Page 6 of The Night Vision
“Seriously?” Brad laughed but his eyes were wide as he watched Tighe from across the fire. The other man, Cal, had zipped up his coat and looked around nervously.
“What’s out there?” he asked and Tighe shrugged.
“All manner of things of the natural and spirit world. The best thing to do if you’re out after dusk is to keep to yourself and mind your own business. Don’t stare at any of the trees for too long or follow any voices you might hear in the dark.”
Brad laughed and swatted. “You’re just trying to scare us.”
Tighe shook his head. “I don’t enjoy scaring people and I don’t need to. Look around us, you’ll find plenty of shadows and shapes to haunt you.”
“Have you ever seen anything…supernatural?” Cal whispered.
“I’ve seen plenty,” Tighe said. “If you keep to yourself and remember that you’re a guest—that you’re always in someone else’s home or sacred space—you won’t have any trouble.Respect a strange shadow the way you would a bear and don’t tamper with the rock piles or mark any of the trees. I only take what I need and all I carry is my goodwill so I have nothing to fear. But if you wander off the Trail and into the wrong parts of the forest, or you disrespect the trees and the spirits, the woodswilltake you.”
“Message received,” Brad said and Cal nodded, both suddenly solemn.
“You’re plenty safe here, though! How about foraging tips?” Tighe suggested helpfully. “That’s far more useful and won’t keep you up all night.”
“That would begreat.”
“Mushrooms are the obvious place to start,” Tighe began, eager to share his favorite topic. “Especially with the weather getting damper and cooler. But you have to be careful! The wrong mushroom could kill you, send you to the moon, or have you running from both ends…”
He babbled for what must have been two hours about the bounty of the forest and his tricks for catching trout, then wished them a goodnight. Tighe used his backpack for a pillow and covered himself with his coat, content to watch the stars as he drifted off to sleep.
The man with the strong, handsome face and noble heart—hisman—was waiting when Tighe returned to the stream. But this time, they ran into each other’s arms and they were naked as they kissed and splashed and played in the water.
Chapter Three
He has the softest blue eyes.
Waking up in a brightly lit, elegantly decorated room was momentarily disorienting for Silas. He’d gotten used to crashing on the sofa in his office or sleeping in his armchair with the TV on at home. He preferred to work until he was ready to pass out or let a documentary lull him to sleep. A healthy bedtime routine was for normal, happy people and only reminded Silas of how empty his life was outside of work.
He’d never been much of a homebody, preferring his accommodations on the simpler side because he spent so much of his time outdoors. Silas suspected that was part of the reason he was still single. He was too restless and preferred to be outside and active, fixing things and solving puzzles.
Nox’s guest room was filled with antiques and what looked like family heirlooms. Silas was afraid to touch most of the furnishings. The woods and metals were highly polished and the crystal and glass were all free of dust and fingerprints. Silas wondered if Nox had a housekeeper or if he waved a wand or cast a spell on Sundays to keep the house clean but he didn’t want to sit on any of the immaculate upholstery.
The dramatic change of scenery was understandably confusing but Silas was shell-shocked after an extremely torrid dream about a beautiful wild man with soft blue eyes. He rarely had dreams before Niall’s demon cursed his couch and Silas liked to believe he was more of a gentleman. But he’d been rough and demanding, trying things that he’d been too nervous to consider with past partners.
Some of the things they did were still illegal in a few states and were definitely illegal, out in the open in a national park. Or any public place for that matter.
Silas spent half an hour staring at the ceiling, rattled to his core. Not because ofwhatthey had done. That part had been incredible and Silas’s body ached, he was so turned on and desperate to taste everything he’d licked and sucked in his dream. Heneededthe body and the being from his dream so badly, Silas was restless and resented returning to reality without him.
Despite his bitter disappointment, Silas dressed and shaved and was just about to peek into the hallway when Nox knocked on the door.
“Good morning! How was your night?” he asked, earning a hesitant grimace from Silas.
“It’s weird, sleeping in a bed like a normal person, and I had some strange dreams,” he confided and Nox’s brows pulled together.
“Anything you want to talk about?”
“I think it was about…him. But he was alive, not a skeleton,” Silas said and Nox’s neck swiveled.
“How do you know it was him?”
“I‘m not sure,” Silas held up his hands, shrugging. “It’s just something I knew in my dream and I feel it in my gut.”
Nox nodded slowly, his gaze narrowing. “Okay. That works for me. What happened? Did he say anything?” he asked andSilas’s face grew hot and heat bloomed in his boxers. He looked away, slightly ashamed about having a wet dream about a skull but Nox laughed it off.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s pretty common around here, actually,” he said, making Silas frown.
