The Fae King's Dream (Between Dawn and Dusk #2) - Jamie Schlosser Page 0,87

he borrowed them from was thinner and several inches shorter than him.

Quinn, who looks beautiful in lavender, gives me an understanding smile.

So they do things a little differently here. Would’ve been nice to get a heads up. I still have a lot to learn about this world.

As I join Damon, I slip my arm around his waist and I get an immediate sense of happiness. It’s not just emotional. There’s a physical reaction in my body—stomach tumbling, toes tingling, heart pounding.

No wonder mates are inseparable. Being with him makes everything okay, even a funeral for three men who had every intention of kidnapping me and my new friends.

Holding a long oar, Linus leans over the railing and pushes a small rowboat out on the lake. Dawn is much brighter here. A sliver of sunlight almost shows over the horizon, and thousands of yellow reflections shimmer on the water.

Damon bends down to nuzzle my ear. “I couldn’t get into your dreams last night.”

I frown. Now that I think about it, I can’t remember what went on in my head after I fell asleep. I was too tired. My dreams were probably boring and nonsensical, but I still would’ve liked to have him there.

Without the power surge, he can’t get past the mind protection spell.

And that sucks.

“I guess I should be glad the barrier is holding up,” I say quietly. “But I’d hoped being bonded made you an exception. Aren’t we like the same person now?”

“Our souls are the same. Our minds are a different story.” Wrapping his arms around me, he gives me a squeeze.

His hand inches upward.

Sending him a stern look, I slide his hand away when it gets too close to my boob. As much as I want him, we’ve already done enough inappropriate things on this deck.

Besides, now it’s time to be serious.

Moving away from Damon, I creep forward before the little boat can drift too far. Inside, there are three corpses wrapped in off-white canvases. It’s neatly done; their heads have been put back where they belong, tied with rope to keep them in place.

I suppress a gag when I remember the crunch of bone against the ax. The sickening squish of muscle and tissue. All the blood.

I’m surprised there’s nothing soaking through the canvas. Dermott and Kai must’ve done a thorough job in the dungeon. They both worked through most of the night to clean the room and make sure the bodies were ready for this morning.

Sneaking a glance at them, I try to read their faces for a hint of judgement for what I did. Surely they have some opinion on it, but their neutral expressions give away nothing.

What do warriors value here? Gold? I’ve got to give them something for their time. And speaking of compensation, I wish I could do something for Isla, too. Standing next to Quinn, her eyes are downcast, and her hands are tightly clasped. Damon seems to think she won’t hold a grudge about my rash decision, but how could she not?

As I study our group, I note the obvious absence of Tibbs. Torius and Atlas don’t even know what happened yet, but they’ll find out when we meet them in Sterling. That is, as long as they’re okay. For all I know, the witches sent more minions to do their dirty work.

I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it if someone else dies because of me. My presence here has caused a lot of trouble. Guilt rolls around in my stomach, nearly rejecting the pastry I ate. Even though I already had my morning dose of medicine, I take the anti-nausea tonic out and guzzle it.

“Who’d like to say a few words about the deceased?” Linus asks, scratching two rocks together to make a spark over a metal firepit.

A few eyes dart to me, and my heart drops.

Shit.

I guess I knew the prisoners better than anyone else, and everyone’s probably assuming my act of mercy was purely born of compassion for the suffering.

Fortunately, Damon steps forward before I can open my mouth. “Glen, Rufus, and Earlwyn of the Day Realm have passed on to the next life. May they find their place in the sky with their loved ones.”

It’s a short and passionless speech, but it’ll do.

Next, Linus passes Damon a bow and arrow before giving one to Kirian and taking one himself.

Sticking the arrow into the flames, they light the tips. Once again, Damon takes the lead, tilting his weapon upward and releasing the bow. The