[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Chuckling, Kian stepped back. "I love you, Paul. I've not
yet had the opportunity to tell you directly."
Remembering what he'd shared, Paul glanced away. "Even
after learning what I did to my mother?"
Kian glided his hands down Paul's chest, drawing back his
gaze. "You tried to get me to hate you, to give me the
strength to break the fusion spell." The incubus looked up, his
warm bronze eyes shimmering. "But I needed to tell you of
my love, and that you are not to blame for your mother's
death. Richard wouldn't let me say the words, and that is
what gave me the strength to break free."
243
Paul's Dream
by Rowan McBride
The other one. Paul spun and found that Davis was still a
pile of junk. "All the pieces are there. Why isn't he whole?"
Kian's voice held a mixture of anger and pity. "Because he
isn't whole. Richard has no soul, and the soul is the glue that
holds us together."
Paul turned, looking down at him. "Is he conscious? In
pain?"
The incubus smiled, making his heart skip a beat. "You are
such a sweet man." He pulled Paul close, nuzzled the curve of
his neck. "I do not know, nor do I..." He stiffened.
"What's wrong?" asked Paul, slipping his arms around him.
Shoving Paul behind his body, Kian dropped his voice. "It
appears we have one answer. Richard is conscious."
"He is?" Paul followed his gaze, and nausea roiled in his
stomach.
Oil, black and slick, had poured over the pile that had been
Richard Davis. Somehow, it fused the objects together, gave
them life as they twitched and squirmed. The pile stretched
higher, twisted to form arms or ... tentacles. They looked
more like tentacles. No eyes in the round blob that could have
been the head. No nose or ears.
Just a big, gaping maw that passed for a mouth.
"Kian is..." The rest of the sentence was a gurgling mess.
Davis sucked and slurped the fetid oil down his maw. "Kian ...
is ... mine."
Kian held a protective hand against Paul's hip. "Stay
behind me."
Davis howled. "Away from human! Dear incubus ... mine!"
He staggered toward them. "Mine. Only mine!"
244
Paul's Dream
by Rowan McBride
Stunned, Paul could only watch him approach. After all
that had happened, Davis still had just one desire, one
obsession.
Kian.
The incubus stood his ground. "Come no closer, wizard."
One of Davis's tentacles lashed out, sliced Paul across the
forearm.
Kian jerked his head around, saw the blood drawn, and
met Paul's gaze. The bronze in the incubus's eyes burned
hotter, until it boiled. "Richard!" he shouted, turning his
attention back to the wizard. "You gave your word that he
would remain untouched!"
Davis snarled at them. "Contract broken ... Kill the human
... incubus and wizard together again ... Kill the human..."
"I'll not allow that," said Kian, a low growl of his own
flowing out of him.
"Can't stop me ... All powerful..."
"You forget, Richard." Kian raised his hand. "In this world,
my fire can be literal."
A ball of white-hot flame burst from Kian's palm, slammed
into the monster before them. It ignited the oil covering him,
and his entire body erupted into a blinding inferno.
"No!" shrieked Davis. "Kian!" He wrenched his leg forward,
leaving a burning print in its wake. Then he did the same to
the other foot, determined to reach them.
Kian hurled another ball of fire at him. And another.
"Kian." Davis fell, crawled over the stone floor. "Mine ...
Forever..."
245
Paul's Dream
by Rowan McBride
The incubus stepped back, guiding Paul to a safe distance.
Kian raised both his hands, and a wall of flame surrounded
Davis.
Howling at them, Davis swiped at the cage of fire.
"He cannot break free," said Kian, sounding relieved.
Paul stared at the fire, at the man the thing inside. "H-
He doesn't stop. He never st..."
The fire vanished, and every muscle in Kian's body tensed
as he raised his arm.
Paul was the one who realized what had happened first.
"Wait." He laid his hand on Kian's arm, coaxed it downward.
"He's not there."
Bit by bit, the tension left the other man's body. "Indeed.
He must have awakened."
If anything, Paul's nausea intensified. "Is his ... Is his body
in the other world intact? Or does it look like..." His gaze
drifted to the burning oil slicks on the stone in front of them.
"...that?"
"I do not know." Kian turned, reached for him. "But you
are safe now. You are..." His hands passed through Paul's
body.
Ice-cold fear gripped him. "Kian?"
His mouth worked, but no sound came out. His eyes
widened as he shook his head...
And faded from sight.
"Kian." Paul ran forward as the light vanished. "Kian!"
He tripped, fell to the floor. He groped around and realized
that even the stone had disappeared. "Kian," he called once
more, choking on fresh tears. The word sounded muffled, as
246
Paul's Dream
by Rowan McBride
if it couldn't penetrate the air around him. There was nothing.
No one.
Paul curled his body tight, tried to keep warm.
He was alone.
247
Paul's Dream
by Rowan McBride
Chapter Nineteen
Paul blinked against the darkness. He didn't know how
long he'd been here. Time lost all meaning when there was no
sound, no light.
Blowing out a slow breath, he sat up. Richard Davis was
gone. Kian was gone.
Why was he still here?
He should have gotten more details on dream walking
before diving in. It wasn't like him to jump into unfamiliar
situations unprepared. But then, he'd done a lot of things
totally out of character since meeting Kian.
His body tingled, and he gasped for air when a familiar fire
arced through his body. Just as suddenly, the sensation was
gone, leaving him trembling in its wake. He rubbed at his
chest, trying to figure out what had happened.
"Paul?"
Light filled the room, stung his eyes as they struggled to
adjust. When they could focus, he saw Kian standing before
him. Strange, that he didn't feel joy, or even relief, at the
realization that the incubus had returned. "Kian."
"Are you alright?"
"Fine." Paul's gaze traveled over him. "I see you've gotten
dressed. Or is that one of your illusions?" He chuckled, and
the sound was low, empty. "An illusion within a dream. It's
enough to make your head explode."
248
Paul's Dream
by Rowan McBride
Kian's eyebrows drew together. "Asher lifted the spell that
put you to sleep. But you won't awaken." He crouched low,
tilted his head to the side. "Why won't you awaken?"
"I don't know," he answered softly. "You and Asher ...
You're both in my house now?"
He nodded. "Zakai is there as well." His gaze drifted to
Paul's arm. "Asher used Zakai's magic to heal your injury,
since I did not possess enough for such a substantial task."
Paul glanced down, saw that the cut on his forearm had
disappeared. He hadn't noticed. "More magic."
"Yes. Asher tried to draw you from your slumber, but your
eyes remained closed." Kian caught his gaze. "So I charged
your body with sexual energy. It allowed me to slip onto this
dreamscape."
"Ah."
"Paul..." Kian reached for him, and his hand knocked
against an invisible barrier. Confusion shaped his features as
he felt along the surface. "It's cold." He rose to his feet,
pressing his hands against it. "What is this?"
Paul stood, touched the wall between them. He drew his
hand back and glanced at his fingers. "It's ice." He studied its
surface. "You can see patches of frost there. And there."
Kian pushed against it. "Why is it here?"
He shook his head. "I have no idea."
"Perhaps this is why you cannot awaken." His fingers
curled into a fist. "Stand back."
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]