Page 59 of Sweet Dreams

I huffed out a short laugh. “Good point. I should probably keep my opinions more open, shouldn’t I?”

“Probably,” Zadi said with a soft chuckle. Then, he slowed. “I’ll set you down. I can tell my brother is coming—and he’s going to see you.”

With a squeak, I was immediately lowered into the grass. I crossed my hands over my legs, arms wrapped tight, ensuring there was absolutely no chance anyone could see my lacy thong. I sat there in the middle of the gold-and-green field, feeling utterly disheveled. I couldn’t even imagine what my hair or my face looked like.

Zadi was already running, his soft footsteps swallowed by the field as he crested one hill and disappeared over the other.

I sighed, relaxing despite myself, and tipped my face up toward whatever passed for a sundown here. It was going to be okay, I promised myself, both out loud and inside my head, letting the air steal the words, as I slowly sank back into the grass.

It really was surprisingly comfortable, even with the grass on ass situation I had going. And God knew I was still feeling the glowy effects of being with Zaldi. Just for a moment, I promised myself, Zaldi would be right back anyway.

My eyes fluttered shut.

The next thing I knew, I was waking to a human woman smiling down at me, one hand extended in greeting.

“I’m fairly certain you don’t belong here,” she said with a grin. “But I can’t wait to hear the story.”

With a gasp, I shot upright. One hand flew immediately to my crotch, the other scrambling to tug my gaping shirt back over my breasts.

The woman laughed, the sound light and cheerful in the warm, Underworld air.

“I’m so sorry,” I said after a beat, suddenly feeling ridiculous. “Is this your field?”

She shrugged, the gesture friendly and relaxed. “I don’t really think fields belong to anyone, do you?”

I laughed nervously. “I guess not. I’m just… super nervous. And, obviously, not dressed to introduce myself.”

She shrugged again, retracting her hand. “Good point. No offense, but I’ve already seen plenty.” With a soft grunt, she slipped a heavy looking leather bag from her shoulder. A quick rummage later and she held out a soft-looking hoodie. I stared at it, then back up at her.

“Take it,” she said. “Between the two of us, I think you need it more.”

She grinned as I took it with a huff and quickly pulled it over my head. Shoving the hood back when it flopped over my eyes.

“Where did you even get a hoodie in the Underworld?” I asked.

She paused, setting the bag at her feet. “First,” she said gently, “you should probably tell me why you’re in the Underworld at all.”

I swallowed, tugging the hoodie down as far as it would go, trying to cover more of my butt before settling back into the grass. “It’s kind of a long story.”

The dark-haired woman glanced around, then gestured broadly to the empty space stretching in every direction. “Looks like we have a minute.”

“Yes,” I said, swallowing hard, “Yes, it does. I–uh–came here with my mate to visit his family,” I said carefully, avoiding words like boyfriend or husband or partner. None of them fit Zaldi. Not anymore.

“Your mate?” Her brows lifted as she studied me more closely. “And who might that be?”

“He’s one of the incubi,” I said, jerking my thumb toward the hill Zaldi had vanished over. I silently begged him to reappear.

“An incubus,” she repeated, “Who? I might know them.”

Now, it was me who gave her a long look, “You might know them?”

The woman smiled slowly. “Perhaps. You can call me Lucia. And who might you be?”

“My name is Lulu. I’m from Salus Glen.”

The woman’s eyes immediately lit up, her smile broadening. “Are you kidding me? Salus Glen?”

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “I’ve lived there most of my life. I just moved back for a job recently.”