Sleeping it Off

I was pretty much in a daze as Ant shadow walked us back to the villa. Ryan walked me to my room while Ant went back to Damian to take him to the New World. He had never set foot on the soil and was excited. I don’t know how I knew that but I did despite the fact I hadn’t seen him since he walked out of the room to get his things together.

Ryan was more than helpful. He made sure I took my shoes off and helped me get comfortable. Though I waved him away when he tried to help me remove my clothes. I didn’t really give a fuck if they got wrinkled and I wasn’t climbing in bed to sleep a long time. Though I really didn’t know how long I’d be gone. It was nine or so at home so I shot Dev a text.

Dreaming of you soon as I fall asleep.

There was a slight delay but then his response popped up.

Dev: Be there soon. Maybe with others.

I wasn’t quite aware enough of things to completely comprehend that but I smiled at the thought of seeing my loves together. I missed them. I needed them. I was still reeling from whatever happened with the vampire. Now I just wanted to crash. Fall into a dead sleep and dream of Dev and Sage and Dee.

I was curled around a foreign pillow and the scents of the room were strange to me. But what normally would have set me on edge I ignored as I fell into the darkness of my dreams.

The darkness fade into the normal dreamscape except it was dulled and rain still drizzled from the sky. There were no clouds, but the rain fell on my face as I stared up into the stary sky. But it wasn’t the same sky. Where the star dust had been now there was pictures in the sky. I didn’t know what they were. I couldn’t even begin to understand them. I thought I saw entwined bodies in one, and a wolf in another but as soon as the recognition came the images shifted and faded into their bizarre states.

The rain didn’t stop and I was drenched. The tree looked sad. The eyes were closed and looked like they had been crying. I touched the bark and it shuddered but the eyes didn’t open. Even in my dreams they were mad at me. I waited for what felt like hours in the cold drizzle of my dream scape. I drifted into the world and felt Dev enter my dreams. He pulled along two others but they didn’t feel like they wanted to be here.

I leaned against my tree trunk and just stared into the sky wondering what was going on.

“What’s wrong with this place Nox?” Dev asked. He felt distant and echoed in my head. I opened my eyes and he was squatting in front of me, the rain drenching his hair and he looked so pathetic I just wanted to scoop him up and take him to safety. But that wasn’t my thought – that was Dev’s.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Something happened when I met Damian.”

Sage growled. I heard him this time. He flickered in and out and he turned on his heels to leave. “I didn’t get hurt. It was magic. Power chewed raw. Damian was trying to seduce me. I didn’t want it. Didn’t want to be controlled. I flung him from me but he tried to feed on my power so I let it all go. Everything that was me I forced down his throat. He cowed to my will. I broke a master vampire into submission.”

I replayed the images I remembered and they played against the night sky like a movie. The others watched. I closed my eyes but it didn’t help I could still see the images playing out in my head. Dev was sitting next to me holding me close. “Can I help?”

“If you help me they will get upset.” I thought at him, but since it was a dream it echoed in my dream scape.

Dee and Sage looked at me and Dev sitting against the treetrunk. He held his hands out to them and patted the blanket around us. It was soaking wet. We were soaking wet. Our clothes hung from our bodies and our hair was flat.

Dee asked in a broken speech, “Why is it raining?”

Dev answered. “He’s sad.”

“Why are the color’s muted? Is it always like this?” Sage asked as he sat down on th blanked in front of me.

Dev answered again. “I don’t know. He’s drained from what he did?”

Dee sighed, “Maybe he should sleep it off.”

I shook my head. “When I leave here I need to go back to work. With Damian away from Rome the bears and wicca need protection. I need to ensure it before we can move to the next Council memeber.”

“Sage we should go.” Dee said as she stood up.

I reached for them. “Please don’t go.” I heard my voice break with sadness. I sounded pathetic even to my ears. The rain started to fall harder.

Sage took Dee’s hands and pulled her towards me. He knelt down. “We need to go. We have plans.” The rain fell harder yet and I didn’t look at him. I felt like I was losing him forever. Sage sighed and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “You are far to broken Nox. How can we do this with you?”

Thunder crashed and the rain fell in sheets but no one seemed to care but me. Dee covered her hands over her head like it would help. “We should go.”

Sage pressed a kiss to my other chek. “Fuck Nox. I can’t stop loving you. But you maeke it hard.” He stood up and took a step away. “We made plans. I’m sorry.”

And in that instance they were gone. Lighting struck where they had been standing and Dev pulled me into his arms. “I’m sorry Nox. I tried.”

“It’s not your fault.” I eeked out. “I’m not keeping you from something am I?”

“Just work.”

“You should go then.” I said.

Dev held me tighter. “No. Someone has to watch you.”

I pulled away. “Dev. Don’t stop living cause I’m broken.”

“I’m not pretty boy. But if you are being an ass I will.”

I curled up in a ball and felt like crying but instead the world around me did. “I love him Dev. I love you. Why can’t this be easy?”

Dev laughed, “Because you aren’t easy. Nothing you do is ever easy. We’ll get through it. He came didn’t he? So did she.”

“Only because you asked.”

Dev curled around my back. “No, because I didn’t give them a choice. But I can’t bring them if they don’t want to come.”

“They how was that no choice?”

“I put them to sleep.”

“They are going to be pissed.”

“Yeah. But I needed them to see you. I should go pretty boy. You going to be okay?”

I shook my head. “No. But I have things to keep me busy. I’ll be fine. Same time tomorrow?”

“Can we do it at 2am?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I can manage that. The sun will be up I won’t be doing anything.”

Dev pressed a kiss to the back of my head. “Sounds good. Come here pretty boy.”

I rolled on to my back and uncurled from my ball. The rain was a drizzle again and we kissed in the rain. It wasn’t romantic like the movies. But it was warming and that was how Dev left me. Thinking of him and wishing I never left home.

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