He was inches from plunging into her, his leather little barrier. His fingers found the opening to his breeches, pushing aside the cod piece until his c.o.c.k spilled out. A single thrust would put him inside her. He had only to move and it would be done. What little resistance remained would crumble under that sweet lure.

She moaned, closing her arms around his neck. No longer did she sleep. Shead broken the spell that had held her in thrall. Had the entire keep awakened? Had he lost his power entirely?

aKiss me, Morpheus,a she whispered, opening her eyes in the dark, looking at him blindly. aMake love to me.a The soft utterance of words made the numbness inside him disappear. Her trusting, imploring gaze set his body afire. One thrust. One move. Onea.

She writhed beneath him, spreading her legs wide, moving her belly until she rubbed her wet c.u.n.t across the tip of his c.o.c.k.

His body went rigid, every muscle strained to remain still. Sweat popped out along his pores, a sheen of dampness sprinkled his skin.

aMove not,a he said, groaning.

aI need you,a she said, whimpering, rubbing against him, clutching his shoulders. Her legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him toward her, until his tip nudged her opening.

aDo a not a move,a he gritted out, drawing in ragged gulps of air. Every fiber of his body strained against his will, making him mad with need. She was so close a so close a so sweet and willing--for now.

He dragged himself off her, jumping from the bed, growling in pain. He felt more than saw her sit up in bed, sensed her distress and knew head put it there. He could not look back. To do so would be the end of him. He could not resist her again, and he knew that deep down she did not truly want him.

Morpheus leapt through the window, whistling for his mount. Despair caught him mid-air and turned toward his realm, to his abandoned keep.

He vowed not to succ.u.mb to her summons again. Even should it kill him.

Adriana gasped when he leapt from the window, fearing head killed himself. Something burst inside her, crushing her chest. She jumped off the bed, rushing to the window, expecting to see his broken body on the bedrock below. Instead she saw him caught by his horse and watched as he flew away in a stream of fiery light.

Sobs lodged in her throat, but she held them back. Fleeing back to the shelter of her bed, she collapsed on it, shuddering with unexpressed emotion. Her body ached with need, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. Head rejected her. She couldnat fathom why he would resist her, not when he so obviously wanted to make love to her.

Head resisted her in her dreams and tried to frighten and repulse her. She couldnat understand his reasoning for that either. Nor could she understand why he wished for her to remain ignorant of his visits. Sheer will had broken through and allowed her to remember him.

The only rational explanation she could come up with was that he was trying to be n.o.ble, to not disgrace her. She wouldnat have it. She wanted to be defiled, to be ravished by him in any number of ways, however he wished. Adriana felt the need to be with him so deeply, so profoundly it was more than a need--he was a balm to her soul. He needed her as much as she needed him. His loneliness echoed in her heart, irresistible.

Too upset, she couldnat sleep after head left. She lit a candle and paced the room, discovering head abandoned his cloak and gloves. She gathered them into her arms, wondering for a wild moment what to do with them, where she could hide them that they could not be discovered.

She stood with them hugged to her chest, looking around her small room. His scent lingered on the cloak, warming her insides. She calmed, bringing the cloth up to her nostrils to breathe deeply, rea.s.sured that she wasnat losing her mind.

He was real. Head been here. Head touched her.

She sat on the bed, burying her face in his cloak. Unbidden tears stung her eyes. For the first time since her imprisonment, she cried.

Chapter Five.

Morpheus did not come to her again. She prayed for him to come to her, to love her, to forgive her foolishness, but no amount of begging would bring him to her. Night after night she called him, until even her dreams offered no respite from the nagging emptiness that consumed her when he did not come.

She grew despondent. Her father noticed the change in her mood, and it broke his heart.

John Bordeaux pulled a chair up beside her bed, gathering her lax hand into his cool, dry palm. He kissed the back of it, and she felt the dampness of tears.

aMy daughter, pray, forgive me. I sought only to protect you. What must I do to make you happy once more?a Adriana could not look at him. Her mind was full of Morpheus and his suffering. She could bear no one elseas. aLeave me to my sorrow,a she murmured, pulling her hand free. She turned onto her side, putting her back to him.

aYour door has been unlocked and unbound this week past, and yet you will not move from your room. What must I do?a His voice broke. She could hear the exhaustion in it, the years that had piled onto his stooped shoulders.

Despair was killing him as surely as it did her.

She couldnat leave though. What if Morpheus returned and couldnat find her? One moment away from her room would be all it would take. She couldnat miss him if he came back. And happiness did not exist for her if he was not in her arms.

But her poor father a he was so old now. She had to do something. aFather, please go. I can not bear your suffering. I will try on the morrow to be better.a He sniffed and cleared his throat. The chair sc.r.a.ped the floor as he stood. He bent over her and kissed her temple before straightening. aThereas my beautiful girl. Try to get some rest. Weall take a ride tomorrow and see the countryside. Youall enjoy that.a He moved quietly across the room and closed the door behind him.

Poor Father, he had no idea what she was going through, and she couldnat bear to tell him the truth. Far better to play at being her normal self than to break his heart, she thought. One broken heart in the keep was enough.

Hardly had he gone when a chill wind burst through her window, fluttering the curtains and knocking out the fragile candle flame. Adriana had rolled over to relight it when a voice stopped her.

aAre you the maiden, Adriana Bordeaux, sister to Lady Cerise Erlansson, wife of Lord Daegon Erlansson?a She whipped around with a gasp to see a man standing inside her room. The window curtains streamed around him in a brisk and sudden wind, as if he conjured the very air to his command.

aWho are you?a she demanded, jumping off the bed to her feet. aIall scream if you come closer!a He snapped his fingers and the candle lit, burning with a flame many times brighter than normal. In the light he appeared normal, but the air sizzled with magic. The scent of lightning permeated the room.

His black hair remained still despite the tendrils of wind creeping around him into the room--another sign of magic if ever shead seen one.

He was handsome, but that did not mean she should trust him.

He smiled as if reading her thoughts. aYou can be no other than that she-catas sister. I am Drago Kadar. Your sisteras husband persuaded me to come to your rescue.a Adriana regarded him with suspicion, but her movement toward the door eased. aHow am I to know you tell the truth?a aShe expected this.a He removed a wax sealed missive from the inside of his jacket, tossing it onto the bed.

Adriana s.n.a.t.c.hed it up and backed away again, scanning the contents quickly lest the move prove to be a trick. As she quickly read, though, she saw he told the truth. Cerise, worried over her stay in the tower, had persuaded her husband to find a man capable of bringing Adriana safely to her husbandas lands.

Oh how she wanted to go! She desperately needed her sisteras guidance. Though Cerise had ever been headstrong, some help was better than nothing at all. And Cerise had succ.u.mbed to her own dark lord only months before, as had Bianca, the eldest. They would both empathize with her torment.

But Morpheus a what if he should come and she had gonea? aI wish I could, but I dare not.a Drago frowned. aWhy not?a She would have to tell him so that he could inform her sister, she quickly realized. There was no other choice. She didnat want to risk this manas discovery by going down into the castle in the middle of the night to search for quill, ink, and paper. aI must await Morpheusa return.a His brows lifted in surprise and more than a little disapproval. aMorpheus Dragunas?a Adriana tensed. aYes.a aI know the name well. You have summoned him before? And he answered?a A sick feeling invaded her stomach. Something in his look and tone of voice boded ill. aI have. He has come to me many times. How do you know so much?a aAll men of h.e.l.lsing realm know his name. You must not call him again. If it is as you say and he has come many times before it can only mean that you are his weakness. aTis death that awaits his return. Morpheus Dragunas can not fall in love with a mortal woman.a Pain and dread enveloped her at that, but also disbelief and suspicion. She frowned, shaking her head. aYouare mistaken. I have a book of legends. It says a pure maiden can summon him.a She looked down, found the book and opened it. aHe falls in love with her and takes her to his castle to live for eternity. Itas right here.a She flipped through the book, trying to find his story.

aThat is not how the legend goes,a Drago said quietly.

aIt is.a She found the story, her fingers marking the words as she held it aloft for him to see. The page slipped under the pads of her fingers. aWhat is thisa?a She set the book down, touching the last page of the dream guardianas legend. A slight tug freed it completely from the binding and she saw that other pages were missing, as well. It was not the final page after all. Why had she not seen it before?

Terror filled her as it sank into her mind that she could be the one to fulfill the legend, to bring death to the man she loved. Dizziness rushed her eyes, making her head swim. Her knees went weak, and she collapsed in the chair her father had left beside the bed. Tears filled her eyes. aWhat have I done?a she whispered brokenly.

aHush, sweeting. You could not have known.a Drago crossed the room, stopping behind her to awkwardly pat her shoulder, as if he was unsure exactly how to calm her down. aI do not remember the exact wording of the legend, for it is old, but I know this, Morpheus will die if he falls in love with a mortal woman. Each time he is forced to answer the summons of a pure maiden, he must answer--it is a part of his curse--that one day he will succ.u.mb to the maiden who summons him and find his death.a Adriana buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Drago ceased patting her, as if the great shuddering of her body terrified him.

She ignored him, wallowing in her own misery and stupidity. That was why head resisted. Shead risked his immortality--nay, she could be the death of him. Her persistence had nearly killed him.

It occurred to her abruptly that she must go with Drago. She had to hide herself away. She couldnat risk him returning. He had withdrawn, refusing to answer her pleas, and she comforted herself that he could be in no danger now, that he had not succ.u.mbed to her love for him. However slight the chance might be, though, she would not risk the possibility that he might come back for her.

Slowly, she poured her tears out. Feeling drained but resolved, she mopped her face as best she could before turning to Drago. aI will go with you. Give me a moment to collect my things, and I shall be ready.a He nodded, looking shaken as he sat on the windowsill.

She wished she could bid her father farewell, leave him a note, but she knew he would not allow her to go if he knew. She would send word once they reached their destination. It was the only way. She took only a few gowns, resolving to start over fresh once she left Raedan Keep. The sewing would take her mind off her troubles--or so she hoped.

When she was finished packing, Adriana went to Drago. He wrapped his cloak around her and they lifted off the floor, flying out the window into the night. She buried her face against his chest, inhaling the scent of man. Remembrance flooded her, making her feel weepy all over again.

In a few minutes he eased them down into the forest where two horses awaited.

aMy magic cannot sustain lengthy flight,a he said as way of explanation.

She merely nodded, watching as he packed her belongings onto the horse. She looked up into the moonless night, wishing to see him one last time. aMorpheus, forgive me. You need not suffer my summons again,a she whispered into the cold darkness.

Was it true love or only the idea of it that had enchanted her? Would she forget him if a month slipped by, or would his memory linger in her mind for eternity?

Those questions and others plagued her mind as Drago helped her onto the horse and they disappeared into the darkened wood.

Her calls ceased to come. Silence reigned through his halls once more, leaving him in peace--if h.e.l.lish torment could be called such.

Time had held no meaning for him until now. Her voice had sung in his mind, torture, yes, but a pleasure as well. With it gone, he felt the emptiness of his existence a thousand times over.

Morpheus imagined her going on with her life. Loving another man a bearing his children a growing old. The mere thought was enough to set him into a rage.

His emotions had never spilt to the surface, and never had they shown themselves physically. He vented his spleen, destroying everything that had given him joy before, for now nothing could hold his interest, nothing could distract him from what head willingly given up. Nothing could dull the pain that gnawed his insides.

He told himself it was for the best--for them both.

He didnat truly believe the hollow words.

They became a litany he spoke each time shead beckoned a until she stopped calling him.

The silencea. It drove him mad.

He withstood it for a day, and then another. At the dawning of the third night he could take no more.

He whistled for Despair, climbing atop the beast. Together, they tore through the countryside, leagues crossed in minutes.

He covered Raedan Keep with a sleeping spell, stealing inside to see her.

She was not in the castle. He knew it the moment he set foot inside, yet he hoped his senses betrayed him. He climbed the tower, bursting inside her room. It was empty. Devoid of her life force--something only immortals and those of magical blood could recognize.

Adriana was gone.

The realization that head lost her sent him further over the edge. He realized now he was obsessed, but he could no more contain the desperation than he could cease breathing.

He scanned the room once more, looking for some sign, some reason why she was absent.

A s.n.a.t.c.h of white caught his eye, tucked beneath the bed as if forgotten in haste. Her father could not have turned over the room else he would have spotted it. Perhaps his own grief prevented him from seeing it. Whatever the reason, it mattered not. Morpheus seized the slip of paper, scanning it quickly. aTwas a letter from her sister. He knew the husbandas name, knew where he lived.

She thought head abandoned her. There was no other explanation why she would choose to leave. What a fool he was! She had every right to think it--he had. Head tried to forget her.

He couldnat. And he wouldnat allow her to forget him.

Morpheus left the tower, calling Despair to him once more. He climbed atop the beast, spurring him into motion.

He would find Adriana and bring her to his castle, whether she wished it or no. He was confident he could sway her mind in time. He would prove himself worthy of her love.

Easily picking up their trail, Morpheus followed their tracks. Despairas speed allowed them to cross great distances within minutes, and the beast did not appreciate being reigned in when Morpheus spotted his quarry. He dropped off the night-mare, tethering the animal to a tree with a simple spell so that he could approach the camp quietly and unhindered.

They were deep in h.e.l.lsing wood. An enchantment had lain over the land for hundreds of years. Spell-casting was difficult here unless in close proximity, and he couldnat chance alerting them to flight and risk losing her. He had to make certain his magic would work on her escort--Drago Kadar according to the missive head read.

Though he was not familiar with Drago Kadar, he knew Daegon Erlansson was no fool. He would not send a novice to rescue his wifeas sister.

Their campfire encircled their sleeping bodies. Morpheus recognized the magical barrier at once. He murmured words of magic, crossing into their camp with ease, quickly laying a sleeping spell over the man before he could stir.

Kadar resisted, but none had ever broken his spells a save one a Adriana Bordeaux.

She slept a fitful sleep. He knelt beside her, touching her temple and cheek, easing her dreams. At once her frown disappeared, and she lay still.

He scooped her into his arms, enjoying the weight of her, her nearness. He dipped his head, raising her up until he could smell her skin, kiss her forehead.

Already his tension eased, slipping into nothingness.

aYou will be happy with me,a he murmured.

Chapter Six.

Adriana slowly awakened to alien surroundings. She lay in a bed not her own, in an unfamiliar room. Gauze draped around the bed like a thick, cloying mist, clouding her view. She sat up and pushed the lushly embroidered bed covers off, dragging the curtains open. Standing on sleep weakened muscles, she walked unsteadily around the room, wondering how shead gotten to be here.

Had they made it to Ceriseas home already? She couldnat remember traveling any more, and Drago insisted they would not reach it before tonight. Unless head been mistaken.

There had to be a reasonable explanation, but she couldnat think of one at the moment. Sleep still fogged her mind.

Adriana crossed the room to the vanity, where sat a ceramic pitcher and bowl. She poured water into the bowl and washed her face, surprised to discover someone had thoughtfully heated the water.

After drying off, she surveyed the room once more. The dcor seemed old, but that was not unexpected. Daegon Erlansson was an ancient lord, after all, and his tastes were more likely to oppose modern sensibilities than embrace them.

She moved to the window, drawing aside the embroidery drenched drapery to look outside. She could see nothing but a heavy mist, gray with weak light. Even the sun seemed obscured from her sight.

They didnat live near a body of water large enough to cause so must fog. At least, Cerise had never mentioned it. But then, shead not had much time for discourse with her sister since Cerise had left--even less since being locked in the tower. She puzzled it over, wondering if another facet of the landscape could produce the ground cover.

Adriana turned from the window, the scent of food catching her attention. A covered silver platter sat on the small table beside the bed.

That hadnat been there before.

Were their maids so well trained that they could come and go without sound? Or did Daegon use his magic?