The dragon. Right.
I stare up at him, at the eyes that seem equal parts gold and black, whirling like a hurricane. As I do, the dreams come back to me with clarity.
I talked to Mhal. He held my hand and rubbed it against his skin. He told me he wants to be my mate. "That was you in my dreams, wasn't it? We talked again."
The dragon stares down at me, expression imperious.
"Mhal?" I get to my feet, my knees feeling like jelly. There's a heat throbbing between my legs I'm determined to ignore, and I squeeze my thighs tightly as I straighten. "You said you wanted to talk. Let's talk. I'm here." When that gets no response, I tap my chest. "Remember? Jenny? You—you bit me in my dreams."
It was terrifying, that bite…but I also didn't hate it. Parts of me really, really liked it, and I wonder if that was just the dream, too.
The dragon lowers his head, and I'm filled with a sense of relief. Now he'll talk.
Mhal rubs his nose against my hair, blows out a breath, and then rests his head on his foreleg, watching me with those eyes that seem more black than gold, now.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," I say, exasperated. My hands go to my hips and I glare at him. "We just had a conversation, remember?" My cheeks burn, because my memories of the dream were that it was a downright sexy conversation, and now he's acting like I don't exist. "Did I offend you somehow? If so, I'm sorry, but I don't know what I did. Don't give me the silent treatment."
The dragon yawns, and it occurs to me that Mhal like this is nothing like the Mhal in my dreams. I frown to myself, taking a step forward. As I do, one big paw curls around me, and he drags me against his chest like I'm his favorite teddy bear he wants to hold while he naps. Frustrated, I try to think.
Mhal is confusing. Utterly, completely confusing. It's like he forgets what's happening from one moment to the next. He mentioned that this world did strange things to his mind. Is he only himself in my dreams?
Well, that does it, then. I push his claws open, squeezing my way back out of his grip. "Fine. We are going back to sleep, and then we are going to hash this out." I give him a grumpy look, move a few feet away, and then lie down on the hard floor, closing my eyes.
I'm trying to sleep—an impossible thing when you're frustrated and worked up—when I hear Mhal's big dragon body shifting around. A moment later, claws curl around my torso and he tugs me across the floor. I open my eyes to see that the dragon's moved closer to me, and he's now got me tucked between his front legs, as if protecting me from the outside world.
That takes a lot of the heat out of my frustration. I reach out and pat his claws, sighing. "We'll figure this out. I promise." And then I lie back and try to go to sleep again. This time, the warmth of him is like a blanket, and it doesn't take long before I drift away again.
You are back.
The voice is a sultry croon in my ear, sending goosebumps all over my body. I open my eyes in my dream and look around. I'm back in my barracks room, but I can feel Mhal's presence even if I can't see him. The shadows are everywhere, lit only by a sputtering candle.
"I tried to talk to you and you ignored me." I sound whiny to my own ears, and try to adjust my tone. "What's going on?"
You did not speak. I would have listened.
We're clearly miscommunicating somehow. He's a dragon, and I'm still thinking like a human. I try to hold back my frustration. "I woke up and spoke to you, and you stared at me."
You did?
"I literally stood right in front of you. Don't you remember, Mhal?"
My thoughts are clear right now. Less so when you are gone. He reaches for me again, all warm hands and sharp, sharp claws. Let me touch you.
I grab his hand before he can distract me. "Let's stay focused. I didn't go anywhere, Mhal. I woke up." I squeeze his hand in mine, gazing into the shadows where his face is supposed to be. "Is it something to do with waking? Is that it?"
I do not understand. You spoke to me and I came. Hot arrogance floods through his mind. You called for me to protect you, and I did.
"You mean in my dreams?"
In your mind.
Something clicks. "Is that how your people talk? In your minds?" I try to think if I've ever seen Rachel have a conversation with her dragon—with Jurik. They share a lot of knowing glances, but he's always silent.