Shadow's Light by Nicola Claire Read Free Book Online

and not well. His shoulder length, near-black hair didn't shine. It usual shone brilliantly to me. If my subconscious had dreamt this up, what was it telling me?
    “I cannot stay long,” he said, as he traced a finger down my cheek. His skin was cold. “The portals will be wide open within the week and then nothing will stop them. The Dökkálfa have already broken free. I am doing what I can to stop them crossing, but it may not be enough.”
    He shuddered then and looked over his shoulder at something I couldn't see. “I must go, ma belle . Stay strong. And remember,” he started growing transparent, drifting further away, “I will always come back to you.”
    I knew I was crying in my sleep. I knew the tears were trailing down my cheeks and pooling on my pillow. But, when Avery woke me with hushed words to soothe, I couldn't remember why.
    Somehow I managed to drift off to sleep again and when I woke the room was stuffy and hot and day had definitely arrived. I kicked the blankets off me and lay in the heat of the room, trying to get a handle on what I had dreamt about. I couldn't, no matter what I did to relive the memory. It was just out of reach. My head felt fuzzy, my throat was dry and memories of drinking with Avery last night engulfed me. I groaned and rolled over onto my stomach, only to come in to contact with the vampire watching me to my side.
    I yelped and sprang back from his outstretched hand and landed flat on my back on the floor.
    “Good morning, Ms. Monk. Pleasant dreams?” Avery's drawl reached me from above and when I opened my eyes he was staring down at me, from on top of the bed. His hazel eyes glowing a soft amber tinge on the edges. His hair was slightly messy, like he had slept the entire time I had too. But, I was betting he didn't have the killer headache I did.
    I let my head fall back on the floorboards softly and groaned again.
    Avery sprang off the bed, leaping over my body in a fluid motion and came back seconds later with a bottle of chilled water and a couple of aspirins.
    “Here,” he said, thrusting both into my hands and walking over to the little two seater sofa a few feet away. He sat down in a lazy glide and watched me with curious eyes.
    I swallowed the pills and drank half the water before attempting to sit upright. Leaning against the bed I let my head fall back and closed my eyes as I contemplated just how hungover I actually felt. Crap, but this was not nice. I wondered briefly if I should just be stationing myself in the bathroom near the toilet bowl for the duration of the day. My stomach was not a happy camper.
    “How many bottles did we get through?” I asked finally, just to fill the silent space between us.
    “One and a bit,” he answered. “The unfinished bottle is on the bench, if you'd like to go another round.”
    I clutched my stomach and willed the Cachaça to stay down. After the nausea passed, I realised my top had ridden up and barely covered my breasts. I hastily pulled it back down into place and made sure I still had my shorts on. Yep. Fully dressed, if a little dishevelled and no doubt pale.
    “So. You plan on staying here the whole week?” I asked as Avery seemed content to just watch me and not make conversation at all. I needed to have something other than my churning stomach to concentrate on.
    “That is the plan.”
    “There's not enough room here for two, if you hadn't already noticed.” I waved a hand around at the tiny space that is my apartment. Little more than a four metre by four metre box. A teeny, tiny kitchen and bathroom running off one wall. The window on the other, above the bed. It was clean and tidy, but the paint peeling on the window ledge and the damp stain running down the wall near the ceiling didn't scream high rent.
    I was sure Avery would be used to something altogether better than this.
    “Do you plan on sharing it with another? Perhaps the oculus stays over on occasion?” Avery asked, casually.
    I huffed a