As the pain reaches a piercing point, my eyes shoot open, and I gasp for air. In full panic, I look right and left, but realize I am no longer in the darkness. Instead, I'm sitting in my bed, a cold sweat dripping down my forehead, the light of the underworld late-night sky streaming through the window.
It was just a dream.
I calm myself, and the pain from my wounds is a stark reminder of my new reality. I throw the covers back and groan as I pull my sore legs over the edge of the bed and set my feet on the ground. Drogaem not only haunts me while I'm awake but now he haunts me in my sleep. I will not give him any more of my time than I have to, even if he is not the cause of the dreams.
My thoughts filter to Briar, the images of her lying at my feet bleeding still vivid in my mind. I know that if I leave this room, there's a good chance Drogaem will find me and begin the torture again, but I cannot just sit around and do nothing. Each time she heals me, I wake up a little bit stronger, and I know that if we can hold out, eventually, I'll be strong enough to fight him. But if anything happens to briar, I know I will be incapable of it.
Quietly I head down the hallways, moving away from where Drogaem tends to hover. My eyes dart all around in the shadows, waiting for any sign of trouble. I pass by the opening to the stairwell of the catacombs. There is no light, and I can assume no one is down there. As I take a right down the next hallway, I stop, seeing the flicker of dancing shadows behind one of the bedroom doors. Carefully I crack the door open and peek inside, finding Briar dancing around with her dagger, slicing through the air, her face focused and angered. She is training.
I push the door the rest of the way open and lean against the doorframe. She hasn't noticed me yet, and I like that. It gives me a few moments to take her in. She's even more breathtaking than I found her before. "Have you slept at all?"
Taking her by surprise, Briar swirls around on her heels, thrusting her dagger forward until the point is just inches from my neck. I don't flinch, I stand still and watch. When her eyes meet mine, they go wide, and her mouth drops. Reaching up, I push the blade away from me and lift my brow. "You need to be more careful with who you attack. Had I been Drogaem, he would've punished you, and we both know what kind of punishment he doles out."
Breathing heavily, Briar drops her arm and nods. "I know. But I'm never going to get stronger or better if I don't practice. Right now, everything falls on our shoulders, and you are taking enough as it is."
Eyeing her for a second, I realize she's right. Instead of telling her to go to bed or chastising her further, I close the door behind me and grab a dagger. I look down at it, tossing it from one hand to the other, ignoring the pain that I feel within my chest and arms. She looks me up and down for a second, and I know she wants to ask if I think this is a good idea, but she stops herself.
Squaring up, she hunches down with her dagger out in front of her and waits for me to take a position. I move quickly, partly to give her some competition, but also to show her that I'm not as weak as she thinks I am. Knocking her arm to her side, I swipe my leg, knocking her off her feet. She lands hard and bounces, her eyes instantly narrowing as she stares up at me. The smirk pulls at my lips, and it is the first time I have looked at her that way since Drogaem. I am playful, but she is very serious, and it only makes her more adorable in my eyes. There is something very sexy about the way she handles herself with that dagger.
I put my hand down to help her up, and she swipes it away, jumping to her feet. Assuming the position again, we begin to circle each other. I can tell that she is getting tired. Her arms are looser than they should be, her shoulders slumped, and her emotions are getting the best of her. I don't back down though, I can't. There's a good chance she's going to be facing so much worse than me, and I want her to be prepared no matter what.
We battle back and forth, swiping here and there, but mostly getting tangled up in each other's feet as she attempts to make moves that she's just not strong enough for. On her last attempt to take me down, she jabs the dagger outward, and I spin with incredible speed, finding myself behind her. Her knees wobble, and I grip her under the arms just as they threaten to collapse. She lets out a deep breath of frustration and drops the dagger to her side.
I keep my arms around her, and I can feel her lean back against me, the warmth of her body rolling over mine. "You need to go to bed. Your stance is faltering."
Her head leans back against my shoulder, and I tilt my head, rubbing my cheek against her skin. My eyes close as I take in a deep whiff of her vanilla scent. My arms tighten around her, and her body moves lightly against mine. Without thought, my hand slides down her stomach, and I can hear her breath increase. That passion that we share, that wild and needful lust is still there. I
