University and my major is psychology. My occupation says lifeguard at Streator Aquatic Center.”
So I do know how to swim.
“Anything else?” Damon asks eagerly.
I flip the paper over, and there’s more. “Oh, hobbies. Reading, astronomy, astrology, swimming, sleeping…” I wrinkle my nose before letting out a light laugh. “Sleeping? How lame is that?”
“Not lame at all. Not with the control you have, my beautiful Dream Weaver. Your ability to control your dreams is rare.”
“Dream weaving isn’t normal?”
“Not at all.”
“So I’m a freak?”
“No,” Damon replies, appalled. “You’re special. You’re wonderful and smart and mine.”
Oh, boy. I thought Damon’s avoidance was sexy, but his mysterious side doesn’t hold a candle to the possessiveness he’s aiming at me now.
Shifting in the seat, I squirm against the throbbing ache between my legs.
Seeming unaware of my physical response, Damon asks, “What else does it say?”
“The last section asks why I think I should win the free retreat, and I wrote because I love the stars. I enjoy peace and quiet, and I even have my own telescope to bring. My email address and phone number are at the bottom. That’s it.” I tuck the paper back into the envelope. “Thank you, Damon. This was helpful.”
“I’m sorry I don’t have more answers for you,” he says sincerely. “Would you like to see something great from my world?”
“Of course.”
When Damon gets to his feet, he offers his hand. I fit my fingers against his, shocked all over again at what happens when we touch. These subtle vibrations between us aren’t doing anything to help the state of my revved-up body.
Leading me to the window, Damon motions to the sky. “Your stars, milady. You can have them all.”
When I look up, I’m taken aback by the beauty of all the bright orbs against the dark backdrop. There’s a particularly concentrated band cutting through the middle. The thick clouds floating under it get lit up, like the stars refuse to be hidden.
“There are so many,” I say with awe. “And two moons.”
Damon moves behind me, circling me with his arms. “Three, actually.” His chin rests on the top of my head. “None of us really know what happens when we die, but legend says we go up there. That the stars are our ancestors watching over us. Those bright clusters—they’re families. Mates and their children and grandchildren. Together forever.”
“But if that were true, then the constellations would always be changing. Growing larger as lives end.”
“They do. We have astronomers who keep a close watch. New stars are added all the time.”
“Well, it’s beautiful.”
“I hope to see it for myself one day.”
I can’t imagine living under something so amazing and never being able to look at it. “I hope that for you, too.”
If what Damon told me earlier is true, I can give him his sight. I’d have to have sex with him, though. Not that it’d be a hardship or anything, I just don’t feel like I can take that step until I have my memories back. How could I fully consent if I don’t even know myself?
A few snowflakes drift through the air, glittering like falling stars as they land on the ground three stories below.
“You have a moat,” I say, surprised when I see the moonlight reflecting off the water surrounding the palace.
“It’s merely for show,” Damon confesses, his tone amused. “Any able-bodied fae could fly right over it, but my father is a flashy guy and he wanted it. Hence, the glowing castle and my gawdy crown.”
“How do you keep people out, then?”
“Don’t worry about security. See those walls? There are archers stationed at various points and there are always guards along the bridge. They’ll take out any incoming threats.”
I was only making conversation, but now I’m alarmed because he’s talking like we need protection. “Do you get attacked here?”
“Almost never. My kingdom is the most peaceful in Valora,” he replies proudly. “We’re secluded, far north and surrounded by water on three sides. Our southern border is lined with the Meteor Mountains, separating us from the Night Realm.”
“Meteor Mountains,” I repeat, squinting at some jagged peaks in the distance.
Damon nods, and his chin scruff tickles my scalp. “Long ago, stars fell from the sky and landed there. That’s why we have so much stardust. It’s where we mined the glowing stones for this castle.”
Tilting my head back, I look at his face. “That pokes a hole in your afterlife theory. If what you said before is true, then that means your ancestors dropped down and became