The Secrets of Lore Seymour

59. Pillows For Safety

Present

I awake with a start, gasping for breath on the bathroom floor. A few minutes may have passed or hours, I'm unclear. But the memories of my test, of priest Aja... they make my skin crawl. The remainder of my robes are thrown off. I practically launch myself into the shower. Searing hot water burns my skin. Heat is a much better sensation than the distorted thoughts of Aja's hands all over me. I scratch until my skin is raw. Blood circles the drain. I'm unclear if it's the vampire's or mine.

"It was a nightmare," I say sternly, like a mantra. "A nightmare from the blight. Nothing more. The toxin warped your mind. That's it."

Family would never hurt me. They're all I have left. Without them, I'm... just a murderer.

Stepping out of the shower, I realize I didn't bring a change of clothes. Luckily for me, Lore is asleep, or at least pretending to be when I exit in a bathrobe. Quietly, I grab a change of clothes and return to the bathroom. The fabric feels like needles against my arms, irritating my inflamed skin. Even the soft mattress does little to ease me. I toss and turn, incapable of finding rest. Every time I close my eyes, I see Aja and that vile grin. I smell cigar smoke. I feel his lips on my neck and his fingers on my thighs. Then I awake and lay in bed, sweating enough to warrant another shower but I haven't the energy to get up.

The mattress suddenly dips. I jolt at the unexpected warmth seeping into my side. Lore's alluring blue eyes meet mine. He smiles like it isn't the weirdest damn thing to slip into bed with me. Admittedly, he probably isn't that bothered by doing so merely because he knows the action bothers me. And bothering me has become his new favorite hobby.

"What are you doing?" I hiss, pressing my forearm against his chest. He almost slips off the bed from the force.

"Isn't it obvious?" He attempts to brush my arm aside. My hand twists into his nightshirt. He sighs. "If you continue tossing and turning, I won't get any sleep either. Cuddling is a far better option."

"I do not see how that can be true."

"Vampire, dhampir, and mortal alike are social creatures. Often all we need is the comforting warmth of another to ease our troubled minds. Besides, the children sleep in my bed after having a nightmare all the time. I have no issue with this."

"This is entirely different than kids jumping into bed with their father."

Lore suddenly throws his legs over mine. The momentary surprise lessens my pressure on his chest. He uses that to his advantage, wiggling close enough that my shoulder brushes his chest. Our heads share the same pillow. His long hair tickles my nose. He smells nice. He's warm.

"Different or not, the sentiment is the same. I am merely here to help you sleep," he whispers.

"Say that to your legs that are tangled with mine."

"There is no ulterior motive."

"Bullshit." I push off Lore to sit up. "I'm not in the mood for your teasing--"

Lore grabs my shoulder to tug me back into bed, now also on my side so we're face to face. His stern expression prevents me from leaving.

"Everyone has nightmares," he says, hardly above a whisper. A chill overtakes his normally electrifying blue eyes. "If we do not accept help, those nightmares will get much, much worse. Too much to bear, even."

"Do you speak from experience?"

"Of course. I'm a two hundred and something year old dhampir. Nightmares are my speciality," he jokes once more, but this time I know it's another way to hide. He does that a lot. Probably because he's good at hiding truths behind joking smiles and quick wit. I might not have known better if we haven't been spending as much time together as we are.