I swallowed and stretched, feeling oddly rejuvenated.
What did you do to me? I wondered, blissed out of my mind. Was it all just a dream?
No response.
No sign of life.
Just me lying in my own bed now, wearing the white dressing gown Adrik had selected for me the night before.
A blood-red rose rested on my nightstand, beneath it a note.
See you soon, little bird.
—A
Coffee—the drink of the gods.
Or so they said.
I sipped from my mug and waited for Grigory to appear, our meeting place set well in advance of last night’s battle. He was late, as per usual.
With a sigh, I closed my eyes and tracked my new quarry through the shadow essence.
Valora.
So beautiful with a spirit underlined in kindness. She’d slept soundly in my arms beneath the sheets while I put on a show for her husband and manipulated his expectations. All the while, I’d twined our souls together on a plane he could never reach, ensuring I could find her at a moment’s notice. Even now I sensed her standing in her rooms of the palace, confused and cold, my name at the forefront of her thoughts. She also worried about her broken lady’s maid, something about encouraging the family physician to fix her.
So much strength tied to a lifetime of being called weak. It would not be an easy barrier for me to break, but she needed to recognize her inner energy or all of this would be for naught.
Poor darling Valora.
It was oddly difficult leaving her in her own bed this morning, but I had no other choice. My evening was done. Her fate set. All I could do was cloak her in a protective shield, one not even she could feel. It would embolden her for the tasks to come, allow her to lean on my strength in moments of severe need, and call to me if her soul was at risk of leaving hell.
Not part of my original plan.
But it had happened nonetheless.
And fortunately, her husband didn’t notice a thing, even commended me for forcing her cooperation. He referred to it as a new approach that he hadn’t considered—one underlined in degradation.
“Forcing her to enjoy it is such a beautiful thing,” he’d said.
Sick bastard.
I forced myself to swallow more of my coffee and focused on the late afternoon surroundings. One day away and I already missed the place I considered home. Violet hues painted the streets of Noxia, so different from the reds and vibrant colors of Caluçon. I much preferred this, where shadows lurked and allowed me to play.
What would Valora think? I wondered. Ah, what does it matter? She won’t live long enough to ever see this place.
“You smell of pliant female,” Grigory said in greeting as he slid into the empty chair beside me. “Sweet and satisfied.”
My lips curled, having sensed his approach just seconds before he arrived. “That she is. Very satisfied.” Valora had called out my name several times throughout the evening, her body succumbing to my touch as I played a role for the camera above. Never once did I seek my own satisfaction, only hers as I led her through the dream world. Necros would assume I fucked her all night, but all I really did was invade her mind.
Which, I supposed, was worse than rape. Except it wouldn’t have been possible without her acquiescence. Whether she realized it or not, Valora had granted me access and allowed me to stay. Hell, she’d fucking encouraged me to take over, to push her into a realm of relaxation.
The burden of the world lay across that woman’s shoulders.
All I did was carry a bit of it for her while she slept.
“He gave you the first night,” Grigory inferred, lifting his hand to signal the waitress. “And you wrapped her in the shadows.”