I slowed my breaths and forced my muscles to unclench until I did manage to fall asleep. But my dreams unfolded into nightmares, dark, filled with wet mist, and completely devoid of dream gods. I called for Morpheus, but the mist swallowed the sound like cotton. I felt swathed in it and tossed restlessly until a pair of soft hands slid over my skin.
I sighed as a warm body pressed against my back; a hard shaft seeking entrance between my thighs. Lips went to my neck and nibbled me there as a hand slid beneath the blankets and then beneath my bunched skirt. Hot tongue on my neck and expert fingers on my sex; I writhed and moaned awake. A finger slid inside me as the pad of a thumb rubbed me insistently, and I ground back against the urgent erection pressing between my ass cheeks.
I turned my face to kiss my husband, but none of them lay behind me. It was Narcissus.
I screamed and shoved him away from me. Narcissus smiled viciously and pushed me back down to straddle my body. Naked and flushed with arousal, he rose above me, his eyes full of heat and violence. He delivered a quick slap to my face and then dove down to nestle his face against my breasts. Narcissus bit me through the cloth, and I bucked him off.
A quick punch to that pretty face sent him sprawling but when I tried to form my hands into dragon talons, my magic wouldn't come. Narcissus shambled to his feet; looking furious and intent on doing things to me that I didn't want to contemplate. I searched the room for a weapon while I internally searched myself for magic I could use. But everything seemed to be on the fritz. I could feel it inside me but nothing rose to my call.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a door appear in the wall. I ran for it as Narcissus snarled and gave chase. It looked as if the Mirror was taking pity on me. I didn't understand; didn't the thing want me dead? Maybe that was it; it wanted me dead, not raped. Or perhaps it intended to rile up Narcissus until he killed me. Whatever motivated it, I was out of options. I took the escape offered.
Another steel hallway formed as I ran; my footsteps clanging loudly in my ears. Despite the cacophony, I could hear Narcissus chasing after me.
“Vervain! Vervain, stop!” Narcissus shouted.
I ran faster. The corridor angled sharply to the left. I bounced off the wall when I took it too quickly. Narcissus' footfalls boomed louder. My heart rattled in my chest, the beats reverberating through my body. There I was, running away again, and every cell inside my body wanted me to stop and fight. Every cell except for the ones in my brain; those screamed at me to; Run, you damn fool!
So, I ran.
A maze of metal corridors veined out ahead of me. I took turns without thought; just barely keeping ahead of my pursuer. Narcissus kept shouting at me as if I might actually stop. I slapped the walls as I ran; were they closing in on me? I felt so damn claustrophobic in that place. My breath started coming in stilted gulps.
And then, finally, the maze ended. I stumbled into a room. My relief faded as soon as it came; it was a dead end. Literally for one of us. The room had only one point of access; the door I'd just come through. It had no windows, no other doors, not even an air vent. But there just so happened to be a long table covered in weapons. How convenient. Blades of all shapes and sizes glinted at me wickedly beside the more muted finish of guns, whips, hooks, clubs, maces, and even a garrote. The only thing missing was a pair of bladed gloves.
Oh well, you can't have everything.
I snatched up a sword and settled into a battle stance as I faced the door. It had been a long time since I'd fought with a sword, but my hand gripped it with confident ease. I suppose a gun would have been a better choice... if my opponent had been human. Bullets tended to bounce off Gods. Hell, the sword might not even work. To slice through god necks, I had to enchant my kodachi with extra strength and sharpness.
“Vervain,” Narcissus huffed as he appeared. He leaned against the door frame and blinked in shock. “What are you doing?”
“Defending myself,” I growled. “What do you think I'm doing?”
“Against what?” He glanced over his shoulder apprehensively.
“You, you asshole!” I shouted and launched forward, blade extended.
Narcissus screamed—like a girl—and jumped back. “What the fuck?!”
He backpedaled as I chased him and then a transparent wall shimmered into existence between us. I pulled up short and scowled at him through the wall.
“I don't want to fight you, Vervain,” Narcissus said breathlessly. “Why are you attacking me?”
“Because you just sexually assaulted me!” I shouted at him and slammed the hilt of the sword against the wall. It trembled but held firm.
Narcissus' eyes went wide. “I did not!”
“Yes, Narcissus, you did!” I snapped. “That's what it's called when you force yourself on a woman who doesn't want you. I was sleeping; I responded because I thought you were one of my husbands, you slimy bastard!”
“What are you talking about?” Narcissus blinked at me in shock. “I did not force myself on you. I haven't even been near you in hours. I woke up to see you running out of the room.”
“What?” I whispered as my sword lowered.
“I was sleeping, and I heard you scream,” Narcissus said more calmly. “I sat up, and you flailed about a bit. Then a door appeared, and you ran out of it. I chased after you. I thought you might have lost your senses, and now I see that
