Page 63 of The Magic of Discovery
“I have a meeting. Go back to your other life. Leave the running of the kingdom to the man who actually has the fucking title.”
One set of footsteps pounded against the stones, moving away from my hiding spot, and dream boy cursed under his breath, “Asshole.”
A chuckle. That’s what blew my cover.Damnit, Saige.
Hearing him approaching, I hastily threw the robe on to cover my body, cinching the tie around the waist just as the doors opened wide. Holding my palms up, biting down on my lips, eyes rolling from side to side, yeah, I probably looked like an idiot, but I was going for innocent and an ‘oops, my bad’ kind of vibe. It didn’t land.
Dream boy’s amber eyes widened. “What the hell are you doing in the wardrobe, and are you having some kind of episode? What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“Oh! Sorry, I um, have this thing sometimes, but it’s no big deal. Anyway, I’ll go now, see ya.”
Turning my back to him, I walked a couple of steps to the back of the wardrobe. This was a dream, right? I should be able to do whatever I wanted. Picturing a snow-covered pine forest and a single lamppost, I didn’t slow my gait, and my forehead slammed into a very solid piece of wood, knocking me backward.
“Holy shit, are you okay?” He caught me under the arms before I fell out of the furniture thatdid nothave my back.
“Yeah, just a little collision, no big deal,” I told him, trying to play it cool while I brushed my hands down the robe as I stood up.
Amber eyes were staring at me like I was a lunatic, and I didn’t blame him.
“I really think you might need to sit down. Let me get you some water. Where were you trying to escape to through the back of the wardrobe?”
“Hmm?” Lifting a hand to my head, my fingers gently traced the lovely goose egg that was growing by the second. “Oh, just figured I might finally get to Narnia, so it was worth a try. Anything’s possible in a dream, right? Sucks that your dad’s a dick, though.”
Suddenly, he was in my personal space, leaning down to my ear, whispering, “Do not insult the king in his own castle. Death has been issued for far less transgressions.” His tone wasn’t threatening, he was warning me, and the flash of fear that had flickered across his face was enough to make me listen.
A cold tendril of fear zipped through my body; this guy was dead serious. Inhaling, trying to steel myself, his scent invaded my nose, and I had to suppress a sigh. He smelled like a bookstore, and that was my all time favorite scent. Book bindings and old pages perfuming the air with their words, drawing you in, daring you to pick them up and give them a chance... freshly brewed coffee and warm baked goods.
“By the stars, you smell like heaven. Are you a hugger?”
Rising back to his over six foot height, he peered down at me, a smile tugging at his mouth. “It’s been quite some time since I’ve partaken in the act.”
I mean, he didn’t say no. Leaping forward, I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face into his chest. I’d never smelled a man this intoxicating before, and my men in back in the real world smelled fucking delicious. This was next level, though.
“How do you smell so good?” I groaned. Honestly, I was starting to feel drunk. My head was swimming, and I wanted nothing more than to just lay down here and use this man-candle as a pillow.
He patted my back awkwardly, as if he was unpracticed in the simple act of a hug, but I could feel his nose burying into my hair. He was sniffing me just as much as I was him. “I could ask you the same question; you smell irresistible.”
Giggling, I stepped back and grinned at him. “The smell kind of makes sense; youdohave kind of an awkward sexy nerd thing going on.”
“I am not a nerd!” he exclaimed, his eyes narrowed.
“Not gonna dispute the other two words?”
Brow cocked, he shrugged. “Awkward sexy kind of describes me perfectly.” He gave me a slanted grin, dimples popping on his cheeks.Ohhh, boy’s got game, huh?“Now, what are you doing here? Where did you come from, and who keeps letting you in? And are you staying this time?” The hope in his voice tugged at my heart for some fucked up reason. He was like a puppy, and how do you tell a puppy no?Just avoid that question. That’s what I’ll do.
“I told you, I’m dreaming. This time I gained consciousness while walking in the hallway outside of this room completely naked, so I rushed in here to find a robe. When I heard voices, I hopped inside. You know the rest.”
His eyes flicked down my body, his neck blushing. Cutie.
“Well, as entertaining as I find you, the others here won’t give a shit about that. Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to be caught sneaking around. It’s not safe, especially not for a woman of another race.”
“I’m. Not. Sneaking! Wait, what do you mean another race? How am I so different from you? And I know you don’t mean my gingerness because so are you!”
Shaking his head at me, the long strands of his red hair spilling into his eyes, he sighed as he pushed them back to their rightful location. “You really don’t know where you are, do you? We’re in Besmet, the demon realm.”
My heart jumped into my throat, and it became increasingly harder to inflate my lungs with the precious oxygen they were demanding.I’m in the demon realm with the demons who are fucking up my magic and life, the demons who want to do gods know what with me? Nope. Time to wake up from this nightmare.
“Just try to calm down. Focus on your breathing.”
