Her Secret Salvation

Chapter Six

Aydrious

Ripped from me. Taken. Stolen. I finally had her right where I wanted her, and she fucking woke up. Fucking Lilithi.

I didn't mean to intrude again, but had I felt her lifeline being tugged on. Lilithi's death stench was so close and strong that I knew what the bitch had been up to. I knew she had been pulling my woman into some sort of dream.

Lilithi was a fight I still wasn't ready for, I needed stealth, time, and more energy. I needed the rest of the group here to help. While I believed I could truly handle her, it was whomever the witch's allegiance was pledged to that I might not be able to take care of.

The first stroke of panic had hit me when I watched her body quake on the mattress from outside her window. Her limbs tightened around her body, before they lashed out again, sending the blankets flying. She was in trouble. Fresh panic ripped through me, my heart dropping, my fists clenching...

Not on my fucking watch, bitch.

It was the last thought I had before I entered her head, and God was she a fucking sight to behold.

I had felt Lilithi's dark magic, her bad attitude, littering the woman's head. The forest was almost a wasteland. I couldn't have that, I was done. The only one that would tear her apart was me, and she'd have to beg me for it. I barely realized I was doing it, before I had tugged, just a little, on the end of her energy. I let the fire guide her to me.

I decided to test out my theory. I gave a little push to see if I could hold her away from death itself, personified.

It was cute, the way she frolicked around in my playground, thanking someone else entirely.

Silly girl, I made this for you.

Months had gone by, well, at least months in soul time. Time worked differently within dreams. I had let her go as far as I possibly could, let her cry and forage. I stayed away, letting her heal.

She had to be whole again before I could really intrude and convince her that I would be all she ever needed.

I had felt Lilithi's claws start to sink into the shield that I had placed around us in my head, though it was gradual at first. As the days and weeks had blended, she slowly shredded it to bits. I knew it would happen, I was just prolonging this one last blissful moment for this sad broken woman, letting Lilithi be the one to take it from her. I was determined not to be the bad guy here.

I had watched as the wicked witch chased her down. She had been big-time angry. I watched as Lilithi raged at her, but I had also watched the woman give it right back. She had been fighting the bitch. A little fire had crept up her spine. The ferocity called to my own energy, my urge to barge into the scene grew strong.

They stood, head-to-head, facing each other down.

Then, I watched in perfect clarity as she had given in to the demon that was punishing her. The bile had risen in my stomach, up my throat, and threatened to break free.

FUCK this.

I had begun stomping my way to her, until I saw her break. She had submitted. The energy had left her body, her waves rolled up inside her, so I began to creep.

Don't give up yet, beautiful, don't you dare let go.

I watched the ocean leave her eyes, the one I had tried so desperately to pull back to her over the course of the last couple months in this dream.

I had to put a stop to it. If it left her completely, I don't know what my fire would have done. It breathed for her, grew for her. I was almost a teenager again; the sinister thoughts had been roaming around my mind and body.

No. I had to be the "good" guy. I had to save her this time. I couldn't let her break. Something inside of me wouldn't let it happen.

Mine.

I scared her. When her eyes had met my fire, my aura, she squirmed. She wanted to flee; I could see it in her eyes. The little deer playing in traffic, I would let her see me coming this time.

I had corralled her. I wanted to taste the fear on her skin, but patience was key. I had been begging my sanity to hold on. Just one little game, that's all I had allowed myself, as I repeated the words that I had spoken to her when I had first met her. Hopefully she'd pick up on the game and decide to finally start playing. I had fucking hoped so.

For good measure, I had added as much influence as I could manage without pushing her into autopilot.

She touched me, took my hand. It was lightning straight through my body, scorching my insides. A straight shot of desire.

Mine. MINE. The voice in the back of my head had shouted at me from every dark corner of my brain, it wanted to claim her. I had barely kept control.

She had recognized my fire, she recognized me. She had recognized that I was different, but also the same. She had been deliciously mouthy and bothered. I could see the sweat vibrate on her skin as she trembled. Such a marvelous surprise, I had even told her so.

She didn't want to hear it, but I told her she was really in my dream, my head.

Sorry baby, I need to pull the rugs out, so we can lay new ones.

She had played with me, as much as she could anyway, it tortured her. I had watched all the questions arise and fall in her eyes.

I had started to feel sharp eyes on my back, they grew as we had danced the tightrope of conversation. Lilithi had been busting in, finally decimating my shields entirely.

In a last-ditch effort, I had pulled her to me. I had surrounded her in flame, my power. I had drowned her in it, I let it connect with her. I felt the waves within her respond, as if a whisper of acceptance. She had wanted this too; she just hadn't fully grasped what it meant yet.

Mine, little prize, I've already told you, or had I not yet?

She'd know soon enough.

She was ripped from my dream. Someone had shaken her actual body; I had felt their hands on her.

Lilithi must have snuck into someone's consciousness and used them against me. I bet it was the next-door neighbor, the fucking drunk. She must've whispered into his ear as he had slept, the fucking leech.

I snapped the world close with a flick of my fingers.

Touche, again, you devil bitch.