Secrets of the Night
Long after the chess game ended they all headed up to bed. It felt like Brenna's head hit the pillow and she was asleep immediately. The world around her felt almost as real, but there was the same sensation as her dream the night before. Brenna held up her hand and was relieved to see it retained the shape of her adult fingers, long, thin and tapered slightly at the tips.
"Brenna," there was a voice calling- the child's voice. Brenna got out of bed of her own accord and walked to her door. When she opened it, she was facing not the hallway of yellowed wallpaper, but a field with grass and a giant tree. Her field and his field, she could see him waiting for her hanging from a tree limb in the distance. He waved playfully hanging like a monkey by only one arm, and then he fell suddenly down into the grass. The wind kicked up and Brenna blinked her eyes out of habit so they didn't fill with dust.
When her eyes opened, she still didn't see the little boy, concerned she raced forward letting the grass hit around her legs unconcerned for snakes and other animals of the underbrush. When she neared the tree, a figure stood up, but it was not the figure of a child, it was a full-grown man. Brenna stumbled back in shock- he was not just a full-grown man, but also a very gorgeous full-grown man.
"Please," he spoke in a deep but gentle voice that stirred her to her core. "Don't be afraid of me."
Brenna studied the man curls fell around his ears and at the nape of his neck a few trembled in the wind. His eyes were as black as the dark of the moon. Auberon had grown up too. He walked toward her, and she averted her eyes blushing trying not to study the muscles that formed his abdomen. His hands that were not child's hands parted the grass for her to pass through and come to him.
"You grew up," Brenna whispered it dumbly hoping it would be lost on the wind.
Auberon chuckled and brushed his thumb over her cheek sparking electricity through her. She shuddered and instinctively wrapped her arms around her body to conceal her braless nipples that were suddenly at attention. Auberon had a way of looking at her that made her feel silly, and she found herself dropping the stance to stand before him with her pert nipples poking at the fabric. He was a gentleman about it- he didn't stare too much.
"We both did," he offered and took her hand to lead her to the tree. "Methinks we have some catching up to do."
Brenna thought she could do more than catch up with this man, especially since it was just a dream. He stopped in his tracks, and turned to look at her sharply. His eyes narrowed and studied her.
"Your eyes changed, what have you done Brenna?" he asked it with a note of panic to his voice that was very unlike him. "Did you open Pandora's Box?"
Brenna dropped his hand and looked at him immediately thinking of grandmother's locked basement. He closed his eyes slowly as if he could change the act with the gesture. He moved closer to her, pulling her into his arms.
"My darling, you are in such danger now, and I don't know if I can protect you," he whispered it against her hair, and she could have sworn she felt the warmth of his breath. "You have to learn to protect yourself love, you have to learn to be safe. If only your grandmother had lived she would have protected youÂ…"
"You are scaring me," Brenna said pushing away from her childhood friend.
"As you have frightened me," he walked toward the tree and left her to follow if she wished. She chose to do so. A pool of water glistened in the sunlight of the dreamscape. He looked into it with dismay, and gestured to her to stand beside him.
From afar she heard a wolf's howl, and again quivered inside. There in the water she saw the dark shapes racing through a maze of trees, and coming to rest at a perimeter around her grandmother's house. Other shadows moved as well, all of them seemed drawn to the clearing, and she could almost see herself lying asleep beside Jason in the house. Except that she saw someone walking out of the house shaking a broom and yelling. She recognized him instantly.
"No!" Brenna shouted into the pool and tried to reach through with no success. "JASON!"
Jason wasn't superstitious he wouldn't believe that the animals would be anything other than frightened of him. Brenna watched the wolves hold their line until he made it too far from the house to come back. Brenna turned and ran back to the door that would take her to her room and Auberon let her go.
"Brenna," there was a voice calling- the child's voice. Brenna got out of bed of her own accord and walked to her door. When she opened it, she was facing not the hallway of yellowed wallpaper, but a field with grass and a giant tree. Her field and his field, she could see him waiting for her hanging from a tree limb in the distance. He waved playfully hanging like a monkey by only one arm, and then he fell suddenly down into the grass. The wind kicked up and Brenna blinked her eyes out of habit so they didn't fill with dust.
When her eyes opened, she still didn't see the little boy, concerned she raced forward letting the grass hit around her legs unconcerned for snakes and other animals of the underbrush. When she neared the tree, a figure stood up, but it was not the figure of a child, it was a full-grown man. Brenna stumbled back in shock- he was not just a full-grown man, but also a very gorgeous full-grown man.
"Please," he spoke in a deep but gentle voice that stirred her to her core. "Don't be afraid of me."
Brenna studied the man curls fell around his ears and at the nape of his neck a few trembled in the wind. His eyes were as black as the dark of the moon. Auberon had grown up too. He walked toward her, and she averted her eyes blushing trying not to study the muscles that formed his abdomen. His hands that were not child's hands parted the grass for her to pass through and come to him.
"You grew up," Brenna whispered it dumbly hoping it would be lost on the wind.
Auberon chuckled and brushed his thumb over her cheek sparking electricity through her. She shuddered and instinctively wrapped her arms around her body to conceal her braless nipples that were suddenly at attention. Auberon had a way of looking at her that made her feel silly, and she found herself dropping the stance to stand before him with her pert nipples poking at the fabric. He was a gentleman about it- he didn't stare too much.
"We both did," he offered and took her hand to lead her to the tree. "Methinks we have some catching up to do."
Brenna thought she could do more than catch up with this man, especially since it was just a dream. He stopped in his tracks, and turned to look at her sharply. His eyes narrowed and studied her.
"Your eyes changed, what have you done Brenna?" he asked it with a note of panic to his voice that was very unlike him. "Did you open Pandora's Box?"
Brenna dropped his hand and looked at him immediately thinking of grandmother's locked basement. He closed his eyes slowly as if he could change the act with the gesture. He moved closer to her, pulling her into his arms.
"My darling, you are in such danger now, and I don't know if I can protect you," he whispered it against her hair, and she could have sworn she felt the warmth of his breath. "You have to learn to protect yourself love, you have to learn to be safe. If only your grandmother had lived she would have protected youÂ…"
"You are scaring me," Brenna said pushing away from her childhood friend.
"As you have frightened me," he walked toward the tree and left her to follow if she wished. She chose to do so. A pool of water glistened in the sunlight of the dreamscape. He looked into it with dismay, and gestured to her to stand beside him.
From afar she heard a wolf's howl, and again quivered inside. There in the water she saw the dark shapes racing through a maze of trees, and coming to rest at a perimeter around her grandmother's house. Other shadows moved as well, all of them seemed drawn to the clearing, and she could almost see herself lying asleep beside Jason in the house. Except that she saw someone walking out of the house shaking a broom and yelling. She recognized him instantly.
"No!" Brenna shouted into the pool and tried to reach through with no success. "JASON!"
Jason wasn't superstitious he wouldn't believe that the animals would be anything other than frightened of him. Brenna watched the wolves hold their line until he made it too far from the house to come back. Brenna turned and ran back to the door that would take her to her room and Auberon let her go.