To Claim A Crown Book Three: The Host Of Death

Chapter Two: Still Dreaming

Naomi jerks away with a sharp inhale. She leans forward with a burning, heaving cough. Her eyes slowly open and on the bed in front of her blood is splattered, dripping from her lips and down her chin. Her heart kicks into overdrive. Beside her Raurlin stirs then sits up. He moves quickly to Naomi's side.

"Naomi? Are you okay?" Raurlin reaches up, cupping Naomi's chin. Naomi flinches, shoving his hand away.

"No, don't! The blood, you'll get messed. Let me clean it first. Let me clean it..." Naomi turns, swinging her legs off the bed. Raurlin wraps an arm around Naomi's waist and tugs her back into the bed.

He wraps his arms around her and she grows limp against his bare chest.

"Let me clean it..."

"Naomi, look at me." Raurlin holds her face with both his hands and lifts it to his face. Naomi's eyes flutter up to Raurlin and they are glowing red. "Naomi there is no blood. Here look...you were still dreaming."

Naomi peers at the duvet then presses her face back against Raurlin's chest. Raurlin runs his hand through her hair as he eases them both back onto the mattress. Naomi trembles against him. Raurlin tugs the covers up and he wraps it over Naomi's shoulders.

Shortly after Naomi falls silent. Raurlin reaches to his bedside table and lifts his phone. He unlocks the screen and types a quick message to Jackson.

"She's had another night terror, won't be awake for a bit. Hold down the fort, come get me if it's urgent."

The message is received and read immediately.

"Understood. Breakfast then the hospital with Stellan and Dee."

Raurlin drops his phone onto the bed beside him, tugging Naomi closer against him. He runs a hand gently through her hair. It has been a month of night terrors, every night without fail, leading to some form of hallucination when she wakes up. She hardly sleeps now, often sleeping in. She doesn't eat or leave the house.

Becoming a shell.

Raurlin finds the words uncomfortable in his mind and bitter on his tongue but he knows them to be true. His beautiful aeturnum. Mere weeks prior she held fire in her eyes, a steadfast determination to kill the witch. Correct a historical wrong. Become a powerful and educated queen. A ruler alongside her king, a queen. Ready to ascend to her throne. To complete the ritual ceremonies, to make them official in their capacity as aeturnum, as rulers.

But then the nightmares began. At first slow and sluggish, waking Naomi for a few moments before she was able to slip back into sleep uninterrupted. Sarah had launched an investigation into the potential cause of the nightmares. Jackson entertains the idea of the search, guiding Sarah gently away from what may be close to the truth.

The forbidden truth that Raurlin and Jackson share. The curse. The curse that was carried through Raurlin to Naomi. Or perhaps the cursed bloodline that Delilah alluded to. But a curse nonetheless, one that only an ancient witch would know about. An ancient witch they just killed. A murder yet again staining Raurlin's hands already blood red. And perhaps straining Naomi's mind.

Time passes as snow falls, lying thick and heavy as a carpet on the ground. Naomi stirs against Raurlin, lifting her head, her hair a shaggy mess. She struggles to clear her throat.

"How long was I out?"

"Just under three hours. It's increasing every day, getting better. Did you have any more dreams?"

"Just one, about the cell at the wolves. Just being there, standing in front of it."

Raurlin kisses Naomi's temple. "Let me get you all showered up.

Naomi stretches with a sigh. "I can do it, Raur."

"I know, but I want to help." Raurlin eases out of the bed then scoops Naomi into his arms, she leans across his chest and her skin feels burning hot against his. A fever? It should be impossible. Should be. Raurlin carries her into the bathroom and stretches to turn the shower on. He sets Naomi down on her feet, shakily.

He helps her slip her strapped vest over her head. Her body is thin. Bones protruding uncomfortably. Her pants hang loose on her hips and Raurlin slips them off. His eyes fill with tears and he battles them back, swallowing down hard.

"I can do it," Naomi insists again in a small voice and Raurlin only shakes his head.