She breathed in the cold, salty wind and closed her eyes. The Dark Lady had not visited her dreams since that night she had drawn Damien into her dreamscape. In fact, she had not dreamed at all. Perhaps the Dark Lady was finally gone, but she doubted that. She had a feeling her subconscious was fighting her body’s natural inclination to dream in order to protect her mind. But the longer she went without dreaming, the more fatigued she became. It was almost as bad as having the recurring nightmares.

And the servant, the one who was in her dream during her last confrontation with the Dark Lady, hadn’t woken up yet.

Selene pressed a hand to her chest.

Damien remained aloof when she questioned him, only stating that he would continue to help her discover her gift. But she could see it in his eyes: his concern over the conflict around her power and the presence of the Dark Lady.

Was she an invisible danger to those around her?

Then I need to keep from dreaming, no matter what. If I don’t dream, I can’t hurt anyone.

A hand wrapped around her waist, startling her. Her heart settled back in her chest as she realized it was Damien behind her.

He leaned in and kissed the base of her neck, then moved his lips toward the bottom of her ear and jaw. She turned and let him pull her in close, kissing him fully on the lips. Everything was forgotten but the feel of his arms around her and the warmth of his face. When they were like this, she could forget everything and just be herself.

“What are you doing?” he asked as he pulled away.

It took a moment for her mind to reengage. “I was thinking.”

“I could tell by the faraway look on your face.” His thumb caressed her jaw. “This is where I like to stand when I’m thinking too. The wide expanse of the sea seems to help my heart and mind open up.”

She placed her head in the crook of his neck. He understood.

“We will soon reach the water barrier.” His voice rumbled through his body. “I thought you might like to watch me take it down.”

Her mind went back to the day when Damien raised the river-wall. If she thought that was impressive, what was the sea-wall like? No matter how much she was learning about the dreamwalking gift, she felt it was nothing compared to Damien’s ability to raise the waters. A small part of her was intimidated by her husband’s gift, and yet she was proud of it at the same time. “Yes, I would like that.”

He rubbed her back with his hand. “In the meantime, would you like to warm up? It’s a bit chilly out here.”

“Yes.” Her fingers and toes were growing numb, despite the fur-lined boots and gloves. They had left before the Northern Shores had completely thawed, in hopes of preparing for the moment the empire breached their lands. The trace of snow and ice were reminders they still had time—but only a little—before war was upon them.