Page 56 of Cursed By the Dawn

“And dreams?”

“And without dreams, reality would be empty. Banal existence without wonder and possibility. We’d walk as shells, adrift in a sea of meaninglessness.” Erebus gently tugged my chin, pleading with me to look at him. “Dreams are the bridge between what is and what could be; they are how we shape the world into something better. The Dream Realm now is a mockery of what it once was.”

“And nightmares?” I asked bitterly, condemning the voice in my head. “Are they worthy of being saved, too?”

“Nightmares are truths we need to face. Shadows we must conquer.To give up on dreaming because of nightmares is like forsaking light because of darkness. And I don’t think you’re afraid of the dark, Esmer.” I huddled in on myself, retreating; he leaned in, even more determined to prove his point. “You say you’re fearful. And yet, you’re still here. Fighting. Deep down, you believe there’s something worth saving. Dreams remind us of what we can be. They allow us to see past what we fear we are.”

He pulled me into his arms, raking his fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes, letting his touch anchor me. Slowly, ever so slowly, the remnants of panic trickled away.

“We’ll rid the world of these demons soon enough,” he vowed. “The voice seems to want something from you. Perhaps it will offer power in exchange. But power often comes at a cruel price.”

“I know,” I whispered. “And you’re right—it has offered me power.”

Erebus cupped my face, thumbs catching the tears that were already falling. He was close enough now that I could feel his breath against my lips, intoxicating and calming. As if his body alone could ward off the darkness lingering on the horizon.

“There is no demon that can lay claim to you,” he said fiercely. “You will be strong enough to face the worst of them. To resist, and to emerge victorious. And I will be there, too.” There was no doubt in his voice, no shred of hesitation. Only an unbreakable certainty that wrapped around me like a shield. “And if you ever require more strength, you need only ask.”

His gaze snagged on my eyes, my cheeks, lower.

The silence that followed was charged with something hot and simmering.

“Esmer,” he murmured, voice low and insistent. He lifted my hair from my neck, fingers tarrying on my bare skin. “You don’t have to carry this alone. I know you. I see you.”

The walls I’d hastily built began to crumble. A surge of emotion overtook me, an intensity I’d only felt recently during the trials—and yet this was something else entirely. Something raw and exhilarating.Erebus leaned in, slowly, silver eyes locking with mine as he gave me a chance to turn away. I didn’t. Icouldn’t. My world was his, as if he held the power to shatter and mend me all at once.

Shadows and starlight collided as he kissed me, a moment so charged with relief, guilt, and hope that I nearly buckled. His hand slipped to the back of my neck, drawing me closer, and I let myself melt into the sensation, relishing the scent of him and his devoted lips.

He tasted tantalizing, like berries crushed over iced and mixed with something wild and forbidden. Like night-blooming jasmine and the ghost of something darker, deeper. Autumn air whisking around a candlelit ballroom or the velvet hush before snowfall. When my mouth was pressed to his, I forgot everything else. My fear of failure, the lingering grief of seeing my family members’ bodies, the demonic voice inside my head—gone. All gone.

I inched closer, tugging at his arms until there was no space left between us. His hand tightened on my neck in response, tangling in my hair as if he was anchoring himself to me. My mouth parted and his tongue swept in, sliding around mine in a carnal dance. His other hand dropped to my lower back—lower—pulling me against him in a way that left no doubt of his desire.

My face heated from the way we moved, from the tension pooling low in my belly.

His teeth grazed my lips, a sharp contrast to the softness of his mouth, and a shiver rippled through me. He must have felt it, because he smiled provocatively against my lips. Emboldened, I let my fingers investigate his chest, feeling the hard planes of muscle beneath his shirt and relishing the way his breath caught when they ambled toward his stomach.

“Esmer,” he warned, a strangled plea. Still, he let my hands explore.

Time was irrelevant. We were both lost in the tangle of our limbs and the shadows that eddied around us. He pulled back slightly, our breaths mingling pleasantly together. My hands drew back up his torso, fingers brushing the black silk where it clung to his broad shoulders. Ifound the first button and slipped it free, then the next, studying his eyes the entire time. He didn’t move—justwatchedme, jaw tight, breath shallow. One by one the buttons were freed, and the shirt fell open beneath my touch. Then, with both hands, I tugged the fabric from his shoulders.

My palms slid over him, skin to skin now.

“You’re staring,” he said, voice rough with affection.

“Of course I’m staring. You’re exquisite.”

“‘Exquisite’?” He shook his head, a smile growing on his lips. “When you talk to me like that, you’re far more dangerous than any demonic voice,” he murmured, a low rasp that sent another shiver through my bones.

“And you’re too tempting for your own good,” I whispered back, barely able to form words.

He leaned in, brushing featherlight kisses along the edge of my jaw, a surprising gesture that felt intimate and reverent. As though he was committing each part of me to memory. I closed my eyes, savoring the sensation of his breath against my skin. When our lips met again, it was gentler, sweeter. Like the aftertaste of a powerful storm.

He drew away from my lips after a few blissful minutes, pressing his forehead to mine as he closed his eyes. Our shadows mingled over our bodies in a delightful rhythm, sensing our newfound tranquility. They trailed along his bare torso, roving across his flawless skin. They also wound around my legs, which were very muchnotcovered up by my nightgown.

Wonderfully, I didn’t mind. Erebus made me feel safe.

Safe anddesired.

I gently scratched my nails down his arms, enjoying the shiver it coaxed from him, and followed the swirls of shadow as they slowly coiled around his pale neck. His mouth opened slightly, surely a breath away from a delicious-sounding groan.