Inner Darkness (Book 2 of Dragonfire series)

Chapter 25

My eyes slowly fluttered awake as my stomach growled for coffee. I slowly moved my muscles to wake them dom their rest. I noticed my left arm was completely extended across Cullen's chest. As if that wasn't bad enough, my left leg was completely wrapped over his waist. Hoping he was still asleep so I could untangle our bodies, I looked up at his face sheepishly. His bright green eyes stared down at me in amusement.

"Good morning," he said in a very seductive sleepy voice. I groaned and flopped my head back down onto his chest. He pulled me on him so I was now straddling him and my chin rested on his chest. His hands slid down my back and rested on my butt. "I like this position, we should do it more often." I tilted my head down to kiss his chest before returning my gaze.

"As much as I would love to do this right now I have to go see Kokel before he gets too busy. You know how important this dream thing is to me." He sighed and pouted playfully, making me laugh for the first time in a while. I gave him a quick kiss and walked into the bathroom to change.

I knocked on Kokel's door for what felt like the hundredth time that week. He invited me in and I took a seat in one of the leather chairs across from his desk.

"Hi, um, sorry for bothering you so much but I need your help. You see, I know you dismissed the whole dream thing, and I did too after a few days, but I had a other one last night and I actually walked out of my bedroom! I felt someone grab me so I woke up and found my hand only inches away from one of the sconces lit with fire. I was totally reaching for it or something!"

"Who was the hand that grabbed you?"

"Cullen, who is just as skeptical as you are, and he even agreed I should come see you."

"Alright, I am listening."

"For some reason, I cannot remember either d the dreams I had. Yesterday I went into Magix with Stella and went to a candle shop. When I saw one of the clerks with a small flame on their finger, it sort of jogged my memory a little. I have a feeling my first dream had something to do with fire or a flame or something, but that's all I can remember. I'm guessing my second dream dealt with fire too seeing that I was reaching for it. I was hoping you could do the mind journey thing that you did when I went to the lake..."

"Alright, if that will put your mind at rest then let's get to it." He walked around his desk and turned the leather chairs so they faces each other. He placed his hands in either side of my face and closed his eyes as he began chanting some sort of spell. I, too, closed my eyes and tried to focus on the dream and the feeling I felt from it. After a few seconds I awoke in my room...

I stand from my bed and look out the window. It's dark, so presumably it's nighttime. I stop for a second to hear a loud sound coming from somewhere in the castle. I walk over to my door and exit my room, the sound growing slightly louder. I continue walking down the hallway to my left, following the sound. I continue to zigzag through the castle until I reach the noise. The party. I'm back at the party Kokel held last year after we defeated the undying army. I scan for any thing that stands out or looks out of place, but come up empty. I walk deeper into the crowd, being pushed left and right by other dancers. I finally break out of the blob of sweaty bodies and sit down at a table. A candle is lit, the flame quivers as it sucks in the air around it. After a few minutes of staring at the candle, completely hypnotized, I am brought back to my senses....

I open my eyes and see Kokel slouched back in his chair.

"I didn't hold it as long as I did last time because I didn't want to completely deplete my energy. Did you find what you were looking for?" I sighed and stops from the chair.

"Yeah, I did. Thanks Kokel." Before h could question it any further, I walked out of his office. Nothing. Not even a sign of any sort! Just a fucking candle lit on a table. It would explain why I got a weird feeling when I saw the candle lit in the store. Cullen could tell when he saw me something was wrong. "You were right, I was wrong. The dream meant nothing and I'm officially giving it up." He offered a small smile and grabbed my hand, offering to go get some breakfast. Regardless of everything, I still felt as if something wasn't quite right.