Inner Darkness (Book 2 of Dragonfire series)

Chapter 24

My eyes slowly opened at ten thirty, annoyed and disappointed. I grabbed a pillow and threw it at the door just as Stella had opened it.

"Sorry Stel I didn't know you were there, come in." She quietly stepped over the pillow and laid next to me in bed.

"Did you dream something bad?"

"No, I didn't dream at all! It's so weird, usually when something bad is gonna happen I have multiple dreams of the same dream. Or I have a series of different dreams leading up to the event but it's just weird that I didn't dream anything." Stella rolled onto her side so she was facing me. I did the same.

"Alena I'm not picking one side over the other, if there even are sides, but maybe it was just a nightmare you had and nothing more." I sighed and rolled onto my back.

"Yeah you're probably right, maybe I am just paranoid like everyone says I am. I'm so desperate to find out where the witches are I'm making things up and trying to make myself dream."

"Hey, why don't you get dressed and we can go downtown and get coffee and walk around." I looked at her and smiled, knowing that was exactly what I needed; to get out of this place for a while.

Within thirty minutes we were climbing into a black cab and heading into Magix. I stepped out into the cool autumn air wearing knee high black boots, a maroon dress, and a black sweater; similar to what Stella was wearing. Our first stop was the Magix Coffee Shop, which was way better than Starbucks. After a short wait we walked down the street and walked into various boutiques.

Remembering what happened the last time I was downtown, I tried not to freak out when I saw someone with long silver or curly black hair.

Stella pulled me into a candle store, which made me sneeze as soon as I walked in. I lost track of her as she zig-zagged between the shelves filled with candles. I made my way towards the cash register, knowing she would end up there eventually. One of the female clerks lit a candle to demonstrate how fast the smell filled the room. I stared in awe as she said a quick spell and formed a small flame on the tip of her finger. Where have I seen that recently....my dream! My eyes widened as I racked my brain for any more clues, but came up empty handed. At least I know my dream definitely had something to do with fire or a flame.

Stella finally reached the cash registers and I flinched as I was about to walk over to her and stopped. If I tell her she is just going to disregard it or tell me to give it up. I sighed and decided it was best to keep the information to myself. She bought her candles and followed me out of the store.

We continued to shop until it got dark. I finally forced Stella to get a cab and return with me to Kronborg.

When we returned I made a bee-line to my room and flopped back on the bed. I stared at the ceiling in silence, giving myself time to just think. Am I taking this dream thing too far? Am I just paranoid? I released an exaggerated sigh and closed my eyes. I felt my body relax as I sunk into the velvet comforter. My thoughts swirled into a mix of nothingness.

It's as if I am watching a movie. A girl with stands with a bright red flame in her hand. I cannot see her face, but rather her silhouette. The flame, however, glows brighter than ever. She is suddenly greeted by a male silhouette who I assume to be Cullen. I am mistaken, however, when a silver flame appears in his hand. They suddenly extend their arms and push their palms together, uniting the two flames. They slowly pull their hands apart and reveal a blinding light, causing me to squint while my eyes adjusted. A bright gold flame dances between their hands, radiating warmth. I can almost feel the energy flowing from it, invigorating me. I reach out for it, desperate to feel it's warmth flow through me when something suddenly grabs my arm...

My eyes fly open as I abruptly shudder awake. Cullen's hand is wrapped firmly around my wrist, which is only inches away from one of the fire lit sconces in the hallway. I quickly retract my hand and draw it into my body protectively. Cullen stares at me, confused and concerned.

"Uhh, thanks," I mutter before retreating to my room, embarrassed for looking like a complete idiot. His hand against my door prevents me from sealing myself in my room.

"Don't you think we should talk about that?" Cullen gives me a suspicious look, sensing my confused emotions.

"Depends, are you actually going to listen to what I have to say?" He walks into my room without saying a word. After I roll my eyes, I close the door behind him. I walk over to my bed and sit next to him, unsure of how to start. "Ok, so remember that dream I was talking about? The one you think has no relevance at all? Well I had another dream and I think they are connected somehow. For whatever reason, I can't seem to remember it! It's like my brain or something is preventing me from accessing the information in my dreams. I plan on going to Kokel tomorrow to see if he can do that mind journey thing he did when I went to the lake." Cullen nodded as if he actually considered my words.

"Ok, fine. I'll go with you." Of course, God forbid I ever do something with the tiniest bit of danger without him.

"Fine, whatever. It's not like you have to check up on me," I shoot back defensively, but not defensive enough to start a fight. He suddenly grabs my chin and pulls me in for an intense kiss, which easily lasted a few minutes. He pulls away and looks into my glowing eyes.

"It's hard to be mad at you when you're so damn beautiful." I feel heat rise to my cheeks as I try to look away but he continues to hold my chin. I smile and wrap my hand around the back of his head to pull him into me. My hand gently pulls at his hair as his hand slides up my thigh. Before things go too far, I pull away and force him to look me in the eyes.

"I don't wanna do this right now I'm too tired. You just woke me up from a nap remember?" Instead of protesting, he smiles and goes into my dresser to grab me a sports bra, pair of underwear, and one of his oversized long sleeve t-shirts I took from his room and hands them to me. He then opens the drawer filled with his clothes and grabs a pair of pants before going into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. I can't help but smile while I change into my pjs. After a few minutes he joins me in bed, my head rests on his very muscular chest. Within minutes we are both asleep, relieving me of any mysterious dreams.

Posting 2 chapters today & tomorrow as Christmas gifts. Enjoy :)