Page 48 of A Lesson in Obedience
“And Corrin?”
“Yeah?”
My chest warmed with how much I wanted to say it. “I’d be happy to call you my witchy sister.”
She squealed and I knew Marianne would be so proud of me for not pushing her away. My dad used to think I wouldn’t open myself up to anyone like I had with Marianne, so maybe they would both be proud of me.
17
Riley
Ithrashed my arms out, not knowing where I was or what was happening. I saw Chancellor Fowler’s face and the easy way he conducted himself. How he simply took Marianne’s life without a second thought. A simple flick of his wrist and my best friend was dead. I kept seeing my dad’s face as he was propelled through that window and how even in the past, I wanted to do something and I failed.
My hands reached out and caught onto nothing; I felt like all the air was being taken from my lungs and the walls in this space were closing in on me. I was asleep but it was like I was falling into a much deeper darkness than sleep would provide. My eyes wouldn’t open and an overwhelming heat surrounded me. I wanted it all to stop. I needed it to just fucking stop.
The darkness and drowning started to let up, the heat that threatened to swallow me whole was now warm and soothing on my skin. The dim and dank space I had placed myself in opened up and expanded. My airways didn’t feel so constricted and themoment I inhaled easily, I smelled the relaxing scent of lavender. Underneath my body wasn’t the hard ground I’d felt before, but it was a plush blanket. One that I could see myself snuggling in with a book, falling asleep to all the adventures and romances I’d read about.
This was so much different than my nightmare, this was a dream I could have stayed in for the rest of time. This was….
A gentle shake at my shoulder had the dream slowly drifting away as my eyes opened without difficulty. I was sweaty and the sheets around me were in disarray. I noticed Beau at the end of the bed curled up into a ball. I pushed my braids out of my face, feeling another body next to me. I assumed it was River, glancing over and shifting my eyes up to his face.
It wasn’t River at all. It was Asher.
The room was still shrouded in darkness, the tiny nightlight in the corner the only source of light. It wasn’t hard to make out that his lips were pressed into a hard line and his hair was unruly, like he had spent a lot of time running his hands through it.
It took me a few swallows to finally speak. “What are you doing here? Where’s River?” My voice was small and almost a whisper. I don’t remember screaming in my nightmare, but with the way my throat hurt, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he told me I’d been screeching in my sleep.
Asher didn’t move, nor did he give any signs that he planned to answer me.
“If you are going to just appear in someone’s bed—uninvited, I might add— then telling them why you’re here is not that much of an ask.” I sat up, pulling the damp sheets around me. My tank top felt sticky to my skin and I really wanted to change my clothes.
“River went out for a night ride, despite the fact that I told him to just stay here, but he’s stubborn. He does it when he’s stressed but doesn’t want to talk about being stressed.” He shrugged a little as if it was no big deal, but I could tell it bothered him. “And as for me being here…. he wanted me to make sure that I checked on you.”
I flicked my eyes up and down his body. “How long have you been here?”
He scrunched his mouth to one side. “Hmm, a few minutes. I've been awake for a while now though.”
I slowly nodded, clucking my tongue.
He sighed heavily, removing his glasses and rubbing his temples. “Your dog was hanging out downstairs and I couldn’t sleep so we were having quiet time on the couch when he took off upstairs. I followed him and you were fine, but then you started tossing and turning like you were being attacked in your sleep, Riley. Would you like me to have just left you alone to deal with whatever the fuck was going on in your head?”
I bit my bottom lip, trying to find my words. “And you invaded my dreams…again?”
Asher let out a frustrated huff. “Are you going to detail everything that happened because that would be really annoying. I wasn’t trying to be nosey or malicious. I was trying to…”
“Help me?”
He raised an eyebrow at me, putting his glasses back on. “Sure.”
My heart beat a little faster at the look he gave me. Something passed over his green eyes that almost looked like genuine care. Maybe because it was. His eyes flicked down to my mouth, only for a moment, then he looked away.
“Thank you,” I muttered, running my hand across my sternum and feeling the sweat that sat there.
“Yeah, don’t mention it,” he answered quickly.
“There was a moment I thought it wasyoudoing those things. It was fleeting, but I thought you were creating that mess in my head,” I admitted.
“I figured as much, but that was all you. You are your own menace this time and all those feelings are going to eat you up inside, you know. Your skin was scorching to the touch; it was like you were trying to consume the fire you can create within yourself. You kept your telekinesis in check, so there is at least that.”
