a positive sign that I wasn’t hit by a wave of nausea. The healer put her arm around my shoulders, careful not to make skin-to-skin contact. Her scent greeted me as I came out of the darkness. Rosewater. I lifted my head, and I spotted Laurie straightaway.
He leaned against the edge of the doorway, watching Maria’s administrations. She’d begun searching the rest of my body for injuries. When her fingers prodded my ribs, I noticed she was wearing rubber gloves. So that was why I hadn’t been accosted by her fears when she’d touched me.
“Your vampire is improving,” Laurie said abruptly, his gaze flitting to mine. “I gave him the cooler of blood bags Maria brought. There should be enough for him to complete the transition. I must say, it’s remarkable he lasted this long. I’ve never seen a newborn hold onto their control like that. It’s almost as if he has some help.”
Though his expression didn’t change, I sensed the probing in his comments. The spell I’d performed on Gil wasn’t common knowledge amongst the fae—even if Laurie’s spies had reported whatever the cameras in that cell captured, there was no definitive way of knowing what sort of magic I had done. Belanor had admitted as much when he asked me about it.
“Tell me about Vulen,” I croaked. I wasn’t sure why, but the thought of telling Laurie about the bond caused a knot of anxiety to form next to my heart.
Laurie’s expression didn’t change at this ill-disguised attempt to change the topic. “Ah, so you’ve met Belanor’s favorite lackey,” he said. “I’m not surprised. Vulen might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he sure is the shiniest. Besides a hot piece of ass, he’s the only known telepathic among fae. Well, now that Jassin is dead, at least. He’s been very useful to our family over the years.”
“I’m guessing that’s not the only way you’ve used him,” I remarked. Was that more jealousy I detected? What was happening to me?
“Your shoulder is bleeding,” Maria murmured before Laurie could answer. She shifted into my line of view. “Will you allow me to remove your shirt, Lady Sworn?”
The room fell silent. I nodded, and Maria pulled the stained, sweat-dampened top over my head. There was no bra underneath. I crossed my arms and fixedly looked at the floor. Laurie pushed off the doorframe and walked over to our side of the bed. He stopped next to Maria, but neither of them said a word. I knew my back was a mess. Now, in addition to the scars from Death Bringer’s whip, the brand took up most of the flesh below my right shoulder.
“Not sure why there’s blood,” I muttered, stopping myself from reaching for the shirt, which was still clutched in Maria’s hands. “Iris tended to it right afterward.”
I’d made certain to turn my head when I spoke, ensuring Maria could see my mouth. When the healer finally replied, her voice was even gentler, if that were possible. “I have heard it said, my lady, that it is this way with dark magic. It can make things weep or bleed. Whatever the spell has touched, whether that be an object or person. And I can plainly see that this is the work of dark magic.”
“Great,” I said weakly. “These… side effects are going to wear off eventually, right?”
Maria made a thoughtful sound that I didn’t like at all. Before I could ask her anything else, Laurie moved closer. I stiffened instinctively. There was a soft footstep, and then I felt his fingers brush against my skin. Not on the brand itself, but along its edges. I closed my eyes, knowing he couldn’t see it, and let myself enjoy the light touch. Laurie’s fears were guarded behind that impenetrable wall again; there was only the warmth of his skin.
“For this, my brother will die,” Laurie said finally. His voice was flat. After another moment, his touch fell away. To the healer he said, his hands moving again, “Can it be undone?”
“No. The damage goes too deep. But I can ease any lingering pain she might be feeling and perhaps stop the bleeding altogether.”
“Do it.”
In my peripheral vision, I saw Laurie retreat. He moved toward the other end of the room, and Maria’s hands fluttered over the brand like autumn leaves riding a breeze. I hardly felt them, even when her power filled the wound. As she poured more energy into me, Laurie knelt in front of the fireplace. He began placing wood in the grate, and the pieces made hollow sounds as he stacked them.
Seeing him on his knees, performing a task with his own two hands, made me blink. I half-forgot Maria as I watched him. Though Laurie’s movements were as fluid as always, there was something even more alluring about them now. As if he’d done these actions, these gestures so many times that they’d become muscle memory. A dance.
Midway through his task, Laurie shifted and his arm went out of sight. When he resettled, he held a poker.
“Am I hurting you, Lady Sworn?” Maria asked suddenly, and I realized that I was sitting ramrod straight, one of my hands fisted in my lap. The other hand had crept up, reaching for the brand in an unconscious gesture.
I dropped my gaze, but it was too late—I’d shown them a glimpse of how badly Belanor had harmed me. That the effects of my time with him went far deeper than any burn or cut.
To Maria, though, I just shook my head. Thankfully, she didn’t ask any more questions. She resumed the healing process, adjusting her perch on the bed to get closer. Every now and then, I felt the faerie’s breath, a faint gust of air that warmed my skin. Once it felt like the tension in the room had eased, I dared to peek toward Laurie again. The tension in the room may have eased, but his hadn’t. My friend’s expression promised his brother an even slower death. I tried not to shiver, and I wasn’t entirely sure if I was feeling arousal or fear. Maybe a little of both.
Standing there, firelight and darkness flickering across his face, Laurelis Dondarte looked like the dangerous creature he truly was.
“You can’t kill everyone I’m afraid of, you know,” I joked weakly, trying to lighten the moment.
Laurie’s voice was soft, and there was no trace of the teasing I’d hoped to see. “Watch me,” he said.
This time I did shiver. Seeing it, Laurie’s gaze darkened again. I didn’t respond, but I knew those faerie senses of his could detect physical signs of how much he’d rattled me. Laurie just looked back, his eyes steady and unrepentant.
Then I blinked, and it was as if a spell lifted from us—Laurie turned to the fire and I stared at my hands. Maria hadn’t faltered, in spite of the strange conversation she’d been privy to. Or maybe she’d completely missed it. Her power continued to pool inside the brand, creating a sensation similar to springtime sunlight. I focused on that, and tried not to listen to the sounds Laurie was making. Minutes later, he left the room without a word. All the stiffness left my body, and I almost let out an audible breath of relief. I waited for Maria to make a comment or a pointed observation, the way every faerie did, because they just couldn’t help themselves.
The healer didn’t say a word.
By the time she finished tending to me, a vibrant fire crackled in the grate and night crowded all around. Maria had turned on every lamp in the room, but the corners had become pockets of deep shadow. Laurie hadn’t come back.
“It has been an honor to heal you this evening, Lady Sworn,” Maria said, bending to retrieve her bag. I reached for my shirt, which now reeked of terror and blood, and pulled it quickly over my head.
I waited until she looked up again to answer. I touched my chin with the tips of my fingers, then lowered my hand in her direction, palm-up. “Thank you, Maria. Really. I’m pretty sure you saved my life. I hope I can repay you one day.”
“You already have, my lady,” the healer replied. When I gave her a questioning look, she smiled. It was a big, genuine smile, revealing her dimples and the slight gap between her two front teeth. She’s absolutely beautiful, I thought as she continued, “One of my cousins was a slave at the Unseelie Court. There was nothing we could do, since she lost her freedom in a foolish bargain. My family has despaired for years, thinking we would never see her again. But then, a few weeks ago… she came home to us. All the slaves had been freed by the Nightmare Queen, she told us.
“It has been an honor to heal you,” Maria said again, with an air of finality. “Your bill is paid in full.”
With that, she bowed her head and walked through the open door. I watched her go, feeling lighter than I had in months. I was always carrying the weight of my mistakes and all the bad things I’d done; I liked knowing that, at least once along the way, I’d done something good instead.
A moment later, Maria’s voice came from the foyer. Laurie’s deeper voice responded. Their words were too low to hear. I was about to get up when I finally absorbed the absence of pain. I was still weary and fragmented, but I felt the calmest I had in days.
For the first time since Laurie had carried me in here, I took in the details of the room around me.
It was obvious, now that I wasn’t so distracted, that this was where he slept. His subtle, enticing scent clung to everything. The walls were made of dark, wooden panels. Medieval-looking wall sconces had been installed on several of them. There was a looming, framed mirror leaning against one wall—typical—and two leather reading chairs in front of the other. The four-poster bed was exactly what I’d imagined Laurie sleeping in… not that I had ever spent time imagining where he slept. A patterned red rug rested on the wooden floor.
Maria and Laurie had gone silent, presumably because the healer had left. The stillness rang. Gil, I thought. He must’ve finished the transition by now.
Worried again, I crept out of the room, instinctively trying to make as little sound as possible. Maria was gone and the doors were closed, the lock turned. Quivering firelight poured from a wide, open doorway to my right. Laurie was in there; I could see his silhouette on the floor, stretching toward the foyer. The beginnings of soft piano notes rippled through the dark.
I started toward him when I detected the faint smell of blood coming from one of the other rooms. Turning left, I moved to a door that was tightly shut with no light coming from the narrow crack beneath it. The bond strengthened with every step, and I knew I had the right room. I knocked as gently as I could.
“Gil? Are you okay?” I asked softly, putting my mouth close to the wood.
The vampire didn’t answer. Now my concern overpowered my sense of decency, and I probed the connection between us. Gil’s side was covered in shadow, like a bat enclosed in its dark wings. A wary prickle raced over my skin, and I backed away.
When I heard a floorboard creak beyond the door, I hurried into the room where Laurie was.
It was a living area, of sorts. More accurately, it was a room that didn’t know what it wanted to be. The space was long and narrow, rather than square. On the far end, there was a baby grand piano in front of a wide window. A cluster of settees and chairs stood in the center. And closest to me, there was a poker table, surrounded by four thick-cushioned chairs.
Laurie sat at the piano.
It was only when I looked at him that I remembered I was wearing ruined scrubs; Laurie looked glamorous as ever. The bastard wasn’t even trying, either. He must’ve showered and changed while I’d been with Maria—his hair, which was shorter than it had been before Belanor abducted me, fell into his eyes in damp, glimmering strands. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, only dark jeans that hung low on his hips. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen Laurie in jeans before, and yet they were as natural on him as that ridiculous fur cape he’d once worn. The lines of his body were lean and elegant.
