Page 19 of Fallen

He snorted. “The guild.”

“The guild isn’t infallible. They could be wrong about us, you know.”

“I’ve seen things.” His eyes were hollowed. “Demons aren’t good. They can’t be.”

“The thing that killed your family is barely more than an animal, little bird,” Talon admonished. “He’s not like us.”

Alex blinked. “Us?”

Talon smiled patiently. So scatterbrained in sleep. “Yes. Myself and the halflings.” That was what Alex thought he was, anyway. There was no reason to alarm him with the truth.

“You’ve never killed a human?”

Talon hesitated. “Not without reason. Killing for its own sake is boring.”

“Somehow that doesn’t reassure me.”

Talon sighed, fingers idly tracing Alex’s jaw. “Truthfully, I’m old, little bird. There’s very little I haven’t done.”

Alex’s brow furrowed. “Oh.”

“That bothers you?”

A moment of lucidity crossed Alex’s face. He stiffened, scowling. “Of course it bothers me that you’vekilled people.”

Talon didn’t think that was all, but Alex didn’t seem to be in a sharing mood anymore.

“I should stop this,” Alex said, mostly to himself. “Even if it’s only in my head, it’s wrong.”

“Thoughts aren’t a sin, little bird. You can’t sin in the privacy of your own mind.” His argument would be moot if Alex learned that Talon was really here, but he had no intention of coming clean about that.

“Halflings can’t dreamwalk,” Alex said, as though to himself.

“No, they can’t.”

Alex’s arm wound around his neck, reeling him in and burying his face in the curve of Talon’s neck. Talon stiffened in surprise, and then relaxed, wrapping Alex in his arms and letting the human melt against him.

“What’s this for?” Talon whispered, afraid that speaking too loudly might break the spell.

“I just… can’t remember the last time I hugged someone.”

“Oh, little bird.” Humans needed touch, didn’t they? He tightened his hold, reaching up and threading his fingers through Alex’s short hair. Satisfaction curled through him when Alex snuggled closer. “Your guild isn’t taking care of you.”

“They don’t have tohug me, it’s fine.”

“Yes, it is fine,” Talon agreed. “Because I will. Whenever you want. Whatever you want.” He couldn’t deny the possessive little beast within him that wanted toownthis human. If he planted the seed that Alex could find whatever he needed with Talon, so much the better. He didn’t want Alex touching anyone else, anyway. “I’m here for you.”

He felt Alex’s lips part against his neck. “Halflings can’t dreamwalk,” he repeated.

“No, they can’t. You’re safe. Nothing can harm you here. Not your nightmares, not your guild’s misguided rules. You can have anything you want in your dreams.”

Alex lifted his head, looking more lucid than ever. The scenery around them dissolved, everything going black and hazy gray. Talon tightened his grip, unwilling to part with Alex so soon, but he wasn’t waking up. The world around them brightened slowly, hues of orange and blue replacing the colorless haze.

Talon blinked in the sudden brightness. They were standing on a beach. The sun was a bright orange orb on the horizon, casting the sky in a volcanic blaze of color. Languorous waves sloshed against the rocky shore. A hollowed-out rock beside them created a natural cove, tall enough for a grown man to walk through to more sandy beach beyond.

He inhaled deeply, swearing he could taste the salt in the air. The sun was warm on his face. For the first time in his very long life, it didn’t burn. It was… wondrous.

“Where are we?” he asked softly. This was a surprisingly visceral dreamscape. Alex must’ve been here before. It was more real than the hazy VIP room had ever been.

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