Page 6 of Black Hearted (Cursed Fae #4)

Lorelei

My magic was unique in many ways. I might not be an incredible warrior like Dawn or able to freeze someone where they stood like Isolde, but I could do other things.

One of those things was a gift I kept secret from anyone outside my family.

It frightened other fae, and I rarely used it unless it was an emergency. Like now.

My connection to all living things allowed me to remain cognizant during sleep or unconsciousness and move through dreams to visit the people I wanted, as long as they were asleep, too.

The moment I collapsed on the floor in front of Queen Liliana, my subconscious mind became aware, and I dream-walked to my mother—only to find her awake and unreachable.

It was like a closed door, even screaming and banging on it would get me nowhere.

I tried my father next—door closed. Then my eldest sister—still no luck.

Finally, I reached my three-year-old sister, Daisey, and relief washed over me when I saw the door to her mind wide open. She must be napping.

I rushed through the door, peering around at her dream landscape.

We were in an open field of wildflowers, and Daisey was running through the colorful blooms, laughing and holding a cupcake in each hand.

I’d never dream-walked with her before. I had always felt she was too young, but I had no choice now.

“Daisey, dear,” I called, using her family nickname. She spun to look at me with a goofy grin, holding up the cupcakes in her hands as if to show her excitement.

“Lorly!” She couldn’t say my name when she was a baby, and Lorly just stuck.

My heart pinched as she ran to me and fell into my arms.

“Want a cupcake?” She handed me one, and I took it but didn’t eat it.

“Daisey,” I began gently, “I know this is going to sound silly, but I need you to give a message to Mother for me when you wake.”

“Wake?” She cocked her head to the side.

I had trained my other sisters and parents to sense when they were dreaming, but not Daisey—not yet, because of her age.

I nodded. “You’re dreaming right now. But I can visit you in your sleep with magic.”

“Fun.” She bounced up and down, shoving the cupcake into her mouth and smearing frosting all over her face and nose.

“Daisey,” I said, crouching to her eye level, “when you wake up, tell Mother that Queen Liliana took me. Tell her I’m being held somewhere with no trees or flowers for miles and miles.”

Daisey’s bottom lip quivered. “Took you? No fwowers?”

I didn’t want to turn this into a nightmare for her.

I nodded, keeping my voice calm. “I’m going to be just fine, but I need you to tell Mother the second you wake up, okay?”

She frowned but nodded. Then, the sound of her heartbeat grew louder around us as the edges of the dream landscape began to dissolve. She was waking—probably because I had scared her.

I needed to leave. One thing I knew about this type of magic was never to get stuck in someone’s mind when they woke. It could be dangerous for the fae and for me.

I rushed backward out of the door before the dream collapsed and found myself back in the blackness of my empty mind.

My dreamscape was void on purpose. I kept it that way so no one could enter uninvited—something I had learned from my grandmother, who had the same gift.

In her days of ruling, another fae who was a dream walker had implanted thoughts into her mind, trying to manipulate the outcome of certain events.

Because of her experience, I guarded myself. I sat alone in the blackness for hours, waiting to wake naturally, until a thought came to me.

What if Zane was here in Faerie?

I didn’t think I could dream-walk into another realm, but he’d said he was coming for me. If he had found a portal into Faerie, that meant I could reach him—assuming he was asleep.

I’d never tried to dream-walk into the mind of someone I hadn’t met in real life before, but in theory, I should still be able to reach Zane.

Even though we hadn’t technically met face-to-face, we had crossed paths briefly.

That short interaction had left more of an impression on me than any other moment in my life.

His ghost-like image was seared into my brain.

Dark auburn hair, shorn close to his scalp on the sides but longer on top.

A sharp jawline, chiseled cheekbones, and a defined brow that might have made him look intimidating if it weren’t for his kind, dark blue eyes.

My favorite part was the splash of brown in one of them.

And he was tall—perhaps taller than any fae I’d ever met before. He had broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist, long legs, and thick, muscular thighs.

Even in my dream state, I felt heat rise to my cheeks just thinking about the handsome lord.

My reaction to the mere thought of Lord Zane was alarming.

There were plenty of handsome men in the Spring Court—some arguably more so than the mysterious Ethereum lord—so having such a strong physical attraction to a fae I barely knew was unnerving.

I didn’t know Zane’s character or anything about him yet, so I was undecided whether I should be running toward these feelings or guarding myself against them.

I’d never been one to judge anyone on appearance alone; there was more to a man than just a handsome face and strong physique.

But right now, I needed help, and my instincts were telling me to reach out to Zane.

Since his image was already in the forefront of my mind, it took almost no effort to find him. Relief swept over me when I saw the door to his mind was wide open.

I stepped through the door into Zane’s mind more tentatively than I had with Daisey’s, feeling far more apprehensive about what I might find here than I had with my little sister.

The moment I entered the dream, I was transported to an unfamiliar and dimly lit room with a fire blazing in an open hearth. A study, perhaps? Or a private library?

The room was full of dark wood and decorated in shades of red and orange, reminding me of the changing leaves in the Fall Court. The smells of cinnamon and orange peels filled my nostrils, wrapping around me like a comforting blanket.

Deep laughter reached my ears, and I spun to find Zane lounging on a sofa chair with three other unfamiliar males seated on a long couch next to him. They all had defining features that set them apart, yet they were similar enough to make it easy to recognize them as related.

His brothers—could these be the other Ethereum lords?

Zane hadn’t yet noticed me. I was standing off to the side, hidden in the shadows, as the flicker of the firelight danced over him and the other fae.

Isolde’s note had told me that all the lords were brothers and had even included a brief description of each.

Glancing at the men with Zane, I determined this had to be them.

I allowed myself a few moments to eavesdrop on Zane’s interaction with his brothers, wanting to observe how they related to one another.

Within minutes, it was easy to see that Zane had a deep fondness and affection for each of them, even the scarred, serious-looking one who didn’t smile as easily or frequently as the others.

I found myself smiling as I listened to them rib each other good-naturedly, getting sucked into the dream more than I intended.

It wasn’t until there was a knock on the door that I came back to myself, remembering my purpose.

I was just about to make myself known when the door to the study opened, and Dawn, Isolde, and Aribella poured into the room.

My heart gave an excited thump at the sight of my fellow Faerie princesses.

The brothers all rose from their seats as the women entered, Zane included. One by one, each of the princesses paired off with one of the lords. Dawn practically plowed into the mischievous-looking brother, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a quick kiss.

The scarred and serious fae’s face split into a giant smile, softening all his hard features as he laid eyes on Aribella. He scooped her into his arms and swiftly left the room with her cradled against his chest.

Even Isolde rushed toward the brother with the longer, sun-streaked hair and teal eyes.

Just as she was about to launch into his embrace, he bent over and hefted her over his shoulder.

She laughed and playfully swatted at him from her upside-down position, telling him to put her down.

Ignoring her protests, he followed his brother out of the room.

I could still hear her laughter echoing down the hall as Dawn and her lord left hand-in-hand, leaving Zane alone. It was the most wonderful feeling seeing them, and all so happy. It was what I needed in my worried state. Then I looked at the Ethereum lord still left here.

Zane gazed at the door his brothers and the princesses had just exited with a smile on his lips, but an aching longing in his gaze pinched my heart. He heaved a sigh and turned toward the window to look out into the dark night.

I sucked in a breath and gathered my courage. I’d already wasted enough time. I needed to make my presence known.

“Zane?” I said his name softly as I stepped forward into the firelight.

Zane’s shoulders tensed, and he spun, his gaze fastening on me immediately, sending a trail of warmth down my spine.

“Lorelei?” He said my name like a prayer, then took a hesitant step forward.

I twisted my hands in front of me, suddenly shy and nervous, and gave him what was probably a wobbly smile. “Hello.”

“But …” Zane glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings. “How are you here in the Western Kingdom? Aren’t you in Faerie?”

“I am,” I told him. “But so are you.”

Zane looked around again, confusion creasing his brow. “This isn’t Faerie. This is my study.”

“I know it looks like your study, but it’s not.”

His eyebrows bunched in confusion, and I hurried to explain, realizing why he was so perplexed.

“You and I are real, but this place isn’t. Physically, we’re both in Faerie, but mentally, we’re in your mind right now.” I was explaining this all wrong. I bit my bottom lip in frustration, and his gaze dropped to my mouth. The confusion in his eyes morphed into something else—heat.

Heat that was as delicious as it was dangerous.

“We’re in a dream,” I blurted out. His gaze snapped back up to mine.

“A dream?”

I nodded. “Yes. Your dream, specifically.”

He sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging. Running a hand through the long strands of hair on top of his head, he began to turn away. “So, you aren’t real, after all.”

Without thinking, I stepped forward and grabbed his arm. The muscles of his forearm bunched under my touch, and he froze, looking over at me.

I swallowed, overwhelmed by our proximity. “I’m sorry. I’m not explaining this well at all.”

Dropping my hand from his arm, I shifted back a half-step. He frowned at the distance.

“I’m a dream walker, and I wouldn’t be able to enter your dream unless you were in my realm. That’s how I know you’re in Faerie.”

Zane looked around again, his eyes widening. “You’ve somehow entered my dream?”

“Yes,” I said, relieved that he seemed to finally be catching on. “And I reached out to you because I need your help.”

At those words, Zane turned toward me, closing the space I’d put between us. Grabbing both of my arms firmly but gently, he held me in place.

“You’re in trouble? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

His gaze traveled up and down my body, searching for injuries he wouldn’t even be able to see if they were there.

I could appear however I wanted in dreams, so I knew I looked perfectly healthy and unharmed to him right now—which was mostly true.

The pain Queen Liliana had inflicted on me so far hadn’t left visible marks.

But I’d already tasted some of her cruelty, and I didn’t doubt she’d inflict more harm if she thought it would suit her ultimate purpose.

“I’m okay,” I told him, worried that if I confessed I was injured, he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else. “But I do need your help. Queen Liliana has kidnapped me. She wants to try—”

A sudden, familiar tugging sensation pulled at my gut, and I gasped. I was waking up.

“What? What’s wrong?” Zane asked, his gaze wild.

“I have to go. I’m waking up,” I said, ripping myself from his grasp. The dreamscape wasn’t dissolving around us like it had with my sister, but I had to get back to my void before I fully woke.

Turning from him, I rushed back through the door, cursing myself for wasting so much time watching him interact with his brothers instead of getting to the point. I had to hope he’d be asleep again tomorrow so I could tell him everything.

“Wait,” I heard him call just as I fled from his dream.

Even as I started to blink my eyes open, I could still hear the echoes of his shouted plea for me to stay.