Blood Revenge

Chapter 3

If there was one thing I knew inmy life, it was that Anders was a very heavy sleeper. That night, myworld was turned violently upside down. I was awoken by a shortscream and a gasp for air. My dagger was in my hand before I wasfully awake. "What?" I asked searching for the danger.

Anders was breathing heavilybeside me and as I realized there was no immediate danger, I loweredmy dagger and put a hand on his shoulder waiting patiently for ananswer. "Nightmare," he finally gasped.

"Nightmare?" I askedcuriously. Since when did Anders have nightmares? "That's notlike you," I pointed out.

He looked shaken and he sighedheavily. "Must have been the dress," he tried to cover his fearwith a joke.

I wasn't buying it. I squeezedhis shoulder comfortingly and he pushed me gently to lie back down.He huddled close, laying his head as usual on my stomach. His handwas shaking when he slid it up over my navel. "Are you okay?" Iasked quietly, stroking his hair slowly.

"Truthfully, I need a moment,luv." He shuddered as if chilled. "That was... bracing."

"It was just a dream," Iassured him, my instincts somehow telling me that was far from thetruth.

I kept a vigil all night asAnders refused to look at me and pretended to sleep. In the morning,I closed my eyes when he finally flipped his head over to look at me.I was worried. Anders had always been so solid. He was my rock. Ididn't know how to deal when he was the one breaking down. "Ana,you can stop pretending to sleep, luv." He sighed. I opened my eyesand I gave him a look that said, howdid you know? "Yourbreathing patterns, they haven't changed."

"I can't sleep if you can't,"I confessed. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Like you said, just a dream,yeah?" He shrugged it off, but he was clearly shaken.

"Do you want to tell me aboutit?" I asked softly.

He didn't answer except to pullaway from me and get up to stretch. "How long is Reif staying thistime? I didn't really get a chance to talk to him last night." Sowe were playing thatgame.

I tore my eyes from Anders'body to look him in the face. "Probably only a month. He says Zaneis having a problem with some rogue group." Anders was content tohide his problems under a rock. Fine, I would figure out a way toerode the rock, but not now. Not when it was fresh.

I stood and pulled on a plainblack shift to go check on Dante, and then I needed to deal with myother problem. Val needed to talk to me. I gave Anders a small peckon the cheek and left the room. When I neared Dante's room, Ispotted Reif, hovering in the hallway. His eyes lighted on me and hissmile faded. "Stasia? What is the matter?" He pushed some warmthat me and I accepted the gesture gratefully, wrapping arms around mystomach.

His chest was solid as I leanedinto him, accepting the hug he offered. "Anders had a nightmarelast night. He won't talk about it, but it clearly shook him. I'venever seen him like that," I confessed.

"That isstrange. Anders is not the type to usually allow a nightmare to swayhim. You don't know what it entailed?" Reif asked.

I shook my head. "Whatever itwas, neither of us slept afterwards."

He held me for a minute."Valkyrie was distressed last night as well."

"It seems I have a full plate."I sighed.

He released me, rubbing his palmsfrom my shoulders to my hands and grasping them briefly beforeletting them go. "Go, tend to your friend. I will take onbabysitting duty." He smiled.

"Thank you, Reif," I returnedhis smile bitterly and allowed him to kiss my forehead before Iturned and walked off toward the guest room reserved for Valkyrie. Iknocked once. "Val?"