The Heartless Hybrid Queen

Chapter 31 - Aurora

I wake up before dawn, wrapped in Samael's embrace, his fingers trailing up and down my arm in a soothing rhythm. My heart thuds rapidly in my chest, the nightmare I had still fresh and vivid in my mind.

Samael holds me tightly, as if he knows I'm not ok, and I nuzzle into his body, inhaling his scent and taking deep breaths to calm down. It's been a week since I've had a nightmare, and I can't say I've missed them.

"Did you sleep at all?" I croak, my voice heavy with tiredness.

"An hour or two maybe," he hums out.

"I wish I could survive with only an hour of sleep every night," I laugh. "It must get boring with me just snoring away beside you."

He leans down to kiss me, claiming my lips with his tenderly. "Nothing with you is boring, my love. Even holding you while you sleep fills me with so much happiness."

I feel heat rush to my cheeks at his words, I'm still in utter disbelief that this man loves me, that the Dema King of all people is my destined mate, the second half of my soul.

Samael looks into my eyes, "Do you want to talk about it?" he asks, and I know he means my restless night.

I shake my head as flashes of my nightmare materialize in my mind; distorted memories of being used as a prop for Gregory and Petra's dinner parties. They'd string me up naked in the middle of a room, my wrists chained to the ceiling and the tips of my toes barely scraping the floor. The eyes of all their guests burning into my bare flesh made my skin crawl with revulsion. I was to be looked at but not touched. Gregory and Petra were weirdly possessive over me, they liked to show me off but refused to share me. No matter how much money their friends offered for me, they made sure I spent my nights with only the two of them.

I look up at Samael, my wonderful mate. He has taken me as I am, he's turned my life upside down and shown me so much love in such a short amount of time. Even now, as he waits for me to say something, there is nothing but patience and utter devotion in his eyes. I find myself lost for words and instead pull myself closer to him, relaxing into his body, and letting out a sigh of contentment.

"Maybe another time, I think it's just the anxiety of seeing them again soon that brought on the nightmare, I'll be ok," I finally say, not wanting to revisit my memories just yet. Samael kisses the top of my head and begins lightly playing with a few strands of my hair. "We should come back here sometime" I say, changing the subject. "Once everything with my dad and Cassandra is sorted out anyway. I'd love to visit the Ember Field again."

"We'll make it happen, I promise," he says, tightening his hold on me, and burying his face in my hair.

We lay together for a little while, our bodies intertwined under the silky sheets, until hints of dawn begin to break across the sky and it's time to prepare for the day. I brush my teeth, tame my curls, tuck the dagger Samael gave me securely in the sheath around my upper thigh, and don the clothes Heidi and Harlow helped me pack.

We make our way to the outer walkway where the fire portal we came through last night still stands. "Does it just stay open?" I ask Samael.

"Yes, this city has an entire network of portals," he says as we walk through it and into the large room where Tilly is frantically searching her desk for something "This room is the main hub. All these portals," Samael gestures to the dozen or so portals along the walls, "are interconnected, creating an expansive transportation system created by one of Solana's ancestors."

Tilly looks up, beaming proudly, "Yes, we take great care of this room, so as not to disturb the magic keeping the portals open. We're very proud of it."